Hole In Roof of PUMA 130 for Spotlight ?

[pc3]

Folks,

Considering chopping a hole in the roof of my PUMA 130 for a spotlighting handle. I had this in my cruiser ute and now after looking at opther options the simplest and best method if to go for the chop. I would get the right people to do it.

My questions are will the PUMA 130 twin cab roof handle the weight (I would remove the spotlight off the handle when not in use) in as far as the Toyta Roof in the single cab would have been a lot stiffer than the roof in a 130 PUMA dual cab.

Would I need to reinforce the roof and how would you do it ?

Cheers pc3

[dobbo]

Folks,

Considering chopping a hole in the roof of my PUMA 130 for a spotlighting handle. I had this in my cruiser ute and now after looking at opther options the simplest and best method if to go for the chop. I would get the right people to do it.

My questions are will the PUMA 130 twin cab roof handle the weight (I would remove the spotlight off the handle when not in use) in as far as the Toyta Roof in the single cab would have been a lot stiffer than the roof in a 130 PUMA dual cab.

Would I need to reinforce the roof and how would you do it ?

Cheers pc3



http://www.nms.ac.uk/images/lighthouse_reflector.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/09/476.jpg
;)

[pc3]

While that is funny has anyone else mounted a spotlight through the roof of there 130 dual cab ?

[dobbo]

Why do you think it would cave in? I'm not exactly the lightest person in the world yet I can walk over my 110 from bonnet to back tyre. In fact at one tuff truck challenge we had about ten people of various ages sitting on it for hours.

I know my 110 is a county wagon and yours is only a Puma and the build quality has declined a lot over the 25yrs.

Considering the SVX roofs don't implode when the sunroof is opened the structural intergrity of the Puma roof couldn't be that bad. Also yours has less surface area therefore it should be more rigid than a 110 wagons.

[Loubrey]

PC3,

The only one I've seen before on a 110 was through an actual replacement sunroof cover. The vehicle was used for animal spotting at night in a game park Botswana, with a handle on the inside for rotating and tilting the light.

The concept should be fairly similar with backing plates top and bottom, and the top one pinching a rubber gasket type arrangement for a decent seal. If I recall the plates were made of fairly thick perspex with a ball joint type arrangement for some up and down movement coupled with rotation. As it was placed and removed with the whole sunroof setup, I'm not sure how you would go about with a permanently fixed system with a removable light. Wing nuts and spade plugs on the light?

Don't suppose this is too much help, but I'm fairly certain the roof will be too flexible without backing plates.

[dobbo]

Don't suppose this is too much help, but I'm fairly certain the roof will be too flexible without backing plates.


Why do you say so?

[Loubrey]

Dobbo,

Purely because the aluminium is fairly soft and there is a fair amount of flex if you push it with your hand. Not sure if the skin is thinner these days, but I would personally avoid walking anywhere near the angled bit in the front (even if I was inclined to on my 2010 vehicle!). The 130 dual cab's front end is not that different from a 90's or 110's, but further back it would obviously be a lot stronger.

A shooting/game spotting lamp fixed directly onto the roof will be subject to a fair amount of vibration and "operator" induced movement that will very quickly wear out the fixing hole.

I read PC3's post to be for a light able to be manipulated, not a fixed working light type deal. You would need some sort of swivel bearing capable of being sealed well enough not to leak and the forces distributed over a large enough area to withstand the forces induced when you are driving with it fitted.

[pc3]

Folks thanks for the help thus far. I have had this set up before on my last car previous to the PUMA it was a 1999 tray diesel toyota ute. I am guessing some have never seen what I am talking (basically a lightforce, Powabeam or blaza light handle in the cabin that you manipulate a light like a Lightfroce 240 blitz or Powa beam with) about as many are not shooters. My question regards having the procedure completed on a PUMA 130 and if I would require extra reinforcement possibly for the roof. It was not required on the Totota single cab ute that I had this done too. Ill add a pic so other forumites no what I am talking about. Below is a pic of a Powa Beam handle that are used for this application, the other main brands are Lightforce and Blaza Light.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/pcarter/SpotlightHandle.jpg

Obviously the handle is in the cabin over the center console and a Powabeam light or Lightforce 240 Blitz sists on top of the roof, enables you to spotlight for foxes, rabbits etc. easily. I am guessing the PUMA 130 roof may need some reinforceing I'm just wanting to know of other landy owners experiences with mounting a spotlight for hunting.

I appreciate many of you are not hunters and may not quite have understood what I was talking about.

[hans]

lightforece do have a light support that has 2 suction pads,that goes on your roof down side your hand is out of the window (can get a little cold) saves putting a hole in the roof. it,s another option