To Pop Or Not....

[Davenjo]

We went for a pop top because there are 3 of us but having had one, I wouldn't buy a T6 sized camper without one. Even on the few occasions when just 2 of us have been away in the van the first thing we do on site is pop the roof and the last thing we do before leaving is take the roof down - it just gives a feeling of so much more space in the van and makes it more comfortable to use. You will also find that having the roof up will give you a comparatively cool van in the summer.

 

[Jimmi]

Rent one with a pop top and see if you like it

 

[Briston]

Not sure if this should be in here or indeed a poll but.....
Your thoughts on whether to or not fit a pop top,being there are lots of makes but also fitting centres.
The plusses verses the minuses ……
From my point of view I like the idea as long as it looks standard,like hilo,stealth etc but the others add height & imho look.... well....crap.
There seems to be a few horror stories of late & the thought of having my van scalped scares the shit out of me.
Making my camping 4 berth is a tent but that has its downfalls too.
Please feel free to share your thoughts good,bad or ugly as to whether to pop top or just use a tent & awning.
cheers
bri
P.S sorry if this has been done before but recent events may of swayed views

 

[James1000]

Ok - def yes for me l, I have storage in the gap for chairs bedding etc and of course it’s the extra much needed bedroom.

Most importantly it’s the headroom, makes a difference being able to stand up and walk around.

But that’s my opinion

 

[t0mb0]

If you need one, you really need one, e.g. to sleep people up there. If it’s more of a usability thing, e.g. a bit more headroom, why not give it a try without and see how you get on...

 

[Chris Joyce]

We thought about it for while, in the end we went for it.

For us it came down to use, ours is a camper, and that's why we bought it, it won't be an everyday vehicle and the added head height is fantastic and the option of the bed is useful too.

 

[DXX]

I have a Reimo installed, I rarely sleep in the roof but it makes a big difference having the headroom / ventilation when camping out more than a few days at a time.
You’ll definitely need to be sure on your preferences as cutting the roof out after the rest of the conversion is done is a bad option.

 

[James1000]

All converters do roof first so no pressure on the decision.

 

[Wills]

All converters do roof first so no pressure on the decision.

It’s probably the preferred process, if they’re doing a conv including a roof. However, there are converters happy to retro fit pop tops after a conv.

 

[$immo]

Mine is a camper and I have a pop top (Reimo) I use the pop top all the time when out for the day, it takes seconds to open and really let's light and air in the van. It's good to leave up with vents open to keep cool when parked at the beach.

I also now prefer to sleep up there when on a site as it's nice and airy.

My van is lowered on B14's so compensates the added roof height, I'm still well under 2m for height restrictions and autoroutes in Europe. (Cheaper)

 

[Briston]

All positive so far,this could prove expensive.......

 

[James1000]

Yes but it is the most expensive single item, all down hill from here - there are lots more cases on here for not having it but it seems there is a clear line on those wanting to have a camper or those who want a van used for camping
Personal preference.

 

[Dellmassive]

We have a panel van and tent setup.... which I believe limits our outing opportunity. (Summer months only)

If we had a van with popup roof and heater or hookup we could do more outings.

Just saying that tents in the cold and rain is not always a good thing.

.

 

[Eclipse Custom Vans]

It’s probably the preferred process, if they’re doing a conv including a roof. However, there are converters happy to retro fit pop tops after a conv.

Retro fitting is possible but generally more expensive due to alterations for carpet material, wiring etc. Fitted furniture may need to be removed and/or modified also as the curvatures of the roof. We've retro fitted many and I would say, that if possible, do the roof first!
Rgds
Ian

 

[Insert Coin]

I've got a family of four and pretty much every weekend since my HiLo was fitted at the end of April we've either camped or parked up and then used the roof at every opportunity.

 

[t0mb0]

An awning to sleep in is only really a substitute for a poptop if you’re only staying on sites and not moving on too often. If this is your only use-case though, a caravan might even be an option.

 

[Briston]

My van was bought as a fishing wagon & for towing a boat,the whole camping thing has been a recent morph sideways.
Truth told its great fun

 

[t0mb0]

My van was bought as a fishing wagon & for towing a boat,the whole camping thing has been a recent morph sideways.
Truth told its great fun

Awesome, we’re all on a journey, enjoy!

 

[steveHml]

HI All

Im starting a T6 (2017) conversion from a commercial van to a camper.

I already have a 4 berth pop top and rock and roll bed and this conversion is just a project to then sell- not keep!

im wondering if its worth putting a pop top on it or just keeping it as a 2 berth with a rock and roll bed? the van will have a gas hob, sink, fridge in it so could be a day van/ camper but looking around i only really see pop tops as campers, not just a rock and roll bed.

what are your thoughts- would it be harder to sell / weird if it only had a rock and roll bed?

 

[Ayjay]

When we first looked for a camper and saw a few, we quickly decided that pop top was a must have for us, not for extra sleeping space but for headroom and a general feeling of space. I'm 6'1" so it's easy to understand why I think that way but my wife is a bit more vertically challenged at about 5'4" and she thinks the same. That said, there might be others out there who are prepared to compromise for the sake of saving a few £K. If you're used to a pop top, ask yourself if you would buy one without. Also during my searches, I must have looked at hundreds of eBay listings over quite a few months and didn't even bother opening those without pop tops after a while.