Troopy Hard top versus Pop Top camper

Hi Alec,

Well a hard top is more convenient eliminating raising and lowering exercises, but it is higher whilst travelling. On the other hand, a pop-top may have water & dust sealing problems.


Having ripped stuff off the roof rack of our standard Troopy, I am aware of height problems. But then we go along overgrown tracks that you may have no intention of doing.

G'day Alec
I bought a hard top and converted it to a pop top. No regrets.

Hard top catches more wind and has a higher centre of gravity which both affect handling. As Allan points out it also has "less" overhead clearance and an awful lot of campers get damaged in close encounters with trees and such. Mileage varies with experience, awareness and type of country travelled.

It also has less room upstairs in the sleeping quarters. Pretty squeezy moving around up there, ahem, especially for two. Less ventilation - so warmer in hot climate and, of course, cooler conditions.

Yes, rain can be an issue with the pop top and proofing around the window seams is essential and must be watched in seriously wet weather. That said and attended to it's not a very big deal or torment. Can't have the windward windows open in a hard top during rain and even the leeward ones might need closing. Dust hasn't been a problem for me.

You have to take care not to pinch the canvas in the scissor lifts (aptly named) when lowering the top and I suspect that is why the hire vehicles have been hard tops mostly. Otherwise setting up and packing up takes negligible extra time.

A pop top has much less storage space upstairs but then there is the centre of gravity thing to consider too.

If I had to do it all again I wouldn't buy an ex hire vehicle and would instead find a good used troopie and then convert it - yes with a pop top. Why I'd go that way is a longer story and not what you asked about.

Cheers
Mark

Alec, a few years back we hired a hard-top Troopy to travel the Gibb River Road.

The high bed did not look too safe so we opted to use the fold-out bench seat as a bed. A bit narrow and we learned to perform synchronised turning in bed! LOL

The fibreglass top was pop-rivetted to the steel body and with the corrugations these worked loose and some fell out with the roof bouncing up & down! We finished the trip with the roof section roped down to the body!

Anyway, it was a great trip nevertheless.

no question pop top if you can find one. I can only assume the high tops are so common due to lower cost of conversion for hire companies