The Background Story:

We’ve all ogled Sportsmobiles as these regal machines capable off all the off-roading with the comforts of home. That’s where we started with the idea of using the Ford E350 platform for our adventures, which we quickly started dubbing “adVANtures”. We were so excited to find a Quigley 4x4 E350 which has been the perfect rig to build off of and there were always the long range plans to one day put some kind of pop top on the Yeti to expand the inside space. The ideas of high top would pass every once in a while, but the pop top really stuck with us.

While scrolling through Instagram we stumbled upon Hower Built and followed while admiring all the rigs they build, but we definitely focused more on the amazing pop top Colin built as a drop in bed camper on their Toyota Tacoma. After a while we made a comment on a post pushing him to start doing van tops and sat back to see what they would say. We got a response saying that they just needed someone to join the bandwagon as a volunteer. We quickly put our hat in the ring and what started out as an idea on social media was turning into our dream build!!!

Above is the progression from our beginning with the Defender Rack and PackaSport, to the 300W solar panel addition in preparation for the pop top, and finally I surf the Yeti with a complete Hower Built pop top into the sunset at Panhandle Overland Rally.

Part 1: Getting Started

We met with Colin, the mad genius behind Hower Built, to check out the van and see if it was all feasible. The Ford E350 isn’t exactly the most square bodied vehicle and has many curves in every direction, which certainly didn’t make things easy. Colin saw a way to get the job done, so we got in his build queue and shook hands with excitement for what was to come. There were some small questions and details related to colors, etc that we worked through while waiting.

We had a few questions along the way and Colin was always quick to answer with a strong understanding of the mechanics and products being used in the build. He also had some great suggestions to optimize the van’s overall build along with a few great enhancements to the pop top. We were excited to finally have a pop top on the van and working with a local builder in Bend, OR made it even more convenient.

Part 2: Going Under the Knife

The day finally came to get started on the build and it felt like we were dropping our kid off at the first day of school. Except this school was going to turn our sweet lil van into a big ol’ rig with altitude.

Colin peeled back the headliner for the entire rear portion of the van and set in with a grinder to cut away what would be our standing area and access to the upstairs bedroom. We knew at this point there was no turning back.

We first saw the hole in a text from Colin and eventually had to swing by just to see it in person. We were thrilled to see some progress and just being able to stand in that space made us excited to see the end product. More than anything we immediately noted how much standing space was created.

We were very excited for the new space to change our morning and evening routine of getting dressed or undressed, since this has never been the easiest in a van. It’s what we’ve been calling “van yoga”. As defined, the art of getting dressed or moving from place to place in the small confinement of your van with or without a partner/dog(s) to navigate around.

Part 3: The Wait…and the Anticipation

Checking out the hole in the roof of the Yeti and excited for all the room for activities!!

After the hole was cut in the roof we were eager to see progress, but we had to be understanding in that it was technically Hower Built’s first production model of the pop top as well as it being a 100% custom fit to the curves and shapes of the Yeti’s roofline. We stopped by every few weeks to check in on things and give our few cents on the details. Colin was always great at walking us through the mechanics along with what would be next in the process.

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the supply chain and commerce also put parts etc on backorder along with the specially designed aluminum extrusion, which are essentially the backbone of the build. Vendors were sometime hard to connect with and and of course shipping of anything to anywhere was a complete guess on the timeline.

As grandma always said, some of the best things in life are worth waiting for and this served as a motto for the next couple months. Below is a gallery of the progress over the Summer of 2021 from the hole being cut in the roof to the operating pop top mounted on the roof of the Yeti. We’ll review the complete build at the end to provide a nice overview of the final product and its operation.

Part 4: The Build Gallery

This gallery of images is a collection of teases from Hower Built’s Instagram stories. After seeing some of his posts we would be knocking on the door the next morning to visit and drool over the progress along with all the other cool builds he’d have going on in the shop. Colin is an incredible creator of anything related to vehicle adventure, but he is also very humble about what he’s been able to achieve. The gallery gives you little bit more of a in-depth look at the build process from Colin’s perspective.

Part 5: The Final details!! Thanks Roam & Shelter and the Last US Bag Co!

Colin worked closely with Roam & Shelter out of the Portland, OR area and they knocked our mattress out of the park. It’s much more comfortable than our previous one! The mattress folds back when the bed is not fully extended into the standing area. This amazing company also makes all sorts of fabric accessories for your van or overland vehicle. We’re excited to make our way to their shop in the near future.

The Last US Bag Company took the lead on creating the walls for the pop top. They already have plenty of experience creating strong US made bags and other overlanding storage solutions, but they have also more recently expanded to helping out a few RTT companies with their fabric wall needs. Colin test fit the fabric, but it was just a tad tight for how high the electric rams extended. Will, Ian, and the team at LUSBC knocked it out of the park on the next fit. We’ll be working with them a little bit more in the future to cut in a front hatch to access the front rack we’ll be installing. Beyond that the walls meet all our expectations by proving resistant to the winds and harsh weather we’ve already encountered in the PNW.

Part 6: THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Custom Hower Built Pop Top

Our first big trip with the complete pop top was actually to the Panhandle Overland Rally in Sandpoint, ID with Colin, Chelsea, and their pack of wild pups. This gave us a great opportunity to chat with Colin, make sure we were doing everything right, and offer any feedback. Since this was a gathering in a field with a slow start we were able to sleep in and everything was just perfect. We did learn from our first night to leave our MaxxAir fan on at the lowest speed the pull out any condensation which can build up with two people and two dogs. Day two we woke up to a dry interior after a great night’s rest on the Roam & Shelter mattress.

We’ve since had many great nights in the second story of our van, but almost more importantly it has open up so much room in the main area of our van for gear, dogs, bikes, or even just to keep open as a fun interior hangout out of the elements. When driving we really don’t notice much of a difference in the handling. The Yeti never fit through a drive thru, so we didn’t really worry too much about the few extra inches gained. We previously had a SmittyBuilt Defender rack across the entire roof along with a PackaSport, so if anything it may actually be a bit lighter and about the same height.

The pop top has been incredibly easy to operate with little worry other than making sure the fabric doesn’t get pinched in the scissor arms. There is a safety switch that is always on when the system is not in use to make sure it doesn’t go up while driving etc etc. A toggle switch allows you to control the speed of the electric rams and must be held in order for the rams to move. If the switch is not held it stops which is another of the built in safety features. A secondary set of switches is located in the rear of the van near the electrical system in case of any troubles.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The Hower Built pop top has far exceeded our expectations by miles. Sure, there may be some little tweaks here n’ there we want to change down the line that are very minor, but the design and functionality of the pop top itself is flawless. The simple fact that I can climb up on the roof whether it is up or down proves how stout the top was built. The functionality of a pop top for pretty much any van or vehicle is to create more space without adding to the overall footprint and hopefully without adding too much weight. After camping in our van for 5 years this was by far the biggest upgrade ever done.

Not everyone needs or wants a pop top on their van or other adventure vehicle, but after our time on the road and seeing a few other types of pop tops out there it was confirmed as the best route for our travel needs. We would 100% endorse anyone working with Hower Built to build out a pop top for your truck bed or any other application. We know the build was challenging at times while he was also in the process of moving his entire operation to CO. Our hats are off to Colin and his team for helping us create our dream adVANture rig!

If anyone has questions or would like to see any specific photos please feel free to connect with us on Instagram by following @TuttleAdVANtures.

Just remember, It’s not always about having the fanciest gear, but that whatever gets you on the trail is all you need. Happy Trails!!

The HOWER BUILT Pop Top