When Vint Blackburn set out to build a custom off-road carbon fiber camper from scratch, one of the biggest engineering challenges was the pop-top roof. The roof section needed to lift smoothly, hold rigid when deployed, and stow back down reliably — all while keeping weight to a minimum on a build where every ounce matters. His solution: a pair of FIRGELLI linear actuators combined with gas springs and a clever custom bracket design that allows each actuator to rotate freely in two axes.
The result is one of the cleanest motorized pop-top camper roof builds we’ve seen, and Vint was kind enough to share his project with us and document the entire mechanism in action on his YouTube channel.
Watch the Motorized Pop-Top Roof in Action
Video credit: Off Road Custom carbon fiber Camper Build on YouTube
In the video, Vint walks through the full open and close cycle of his hard-top pop-up camper, explains why he chose linear actuators over a soft-top design, and demonstrates the keypad-controlled relay system, emergency manual deployment, and a custom 3D-printed micro-switch safety interlock that prevents the roof from operating when doors are open.
How the Pop-Top Roof Lift System Works
Vint’s motorized camper roof uses two 12V linear actuators, one mounted on each side of the camper shell. The actuators drive the roof panel from its closed (flat) position up to the fully deployed position, giving him standing headroom inside the camper when parked.
In addition to the actuators, the system uses four gas springs — two for the main roof section and two more for a secondary panel that opens separately. The gas springs serve a dual purpose: they offset a significant portion of the roof’s weight (reducing the force demand on the actuators) and they maintain rigidity at the midpoint when the roof is deployed. This is a smart engineering decision — it means the actuators can be lighter-duty than would otherwise be required, and the deployed roof stays rock-solid even in wind.
The Clever Part: Custom Dual-Axis Rotation Brackets
One of the standout engineering details of this build is the custom actuator mounting brackets that allow rotation in two axes. When a pop-top roof opens, the geometry changes continuously — the angle between the actuator and the roof panel shifts, and the actuator body needs to pivot to stay aligned with the motion arc. A single-axis bracket would bind as the roof moves through its arc.
Vint’s dual-axis brackets let each actuator swivel freely to follow the motion, which eliminates side-loading on the actuator shafts and ensures smooth, stress-free operation throughout the full range of travel. This kind of attention to mounting geometry is what separates builds that work reliably for years from ones that develop problems after a few hundred cycles. Side-loading is one of the most common causes of premature actuator wear, and a properly designed bracket eliminates it entirely.
Running Two Actuators Without a Sync Controller
An interesting choice in Vint’s setup is that the two actuators are not connected to a synchronization controller — they run independently. We asked him whether this caused any issues with the roof lifting unevenly, and his answer was reassuring:
“They can be off by 5% or so but it doesn’t seem to affect the stability or smoothness of the operation. One side may close a second earlier at most, but the average discrepancy is less than half a second.”
This works in Vint’s case because the gas springs provide structural rigidity across the roof panel, preventing any racking or twisting even if one actuator leads slightly. For builders considering a similar approach, this is worth noting: if your mechanism has inherent rigidity (gas springs, cross-bracing, or a stiff panel), independent actuators can work well without synchronization.
If you need tighter synchronization — for example, with a flexible panel, a very heavy roof, or a mechanism that can bind if sides are uneven — a synchronization controller like the FCB-2 with feedback actuators is the way to go. We used this approach in a previous customer build by Jay, who used four actuators with an FCB-1 controller for perfect synchronization on his truck camper.
The Mechanics: A Pop-Top Roof Is a Lid and Hatch Problem
From an engineering perspective, a pop-top camper roof is essentially a lid and hatch mechanism. The roof panel is hinged along one edge (the front or rear of the camper), the actuators push from below to rotate the panel open, and the load is the weight of the roof section. The force the actuators must produce depends on the roof weight, the hinge geometry, and the actuator mounting position — the same variables that drive any hinged lid or hatch calculation.
The diagram above illustrates the principle. The camper roof pivots around the hinge line just like a hatch lid. The actuator force, stroke length, and mounting position all interact to determine whether the system opens smoothly or stalls partway. Getting the mounting geometry right is critical — even a few inches of difference in the actuator attachment point can change the required force by 30% or more.
How to Size Actuators for a Pop-Top Camper Roof
If you’re planning a similar pop-top roof build, camper shell lift, or any hinged panel project, the first step is calculating how much force and stroke your actuators need. Our free Lid and Hatch Actuator Calculator does exactly this. Enter your panel weight, hinge position, and actuator mounting points, and the calculator shows you the peak force requirement, required stroke length, and recommends matching actuators from our catalog.
The screenshot above shows the calculator configured for a lid-style hatch similar to a camper pop-top roof. You can adjust the panel dimensions, weight, and actuator position in real time and see exactly how the force changes through the opening arc. This is the same physics that applies to boat hatches, storage compartment lids, tonneau covers, and any other hinged panel powered by linear actuators.
Weatherproofing: Mounting Actuators for Outdoor Camper Use
One thing we flagged to Vint as his build moves toward outdoor use: when actuators are mounted with the shaft pointing upward, the primary water ingress point is where the shaft enters the actuator body. This is the seal that takes the most abuse from rain and road spray.
For outdoor, off-road, and overlanding camper applications, we recommend:
- IP66-rated actuators like our Super Duty Actuators — sealed against high-pressure water jets and dust ingress
- Shaft-down mounting where possible — this keeps the seal out of the direct path of rain and road spray
- Rubber boot or bellows over the shaft seal — an inexpensive extra layer of protection for harsh conditions
Build Details at a Glance
- Builder: Vint Blackburn
- Project: Custom off-road carbon fiber camper with hard-top pop-up roof
- Actuators: 2 × FIRGELLI linear actuators (one per side, 12V)
- Gas springs: 4 total (2 for main roof section, 2 for secondary panel)
- Synchronization: Independent (no sync controller) — less than 0.5 second discrepancy between sides
- Mounting: Custom dual-axis rotation brackets to eliminate side-loading
- Controls: Keypad-controlled relay system with emergency manual deployment
- Safety: Custom 3D-printed micro-switch interlock prevents roof operation when doors are open
- YouTube channel: Off Road Custom carbon fiber Camper Build
Planning Your Own Motorized Pop-Top Roof or Camper Hatch?
Whether you’re building a camper van pop-top, a truck camper shell lift, a boat hatch, a tonneau cover, or any kind of hinged panel that needs powered opening, the engineering principles are the same. Start with our free calculators to size your actuators correctly:
- Lid & Hatch Calculator — for hinged lids, hatches, and pop-top roofs
- Panel Flip Calculator — for bracket-mounted panels and flip-up mechanisms
- 2nd Class Lever Angled Calculator — for tilted or angled hinge configurations
- Full Calculator Suite — all FIRGELLI engineering calculators in one place
And if you’ve built something cool with FIRGELLI actuators, we’d love to hear about it. Drop us a line — your project might be featured next.
