Hi, this is my first post, so i apologise in advanced for not introducing myself etc. I have a 5.1 so only flick through the build threads on here, as the the t5 forum seems to lack any decent ones recently.
Id like to just give my experience with the C&H pop tops, as i have recently had one fitted to my van and when i was looking, i couldn't find any reviews anywhere on their pop tops, so i hope this helps you in making your decision.
I travelled all the way up to Huddersfield from the isle of wight, they fitted it within the day on a Saturday, which was a massive bonus for me, as i cannot be without my van. They lent me their caddy van for the day, free of charge.
From start to finish was first class and i cannot express enough how professional they were with dealing with all my questions etc prior to booking it in and nothing was to much bother for them to answer over a text message.
The quality of the pop top is good and i think it is a copy of the skyline roof from comparing against my friends. The canvas is not fully waterproof, but i believe this is normal, as they are meant to let the water in to then let the material air when drying. When i say lets water in, i dont mean you see puddles of water etc. It has 2 breathable windows on the side and one big clear window at the front. The canvas also has an enclosed elasticated strap at the back, to prevent it getting caught in the rear hinges when lowering, i have not seen this on the roofs that i looked at from the bigger pop top companies. The silicone around the edge of the canvas is neat and tidy, this was a big thing for me, as i have seen this left in an horrendous state on some. The rubber seal on the outside, at first is abit wobbly looking, but i have managed to sort mine out, seems as if it just needed knocking on abit more. They fitted my supplied roof bars, again free of charge.
The roof bed is a good design and seems to be constructed in a similar way to a stud wall, this was perfect for me, as this meant i was able to mount my flip down tv and run the wires all inside without being seen. I went for carpet all over and no logo, so i cant comment on the diamond stitch material. They fitted 6 leds down the side, which are all good.
They use a fibreglass bed trim around the edges which is bolted and screwed into the strengthening frame, i think this is quite a good design, as it allows the bed to sit abit lower, so it still allows enough room for me to permanently keep the bed mattress up the top when the roof is down. The roof is easy to put up and down, even when i have my roof box fitted. The locking straps are nice and strong.
I have recently put it through its elements last week down in cornwall for a weeks camping trip and it dealt with the 60-70mph winds that we had perfectly fine. My son and I slept up perfectly fine and i am 6'1. This probably wont bother you, if you only want it for standing up in. The bed is easily removable but also goes up out the way when not in use and i can still stand up in there fully when it is up.
The only downside that i can think of and its more to do with the fitting process and not the product itself, is that the dash light for the rear door was staying on constantly, so it would think the door was open all the time, they quickly sorted this out before i left and it turned out that one of the screws had nicked the wire, so was it constantly grounded.
All in all, for the price, i am over the moon with the quality and the company as a whole. They also had a decent 4 page spread in last months VWT or VW BUS mag (cant remember which one).If you would like to know anything else, then please let me know.
