🛒 Parts for this job
Nugget owners have asked us many times for installation instructions, so here they are. This guide covers how to remove the old pop-top canvas from your Ford Nugget and fit a new one: the tools you need, the order of work, and the mistakes to avoid.
Ford Nugget roofs changed between generations, so the exact fixings on your van may differ slightly from what is described here. The basic method stays the same. The golden rule: photograph everything before you take it apart.
Before You Start: Make Sure You Have the Right Canvas
Each Nugget generation needs its own canvas. Check your registration document for the year and match it here:
- 1st Gen, 1985–1991/92: 1st Gen canvas (3 windows: two trapezoid side windows and a rectangular rear window)
- 2nd Gen, 1991/92–1999: 2nd Gen canvas (built-in pockets for the gas struts)
- 3rd Gen, 2000–2006: 3rd Gen canvas
- 4th Gen, 2006–2014: 4th Gen canvas
- 2015 model: 2015 canvas
- Nugget Plus L2 long wheelbase, 2019–2023: Nugget Plus L2 canvas
Built in a transition year (1991/92 or 2006)? Send us a photo of your roof open before you order and we will confirm which one you need. For more on spotting a worn canvas, see our Ford Nugget canvas replacement guide.
Tools You'll Need
- Screwdrivers and a cordless drill/driver with the right bits for your roof's screws
- Flat-nose pliers to pull the old filling profile (keder) out of its channel
- A plastic trim tool or flat screwdriver wrapped in tape
- A plastic or wooden wedge to press the filling profile back in
- A stable step ladder
- Masking tape and a marker to label the front, rear and left/right sides
- Your phone, to take photos at every step
- A helper: a second pair of hands makes alignment much easier
If your old filling profile is hard, cracked or shrunk, replace it while the canvas is off. Our Nugget filling profile (black, 7.5 × 9.5 mm, 10 m) fits the 2nd and 3rd Gen roofs.
Step 1: Prepare the Van
- Park on level ground, out of the wind if you can. A dry, mild day is best because the fabric is more flexible when it is warm.
- Open the roof fully and take out the roof bed mattress and anything stored up top.
- Clean the roof edge, the lower channel and the hinges. Dirt and grease rub off easily onto new fabric, especially light colours.
- Take photos of how the old canvas is attached at the top, at the bottom, around the gas struts and at the corners.
Step 2: Remove the Old Canvas
Bottom edge
On most Nugget roofs the bottom edge of the canvas sits in a channel around the roof opening, held in by a rubber filling profile. Start at the rear centre and pull the filling profile out with pliers, working slowly around the whole opening. Then lift the canvas edge out of the channel.
Top edge
The top edge is fixed to the lifting roof, usually with a retaining strip and screws. Remove the screws, keep them in a box, and lift the strip away. Note which way the strip faces and where any joins are.
Gas struts and straps
Note how the canvas fits around the gas struts and any internal straps before you unhook them. On the 2nd Gen, the struts run through pockets in the canvas.
Check the old canvas for holes or openings for struts and fittings, and make sure your new canvas has the same ones before you start fitting it.
Step 3: Fit the New Canvas – Top Edge First
- Unfold the new canvas and find the front and rear. Mark them with tape if it helps.
- With the roof about half open, position the canvas against the top edge of the roof.
- Fit the retaining strip and start the screws at the front centre. Then work outwards, alternating left and right, towards the rear. This keeps the tension even.
- On the 2nd Gen, slide the gas struts through their pockets as you go.
- Only tighten every screw fully once the whole edge is in place and looks even.
Step 4: Fit the Bottom Edge
- Check that the canvas hangs evenly all round, with no twists at the corners.
- Starting at the rear centre, tuck the canvas edge into the channel and press the filling profile in on top of it with your wedge.
- Work around the opening in short sections, holding the fabric in place as you go.
- If the last section is too tight, lower or raise the roof slightly to take the tension off.
Step 5: Check and Test
- Open and close the roof slowly a few times. Keep a door or window open so the air pressure doesn't push the fabric out.
- When closing, check that the fabric folds inwards and isn't trapped between the roof and the body.
- Open and close all the window zips and check the mosquito mesh.
- Test with a hose or wait for the first rain, and check the corners and the lower edge for leaks.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Tightening screws too early. Leave them loose until the whole top edge lines up.
- Fitting the canvas back to front. Mark the front before you start.
- Reusing a hard, shrunken filling profile. It won't grip the new fabric properly and can let water in.
- Trapping fabric when you close the roof. Always close slowly and watch the edges the first few times.
- Working in the cold. Cold fabric is stiffer and harder to stretch into place.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take?
Plan for an afternoon. With a helper and a clean roof, most of the time goes into removing the old canvas and getting the top edge straight.
Do I need to remove the roof?
Normally no. The canvas can be changed with the roof on the van.
What colours can I choose?
Our Nugget canvases are made to order in our workshop in Latvia, in 14+ fabric colours with mosquito mesh windows and zippered covers.
Can you make a canvas for a Nugget that isn't listed?
Often, yes. Send us your old canvas or a technical drawing and we can make a custom canvas.