High roof / low roof

[perchancetodream]

So getting / building an adventure van, which has been on my agenda for years, now simply must happen soon. I'm stuck on a basic dilemma - high roof or low roof?

A high roof van lets one stand up, a very good thing. But when I stand next to a medium roof 2015 Ford Transit (inside height 72", outside height 101"), it seems so humongous! Lumbering. Whale. Billboard. I'm driving a Subaru, so any full-size is pulling on the big boy pants. A low roof van feels...reasonable. But I've spent some long dark stormy nights of the soul bent down under a pickup camper shell... Popup is not much of a solution - it basically changes the van into a wall tent - been there, done that. It's all compromise, I know, but your thoughts and ravings would be appreciated.

 

[tgreening]

I look at it this way...how much will I want, or need, to stand up inside my van? Not a tremendous amount of either I think. I'm either getting in to sit down somewhere, or I'm getting up to get out. Once inside I don't envision moving about a whole lot and even if I do it's just from one sitting spot to another. If moving around a lot is really in your cards you can do what I did in my Mog. Use a small wheeled stool to sit on and just roll about.

 

[86scotty]

I've had two pop tops, and worked and lived out of many vans before that. My current and 2nd pop top essentially fell in to my hands, but I don't plan to ever have one again. Standing up is awesome. A fixed top provides all kinds of benefits. Storage, upper beds, better temperature control, and boondocking options. You pull in, ANYWHERE, cover the windows if need be and you're done. Less moving parts, I could go on and on. Anyway, that's my opinion and hope it helps. There is, of course, the issue of hardcore wheeling and needing a vehicle with a lower height, but that all depends on how much serious offroading you are going to do.

 

[Petrolburner]

Go big or stay home. I'm really happy I held out for a van tall enough to stand in.

 

[Petrolburner]

I like the big one much better than my small one.

 

[Stumpalump]

You want to stand. With a pop top you get buns of steel from all the duck walking. You won't pop the top untill you are stopped for a long time. Loading the rig , running out to it from the house to get something, quick road side lunch breaks, ect will have you crawling around in it. I stopped at the Laughlin casino parking lot on Sat night to cat nap. It's low elevation and warm. Nobody knew I was sleeping and having a snack so I was left alone. Would you pop that top during a steath stop like that. No. Pop tops are for those that think they will actually go trail riding in a forest. It could happen but never for me. The only advantage I see is that they are cool. That draws attention and I don't want that either.

 

[oPAULo]

I went round and round about cutting the top off mine to add a fiberglass top. It's expensive and a LOT more work to finish it out nice.
If you plan on cooking, doing dishes, preparing big meals, indoor shower, haul a motorcycle, I would say absolutly high top.

Our van is basically a tent on wheels with better storage and a bed. A great place to SIT and hang out. SIT and eat. SIT and watch TV. Sleep.

A low roof makes for a more reasonable and accessible roof rack if desired.

I can still fit in a parking garage.

Better fuel economy.

Stealth.

 

[spencyg]

My roof is about as high as they get. The convenience of being able to stand right up inside without needing to deploy any complicated mechanisms can't be overstated. If it can break, it will break, and things don't break when you aren't using them which means you'll run into problems in the middle of the woods, in a rain storm, at 11pm.

Having a high roof is somewhat limiting in terms of what exactly you can do. Parking garages are pretty much out, tight trails can be problematic, and accessing stuff on the roof requires a ladder. All that being said, if you have a pop top on a 4x4 van, you'll still be too tall to go into a parking garage, to get stuff off the roof you'll need a ladder, and your ability to go down a tight trail will be equally compromised. To me the question isn't whether you have a low roof van or a high roof van. To me the question is whether you have a van or something else entirely. Sure, we've all seen the pictures of a SMB all twisted up on the Rubicon trail, or a UJOR conversion hopping sand dunes. These are real pictures with real people driving, but not realistic usage of a rig full of stuff, full interior, porta potty, dishes, 40 gallons of potable water, etc. I use my van in ways I suspect the designers never really intended and it does it well. The key to owning ANY vehicle is to know what you want to do with it, and make sure you've got the right vehicle for your preferred lifestyle. I need something that can haul my family to far off places in comfort and safety while at the same time not feeling limited by the conveniences we have built into the rig. Height has never really been a problem for us and we don't exactly keep to tarmac...





Life is full of compromise. Figure out what you will REALLY use your adventure vehicle for, and build to suit.

SG

 

[flightcancled]

Consider the weather and seasons when you will be using the van. If you don't plan to do anything but sleep inside a low ceiling isnt a big deal. If you are going to be trying to stay warm and cozy and dry inside and will be spending some time in there a low ceiling makes it a cave. Might as well be in a truck shell.

 

[John W]

I like my low top van the way it is, because I'm considering a roof rack, and maybe solar panels for boondocking. Don't want it too top heavy for sloped terrain, or too high for sidewinds, or low branches.

It's all subjective, and everything's a compromise, extra space and the ability to stand is nice, but not indispensable in my opinion.

 

[Eaglefreek]

I've owned 7 vans and just bought my 8th. All work vans though. The first 5 were low roof. I wasn't trying to live in them, but while working out of them I wish I had a little more head room. My 6th, technically a step van or delivery van, was an old 65 IH Metro. I'm 6'2" and could stand up inside. I was hooked, however I wanted something a little modern and sold it and bought another low roof van. I sold it when I didn't need a work van and just recently bought a high roof and don't think I will ever own another low roof van again. I was looking for a cargo van, but couldn't pass up the deal. It's a 2000 E350 with only 98k miles for $1,500! It had a few small problems and I fixed most of them already for $150 and my time. It may be a work van, but if I get hired for a job I've interviewed for, I won't need a work van and it will become a camper/moto van. It looks a lot rougher in the pics I already removed the running boards, got 2 more hub capsand washed it.



My old IH Metro. I really miss it.

 

[Acheateaux]

I couldn't imagine not having all the time stand-up-ability (is that even a word?) in my rig after putting the high top on. Boondocking became easier, mo' storage and bed space as well as you can do anything standing up. It took me 6 months after I put it on to stop bending over as I walked through it. High tops are the jam and after you drive it for a month, you never wonder about getting into/out of spots. You just make it work.

 

[TheViking]

I'm six three and had a low top van to move my mom around in her wheel chair a 83 E150 to be exact. Having to move around, tied down, ect it was a great big pain in the butt and I imagine the fuel loss wouldn't have been as bad with a high top van either.

 

[Acheateaux]

I lost 0.5mile/gallon after I put my 24" fibrerine bubble top on.

 

[Cole]

I own both. Ah.....sorta.


I've built a custom Eurovan Poptop. The Poptop is awesome on the car sized van. It gives it the ability to still fit in a normal 7' garage and 90% of parking garages. But, you are on your knees 99% of the time. The only time the Poptop goes up is for camping.

The problem with most of the Sprinter/Promaster/Transit low roof vans is that they are still too tall for a standard parking garage. Which means they have ZERO advantage over a high roof. It's still a climb to get stuff off a rack on either.

Which brings me to my other van, the one I drive the most. It's a 158" high roof Sprinter. I drive it around more than any of my other cars. Having the high roof transforms the experience!! It's easier to load my daughter (2yo) in the van, I can move around in it freely, play with her and the dogs in the van. (I litterally play frisbee with my Aussie in this van and he has room to jump)


We have had 4-5 people standing around in the van to get out of the cold and talk. I can easily RIDE my motorcycles into the van. Stand up to out get dressed(I'm 6'2), I'm half way through building storage all the way down the van.

And....as I've discovered the high roof is very rarely limiting.

Here is my Eurovan and Sprinter. The Eurovan is about the height limit for a normal 7' garage. Notice the rain gutter on the roof of the Sprinter. The rain gutter line is a few inches short of where a "low roof" would have its roof. You gain no real world function with a low roof but gain everything with a high roof.

This is still under construction but you will get the point. ALL of the cabinets and storage you see is above the normal low roof roof line!