Pop-tops: are they worth it?

[iaacek]

Shenrie: do you know who is their new supplier?

I thought that reverse flange would be the way for both styles, pop top and fixed top. But probably no flange option is better for pop top?

I guess the inside design of the top makes a difference when mounting hinges and the lifting mechanism.

 

[shenrie]

To the best of my knowledge ccv is or at least was making their own tops.

When I ordered mine he told me it was the last fiberine top he was gonna mess with since he was just finishing up the details with their new at the time high top setup. This was back in 2013-14. He didn’t say specifically but I gathered dealing with fiberine was getting to be a pita for him being in Colorado.

 

[Len.Barron]

I think another important factor in deciding pop-top/fixed high top is where you camp, if you are in wet or high wind/sandy conditions frequently then the fixed high top is probably a better fit for you. No arguing the height issue. My rig is 9' 10" tall...it would require the same garage/carport (vertical)clearance as a small travel trailer/motorhome.
If you've been out in the Mojave when the wind picks up you immediately appreciate rigid structure and despise anything with open cavities that fill up with sand..

 

[CSG]

Having a pop-top, the only positive thing I can say is they lower your profile when traveling. They're a PITA, the fabric wears, replacement is expensive (if you can even find someone), and they are prone to leak in the rain. If I ever get another van, it will be a high top from the factory. I'll pay the mileage cost for convenience and standing headroom all the time.

 

[iaacek]

Well here is the thing:
- the van is a daily driver
- we also use it as camper every year for a month long roadtrips + a couple of long weekend trips. There happen from spring to autumn, we never really camped in the van when it was less then -5°C

Why I think pop top is the way?
- before kids I wouldn't care but with 2 kids in the future I'd like to have the top bed option. We would probably fit in the van without it as well but the added sleeping space would be nice
- as it is a daily driver I'd like to keep the low profile roof (wind, better mpg, ...)
- the standing headroom would be a bonus

On the other hand I saw a couple of vans with 24" top and I didn't look too bad but that only adds headroom and some storage space. I'm not so sure about the top bed in the fixed top...

 

[danfromsyr]

not sure why you had a bad experiance..
but I'll chime in my last 15years with a 1980 vanagon ASI (american conversion company) top.

yes it is now old and now worn out,. but we just used it on a 2week holiday trip from NY to FL and back.
it's just 2 adults and a full size dog in the van and the 2 beds is quite handy.. Ms and dog take lower bunk, I get upper to my self.

we're remaking the top entirely this spring.. we've had a new canvas made from sunbrella with screens for a very reasonable rate by a local boat canvas guy.
but there are also oem options still available,. for purchase outright.

the top on my ASI Riviear differs from a westfalia in that it pops straight up like a sportsmobile. it's the easiest top to have fabric for. this is why (IMO) sportsmobile does it this way.
it's just a fabric hoop, a halter top for the roof.
the roof is just a cap that covers the hole, and then there's the frame & lift mechanism. which IMO sportsmobile again goes the cheap way out on.

you can source new sprung scissor lift mechanisms from Australia, for a decent $$

yes if you DIY a top all new bits you'll be in about/at least $1k. fabric, lifts, base/top.

but it's a great piece of function. and I've slept comfortable up top by the ocean or under 8in snow at Yellowstone in fall.

 

[danfromsyr]

link to replacement vw top fabric
it's really a hoop at a given height and circumference.
https://countryhomescampers.com/shop/pop-top-canvas/

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

not sure why you had a bad experiance..
but I'll chime in my last 15years with a 1980 vanagon ASI (american conversion company) top.

yes it is now old and now worn out,. but we just used it on a 2week holiday trip from NY to FL and back.
it's just 2 adults and a full size dog in the van and the 2 beds is quite handy.. Ms and dog take lower bunk, I get upper to my self.

we're remaking the top entirely this spring.. we've had a new canvas made from sunbrella with screens for a very reasonable rate by a local boat canvas guy.
but there are also oem options still available,. for purchase outright.

the top on my ASI Riviear differs from a westfalia in that it pops straight up like a sportsmobile. it's the easiest top to have fabric for. this is why (IMO) sportsmobile does it this way.
it's just a fabric hoop, a halter top for the roof.
the roof is just a cap that covers the hole, and then there's the frame & lift mechanism. which IMO sportsmobile again goes the cheap way out on.

you can source new sprung scissor lift mechanisms from Australia, for a decent $$

yes if you DIY a top all new bits you'll be in about/at least $1k. fabric, lifts, base/top.

but it's a great piece of function. and I've slept comfortable up top by the ocean or under 8in snow at Yellowstone in fall.

Yolanda’s top cost about $1000 including the sunroof...

I have ideas about different “halter” tops for her..all mesh hot weather...insulated for cold...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Len.Barron]

I'm not so sure about the top bed in the fixed top...

It would be exactly the same as a top bed in a pop top. It's just a temp/segmented platform with some rail support on the sides.

 

[Farfrumwork]

^^Except you don't have the same headroom to play with.

I've had a pop-top for 12-13yrs now, first in our Vanagon (factory VW) and now in our Sprinter (SMB). Like iaacek mentioned above, a BIG reason a lot of people go with a pop top is KIDS. We have two of 'em and they are large now at 16 & 9yr old.

No kids, I would seriously consider a fixed high-top as I would only need to sleep two. Sleeping four comfortably, without getting into Carl Farveman-like sleeping drawers is difficult. Mrs. Farfrumwork and I like some privacy too, which having a separate full sized sleeping quarters affords. And we were very into our Vanagon Weekender setup, which we are re-creating with the Sprinter.

Getting ready for biking or skiing with the top up and 8ft of head room is sweet. Especially since I am 6'2" and can just barely stand up fully in a high top sprinter. I can swing my arms about in the pop-top.
And I like the low-top aesthetics much more.

But fixed high tops certainly have some advantages! (The SMB or CCV tops are NOT cheap for one!)

 

[Len.Barron]

true on the really large pop tops you can get a lot of upper room but there are a bunch(most I think) of them out there that don't offer much more than a 24" or 30" bubbletop

 

[PhillySMB]

Definite pros and cons to pop-tops, but as far as the fabric wearing out I'd say that's highly dependent on the manufacturer and how you use it. I own both a 1998 Sportsmobile and a 2002 Pleasure-Way Traverse. The 21 year old SMB's top is in excellent condition and I'm pretty sure could go another 20 years with care. The PW top is a little more worn, but still perfectly good. SMB uses a much heavier fabric than PW does, which probably helps a lot. I think PW has to use the lighter-weight fabric because their tops are much lower profile and there isn't as much room for the extra fabric to tuck away when the top is down.

For us, we love the pop-top because it give us two separate "rooms," allowing my wife and I to sleep downstairs and our teenage son to have his own "room" upstairs. The low profile is really nice when traveling, too. The tops on both are so easy to put up and down that we pop them even for short(ish) stops at rest areas and the like.

 

[jchosler]

One con is cost CCV wants $12.5k, any reason those costs went way up compared to prior costs Ive seen?

 

[vintageracer]

Which is better a Pop Top or Solid Raised Top on a van????

Seems to "Me" that a SRW 2WD or 4WD 10-12 foot BOX VAN will solve everyone's problems of adequate headroom so you stand up straight everywhere in the box, flat walls, very sturdy box construction, easily configured sleeping solutions, sleep up, sleeping down, keep it hot, keep it cold, good insulation, wind/rain protection and all the other pissues we all wish to complain about when trying to decide which is a better "Raised Roof" system in van!

A Pop Top Van?

A Solid Raised Roof Van?

Or a SRW Box Van?

Give me the SRW Box Van any day of the week as it solves all the problems and pissues of which is Van Raised Roof solution is better!

Pictures below blatantly stolen from posts by others in the van section on this site to illustrate my point!

 

[Paddy]

When in wind, a solid steel van is nicer than fabric. I agree about the kids comment, but I don’t have any of those. Stealth operation is also a factor. It’s pretty neat to be able to poach camping spots in urban, suburban, and even marked “no camping” places. The pop top sticks out like a sore pecker.