Which poptops have shorter travel height?
Submitted: Sunday, Sep 24, 2017 at 10:39
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Member - Robyn R4
We're after a shorter than average poptop van that we can garage.
There's only the 2 of us so we only want up to a 14 footer.
Our plan was the Jayco offroad because we liked the extra height (our AVan Cruiseliner used to bottom-out on the slight rise of our driveway!).
But the Outback is too tall for your standard garage!
We've been house-hunting for over a year, specifically to find somewhere with a garage to house a van.
Well, we've looked outside the square in so many ways with the house that the squares have been all but erased! Things that were once an issue are now firmly in the "couldn't give a hoot" category!!
Maybe it's now time to look outside the square with the van.
A tall van means we can't look at houses with drive through garages and we can't look at houses with a carport in front of the garage, and we have to be wary of gutter height when it comes to access down the side of the house...
Those of you with 12-14' poptops, does yours have a slightly lower travel height that allows
parking in a garage?
We currently have a Kia
Sorrento 3.6 to tow it. We don't even want to consider canvas options so don't go there. That's not a side of the square we're prepared to erase!! :)
I've checked out the
Kimberley Karavan but oo-ee, a bit over our budget, and hubby isn't keen on the TVan (I think it's ok!). I think we could do to about $40,000...new or older models...
What else is out there in poptop land, 12-14', short but with reasonable ride height that we don't scrape going into driveways?
Anything?
Or do we keep house hunting for another year *sigh*
Thanks!
I'll just go back to my real estate websites in the meantime...
:)
Reply By: RMD - Sunday, Sep 24, 2017 at 12:55
Sunday, Sep 24, 2017 at 12:55
Robyn
Has your investigations also considered a van which is too high but has air bag
suspension which can be deflated to drop the whole van down to the minimum of
suspension travel? That may allow a suitable van and ride height but also provide the storage parking/solution.
Depending on the van purchase price you can get Cruise master or similar
suspension fitted to a van to allow the
suspension be lowered.
Careful consideration of allmountings and wheel/tyre size is also required.
Some people use a small dia rim/tyre combination specificlly to get the van low enough to fit under the stupid
home construction which seems to be popular.
Others simply deflate the tyres to a low pressure to drop the van if the height dimensions are not too different.
Often a van will go under but because of the driveways being uphill very often the rear of the van at the uphill attiutde is what stops the van going under. A different, ie, higher or inverted tow tongue can be used to hold ball coupling higher and the van rear downward a little to assist the entry to the garage/carport.
So the van you like may fit if some alternative measures are acceptable to you.
Vans and carports/garages are "squares" so shape is not the issue. Tangential thinking may work.
Cheers
RMD
AnswerID:
613930
Follow Up By: Member - Robyn R4 - Sunday, Sep 24, 2017 at 17:57
Sunday, Sep 24, 2017 at 17:57
Wow, thanks for all that! All food for thought when l next find a house and then discover (yet again)...a van won't fit.
Another side of the square is slowly being erased with one little post.
:)
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Reply By: Erad - Sunday, Sep 24, 2017 at 17:54
Sunday, Sep 24, 2017 at 17:54
I have the same problem - heightwise. My garage door is 2.1 m clearance. Coromal are the lowest I can currently find on the market. Compass used to have a low version of their poptop, but I don't think they are on the market now. I have a 2000 model 16 ft Jayco poptop and it fits OK, but the new models with fibreglass sides are I think too high.
Salesmen come up with anything to clinch a deal. Most offer replacement wheels. That would work, but it is a pain in the .... and I think a poor solution. I investigated getting air
suspension on a van but that is expensive.
I was looking at getting the van out of our driveway (sharp dip at the gutter), so the air
suspension would solve both problems. I finished up by gettting the driveway crossing concreted, and the van now scrapes loudly as it goes in or out. That solves one problem, but the height virtually precludes us from buying a new van - we are stuck with our old Jayco. It opnly took me 15 years, but I think I have finally got all the bugs ironed out of that van so maybe I have to keep it
Side issue - having a lower roof height when travelling means better fuel consumption and also possibly better access to car parks at supermarkets etc when travelling (not underground if possible).
AnswerID:
613940
Follow Up By: Member - Robyn R4 - Sunday, Sep 24, 2017 at 18:03
Sunday, Sep 24, 2017 at 18:03
Thanks for your input!
I shall go and google up alternatives and put all words of wisdom into the erasing of yet another side of the square!!
:)
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