Pop-tops: are they worth it?

[carleton]

As a former Vanagon owner, now Express, I've had the same debate. To me, a poptop is a compromise between a hightop and our current Express Low Top. Being able to stand up would be amazing, and having upper and lower beds is key to sleeping up to 4 people in a van at the same time. My Chevy Express is a larger vehicle than my Vanagon, but because of layout and no-poptop, sometimes it feels smaller.

Overall, we load kayaks, skis, etc onto the roof of our vehicle, so that is an area where a Poptop is vastly superior to a high top, especially if you have a strong motor like the CCV tops. I've seen Sprinter Hightop rigs where the bikes are able to nest under the bed, but I have yet to see an 8 foot creek boat integrated into the internal design of the van. It could be done.....I just haven't seen it (watch, someone will post a link....)

So, overall I'm an advocate for a poptop, especially if you are adding it on to and existing vehicle.

 

[boardrider247]

I know the question was never about a high top but a couple points on them.
1.With my 5.3L AWD express and a 24" high top I saw no MPG loss, quite possibly I gained just a touch per the computer
2.Installing it myself the high top was <$5k

My original plan was to add a westfalia pop top on my van. I found that I do not currently have the skills to make that project happen. The fiberglass high top was a straight forward install, no custom fiberglassing needed.
I still would like to complete my westy project some day on another van but that is just my stuborn side trying to prove I can do it. After having the high top I don't think I would ever want to go pop top.

 

[sclark900]

The only con in my mind is affordability. If I had 7k to spend, I'd buy a pop-top. CCV specifically. No question. You can't beat the versatility and ease of use. And the CCV has the added bonus of giving a bunch of additional headroom when down. When up, it's the Taj Mahal of pop-tops. Tons of vertical space.

I think it all depends on what you want to do w/ it. My wife and I used to have an '01 Eurovan. We, and our dog, actually lived in it for 6 months while traveling the US/Candada. For that type of extended use, a pop-top is a must have. Just being able to keep your bed separate from the 'living space' is huge. Having to move stuff around and off a lower bed every time you want to use it is a giant pain. But even for shorter trips it's great. Want to take a mid-day nap? Pull over, pop the top, and be asleep inside of 2 minutes w/out having to step out of the rig. It's just easy and makes you more inclined to get out for those mini-adventures as well as the bigger trips.

Unfortunately, 7k is out of reach for a lot of folks, including me and my family right now. If your needs are more weekend warrior-esque, I'd consider the pop-top a luxury vs a need. Sleeping sideways in the rear of the van opens up a ton of options for set-up and free's up the forward cabin for 'exclusive' hang out space. No need to mess w/ custom installing a fold-out bench seat, etc. and you get a bunch of storage under the bed in the back. Add swivels to your front seats and no you're really cookin' w/ gas. The glitch in this plan is that if you're over 5'9 or so, sleeping sideways isn't an option. There's a product called Flarespace that is made for Sprinters that goes in place of the rear windows and increases lateral volume to allows peeps of over 5'9" to set up a bed to sleep sideways. Problem is, they don't make them for cargo vans. I'm actually floating the concept of group-funding a custom solution as we speak. Check that out here.

So bottom line - if you can cough up the cash and not negatively impact your ability to pay the bills in general, you won't regret getting a pop-top.

[QUOTE

What's your favorite thing about having a pop top?

What's your least favorite part of having a pop top?[/QUOTE]

 

[IdaSHO]

The reduced height in travel also means I can still go to Sonic drive-ins, use drive-thrus at the bank, fast food, etc

You've obviously got your priorities sorted for expo-travel...


:yikes:

 

[photogdave]

Favourite thing: Lots of headroom when camping and a completely separate sleeping area which minimizes moving gear around.
Least favourite thing: Condensation and mold build-up.

Compared to hightop: I prefer the low profile for driving through densely-wooded trails and getting into city parking areas.
Most hightops don't offer as much top bunk space as a poptop. If it does, it's a pretty high top!
Some people argue a hightop is better for stealth camping because they appear less conspicuous, but I wonder how many of these people truly ever do this. Whenever I see a hightop van parked on a side street the first thing I think is "boondocker".

 

[danfromsyr]

in our case the 2 tier sleeping is still a big plus,
with 2 adults and 100# dog it allows me to get upstairs and leave the bottom suit to the other 2.
then we all can have a decent night's sleep. all 3 are grumpy the next day when we have to keep the top down.
in my brother's case he likes his downstairs to stay neat and a living space, and the upstairs his bed/nap room.

I do recommend a fantastic fan and a jalousie (awning) style window of some sort for traveling and camping comfort. as well as pet & privacy security vs sliding winders.

 

[tequilasunset]

It also depends on the vehicle too.

In my case the hightop options for a Safari kinda blow... the 16" I still cannot stand upright, the 24" is FUGLY!

Poptop for $6,400 at CCV is the way to go, and being electric, having 6 LED lights, 4 windows with blackout/ clear plastic or bug screen, bed pads/platforms (And I can can stack them for a lot of headroom) along with the finished edges is pretty much a no brainers for me (it helps that I don't have a brain any way)

 

[mezmochill]

Keep in mind if you need space and stealth at the same time it's not going to be easy. One of the reasons why I wanted a hightop fixed roof, plus its always ready and less moving parts while easier to keep warm in cooler weather.

This right here.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I'd love to see some sleeping setups that those of you with hightops have.

 

[ert01]

I'm personally still on the fence on this issue too. My van has no top on it... I think a fixed high top is the way to go (I can get one installed from Tufport in Vancouver for a good price) but my wife likes the idea of a pop top.

I will likely convince her sometime this year that a fixed top will be the way to go

We had a RTT on my XJ, then it moved to her Landcruiser, then onto our trailer... Then we sold the RTT and trailer together just after we bought the van. We usually move camp every day so setting up the RTT every night and packing up every morning got tiresome... I feel a pop top would have the same annoyances.

 

[Bbasso]

I recently meet a very nice couple, Chuck and his wife...
He had built everything outside and inside by himself, anyway... the point is he has a 4 person sleeping setup. Two on the rear bed and two up top on a slide out (inside) above the front seats.
I wasn't able to get a picture but he said his sone is 6.4ft tall and doesn't mind.

 

[IdaSHO]

In my case the hightop options for a Safari kinda blow... the 16" I still cannot stand upright, the 24" is FUGLY!

headroom is one of the biggest reasons Ill never go the van route and will always go the truck camper route.

I have to be able to stand up. Period.


My back isnt in the best shape, and Im not getting any younger.

 

[simple]

Most of good points are well covered. I had Sportsmobile install one in my old ford van and also had a Westy but this review is for the penthouse top.

Cons
Besides cost, the drawbacks I found with mine were that it was rattily over bumps and on gravel roads. The bed cushions weren't that comfortable and it was really only enough space for one adult. A big consideration is also your geographic area. If cold at night and rains a lot like half the year in Seattle it's only functional in summertime. Southern California, different story. Not very stealthy with top up. The vinyl windows in the new top off-gassed to the point of nauseam (went away after a few months).

Pros
Standing room, ventilation, extra bunk, extra sunlight, and cool factor.

I've had all types of vans, campers and RV's and always sleep better in a tent on the ground.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Great feedback. Stealth camping is already out of the question with my van.

I'm leaning towards a low profile CCV pop top, but that's a ton of money. Here's what I like about the idea of a pop top:
- store the sleeping bags, pillows, and pads up top (which leaves more room for storage in the van)
- I'd be able to leave the pup in there with the pop top up on warmish days. I'd plan on a fantastic fan too, so I can vent the van even when the top is down.
- I'd be able to travel out of the van for extended periods. We're thinking of driving to Alaska and back over a few months, and it'd really make livability easier.

I'll be following the seasons, so I shouldn't see sub 30* temps TOO often.

Then again, I already have several fantastic ground tents which will do the job. Ground tents, however, aren't super conducive to spending the night at a rest stop on my way somewhere else. I just need to be honest with myself and try to evaluate whether I'll want to be camping at campgrounds every night (where a ground tent would be fine) or if I'll be spending a lot of nights at rest stops, in-between destinations.

It's looking like a CCV pop top with the options I want will be in the $7500-10k price range. That's a lot of clams. A LOT.

 

[Bbasso]

Stealth camping in your rig shouldn't be a problem, many people have graphics and such... it would look fine with a hardtop parked some where, no biggie.
Oth... with a pop top raised parked with the graphics would be yelling I'm inside.