Club 80-90 Forums

So I'm thinking about converting my pop to a high top.
Seems like a lot of work... But then a silly, but maybe actually brilliant, idea struck me...

Why not turn my pop into a high top, ie. raise it up then fill in the gap with some sides? Then somehow stick it all together... Perhaps even turn it into a solid sided pop (a bit like the autohomes one?) where the sides fold in?

The idea is so that when its up, its strong and air/watertight enough to be driven just like a hi top, but it can be folded down... I would probably want to angle it a bit too, maybe something like this (apols for nasty photoshop jobby)




I've actually got a Devon, this aint one, but you get the idea (hopefully) not too sure about doubling up the rear panel just wanted to see how it would look, would probably just put a porthole or small sliding window in it.

My reasoning behind this madness is that its probably easier and cheaper to make a couple of straight sides than it is to make a whole high top from scratch. Buying a proper high top of course is an option, but just an expensive one. If my idea can be done cheaply but also result in something which worked well and didn't look totally hideous then why not eh?

The idea....in principal is a good one but you have hit on the major floor in your plans....poptops open the wrong way around which would involve too much modification to work and besides....tis piggin uggggggggggggggggggly.
Martin

and how were you intending for people to get up there? The gap would be too small surely?

It won't be easier, quicker, stronger or anythingelser. Just nastier.

Sell poptop, use funds to buy hitop, get fitting. IMHO.

LOL, so not one of my better ideas then...

if you've got a devon, take the cap and canvas off, fit a high top over the bed rails. will save a whole pile of messing about to make a bed system that works, and you'll be able to use it with out any further mods! hightops make the best use of space imho

I've been thinking about this.The canvas on our poptop is stuffed and I've seen 2 second hand high tops that are cheaper than new canvas. Also quite fancy the space, and I find I don't actually go in any car parks with barriers anyway!
What is stopping me is that when camped the space the kids get in the moonraker roof is fantastic, and the size of hightop I'd need to replicate this would be huuuuge. Still mulling basically, thank god for pucerscreen foil thing in the meantime!

Alice wrote:I've been thinking about this.The canvas on our poptop is stuffed and I've seen 2 second hand high tops that are cheaper than new canvas. Also quite fancy the space, and I find I don't actually go in any car parks with barriers anyway!
What is stopping me is that when camped the space the kids get in the moonraker roof is fantastic, and the size of hightop I'd need to replicate this would be huuuuge. Still mulling basically, thank god for pucerscreen foil thing in the meantime!

How many kids you got ?

jamesc76 wrote: How many kids you got ?

2 of them, 9 and 5. It's just nice they can sit up and I can get up with them and read to them and stuff. I know there are big roofs out there but the ones that come up 2nd hand (ie affordable) are not so huge. Littlun got in a mates last week and said 'hey mummy it's like when grandad died and he went in that box, look I'm a zombie'
I think the ned plan might be to save up til I can afford to get the roof I want, this from the girl who HAD to have a pop top 2 years ago!

An old van of mine was originally a Weinsberg, it was a semi-high roof which popped up, bit rare though...mine was removed in Germany and had a Westfalia bed fitted... but a guy on B-Y called Burnsey had an original one
If you look lower down at the side-on pictures, the roof pops up as normal 1/3 way down
http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/topic ... rnsey.html



More Weinsberg pics at http://www.vwpix.org/archiv/index_en.htm follow T3->Prospekte->Deutschland->Reisemobile->Weinsberg



while trying to find a picture for you came across this mean-looking van at http://www.bulliforum.com/viewtopic.php ... =weinsberg




Stefvan

bilbo's did the high top pop top like above ^^^
and I like um

Carthago did a full height back one like Weinsberg without the stepped luggage rack on top... More inside storage when top is down.
http://www.vwpix.org/archiv/index_en.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Prospekte / deutschland / reisemobile and you will find most German conversions

It's my dream to have one someday.

Has anyone ever thought about a hightop which has a poptop on top making room to stand in high top?

Vans with a Weinsberg roof are like rocking horse poo. SCA did a version as well but I've only ever seen one of them.

I wouldn't bother with the pop hitop seems like work for no real benefit. I was looking for a hitop Syncro but ended up with a westy pop top syncro and although I don't have the same amount of storage it works for my family of 4. When we go for a big trip I take my trailer for extra storage.

wow some great looking vans there... tbh I'm now starting to have doubts about if I really want to swap my pop for a hitop. The whole interior of my van is looking so tired (and missing various bits) these days I think I may be wanting to strip it out and redo it anyway, so while I'm there I might as well do the full repair on the roof hinge sites. My main reason for wanting to ditch the pop (apart from the repair) was because when we were on holiday this summer, we kept needing to pack everything down from the roof in order to drive from the campsite to the supermarket for dinner (seeing as you can only fit 1 day's worth of food in that fridge!), but next time I plan to take bikes so we can ride them and leave the van where it is. So really the only issue with the pop (apart from the repairs needed to the hinge sites) is the insulation... but I have plenty of spaceblanket and bubblewrap, from what others have said, that stuff would do the trick...?