Tiny 'Pop Top' Cabin with Expandable Roof & Skylight - PART 1

[@ogi22]

Love your build! With a bottom steel frame and wheels, it would be so perfect for a little cabin trailer. A couple of tips: 1. Insulation. Even during warm days, insulation would work nice. My personal "go to" in this build, would be a mineral wool. With added membrane for moisture, it would last longer. For a fast and dirty job, I would just use expanding foam. Such box will take a lot of heat from the sun and insulation would help to keep it cooler during hot days. Works like a thermos or a vacuum flask. 2. Windows. Yes, it is nice to have a view arround, especially in the woods, but there is also a downside. You probably wont use a high end insulating windows for such build. And this is the main point of heat loss during cold days. Also in the sun, you will get inside of the cabin much hotter. If you put this cabin on the ground, not on wheels, you will most likely not turn it around. So I would put windows only on two adjacent walls and set them towards North and East in the summer time or SE - SW during cold days. The amount of heat you can capture throuth the window from the sun is pretty high. Also the amount of heat loss during cold days. 3. Gas springs. They are not that difficult. I had some fun with those when I was servicing cutting machines. Almost all raising covers use such springs. The easiest way is to install everything you want on your roof, attach a scale for weighing bags somewhere around your attachment point and pull the roof up. Read the scale, add 20 - 30% for stability, divide by two and convert it to Newtons. And you have your first parameter measured. Next use a bit of geometry, find 2 attachment points (roof and wall), meausre it. Then measure that distance when your roof is up and you have two basic parameters covered - Strength in Newtons and a working length. The last tricky part is mounting it. There are two main ways of doing it: - paralel or slightly pushing up. This way it will be much easier to open the roof, but it will not "snap" back when you fold it. - a bit below the paralel. This way will keep your roof down, but you will need a bit more force to push it up. Either way, I would add a security latch for the roof down and folding bars to keep it raised. Just in case of strong winds. I hope it helps. Cabin looks wonderful! 😊

[@stephanygates6491]

You've allowed the roof to be high enough to stand upright inside. A heavy, clear vinyl for the pop up enclosure gives 270 degree view with superb illumination. A vent/stove jack at the top end. Windows would be great for sitting up in the morning! I love this!

[@TAOutdoors]

Yep! This is pretty much exactly what I have planned 😊

[@salvatorebaleno9807]

I havent watched in a while, sorry, but this was a fun video to jump back into. Reminds me a little of when you and your father built the recycled pallet wood cabin. I hope you, your Dad, Jax, and family are all doing well

[@SourcePortEntertainment]

Agreed. The pallet wood cabin series was epic! Mike and his Dad are awesome. 😎

[@zex69]

Your dad must be amused on all this shop brought brand new stuff for the build 😅 ... can't wait for the next part of this series ❤

[@GleeChan]

I love how you're re-working and tweaking your ideas to make the ultimate pop-up cabin. Aside from money, it's great to learn what works and what doesn't by just doing it.

[@SergeantSphynx]

Just so you know, the insulation works both ways, it keeps warmth in, but it also helps keep warmth out of the space, all it really does is reduce heat transfer

[@SourcePortEntertainment]

*Great work Mike! Love your videos been watching you for years. I love the idea of a flat pack cabin. Someday my small channel will take off like yours.*

[@Joshie_Curtis]

I’m sure it will and if you keep up the hard work I think it will be soon

[@petewatson9866]

For the sides of the pop-up you can use tarp to seal, so even though the weather is bad outside you can still have the roof up, and dry

[@micheletremonti2434]

Just a little FYI, insulation in the walls will also keep the inside of the cabin cooler in summer as well as warmer in winter

[@brain8484]

That does not work

[@leothelegend8201]

Yes is does​@@brain8484

[@HewhostandsFIRM6]

​@@brain8484 Of course it does.

[@Hesseishere]

@@brain8484ehhh, insulation 🤔

[@1XriskehX1]

I remember back in 2019 I first discovered you’re channel. So proud of how far you’ve come man.

[@ArielleViking]

Another awesome cabin build. I’m sure a lot of us would love to see a return to the palletwood cabin too. 👍🏻

[@Daliclock]

Any other carpenters face palming and wanting to ofer advice? Love ya Mike, keep doing you bruv. Love this channel so much!!!

[@awb2498]

If the roof is sloped when it is down, wouldn't it be better to have the hinges at the highest part to get the most roof hight when extended?

[@chalion8399]

That was my thought as well. If he put the gas struts on the lowest part, then they could extend and have the leverage to put the roof up higher. That would be on the entrance side, but would allow more of an angle. Also have to remember he's putting the stove at the far end, so having the exhaust near where the hinges are would keep the angle from becoming too extreme. Unless he's putting the exhaust stack through the side, it wouldn't matter.

[@BlackAxe96]

Did you consider having it expand along the long sides instead?

[@bennyhill4228]

That mini clubman looks mint 😍

[@BartBuzz]

Having fun is what it's all about. Looking forward to the finished cabin and your first test drive!

[@MyScottyboy1]

This vid is a really interesting Busman's holiday for me as I have built beach huts for 24yrs, It's not as easy as you think! Well done Mike.

[@glorfendell2967]

Good on ya! Looks exciting! Thanks Mike

[@barneybrady549]

Put the frame together with members flush and measure diagonals to make it square

[@jamesbarros950]

I so appreciate you sharing this. I’ve got a small spot of land and am hoping to build something similar to what you’ve built. Thank you for sharing.

[@Daliclock]

Mike...use glue. Glue is what truly holds projects together, not fasteners. Fasteners like screws/nails hold a project together whilst the adhesive cures, a project like yours is awesome and super cool. I would hate to see your hard work fall apart because the screws pulled out stripped or broke. For a task such as this I would recommend an adhesive that is resistant to damp/wet conditions. Good luck going forward. Love all your content, your positivity, your familial values, your respect for the ecosystem, and your desire to share your experience/s with us all. Great channel.

[@thizizliz]

Great idea! I'd build it on a trailer in order to pull it to campgrounds but I love the pop up idea, the windows and if you do it right - there should be room for a bicycle or kayak. I'll be watching!

[@Madhatter-n4c]

You make some of the best content i watch. Best videos ever. Thank you for showing me that Great Britain is still beautiful, and the survival spirit is alive and well across the pond. Have learned alot from you, and seen the basics done in a way that a child can learn. Thank you. Best reguards

[@TAOutdoors]

Cheers!

[@ozark1981]

I'm doing a lengthwise pop top for my Chevy Suburban, that way I have headroom from end to end. With the idea to mount a fan/exhaust on the hard side when popped up.

[@gregkrueger331]

Lmao i was just thinking about that for my tahoe. I have an 07’ tahoe that im gonna be replacing here soon but I don’t want to get rid of it. I already have a 2-1/2” lift, bfg at k02, pro comp wheels and the body is totally raptor lined. I own 54 acres of woods so i’d love to turn it into a more purpose built camper/overlander.

[@hundesabber9426]

It's great, that you, without being a pro, just getting started with those projects! 🙌 A suggestion from me would be swapping the side of the hinges. If the hinges are on the tall side you'll gain even more headspace when opening the top 👍

[@slaplapdog]

The roof lumber lookes bigger than 1x1. Good video!

[@PatrickHener]

Love this project. I am already hyped to see what you are going to use for covering up the popped up roof at the sides.

[@BraxxJuventa]

Thanks for filming Mike. 😁👍🏼

[@kingrafa3938]

Great start of the build Mike. Looking forward to the next video.

[@goulash75]

This is all so familiar. I made a camper for the back of my ute with a pop-top just like this. The hardest part I found (and am still struggling with) is having the canvas go from the inside of the lid, to the outside of the base, so the water sheds to the outside. This interferes with the opening and closing of the lid. I have a few ideas to try out though.

[@BravoBassin]

always enjoy watching your channel. Yours is one of the only few outdoor channels even worth watching keep up the great videos.

[@Faddidaddi]

Great job! Happy Easter 🌿

[@coryganley1374]

This is very cool. I’m definitely gonna steal your design. Maybe tweak some stuff for my preferences, and build this.

[@FineAndAndy]

An easy and maybe useful addition would be some eye screws along the side of the roof (or the front of the roof). You could use them as tie points for a tarp to create an awning for an outdoor area.

[@johngarvey4448]

you should look into the old school wagons they used on the west ward trails. a modern take would be cool. even sandwiching waterproof canvas/duct cloth with a thin insulator like thin foam/bubble wrap inside for the top cloth part of the wagon.

[@dustinmittel348]

I think some deep bubble windows on both sides be cool allow you to look around more

[@tuckerandi]

Awesome ideal , I'm looking to do something similar or even a pop up on a truck camper, looking forward to your finish product

[@JSMCalder]

Great work Mike. Looking forward to the next episode

[@ronnieahman6958]

That´s a cool little cabin. Can´t wait for the next episode.

[@scottmcintosh2988]

Saw a giy made shingles out of pallets he made a gig and cit 15 inch long shakes with 4.5 inches to the weather you get tripple coverage double the first shingle measure up 4.5 inches nail the next stager so the ends donnot line up by varing the width of the shakes this will also work on the pop up roof too stain them or use boat paint use short roofing nails or stainless ribbed nails !

[@ddraidex6842]

This looks great can’t wait to see the results. Great video

[@michaelfritz8725]

One thing you could use that would be good insulation wise if you want to insulate is reflectix. You can get r21 value and its like bubble wrap, its thin and has the reflective surface like a thermal blanket. Its pretty light weight and wouldn't really add much weight to it. As thin as it is you could cut it out to fit between the studs and use velcro or somthing to attach it that you could take it off or reattach it as needed depending on the season.

[@OperationDarkside]

Little tip for the summer, you can add regular aluminium foil to the roof with spray glue. This adds both excellent water protection and heat radiation reflection. As this year will be an El Nino year, this might prevent it from becoming an oven if there's no or little tree cover.

[@MedeniFilm]

Nice

[@riuphane]

How long until you incorporate this idea into your flat pack idea? As much as I'm looking forward to more of the new Bushcraft camp, these have been a fun diversion

[@jedi32r2]

Love your channel and videos! Have been a loyal subscriber for years ❤

[@leviwells7017]

I was going to recommend that you consider some automotive gas struts for a car that has a large opening rear hatch window. Or rear hatch doors, possibly hood struts for the weight of the top.

[@Billybob09871]

This is a great idea, I am wondering why you've hinged it from the low end though. If you hinge it from the higher end you will have much more head room when popped, because it will have a less steep roof angle.

[@johnklenzak1001]

2" thick sheet foam would be great for inside the walls and the ceiling and floor. Then you could add plywood once you are in the woods. The foam would make a great sound barrier and also a great thermal break.

[@jaymeswheeler]

Liking the cabin builds. Fun projects.

[@jonmarshall237]

Great video love your channel you may want to consider some sort of roof vent fan instead of a sky light just an idea.

[@warrenvalentino5763]

Great video! what a Realy Awesome idea! i love watching your videos!

[@shuvankarbiswas8650]

Love from India 💕💕🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@katwitanruna]

Liked. Shared. Commented. Up the algorithm!!

[@Zindolin]

love the build. keep it up. thanks for the share!

[@kungfudavie]

A track saw would save you a bucket load of hassle on this project. Got one recently and it’s been a game changer

[@JEBOOUTDOORS]

Some heavy and great work, MIke!

[@KaylynnStrain]

Very clever design !!!

[@achimklinkhammer_150]

Nice video about a very interesting project. But I have one question: why not just using a tent? Greets, Achim

[@matthewwilliams3827]

This is really cool! I also wanna build something based on some annotated thumbnail sketches I’ll do. I don’t have a workshop or anything so I’ll probably start miniature version haha.

[@janemillard1754]

Looking forward to part 2

[@bushwhackingprepper9162]

It may have been suggested before but what if you fixed mountain bike wheels to one end, like a bike camper, and hand rail bars to the other to push/pull it along like a handcart? It'd mean it'd able to be moved without wheelbarrow. I've been watching your content for years and absolutely love it,your miles above where my skill level is and it's just an idea but might be useful.

[@offgridwithmichiganprepared]

This is awesome!! Love it!! Thanks for the entertainment!

[@packepuck]

May I suggest a candle convection heater in the cabin. With insulation it should be sufficient to keep it cozy 😊

[@mauriceupp9381]

That design would work good with your roof system

[@mauriceupp9381]

Have you seen a liner camping trailers that raise up in the center into a point and then the end on each side raises up to make more headroom at the ends too?

[@abz_bushcraft]

Grand master, we are looking forward to meeting you🍁🍁🍁

[@allanmason7544]

nice work tom

[@JUSTJAMIE82]

You could cut weight using perforated plastic the stuff for sale signs are made out of👍

[@joeholm4591]

Thats it, thats the stuff I was trying to come up with in my comment above.

[@walkerclanadventures]

This is brilliant! I want to build a bike camper for fishing vlogs and adventures so bad i just need to save ,plan and buy tools aswell😂

[@filosworld.1705]

Fun video we ran across your channel thanks to Kenny of all trades and I am enjoying this new cabin build. There is another user who goes by the name Quiet Nerd and he has built one that is sort of like yours but it's motorized. Might check his out both builds are pretty awesome.

[@freddyoutdoors]

Really enjoyed watching mike keep them coming

[@hamzahkola800]

You should purchase one of them foldable sport panels that u can use in multiple projects

[@WiKiTWoNKaWeCKoRDS]

I can't wait till part 2

[@HenrikLaurell]

Brilliant build. Thin plywood is much better than your previous material. 4mm will work fine for the roof as well. Why not add two wheels to it? Surplus wheelbarrow wheels is available at many garden shops. Just a single wheelbarrow will be tricky to balance with this on top.

[@taraarmour4880]

MIKE, what about adding wheels like the ones on the wheelbarrow to one side and handles on the other side that can be removed (wheels could be too) and them you don't need the wheelbarrow.... you just push the cabin in place of the wheelbarrow?

[@marinamagic6394]

Love your building videos! I gotta admit though, your accent is so fun to listen to that I sometimes get distracted from the content 😅

[@henryskinner1092]

Great Job.

[@ABloodyEyeFull]

Would be worth covering it in Ronseal, in my opinion or some kind of wood protecting product, to help protect it from all the rain and prevent dampness and mold.

[@MyScottyboy1]

Agreed, inside, definitely before the insulation goes in and bitumen the outside.

[@GEAUXFRUGAL]

Try collect crutches and other aircraft aluminum. Very light and strong can be used to lighten the size of the wood

[@AaronTheHumanist]

Is the aim to stand whilst cooking? A half hinged floor on the roof by the window end, could serve as a cooking platform? Alternatively, a lower down one so you can sit on a chair, stool, or other and have same platform. If standing, the window will be at waist level. So thought needed prior to that.

[@ewengillies9826]

Great series so far thanks. Bushyboy Oz

[@bennyhill4228]

Your campervan looks awesome, the coffin not so much so, although the concept did raise an eyebrow or two

[@CountrysideLife19VN]

Tuyệt vời, Tôi rất thích video của bạn. hãy làm nhiều video nhé

[@RedDragon-df5fg]

Some things that I thought you might be able to do to flat pack it is the roof instead of hinges what if you used those little hydronic pieces they use on the back windows of cars then you can set a height, and on the walls have like a pull up tarp to attach to the new roof height. The bottom part of the hydronic peices have little blocks of wood that can slot into a spot inside the cabin and you can lock it down to that, that will make where you can take the whole roof off and the hydronic on the roof can fold down. For the walls could then do the same as the other cabin with the connecting and disconnecting with basically the addition of the pull-up tarps for the new roof level.

[@brain8484]

Put some detachable wheels at one end to pull it instead of the wheel barrow .

[@mikemedeiros5458]

The compressed styrofoam type insulation would work perfectly and if you cut it neatly you won’t even have to put a wall over it, you can leave it exposed and save weight. It’d be cool if you put solar powered lights built into the roof

[@JohnCBurzynski]

Nice concept.

[@fion1flatout]

Steam bending next.. just a slight curve to the roof would make a big difference. I got some flexible stove pipe.. cheaper.. and a wallpaper steamer

[@jonathanluce9130]

You could always use a pulley and rope to hoist the roof from a tree?

[@shaineriches4369]

Good video mike. But instead of framing with 4x2 you should have framed with 2x2 that way it would of been even lighter.

[@danielmacdonald3130]

spray on underseal, hycote is good for this purpose

[@kentsinclair207]

Use 2 inch foam board to insulate as its extremely light.

[@harryb1745]

Gas struts lifting with wise rather then length wise would give u more heigh the full length of the hut..😊

[@danaowen9014]

It is going to be great. I did not know that you sold your vw van

[@embwee]

"That' using your noggins!" "Some point to an early British example of it in print from 1769: 'Giving him a stouter (punch) on the noggin, I laid him as flat as a flaunder.' But the first widespread use of it as head in an informal sense was seen in print in America in the 1840s."

[@lancebakore497]

Instead of a fire of any kind inside of a tinderbox, you can get two or three pieces of 1ft Sq. soapstone, heat them in a fire outside, and put them in the Well insulated cabin. Just a thought

[@elsathal7359]

Excellent! Thank you for sharing ✌️💖🤟✨️🧚‍♂️

[@jerryodell1168]

Maybe????? It is possible light weight gussets or brackets on the on the bottom of the corners would make the base extremely stronger than it is now. At least it might prevent splaying of the corners on the bottom. The sheeting on the top automatically does the same for the top. -Just a thought.

[@stevieworley1216]

hello mister t a outdoors my name is Junior I live in Cleveland ALABAMA I ordered some T-shirts from you I have been watching your for a long very educational stuff to come up with a concept like that very smart person I love your dad and Jack's your dog is very funny please keep up with a good stuff in the woods keep doing and I really would love to hear back back from you and may God bless you on your journey I like the guy from Bush craft outdoors Kent survival and Simon a block in the woods 🪓 love watching all you guys please let me hear because I love what y'all do what you do in the woods

[@calintravel]

Amazing!