Hard top vs pop top ??

[Maxwell12]

Hi all I'm a newbie to the t25/camper world I've all ways had a vdub since passing my test at the moment having a 89 golf clipper & a mk2 caddy but looking for a 25 for some family adventures, can anyone help with the pros & cons of a pop top & a hard top I want a pop top as I want to lower it 50mm with some banded wheels maybe & personally I think they look better when the top is down than a hard top but the other half wants a hard top because of the storage as we've got 3 little ones. If anyone could help with the benifts of each one & any info that would be great I know with 3 kids it will be tight but don't want to go down the lt route as I love the look of the 25. Thanks in advance & great site cheers dara

[dsmith1974]

With just the two of us a hard top works out great because we barely ever have to pack or unpack anything. No need to shuffle any bags around after parking up and all the tools and kit stay in the upper front. With three kids you'll have to move bags to make beds anyway, so I guess the question is can you fit everything in with the top down and leave enough room for the little ones while travelling?

What about a pop top and a trailer?

[Maxwell12]

That's right we will defo have to shuffle things around & yes trailer I think is going to be a must for us ,the rear of a mk2 caddy van looks good as a trailer.

[getunder]

My local Council Car Parks have a height limit of 2.25 metres like many others including holiday resorts. That's my main criteria for having a pop top.
Pop tops have less wind resistance at the front so possibly better MPG. Hi tops have more wind resistance on the sides so more correcting during side winds while driving and less buffeting by wind from passing lorries or when you overtake.
Probably warmer with a high top in cold weather but perhaps too hot in hot weather and less breezy and no flapping of side curtain in high winds. Set up one night and the wind increased a lot during the night and was afraid the pop top would fold in on us. One night in Italy actually lowered the top due to downward gusts of winds in a mountainous region. My first Aircooled van the first night I used it and put up the top the front hinge disintegrated due to sacrificial corrosion between the Alloy and steel inert in the fibreglass. Came home with a rope passed around the top and through the door windows.
2nd van was and is a pop top.

[Maxwell12]

Thank for your input I was thinking that about hi tops being warm in the summer & pop tops not being too good in the winter months, has anyone had a pop top that has folded in due to bad winds ? I'm hopeing to use the van all year round . I'm going to look at a hi top for sale later today so should have some idea on what's best for us

[New Kentish Campers]

If you've not already bought a van by now, then take a look at a Holdsworth Villa pop top. It's got solid sides with a couple of double glazed non- opening windows too and is reasonably warm in the colder months whereas a canvas one will be colder. Theres room for a couple of kids up top too so you might like to think on one of these. There was a scabby looking one on fleabag yesterday which you could search for under their completed listing section. That will give an idea as to what they are like.

Hope that helps

[discipleofsketch]

I bought a (devon) pop-top on the basis that it should go in height restricted car-parks - unfortunately the skylight takes it up to about 2.3 metres, so unless I lower it or let down the tyres it's too high for most. The pop-top is great though, loads of room up there, full size double bed being full length.

[Billleivers]

I remember wrestling with this issue when we were looking for a van last summer. Ended up, by sheer chance, with a Reimo Primus. It's a high top/pop top hybrid. Un-popped, it's high enough for two of us to live in, no problem, but not as ungainly looking as some regular high tops and less of an issue in cross winds. When popped it offers huge head room and a huge bed.
For us, it's the best of both worlds.

[Ralf85]

Depends which pop top you go for - some provide more space than others. My westie pop top sleeps 4 adults and the big end is about 4 feet deep. Other conversions have different arrangements. High tops have less headroom up top. Visit a VW event and ask to look inside a few and talk to people. Much better that way!

[nordberg]

Westy Pop Top!. I'm not biased in any way though

[Smcknighty]

Four very friendly adults in a Westy pop top?

[Maxwell12]

Cheers for your views I would like a westy pop top but the missus has got her way we've put a deposit down on a high top picking it up Saturday So can't wait to pick it up we're going to find a site on way back for the night so will get some picks up . it comes with some nice bits like power steering , cruise control , staggered borbet a's , & lots of extras