High Top or Pop Top for kids

[cleagarr]

I have a high top which sleeps two children (currently 3 and 5) and we have a bunk across the seats for the third (6 year old). Ours has a massive cupboard in the front that stores EVERYTHING - we went away for four weeks to France and had plenty of space. Horses for courses I guess.

Our is made by these people: http://www.timbertechnicians.co.uk/13301.html

[jason k]

I've had pop top and hi top westys and found the pop top a more pleasant camping companion due to extra full time storage and insulation. Also I couldn't get over how much noisier the pop top was compared to the hi top!!

[Ralf85]

I've stuck to pop tops over the last 30 years - a personal preference. Westie pop tops are less claustrophobic and more comfortable than others with bunks upstairs ie an adult can sit up in it at the high end and you have a full width bed up there. We let the kids sleep downstairs most of the time when they were young. If you travel to hotter climes our three vent canvas top provides a lot more ventilation and stays cooler.

So it's down to personal preference and what you want from your camping experience. Happy hunting.

[1664]

I've had pop top and hi top westys and found the pop top a more pleasant camping companion due to extra full time storage and insulation. Also I couldn't get over how much noisier the pop top was compared to the hi top!!

Was the bit in red meant to read high top?

[pionte]

remember too that there are different size and shapes in High top style, my Holdsworth has a factory fitted roof ( fitted by VW from new ) these arent as high as others so can be a bit of a compromise if you dont like the look of the high tops.

As said before, pro's and con's. I prefer the pop top look, but my son was just 4 when I got mine and loved that he was upstairs completely safe and snuggly , I have had a female friend sleep up top aswell but it is really tight for adults .

[kevtherev]

If you are really wanting a pop top... go for the KING of tops

A Viking..(MkII)
CJH has had his refurbished..

Simply awesome huh?

[CJH]

Thanks Kev

Yes, although I did cheat a bit with my wide angle attachment for those photos, the Viking is certainly spacious. The roof section is wide enough that the beds run width ways - a double at the back and a single at the front. There was no way my 19 and 16 year old children were going to share a double bed, so this configuration was a must. The smaller of my two dogs loved it up there too!

[Thorgills]

+1 for the Viking!

[keith]

I like that viking layout too

[jason k]

Yes bren a typo, I meant hi top!!

[discipleofsketch]

We've got a (devon moonraker) pop-top, and out 9 year old sleeps up there, and it works well. The bed at the top is a full-size double, would easily sleep two adults, in fact it's bigger then the 3/4 rocknroll downstairs. I guess you'll want some kind of retaining net/ gate for a two year old to stop them rolling out.

As far as pop top vs high-top, I'll mirror most of what's been said on here, but I will add that height-restricted car parks are still a problem even with our pop-top, standard height suspension, standard wheels. The highest point is the skylight in the middle - about 2.3 metres. Most car parks seem to be 1.8, 2.0 or 2.2. I might be able to get under the latter if I drop the suspension a bit, or let down the tyres

I went for a pop-top rather than hi-top mainly because I prefer the look of them to a high top, and so I could get in height-restricted car parks........ doh!

[shiraz]

After having tintop & high , with kids there's no competition. Go High !
After 4th year of the Auto sleeper now wouldn't cope without the added height and comfort and enough storage for family of 4 to manage for a week no problem.
Yes the beauty is from within not the outside but practicality with young ones I know what I would do

[LeeME3]

Me and the 2 kids (aged 10 and 5) and we get by just fine in a tin top....who needs knees anyway?..?

Cab bunk is great for the younger one - I think even if I had a high or pop top I'd still use the cab bunk as v difficult to roll out of and uses otherwise largely wasted space.

A decent awning makes a huge difference as well... Airbeam Kela....mmmmmmm.....

[halfbakedpixels]

Wow what a response, thanks everyone for the feedback.
I'm definitely angling towards a high top right now as the mrs likes the idea of mucho storage. Might also look at a front hammock as we have got one in the T4 we have now. Very handy indeed.

[Cruz]

I like my hightop because I can stand up whenever I want without pissing about and I can leave all my crap up there (fold up crate full of plates, pans, cups, fold up table, van spares, window mats, food in a fold up crate and clothes when camping etc etc) constantly without pissing about

Yes they look like an upturned boat but who cares. My vans for camping