Poptop

could you please make for me some photos of your roofs insite the van and when it goes open? how does is fixed and how it goes open?

What is the price only for a top in the roof? my firends always asks me for that and i told him that i will wasks you. and the last, must this be take in the papaer from the car for tüv? i saw, theat somebody have a glases too in the roof?

I've just taken some pictures of Tallulah's roof and will upload them when I get a chance.

Ok, here you go. Firstly, our van was bought new from Danbury so this a standard Danbury roof conversion, other conversion types by other companies are of course available.

Once up, our roof provides an area approx 1m wide, 2m long and 0.5m high, plenty of space for our 6 year old son to sleep. Space for 1 adult (I have slept in the roof before) or two children.

View from the front:


View from the rear:


View of the inside front where the hydraulic rods attach to the van:


View of the inside front where the hydraulic rods attach to the roof, plus sunroof:


View of the inside rear of the roof and hydraulic rod assembly:


Danbury now use simple ratchet straps to secure the roof, they used to use metal brackets that click into place. Other roof types use rubber straps with hooks.

Close up of one of the brackets used to secure the roof:


Close up of roof bracket together with ratchet strap:

Tallulah wrote:

area approx 1m wide, 2m long and 0.5m high

Irishman can only dream of having a roof 0.5m high

Snigger

What tickles me nothing is standard, looking at the pics the sun roof is towards the front of the roof where mine is more to the middle!!!. Tim

As far as I know all sun roofs are nearer the front from 2011.

It makes it more useable as a genuine sun roof when at the front, and doesn't get obscured by the roof bed.

Dennis wrote:

What tickles me nothing is standard, looking at the pics the sun roof is towards the front of the roof where mine is more to the middle!!!. Tim

Yep this is a recent move by Danbury. No doubt to prevent the bed board from obscuring the light through the sunroof. The AquaBay I'm selling has the 'further forward' sunroof. Does make a difference.

To be honest the only benefit I get from the sunroof is when the roof is up as the bed covers it, now I have removed it juggled with it to try and get it to fit a litttle better and resealed it but any sign of rain we have to close it.

we take the metal catches out of the roofs and fit the ratchet strap system as a matter of course, people just cant cope with those catches and the screws always pull out of the woodwork,
Also, we had a precision engineer re-design the gas strut fixings, all our roofs now have hinges that are screwed onto the strut and to the bulkhead so eliminating those silly ball and socket things that have a tendency to ping off, I will post some photos so you can see the setup

Looking backwards now we think we should have gone for the type of roof Downunder makes - it seems to be more room there. We had some discussion with our customers and nobody (apart from small kids) seems to be very keen to sleep there... Certainly I did not like it. We just use it as a extra headroom and storage space when we park at the moment.

I am really looking forward to see different roof styles at Kombi Sleepover!

Quote :

I am really looking forward to see different roof styles at Kombi Sleepover!

I think you might be disappointed, the vast majority (if not all) of the pop-tops at the sleepover will the same Danbury style.

We quite like the Danbury pop-top, our son loves sleeping 'up top' and I spent two nights up their in the past and quite likes it too. It provides lots of space over a reasonably wide area, great for extra headroom and storage when the bed is not in use.

Personally I feel a bit claustrophobic in there and I am not a very big person.

Before we bought Rudi we were looking at Mazda Bongo as well - I love the roof they have! Plenty of space and light and good enough to sleep two adults (of reasonable size ). They are similar style as those offered by Downunder. I am not surprised that the pop -up one prevails given that Danbury is the biggest company - but I am a bit puzzled why they have not developed something like the one they have for T5. Makes more sense to me.

We have full size bed so our son still sleeps "downstairs" (he's still only 2.5) In the evening we just hang a blanket to form a partition and he is behind that stretching across at the back of the bed while we can stretch on the rest, chat and drink. When it is time for us, we just turn him alongside. Maybe this season we will move him "upstairs" although the thought of him landing on my head in the middle of the night is not a very tempting one

My 11 year old has treated the 'upper deck' of our BraziBay as his own room ever since we first had Max - now 3 years. He loves it - particularly as he can open the air vent and look at the stars. He's almost doubled in height over the time and still looks forward to holidaying up top.

All kids do! But our last customers had 14 and 16 year old daughters - they were planning to sleep there in turns and after the first day they have chosen the tent outside Mind - it was frosty in the Dales last weekend and even that did not tempt them back.

I prefer my big bed downstairs! That's for sure! For us two and our son at the moment the pop -up roof is more then enough and it is really neat. If we had another van though I would consider other roof options.

I would like to change Eva's old metal poptop clamps to those in Tallulah - especially as they keep coming undone - anyone done this?

Stoneyuk wrote "I would like to change Eva's old metal poptop clamps to those in Tallulah - especially as they keep coming undone"

The tension on the metal clasps is easily adjusted using a small electrical screwdriver on the screw within the clasp. Coming undone should not be an issue really.
osg

Personally I preferred the clasps when we tried them on the hired Kombi.Our Rudi has the straps system and it is a bit annoying. And I have that feeling that one day one of them will just get lost...

Having said that, one of the clasps did come off on our hired Kombi and the owner said it was a common problem, so probably that was the reason Danbury changed the system.

osg wrote:

Stoneyuk wrote "I would like to change Eva's old metal poptop clamps to those in Tallulah - especially as they keep coming undone"

The tension on the metal clasps is easily adjusted using a small electrical screwdriver on the screw within the clasp. Coming undone should not be an issue really.
osg

Mine keep coming loose all the time. Even with threadlock on them

very thank you for the answers. and for the good photos. that was very helpfully for me. thanks a lot

I just love the poptop for the room it gives when washing up (which I usually get mugged into doing!) and cooking etc. The sunroof thing is totally right - ours is a waste of space with the bed board obscuring it - and they aren't a cheap added-extra either - so clever old Danbury to change it.
I was keen on a tintop before - but now soooo glad we have the pop-top.
I have now built an insulated outside cover for mine too - we saw them at Dubs in the Forest and Both Tallulah and Robin were looking interested - and then I found some insulated roll in the store at work and got it made up. They quoted £60 at Dubs in the Forest - which I thought was not too bad - but my ones have cost about £10 to make - and about £30 if I had to buy the insulated roll.
Not sure how much diff it's going to make in terms of heat retention - but one thing I do know is how much darker it is in the pop-top with it fitted - it's like a black-out blind!
Cheers - Batty