High Top or Pop Top for kids

[halfbakedpixels]

Has anyone got experience camping with small children in a T25? We have a 7 year old and a 2 year old and were looking at picking up a T25 with beds in the roof.
Is it better to have a pop top so that you don't have the drag of the roof all the time, Going to be used as my daily to work everyday. But i've heard that they are noisy in the wind when camping?
Or a high top with beds in the roof, but probably loose on fuel economy and can't get into places with height restriction.

What's your views?

[keith]

view will be mixed on this.

horses for courses really....best thing is to weigh up whats really important to you....and pick what suits you best

[halfbakedpixels]

view will be mixed on this.

horses for courses really....best thing is to weigh up whats really important to you....and pick what suits you best

Yeah just thought i'd get an opinion from people who actually use them with kids.

[col.decker]

We've got a pop top and our two aged 6 & 3 sleep up there with no issues.

[halfbakedpixels]

Brilliant
Might go and have a look at a forum members Reimo pop top after my T25 high top has sold on ebay.

[kevtherev]

Has anyone got experience camping with small children in a T25? We have a 7 year old and a 2 year old and were looking at picking up a T25 with beds in the roof.
Is it better to have a pop top so that you don't have the drag of the roof all the time,

The van is no more aerodynamic with either

. But i've heard that they are noisy in the wind when camping?

Yes on noisy camp sites and in high winds they are

Or a high top with beds in the roof, but probably loose on fuel economy

I don't think there's any difference

and can't get into places with height restriction.

true

As a high top owner I can say they are warmer and quieter and have a lot more storage space.. but they are less attractive to look at than a pop top (so some say)
But like all thing practical there are down sides, and I can live with that one..my two children loved it

[clift_d]

I don't think there is much between the high-top or pop-top in terms of drag - there was a thread on here about aerodynamics recently which you might be able to find - which means fuel consumption is probably roughly the same.

We have a high-top and the pros from our point of view are:
- better insulation
- more space inside to store stuff en route like bedding, clothes etc - it's a bit like an inside roof rack
- more robust in high winds

Disadvantages that we've found:
- more effected by side winds on the motorway
- can't get into car parks with height barriers

You might also be concerned about whether you'd get charged more on ferries because you're a bit taller - I don't whether this is a big problem or not as we haven't done many ferry journeys - it's certainly not effected us on the few we have done.

Whichever you choose, you'll probably want to think about something to stop your youngest rolling out of bed i.e. out of upstairs to downstairs. There are options available for both pop-tops and high-tops to deal with this. You might also want to get some type of ladder - we find standing on our buddy box allows us to deal with most things, but our 6 year old is getting a bit heavy to lift up so we've bought a folding ladder - search on here for a thread about maplin ladders for a deal that they have on ebay at the moment.

Whichever you get, I'm sure the kids will love it.

[keith]

go on then...

we have a pop top.

-colder in the cold
-more noise transmitted thru.

+sleeker
+ cooler in the hot weather...big zip out section(s)
+less surface area to hit side winds
+carparks
+ looks for me.
big bed upstairs
more ? head room
cheaper on ferries ? tolls ?

[1664]

cooler in the hot weather...big zip out section(s)
+less surface area to hit side winds
cheaper on ferries ? tolls ?

I'm not sure they are cooler in the hot weather although that is dependant on the varience in both pop tops and high tops. Some pop tops are ventilated better than others, some can get like an oven. The same is true of high tops; some have virtually no insulation and sealed windows (if any). Obviously good insulation can help keep the heat at bay and opening windows can be an absolute godsend.
I personally have never perceived a difference in a pop top and high top in side winds - they're both pretty cr@p due to the surface area of the van itself.
I'm not sure the cost will vary on ferries between the two. Not until you start hitting high top LT's and modern Motorhome type sizes. I think the price is more to do with the vehicle 'footprint' - the height may decide which deck you get allocated.
Dunno about toll roads; never used one

[camperclan]

Agree with Keith on this one,ours is a solid sided pop top(autosleeper) both our boys managed fine in it up until about 16 & 14 then we forced them into the cold awning ....but it has to be what ever suits you best....Nick.

[ColG]

We have a pop top which we prefer for reason mentioned above. We have a thermal screen we use on ours which helps with light and noise from outside. My kids are 7 & 3 and works well.

[Daffy]

For my 5 pence, the biggest plus for us with a hi-top over a pop top with 3 boys aged 10,8 and 6 is the 'in transit' storage for our kit, not least bedding, sleeping bags, pillows etc for 5 people, thermo mats, chairs etc etc etc. Without it, we'd have to find room for it all elsewhere and I'm just not sure where that elsewhere could be .

We even have a soft roof box type thingy for less used items -BBQ etc etc but for us who seldom camp without a festival of nonsense, a hi-top is a must. However, as others have mentioned, aside from the above, which for us was the clincher, there are pro's and cons either way........

[LittleMissSunshine]

Hitop all the way as you only have to bring stuff downstairs when you move in a pop top.

[MattBW]

I think the only real difference is

Hi top = extra/space storage even when moving...
Pop top = only extra space when stationary...

Other than that, dont see much difference. Have used both and find poptop less claustrophobic for sleeping in but hi top far better for storing stuff.

[waltraud]

If u need to camp in oct to march then high top plus double glazing,insulation and heating. Otherwise i have a pop top westy and its great. Thermo pip top cover helps a bit with light, warmth and rainproofing.