Caravan vs Pop Top

with a 21' your probably better off with a poptop if there is such thing
as a 21' pop top because the cruiser is going to work hard with a full van that size.

against pop tops is that they are not as dust tight as full vans especially when open and harder to cool down via aircon ...

also pop tops are lighter .. you will save quite a bit of fuel with a poptop over
a full height ..

when I load my slide-on on my truck I am 3.40m high and it costs me usually
around 5-6l/100 where the boat in the back (2.5t) does hardly affect fuel consumption when the camper is on .. and without the slide-on the boat costs me just about 2l/100k .. but I drive the truck just the same with the slide-on as empty
so I could save a bit with slowing down but that makes me itchy ...

I guess with a Cruiser the differences would be more with a full 21'
Go and rent one and the other and try it out ... don't argue about such minor
things in life ..:)))

good luck
gmd

tiagc

We have a 20' van with ensuite. When we travelled it was about 2.1t. We have a 1995 troopy with after market turbo and we just leave it in fourth gear and sit on 90-100. It pulls the van just fine.

If we go down hill or have a tail wind I slip it into top gear and sit on 100.

Without the van its about 7-8.5 km per litre, with the van its about 5km to a litre.

You do loose a lot of space for storage etc with a pop top...for what its worth.

Actually we have just moved to Jabiru NT and no longer need the van. Its in Quirindi NSW if you are interested.

Regards Bob

When you say caravan or pop top do you mean a full height caravan versus a pop top caravan or are you asking about the Jayco type wind up and fold out camper trailers? We have a pop top caravan, chosen against full height van for lower wind resistance in towing and better tree clearance off road. We can walk around inside without lifting the roof if I stoop a bit, As I get older and shorter this should be less of a problem though - LOL.
Mike.

Towing whatever around Australia has its merits and downsides and one can nitpick about this and that and not come to any formal conclusion like you and your husband may be doing

However, you will find that with a Poptop it is a real pain if you want to stop for a bite to eat or to boil the billy at a roadside stop as you will have to 'pop' the top every time you do that. If you are very short in stature this will probably not affect you that much.

We were on the wallaby for 5 years towing a homebuilt 27 footer and it was very comfortable. Towing was a tad more hazardous at times but we managed to get up and over all of the extreme passes in the country that we took on. Truckies hated us we were soooo slow on hills but I used to pacify them over the radio.:-D

Cheers

The difference between towing our 18'6'' full size 2.3 tonne Supreme van Vs 1200kg jayco camper is about 1-2L per 100km with GU Patrol - but we feel it in the hills. The full size van retains more heat in cooler weather compared to camper, heat goes straight out the walls, or in a pop top out the roof.

Hi Tiagc

We have a 22ft 6 York Procyon full caravan weighs 2500 kgs give or take a
couple of kgs, We tow it with a Nissan Navara ST-R diesel, we sit on 95-100 ks
very easy to tow. The cook loves the toilet & shower, night use only, she hates
walking to the amenities block on a rainy night ect, We had a pop top for a couple
of years, suited our needs at the time, as stated earlier a real pain when you want
pull over for a meal or a cuppa. the little bit of extra fuel far out ways comfort.

WHAT EVER YOU GET I AM SURE YOU WILL HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME.

Cheers
Daza

Can't add much that others have not said but we are glad we have a full height van. The extra storage space via overhaed cupboards and the ability to use the kitchen for making lunch etc while travelling is very welcome.!MPG:7!!MPG:7!

Understand the problem. If you are PK (post kids) go for the full height with ensuite.

BC we toured in in a Suzuki 2 stroke 540cc in a 2 man tent and went everywhere.

PS (3 primary school kids) we graduated to a Jayco Finch (campervan) and finally a Jayco Swan (campervan) in which we did the GRR in 1990. We still talk about that trip and the kids now have kids of their own

Kids got older and we went upmarket to a 17" poptop Caravan (5 berth) and did the east coast as far as Sydney from Perth for 8 weeks. We and the the kids loved every minute including -4C at Jindabyne Caravan park, and storm force winds at Adelaide when we lowered the top.

Just recently bought a 22' full height van with ensuite and cant believe the comfort or the cost of fuel.

Over Easter it was just fabulous to cuddle up in bed when it started to rain at Wave Rock knowing there was no wet canvas in the morning, and no drips or condensation onto bedding.

We have come to the following conclusions:

Comfort costs money

Enjoyment is money independent

The older you get the more comfort you need.

We are now VERY happy with our full height 22' 2.7 tonne van with ensuite and 250 litres of water, and we don't go fast.

The kids come in their own cars and sleep in tents outside!! They are much more resilient than us now.

We have a Regent pop top and my mate has a full van have towed both extensively and there is no noticeable difference. The pop top has more head room and has better ventilation however at the end of the day it comes down to what suit you best.

Thomo