Hard or Pop Top?

[ozone_powerkiter]

Currently poised to purchase my first T25 and I am only sure of one thing - it must have four berths.

Therefore I have a small dilemma, do I go for a hard or pop top?

Has anybody got some pros and cons for both types?

[eatcustard]

Welcome

1. High tops have more space (belevae me this is a big positive with 4 people)
2. They are warmer than poptops

Bad side is parking is more limited on car parks due to high restriction barriers.
Hightops look like ice-cream vans.

For me the hightop is the only way.

[jamesandtheopenroad]

I looked at tin tops, pop-tops and hi-tops when looking and in the end went for the hi-top.

Decided that I wanted to be able to stand up so that left the pop-top/hi-top conundrum but what swayed it was the storage.

Yes, it looks like an ice-cream/burger van, but i love the look of disappointment on kids/drunks faces when they see it isn't.

[pieman1]

hightop for me every time, more storage when on the road and you have that room up top for two to sleep, pops are colder but are more stable to drive in the wind .but some pops are not to good when parked up in the wind with the top up.

[Ralf85]

I had a westie Type 2 pop top for 23 years. So, I spent several years looking at both types of Type 25s. I again settled on a westie pop top. I think that they look better and I am not bothered about storage even with four people on board. I don't drag four people around autumn/early spring trips. Usually just two. Then I leave the top down overnight which keep it cosy. The choice is yours. Happy hunting
Patrick

[Ian Hulley]

Yes, it looks like an ice-cream/burger van, but i love the look of disappointment on kids/drunks faces when they see it isn't.

Buy a Rainbow horn with the ice-cream chimes on ..... double the effect

[1664]

High tops are friggin' ugly to look at from the outside but have an inner beauty that's hard to beat

[jamesandtheopenroad]

^^^ WHS

[Gandalf]

Pop top all the way for me mind you there is only the two of us.

[lloydy]

high top, just like this one
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=75357




Personally, if you've got kids, always a hightop
Lloyd

[kevtherev]

Pop top pros... Great for summer use, Cool looks, big bed upstairs, low roof height for some car parks
pop top cons... noisy in wind, lack of storage when down, Noisy upstairs when camped, cold upstairs in Winter, Spring ,Autumn. stuff has to be moved around when using the van.

High top pros... all year round camper, big bed up stairs, No hassle camping , quiet, warm. tons of storage
High top cons... Too high for some car parks, some/most tops are ugly,

Conclusion..
There's no doubt that a pop top has the looks, Kudos, and all that VW freedom thing, though a tin top camper even trumps a popper

But for all year round luxury camping I would choose a high top with all the toys ....................(Auto sleeper )

[george 57]

high top every time... loads more storage ...warm and fuzzy feeling too ugly but once youve got one and fallen in love with it ,who cares

[horizontal kipper]

we have a pop top westie and love it but if we ever sell it then it would defo be for a high top.

[pionte]

Been said already, but Pop top has too many cons for me, I agree that my hard top is a little on the ugly side but I wanted a camper van that was practical and easy, You learn to love the look of the Hi tops .... honest !

personal choice tho.... they are all VDubs

[tomcourtney]

We checked out all varieties of roof and went for this Holdsworth Villa 3 as
it has the 'van' look we were after but sleeps 4.
The roof goes up easily in seconds giving plenty of head height .
The solid sides are stable in the wind.
The van doesn't seem to loose heat when the roof's up.





Most of the time there's only the two of us and when we stop the roof goes up and we throw all the bags up there, leaving the van uncluttered.
But what do I know.. it's my first van and I've no experience of other configurations, sometimes you've just got to go with your gut instinct.
Good luck