Get ready to embark on an exciting DIY journey with iconic builder and craftsman, Jay Nelson.

Here's everything Jay Nelson suggests you consider prior to building your pop top. His thoughts on choosing a vehicle and visualizing the outcome.

Jay Nelson shares how to build a one-of-a-kind pop-top camper step by step.

With a few nifty items from Goal Zero, I was able to make the campervan a solar-powered workhorse.

"I am going to show you step-by-step how to build a camper that is geared toward the intermediate to beginner builder," says Jay Nelson. "The goal in the end is for you to walk away with something that you're proud of, something that's handmade, and something that's unique to you."

That's a good question. Fair warning: This pop-top will not build itself. And this isn't IKEA. That's not how Jay operates. Like any DIY project, this is going to require dedication and resourcefulness. This took Jay weeks – much longer if you include the process of choosing and buying a used vehicle to convert. 

Have you ever sawed a hole into the roof of your vehicle before? If not, you'll be treading into uncharted territory. That's something Jay fully appreciates. Chances are good that you'll run into some issues where you need to improvise and/or find a solution that isn't explicitly outlined in this course, especially if you're converting any vehicle other than a 1994 Toyota Previa. That said, Jay is an open book with his approach to DIY projects and shares as much detail as possible on how he approached converting a 1994 Toyota Previa that he bought on Craigslist for $5,000. Beyond that, many of Jay's solutions have a broader application to a variety of vehicles.

Yes and no. If you are planning to convert a 1994 Toyota Previa, you’ll be able to follow Jay’s drawings and instructions most explicitly. As it turns out, the 1994 Toyota Previa is actually a pretty challenging vehicle to build a pop-top on due to its egg-shaped roof. That means the base requires a curve to snugly fit the top of the vehicle. You’ll need to build that curve into your base. Flat, rectangular vehicles like the Chevy Astro Van, Honda Odyssey,Volvo wagons and manyToyota vans from the ‘80s are actually easier to build on than the Previa.

But the Previa has a lot of great features, too. That’s why Jay picked it. 

Glad you asked. We’ll defer to Jay.

“It's super spacious,” says Jay. “The motor is under your seat, so it opens up a lot more space for the length of the car. It's pretty small when it comes to using it in cities regularly, but it has a lot of space inside. It can fit the whole family. It's all wheel drive, which is cool.”

“The lines and the curves have a nice aesthetic. You can spin the driver’s seat around. Eventually, I'd like to build a little table for it. The back seats go flat. They also lift up, which is kind of cool. It just has a lot of nice features.”

"I wanted all wheel drive. I wanted to try to find a vehicle with less than 150,000 miles that was mechanically good for $5,000 or less. Obviously, no bad smells in the car. For my purposes, this car checked all the boxes."

First, an internet connection to view the course. Second, a vehicle that you're willing to build on. A Toyota Previa would make it easiest to follow along, but there are more universal applications to Jay's instruction. You'll need to extrapolate, though. If this is your first project, manage expectations. All DIY projects are a journey.

"That's what this project is about," says Jay. "It’s taking something that's more affordable and turning into a nice little camper versus buying something really expensive like a Sprinter."

Jay is obviously a professional builder, so he’s got an impressive workshop, tools, and materials at his disposal. Here’s Jay’s tool list for this project. You will need these things.

Safety first.

Jay’s Mandatory Safety Gear:

Tyvek Suit

Goggles

Ear Muffs

Gloves

Mask for fiberglassing

Recommended Tools

Jigsaw

Table Saw
Electric Planer

Sander or Grinder

Polyurethane Glue

Screwdriver

Screws 

Drill

Templating Tool (Plywood with Sharpie)

Square

Level 

Clamps

Tape Measure

Nail Gun

Angle Finder

Nails

Squeegee

Paint Roller or Squeegee

Band saw

Caulk Gun

Compression Tool

Lumber

Tent 

Camper Latches

Adjustable Springs

Spring Twine

Construction Sealant

Rubber Spline

Rivnuts

Dynalite

Gel Coat

Catalyst

Hardener

Surfacing Agent

Titebond Glue

Polyester Resin

Fiberglass Cloth

Painters Tape

Jay also uses a lot of salvaged materials, which makes the instruction a little trickier. Building with scrap and recycled/upcycled lumber presents its own set of challenges and irregularities. Jay only recommends that approach for more advanced builders. Jay outlines all of the lumber and hardware you can purchase at your nearest home improvement store to complete the job. Jay recommends that beginner builders buy wood at the store. It’s not as eco-friendly, but it’s much easier to use.

That depends. If you have a sunroof, you might not need to. Per Jay’s note, “Sunroofs can be great, because you can just remove the sunroof and you don't have to worry about cutting a hole. The problem with sunroofs is they determine where you enter into the bed. If a sunroof is right in the middle, that's not going to work very well because you would have to climb in and then put a cover over that to sleep.”

So, if you don’t have a sunroof, you’ll need to cut a hole in your vehicle. Obviously, that is a big decision. We’d recommend only doing that on a vehicle you’re willing to sacrifice to learn.

The course includes 26 video chapters with nearly 3 hours of content. The full chapter-by-chapter outline is detailed below. 

Some chapters include biographical information about Jay, his DIY philosophy, and his approach to his work that are intended to inspire and provide access to the mindset of a great modern artist who has built a career around building visions with his own hands.  

The other chapters follow Jay step-by-step in the process of building the pop-top for his Toyota Previa. He offers explicit instruction and navigates the build in real-time, sharing his learnings along the way.

The course also includes Jay’s downloadable, scale drawings of the pop top camper he built for his 1994 Toyota Previa. The drawings include a profile of the exterior, the back, as well as details with measurements of the top and bottom perimeters. His drawing also details the five major components of the build: the foundation, bed, top, rack, and tent.

The course also includes Jay’s tools and materials list. The stuff he needed to get the job done.

We believe in you. We think you can! What's the saying? "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." And we believe Jay has provided enough detailed information to help you get the job done. We’ll also have support resources, including a private Facebook Group for enrolled students to share learnings and troubleshooting tips that Jay will check in on as he can. (Patience is appreciated. Jay is busy and off the grid an enviable amount.) We also plan to periodically fire up Q&As with Jay to help answer questions that we’ll make available to all students to help get you on your way. 

But building the pop top is work. You can't say you haven't been warned. This will require dedication to see through, but it will be totally worth it. 

As Jay says, "There's always a moment in every project where you step back and look at it and you think, 'Holy shit, I made that. I did this. It's incredibly gratifying."

We envision a little army of DIY Previa Pop-Tops congregating at some rad outdoor-ish, socially distant festival at some point in the future. That's the vision.

For life, brah. If you ever have a question or want to reference something, fire it up!

Prices are in USD. 

Measurements are in Imperial System of Measurement. You know, inches, feet, etc...  Yeah, America is the only country that uses it. Shrug.

We really hope you love it! And we feel confident you will. There is no better DIY instructor on earth than Jay Nelson. Unfortunately, we’re not able to offer refunds. If you’re on the fence, we strongly recommend that you watch the preview videos and carefully read the course overview, chapters, chapter lengths, and details as we are trying to clearly communicate what to expect as best we can. That will help you get a sense of what the class is like before you buy.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, you agree to release, indemnify and hold Jay Nelson, Inertia Media LLC, and its affiliates harmless from any and all losses, damages, claims, actions of any kind and injury (including death) arising out of or relating to your use of this course and/or the inherent danger associated with building, construction, DIY projects, and working on automobiles.  Jay Nelson, The Inertia, and affiliates assume no responsibility for your actions. Your use of the service is at your sole risk.