If you're looking for a versatile and affordable way to hit the road, a pop top campervan is a fantastic option.
With a low-roof design for easy driving (that fits in most car parks!) and the ability to sleep up to four people, it’s the perfect blend of convenience and comfort.
But what’s it actually like to use the pop top roof and its built-in bed?
In this guide, we’ll walk you through our pop tops – from setting up the pop top roof to making the most of your roof bed.
Watch Richard show us round the Pop Top and explain what it's like to use the pop top and the bed in the Trouvaille Classique MWB, Actif and Micro Camper.
Trouvaille Classique MWB Pop Top
Great head height
One of the great features of our Trouvaille Classique MWB pop top ‘van- is you can still stand up in the back area of the ‘van (including the kitchen) – even with the pop top down.
Putting the roof up
This extra height makes it a lot less cramped when putting the roof up. But how do you do that?
The MWB has a reverse roof, so all you do is give it a little push and up it goes.
It really is that effortless!
The roof runs on gas rams, which take all the pressure out of it.
Using the ladder
Then, you take your ladder (which we like to store on top of the bed when it’s not in use) and hook it into place so it can't move about.
We have the ladder positioned the right way, too – so you climb up the ladder into the bed rather than climbing up and going to the side and turning.
Bed space
As we head up into the bed space, you’ll find a safety screen for children.
We also have, for added comfort, the option to upgrade to pocket springs under your mattress.
You can comfortably fit two adults up in our roof beds. We build our beds to be very strong to support the weight.
Putting the bed back away again
When you’re ready to put the bed away again the next morning you just pop the ladder back up out the way onto the bed.
A really great feature is there’s room so you can leave your bedding up there in the daytime.
And then, when you’re ready to put your bed up, simply just give it a push forward and the gas rams effortlessly take it up.
Unique bed built in-house for the MWB
This roof bed is our very own unique design, which we’ve created in-house, and you won't see it anywhere else! We developed it solely for the medium wheelbase ‘van.
We’ve designed it so there is a nice flat area all the way across under the bed.
This gives you lots of head height and no awkward ducking under different angles!
It also has a light under the bed, so you can see even better inside the ‘van.
Pulling the roof down
As mentioned above, this is a reverse bed. So, the bed and the roof are put up and down separately. So when you’re ready to set off you simply give the bed a pull backwards.
And then, for the roof, you reach up and pull the roof down, which easily folds down on gas rams.
Electric roof coming soon
Now, if you are thinking, “Oh, I can't do that because I've got bad shoulders” or similar, then don’t worry! We are developing an electric roof and that will be coming very soon.
So don't count this out if you’ve got a shoulder injury; you'll soon be able to press a button,, and it will then go up and down on its own.
Ford Transit Custom Actif
Next, onto the Trouvaille Classique Actif ‘van, which is a more compact ‘van than the MWB and drives more like a car.
Inside the Actif, you also have a roof bed.
We're using the SCA roof, which has got this nice cover over the front, so when you're in day mode, it keeps you separate from any noise (e.g. wind).
Putting the roof up
It's a really nice system, as a forward-opening roof.
It has some really nice, secure, mechanical catches on this one, so you just simply unclip and twist them. Drop them down and then push them up on each side.
It's got two catches, a first catch and a secondary safety catch, which is a very good idea for these roofs.
The front openers are always fighting the wind a little bit more. This has got a front spoiler called a two-part roof.
So there's a spoiler and then the roof – so the spoiler just deflects most of the wind.
Once unclipped, you simply push it up at the front and it goes up nice and effortlessly.
Bed space
Once the roof is lifted, you just push up the bed.
As the Actif has a lower head height than other ‘vans, having the pop top gives you that space to stand up inside more easily.
There’s lots of lovely light inside the roof bed, too.
The SCA comes as standard with Froli springs in the roof bed.
The SCA also comes with a huge roof space. It really is the most generous roof on the market.
Micro Camper Pop Top
Now we’re in the Micro Camper, which can be built on a Fiat Scudo, Vauxhall Vivaro, Peugeot Expert, or Citroen Dispatch, as they all share the same body.
This is our most compact ‘van, which is lower in height – really useful for those car parks where you need to get under 1.92 metres.
And then to push the bed up out the way for in the daytime you just give it a little push, and up it goes. Once again, we've got a central light on the roof.
Bed space
Once the bed is in place, you’ll find a little infill panel.
You can place that in the gap to fill it nicely for more ‘floor’ space up in the roof for the mattress to become a nice big 7-foot bed.
Plus, you've got the front shelf as well, so you've got lots of storage.
It’s handy when you’re getting dressed; for example, you can put your clothes there.
Turning around, you can see the folding flap on the mattress which goes down on the infill area.
Again, the bed can take two adults, no problem. We like to make our beds nice and strong, but if you're worried about the roof beds, we can always make them even stronger for you.
As we do everything in-house we can make tweaks like that before handing over to you, so some elements can be customised to suit your needs.
Staying warm and cosy in Winter
And don’t worry about your Pop Top in winter! We can supply an external thermal wrap specially made to fit our pop top ‘vans, making them quiet and warm all year round.
Come make your own mind up
Considering a pop top MWB campervan, but not sure if it’s right for you?
Come and see our Pop Top campervans for yourself. You can visit us at our workshop in Rotherham, near Sheffield, by booking in a test drive.
Or come and see us at a show in 2025.
Do also follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or sign up to our newsletter to be notified of our next Open Day or Campout.
Want to find out more about the features of our campervans to help you make your decision?
Comentarios