Hey Poky:
Yes your description is very helpful. Reading it I could picture exactly what you did.
If I sew it first, I'll do exactly what you suggest - spraying on the contact cement a bit at a time around the edges, and not the internal frame pieces. I'll have soft wood and clamps ready to hold the edges, but if I remember correctly, the spray cement gets tacky and dries pretty quickly.
I'll wait and see if anyone else responds before deciding on what to do.
I did put the roof upside down on the floor with 2x4s fore and aft under the edge, and stepped the conduit back into shape. I have about an inch curve on the roof near its center.
turning the roof back over and up onto saw horses, I installed 1" x 1" aluminum box tubing for two large solar panels, and in the middle of the roof the two tubes just about touch the roof. I'll anchor them with little L brackets.
The roof has 2" x 1" box running fore and aft, and with the horizontal tubing, the roof is pretty solid. The 80 pounds of solar panels should have their weight rest mostly on the edges of the roof, with minor support in the middle to keep them from bouncing while driving. Or so the theory says.
I decided to install the two panels on the driver's side of the roof (refer to previous post) so they would be easier to tip upwards during winter camping. I have 40 and 60 pound struts - I'll see what combination works best.
In one of the build posts someone mentioned how satisfied they were with two fans, one blowing in, and one blowing out. Also, apparently the positive pressure of both blowing in helps raise the roof. I bought a bunch of switches that switch polarity, so both fan motors and both lid motors will be remote wired so I can lie in bed to raise and lower the lid, or turn on/off the fans, or reverse them. Probably a little over the top, but everything is exposed, wire and switches cheap, so why not?
I've got all the materials for the new vinyl that goes between roof and camper body. Your pictures really helped, and with Tim's three videos - I feel really confident I can make a quality product. I'm using gray, sea blue and white 18 oz vinyl. I haven't decided on the design, but I think I'm going to have more seams than most, with big windows on all four sides.
Fun stuff...
Jeff
Laramie WY