Hi all, i am starting to feel that i am becoming a serial pest on here but i have found that the real world knowledge on here is unbeatable. My current dilemma is that i am on the final on paper drawing stage of the camper box before i take it to the expensive part of turning it to reality and am having doubts about building as a pop top camper as was my first plan. The base for the camper is a 2007 nps300 and will be towing a 4.5 metre boat into fishing spots around Australia and more north aus than south at this stage and will be a long trip vehicle ( 12 months at a time) rather than short tripping. My decision now is do i continue with a pop top that will have an overall travelling height of 2.7 metres or go with a hard sided camper box with a height of 3.0 metres including solar panels on roof. I know it comes down to personal situations and for me both have pluses a minuses. The biggest plus for the pop top would be height clearance when off road which will not ever be severe as towing a boat, biggest downside would be weather proofing in severe weather. The biggest plus for a hard side would be less moving parts and more weather proof, the downside is obviously the height. So, who has built a hard top and regretted it and who has done a pop top and wish they had gone with a hard side. At this stage it will cost me nothing to change my mind as it is only on paper and in my head but in a week or so any changes will start getting expensive. Thanks again, Gary.
Pop top or hard side dilemma
- Thread starter trackadda
- Start date
SkiFreak
Crazy Person
As long as you do not want to include a pass-thru, building a hard sided pop-top is not overly difficult and will give you the lower vehicle height as well as good weather-proofing and insulation.
With this type of design there are obviously some additional expenses, as you need a reliable lifting mechanism for the roof. Including a pass-thru adds a significant level of complexity, as I know all too well.
As with any camper design, there are pluses and minuses for all of them. At the end of the day, it comes down to what YOU want and need, not what anyone else may think is a great design.
Hard sided full height camper design:
+ Simple to build.
+ Maximum usable space internally.
+ Cheapest to build.
+ Good insulation and weather proofing
+ Simple to include pass-thru
- Higher centre of gravity.
- Higher overall height.
- Clearance issues on some tracks and roads (low bridges)
- Potentially greater fuel usage.
Pop-Top (soft sided)
+ Lower overall height
+ Better fuel economy
+ Simple to include pass-thru
- Less usable space inside
- Potential insulation and condensation issues
- More moving parts
Pop-Top (hard sided)
+ Lower overall height
+ Better fuel economy
+ Good insulation and weather proofing
- Most complicated to build (so, most expensive)
- Less usable space inside (but could include some over-head cupboards)
- Difficult to include pass-thru
With this type of design there are obviously some additional expenses, as you need a reliable lifting mechanism for the roof. Including a pass-thru adds a significant level of complexity, as I know all too well.
As with any camper design, there are pluses and minuses for all of them. At the end of the day, it comes down to what YOU want and need, not what anyone else may think is a great design.
Hard sided full height camper design:
+ Simple to build.
+ Maximum usable space internally.
+ Cheapest to build.
+ Good insulation and weather proofing
+ Simple to include pass-thru
- Higher centre of gravity.
- Higher overall height.
- Clearance issues on some tracks and roads (low bridges)
- Potentially greater fuel usage.
Pop-Top (soft sided)
+ Lower overall height
+ Better fuel economy
+ Simple to include pass-thru
- Less usable space inside
- Potential insulation and condensation issues
- More moving parts
Pop-Top (hard sided)
+ Lower overall height
+ Better fuel economy
+ Good insulation and weather proofing
- Most complicated to build (so, most expensive)
- Less usable space inside (but could include some over-head cupboards)
- Difficult to include pass-thru
gait
Explorer
how could you possibly forget the "drop top"? 
normally full height solid side. For shipping in container the top half of sides are removable. Takes a few hours to convert each time. But then how many times in vehicle life does it get shipped in a container? A bit messy designing joints. All the advantages and disadvantages of full height, additional advantage of shipping.
I think four times in 100,000 km and 34 countries height was an issue. Two of those the limit was 2.4m so cab alone would be a problem. Highest point is my exhaust, had to remove the top section once.
No regrets on design.
normally full height solid side. For shipping in container the top half of sides are removable. Takes a few hours to convert each time. But then how many times in vehicle life does it get shipped in a container? A bit messy designing joints. All the advantages and disadvantages of full height, additional advantage of shipping.
I think four times in 100,000 km and 34 countries height was an issue. Two of those the limit was 2.4m so cab alone would be a problem. Highest point is my exhaust, had to remove the top section once.
No regrets on design.
gait
Explorer
pop top seemed to put constraints on windows, doors, bed, etc. that didn't suit my idea of space. Constraints of full height (drop top) are different.
table hadn't been installed in this pic, the big rear window seemed important, the side windows are at head height when seated, the bed is lifted (electrically) above the seats.
table hadn't been installed in this pic, the big rear window seemed important, the side windows are at head height when seated, the bed is lifted (electrically) above the seats.
gait
Explorer
Mmmmmmmmmmm... bright and shiny!
Can you remember back that far?
must be 7 years ......... I can't remember if that's short term or long term memory .......... I'll have a look
westyss
Explorer
Like others have said, your design is a personal decision and what takes priority to YOU, if I were doing it again I would have a hard sided pop up again, my priorities are less drag and clearance to get to our favourite spots so size is more important to me.
That is not to say I wouldn't want something bigger just for us not practical, most of the places we go only small machines can get into them with us and then we have the largest and most comfortable accommodations, all relative I guess.
That is not to say I wouldn't want something bigger just for us not practical, most of the places we go only small machines can get into them with us and then we have the largest and most comfortable accommodations, all relative I guess.
westyss
Explorer
must be 7 years ......... I can't remember if that's short term or long term memory .......... I'll have a look
Hmmm, this year makes 8 years for us, time flies, I've given up on shiny and never was bright! Thinking about a lifting bed....
how could you possibly forget the "drop top"?
normally full height solid side. For shipping in container the top half of sides are removable. Takes a few hours to convert each time. But then how many times in vehicle life does it get shipped in a container? A bit messy designing joints. All the advantages and disadvantages of full height, additional advantage of shipping.
I think four times in 100,000 km and 34 countries height was an issue. Two of those the limit was 2.4m so cab alone would be a problem. Highest point is my exhaust, had to remove the top section once.
No regrets on design. hi gait, what would the overall height of your rig be ?. Ican't see me ever wanting to take my rig overseas other than to fraser island or maybe tassie
gait
Explorer
I'll have to go measure the height ......
3.25m plus the detachable exhaust (don't ask - but it is useful as it will hit first and can be seen from cab). Forgot to mention, we let some air out of tyres to get into a car park in Chengdhu for a couple of nights camping.
I'm about than 1.85m and stand inside comfortably.
Fraser Island was good. Tracks round Central Station easy. Bit of a detour to get into Ungowa. Failed to get into Valley of Giants from Poyungan so walked rather than drive the long way round. Bigger problem than height was tag along 4wd tours that didn't know how to reverse. Really only had to be careful of height in the first 100m from the beach.
3.25m plus the detachable exhaust (don't ask - but it is useful as it will hit first and can be seen from cab). Forgot to mention, we let some air out of tyres to get into a car park in Chengdhu for a couple of nights camping.
I'm about than 1.85m and stand inside comfortably.
Fraser Island was good. Tracks round Central Station easy. Bit of a detour to get into Ungowa. Failed to get into Valley of Giants from Poyungan so walked rather than drive the long way round. Bigger problem than height was tag along 4wd tours that didn't know how to reverse.
Really only had to be careful of height in the first 100m from the beach.
Bris31
Adventurer
This size is exactly what I have for my camper box. This size provided enough room for storage under rear double bed, which can easily hold 2 spare tyres inside on the top of each other (I decided to keep spares inside to save overall weight and less weight hanging behind the truck). Given chance I would go for slightly less height at the expense of smaller overhead cupboards - or may be.
Good luck and keen to see your build.
workerdrone
Part time fulltimer
Hardside advantage not listed - sound insulation.
I like my quiet. Quite a few times in a year of living in our Bigfoot camper that we stealth camped or camped in either a noisy location or suddenly had some very noisy neighbors. Very glad we were not in a tent or something at those times! 3 o'clock in the morning, sleeping all by our lonesome in an empty parking lot, car would park 2 spaces away with deafening pumping music for no reason, or big stereos or fart can mufflers just driving by, horns, that sort of thing. Nat'l park campgrounds, neighbors super noisy. Not such an issue in the wilderness of course
I like my quiet. Quite a few times in a year of living in our Bigfoot camper that we stealth camped or camped in either a noisy location or suddenly had some very noisy neighbors. Very glad we were not in a tent or something at those times! 3 o'clock in the morning, sleeping all by our lonesome in an empty parking lot, car would park 2 spaces away with deafening pumping music for no reason, or big stereos or fart can mufflers just driving by, horns, that sort of thing. Nat'l park campgrounds, neighbors super noisy. Not such an issue in the wilderness of course