If you have access to a garage it's super easy. Back into your garage, loosen the top, ratchet strap it to the rafters, hoist it up a couple inches, and pull out. To put it back, just back in again.
This is how we always did the top on my dad's Scout II.
dont let them fool you that thing is not fun by your lonesome....dont drop it, you risk smashing the corners and/or breaking the windows....but put it this way... my girlfriend who is 5'2" about 115 helped me take mine off the other day.....you need a new friend....
x2
Unless you have a hanging system in your garage, I agree that taking it off by yourself risks damaging the top.
That being said, again, x2, my wife helps me take it off all the time. It's not super heavy, just very large and awkward. My owners manual actually specifically states that the top is 120lbs. This is an '81 and I believe they got a little heavier as the years went on (a little stronger internal roll-bar, and the third brake light, etc), but probably not by much.
I buildt this out of wood the PO had left in the form of some kind of flower bed thingy.
With the cap already unbolted, and the spare tire removed, I just back in till the rear almost touches the back cross piece.I lift the top straight up, hunched over using my back, then my G/F slides those planks under the cap, and then I rest the cap on the planks,hop into the drivers seat, and then pull out.
To be secure I screw down the planks and then ratchet strap to the wood structure.
Sevice manual says about 120 lbs. My wife used to help but never seems to be here when I get that "Wild Hair" to take the thing off so...... I just back into the garage, un-bolt everything, hang two rachet straps on each side of the top from installed eye hooks, lift the rear with my back while inside and bending over as I slide the straps along the bed rails and hook them together in the middle, then just use your back to carefully push on the headliner while pulling the ratchet straps evenly (left then right-front then rear), till it touches the rafters snugly. Then just drive away! Do the reverse to install. Worked great the last 2 years. Highway rope is just a safe guard because I have kids! :thumbup -Kevin-
I really love the idea of being able to back into my garage and strap it up to the ceiling as shown above, I had even thought about it all on my own before too.
Just ONE little problem.........my garage is too low to even park my 93 Explorer in. My hair brushes under the weather stripping just walking into the garage. :cry
It's definitely more than 80 lbs. 120 is about right for a top with no liner. Mine has a liner, and while having it on my back years ago, I stepped on the scale.....showed that is was about 140lbs once your subtracted me out. As sigEPblue mentions it's just very awkward to stabilize the center of the top and walk it anywhere, let alone off the back of the truck.
Easy to get off alone. Not so easy to put back on the same way.
I learned from this forum to unbolt everything, squat under it and lift with my back and push it back a few inches. This gets it off of the locating pins. Then I just walk around to the back of the truck, slide it back until it's almost off, lower one end to the ground, and then finish removing it.
Putting it back on the same way works, but I tend to scratch the hell out of the paint on the bed corners, and give myself at least two heart attacks when I think it might fall off.
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