what to look for in a used 13-14' poptop

[incisor]

My wife and i are about to go looking for an older 13-14' pop top style caravan eg. windsor little shuttle you can get in either side or rear door type of thing...

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=105628&stc=1&d=1455352150

whats the things to look out for when looking at them?

TIA

[SouthOz]

I would say water damage and cracks in the cladding around the tops of windows and doors.

Dave

[Chops]

Check the seals and the lift mechanism for the roof.
They are'nt probably all that expensive, but it all adds up if you need to repair/replace.
Obviously the running mechanicals, brakes, wheels/tyres-could be perrished if left sitting too long.

We looked at quite a few small vans before we bought the CT, and these seemed to be fairly common problems.

Probably not a concern, but something we learnt along the way was that Pop Tops actually weigh more than same sized standard vans. So this means generally less you can stow, and people often assume that the PT will be cheaper to tow, verses a high van. The extra weight sort of negates this basically.

Good luck in your search.

[LandyAndy]

The pop top offers much better air circulation;);););)
Andrew

[TerryO]

As Marcus says about pop tops versus standard vans. A standard van has usually more usable storage room internally and often a better lay out.

Regarding fuel usage required to tow them nearly everything there is out there to read says that there is no real difference between a pop top and a full height van.
The most important thing to look for in a older van is water leak damage or ingress. Most have a marantee (is that how you spell it?) frame which is a lightweight kind of bonded wood product and it falls apart and rots if it gets wet.

Jayco have made for quite some time some pretty good smaller vans that have aluminium frames and fibreglass/bonded wood cladding, they don't rot from what I know.

You may be very surprised at how reasonably priced you can buy larger older vans, I'm not talking 24 foot 3.5 ton monsters but 17'- 18' single axle vans, is it necessary to buy such a small van Dave?

Something I have heard many times previously is if you have not owned a van before always try to buy a larger van than you think you require. The other thing you find is people often buy their first van without a shower or toilet because they plan to just stay in caravan parks. Most people I have ever spoken to who went down this path usually regret big time not buying a van with at least a combo WC/shower unit.

[incisor]

Yeah i know terry

the better half knows exactly what she wants :p

we were hoping to get something the old landy can tow to events as well...

[LandyAndy]

Dave.
Is the Good Lady handy with a sewing machine????
Ive been looking at a few pop tops online,a fairly common conversion seems to be a cloth "cupboard" on top of fixed cupboards and fixed to the ceiling.They have zipper doors,obviously you just put the contents on the bed or somewhere whilst traveling.
Andrew

[incisor]

looking at a 15' jayco tomorrow all going well.

an old but good unit by all reports

looks a lot like, but not exactly the same as this apparently :p

(was no pics i could get a copy of yet)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

[DoubleChevron]

looking at a 15' jayco tomorrow all going well.

an old but good unit by all reports

looks a lot like, but not exactly the same as this apparently :p

(was no pics i could get a copy of yet)

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=105727&stc=1&d=1455533900

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=105728&stc=1&d=1455533900

I'd avoid it if it's an ultralight type. You can pick them as they only have a pretend stamped 'C' section chassis. If it's one that has had a proper chassis fitted it's probably fine (well it's probably fine even if it's still standard, but if your buying a 'van, why buy one that can cause you problems :) ).

seeya,
Shane L.

[incisor]

Thanks to the advice from those above I was able to scratch that one of the list..

[ozscott]

Mate i love my Golf Tourer (from back in the 80's when made here in Qld). They age very well. Cant beat a heavily gal chassis and independent suspension. They were built like a little tank and very nicely finished inside. Their pop mechanism was simple, strong and virtually maintenance free. Good quality canvass too. Marine ply floor. Semi offroad.

Let me know if you have any questions about them.

Cheers

[The ho har's]

Have you seen Gav's retro van? oh that may be bacicat or homey... can't tell these days with the mods able to change there names whenever they want:o

Mrs hh:angel:

[LandyAndy]

Have you seen Gav's retro van? oh that may be bacicat or homey... can't tell these days with the mods able to change there names whenever they want:o

Mrs hh:angel:

Normal people like you can change names too.
We can change yours to she who chucks meat between the buns if you like.
Andrew

[Chops]

Normal people like you can change names too.
We can change yours to she who chucks meat between the buns if you like.
Andrew

Go for it :Rolling::Rolling::Rolling:

[Homestar]

Older vans like mine do offer some advantages, but have drawbacks as well.

On the plus side, they are light - mine is 16' long, full height, 7'6" wide and weighs 1,300KG. It's easy to tow with just about anything - the Xtrail and Captiva both tow it easily. They are cheap to buy and if you look around, fairly plentiful. You can end up with a great little van for not much money - mine owes me under $6K as it sits, with ensuite, and all sorts of other stuff.

BUT....

The drawbacks - you probably won't find one that's ready to go - most will require a little to a lot of restoration and renovation. I've replaced the axle and drawbar on mine to make it towable, I'm halfway through the interior, and all the windows and moulds had to come off to be re sealed - a huge job. Add to that the 1,000 other things that needed doing like electrics, plumbing, etc to make it have some of the luxuries that more modern vans have.

Also, you end up with an almost 100% on road van - although I tiptoe down tracks to get it to some nice camping spots, it simply wouldn't survive if you towed it down 100KM of corrugated dirt roads. Both its original design, and 40 year old bones wouldn't take it.

For me, it's perfect for what we use it for and we love it. Others on here also have older vans that they've spend plenty of time on restoring, but they aren't or everyone. It's been on the road just under a year and we have spend just on 30 nights in it and towed it over 5,000KM - not a bad effort in my book. It rarely sits in the driveway longer than a few weeks between outings which is another reason I haven't finished it yet, doing some of the larger mods between outings is challenging.

If you have some time, passion for older things and some skill with basic tools, it may be what you're looking for though. :)

It's probably why there are so many Land Rover owners who like classic vans.

Oh, and for those that are half interested, here's the thread on my build over at the Classic caravan forum - http://ditzygypsy.proboards.com/thread/2558/new-old-75-franklin

[ozscott]

The Golf take bad corregations all day long. Thick Zinc steel guard liners stop blow outs ripping through the cupboards in the van. They will require beefing and adding for 12 volt free camping etc though. My seals are all still good. Eveything works. Amazing really

Cheers

[Pedro_The_Swift]

not really,, standard fare for a Golf;)

[Pedro_The_Swift]

just down the road,,
but bench space at a premium:(
1999 Gazal INFINITY Caravans in Queensland - caravancampingsales.com.au (http://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/buy/used/OAG-AD-12409181/1999-Gazal-INFINITY?cr=38&category=caravans&psq=%28%28%28%28LengthFeet%3Drange)[..16]%26%28%28%28SiloType%3D[Dealer%20New]|SiloType%3D[Dealer%20Used]%29|SiloType%3D[Dealer%20Near%20New]%29|SiloType%3D[Private%20Used]%29%29%26%28Category%3DCaravans%26SubCategory%3D[Pop%20Tops]%29%29%26Service%3D[Caravancampingsales]%29%26SaleStatus%3D[For%20Sale]%29&pso=30&pss=Price

[Pedro_The_Swift]

hmmm, must be a trick to this linky thing:p

[Chops]

Nice one Pedro,, it's hard enough on a phone without you doing that stuff :o

[incisor]

just down the road,,
but bench space at a premium:(
1999 Gazal INFINITY Caravans in Queensland - caravancampingsales.com.au (http://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/buy/used/OAG-AD-12409181/1999-Gazal-INFINITY?cr=38&category=caravans&psq=%28%28%28%28LengthFeet%3Drange)[..16]%26%28%28%28SiloType%3D[Dealer%20New]|SiloType%3D[Dealer%20Used]%29|SiloType%3D[Dealer%20Near%20New]%29|SiloType%3D[Private%20Used]%29%29%26%28Category%3DCaravans%26SubCategory%3D[Pop%20Tops]%29%29%26Service%3D[Caravancampingsales]%29%26SaleStatus%3D[For%20Sale]%29&pso=30&pss=Price

yeah seen that... it is on the list for when we can get down that side of the river

looking at one at scarborough this arvo...

[The ho har's]

Normal people like you can change names too.

Andrew


I am fully aware of that fact. It does confuse people though if you do:)

Mrs hh:angel:

[DoubleChevron]

The Golf take bad corregations all day long. Thick Zinc steel guard liners stop blow outs ripping through the cupboards in the van. They will require beefing and adding for 12 volt free camping etc though. My seals are all still good. Eveything works. Amazing really

Cheers

My brother has a golf for sale. I had a good look at it ... even though it's obviously had plenty of use in it's life, it's a VERY solid well made caravan. aluminium frame, trailing arm independent suspension that appears to be semi-offroad. I couldn't imagine that gravel roads would hurt it.

My wife would love a 'van like this ... it's no good to us though 'cos we have 3 kids :)

seeya,
Shane L.

[ozscott]

Shane...I too have 3 kids. Oldest turning 17. I had a full annexe made with Velcro in HD PVC floor. Attached to a roll out awning. Now she is large enough to easily do 3 in the Annexe.

Cheers

[incisor]

Just put money down on this

13' Viscount Gazelle

All the goodies including full annex and 12v setup

Exactly what the girl wanted and just down the road to boot

105793105794105795105796

[ozscott]

Nice mate. Should have a lot of fun in it.

Cheers

[Chops]

Nice one Dave.
So are we going to see you guys down at Corowa in a couple of weeks for an inaugural trip with the new rig? :D

[incisor]

i wish!

that was last years plan and it went up in smoke...

not much chance of it happening this year either due to work

cheers

Nice one Dave.
So are we going to see you guys down at Corowa in a couple of weeks for an inaugural trip with the new rig? :D

[Pedro_The_Swift]

You'll look really cool doing the dishes Dave:cool::angel:

How does the roof lift? Armstrong? Struts?
You understand how much that fridge will draw on 12V Grasshopper?

[Narangga]

You'll look really cool doing the dishes Dave:cool::angel:


Certainly will be interesting to see if the apron matches the curtains... :wasntme:

[incisor]

You'll look really cool doing the dishes Dave:cool::angel:

How does the roof lift? Armstrong? Struts?
You understand how much that fridge will draw on 12V Grasshopper?

they would have to be bloody great looking dishes or just out of a blast freezer to make me look cool but i already have one of the single height dish washers and the top of the fridge is just the right size :angel:

4 gas struts.... is harder to shut than open.... :D not to mention the awning nearly ate my hand.... life is full of learning experiences ;)

yes i know 3 way fridges suck... that is why the supreme being gave us gas and powered sites till i put an engel upright in it... till then i also have the engel in the car

for us, main use will be short stays as i have trouble dodging work for too long.. we just want to be able to shoot off for a couple of days and not have to put up with tents and blow up beds and the associated dramas.

the kettle can be on in 2 minutes in this thing... and i can be asleep in 5 :p

all things will be sorted in good time... so i am told :angel:

[DoubleChevron]

Just put money down on this

13' Viscount Gazelle

All the goodies including full annex and 12v setup

Exactly what the girl wanted and just down the road to boot

105793105794105795105796

That's is a really tidy looking 'van. You could tow that with just about anything :D

My sister just bought a very similar 'van ( also in my backyard... sigh). It's great being the one in the family with a bit of space. There is now 4 caravans and 5 trailers in my backyard owned by just my immediate family.

seeya,
Shane L.

[PhilipA]

My sister just bought a very similar 'van ( also in my backyard... sigh). It's great being the one in the family with a bit of space. There is now 4 caravans and 5 trailers in my backyard owned by just my immediate family.

Raises the tone from those Citroens and clapped out Rangies.

Regards Philip A

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Lucky er, gravity is on your side pulling the lid shut:angel: its a good sign about the hand eating awning, might not be that old?

[ozscott]

3 ways are great IF set up well. Mine honks in summer heat. You can easily clean the ruby jet and flue, insulate and vent it properly and you are there. A PC fan or 2 placed strategically will just help it along nicely. Use very little LPG. Only 12 volt when connected to the truck. I recommend a fridge switch and also running heavy cable to an Anderson plug with a heavy feed at the rear of the truck. I went from 10.5 v on at the back of the fridge to high 12's when on by doing that.

Cheers

[incisor]

The van has an Anderson plug set up on it so will investigate after we pick it up next week... Is in getting a roadworthy and gas cert today

[ozscott]

There are some good write ups on getting 3 ways to work at their peak on caravanersforum. Cheers

[TerryO]

We run ours on 240v when towing, ran a separate cable from a Anderson plug back to a inverter which is installed right next to the fridge. Fridge now works fine when being towed, was absolutely hopeless when just on 12v.

[Homestar]

We run ours on 240v when towing, ran a separate cable from a Anderson plug back to a inverter which is installed right next to the fridge. Fridge now works fine when being towed, was absolutely hopeless when just on 12v.

Yep, that's exactly,what I do too, but I didnt have a choice as mine is only a 2 way unit - no 12 volt. - in fact my whole van was never wired for 12 volts so I run everything through the inverter all the time while free camping. The fridge works a treat on 240 volts - it draws 135 watts, so right on 10 Amps DC while the engine is running. Wouldn't want to forget to turn it off over lunch or something though if you stopped for a picnic on the way to your camping spot. I'lL be putting a relay in on the Hilux soon when I wire the Anderson plug up on it so I don't have to stress that in the near future.

[DoubleChevron]

Yep, that's exactly,what I do too, but I didnt have a choice as mine is only a 2 way unit - no 12 volt. - in fact my whole van was never wired for 12 volts so I run everything through the inverter all the time while free camping. The fridge works a treat on 240 volts - it draws 135 watts, so right on 10 Amps DC while the engine is running. Wouldn't want to forget to turn it off over lunch or something though if you stopped for a picnic on the way to your camping spot. I'lL be putting a relay in on the Hilux soon when I wire the Anderson plug up on it so I don't have to stress that in the near future.

Why don't you run your anderson plug through an SC80 ...

SC80 - 90 amps Standard Isolator | TRAXIDE - RV | Traxide - RV (http://www.traxide.com.au/isolators/sc80---90-amps-standard.html)

Even withoutout a 2nd battery installed it's going to isolate the main battery as soon as it's voltage gets down to the cut-off voltage. I have an SC40 fitted, but am yet to bother actually having the 2nd battery fitted ( we will when free camping obviously :) ).

If that link gets deleted because it should be in the market section ( :rolleyes: ) just google traxide sc80.

seeya,
Shane L.

[Homestar]

Why don't you run your anderson plug through an SC80 ...

SC80 - 90 amps Standard Isolator | TRAXIDE - RV | Traxide - RV (http://www.traxide.com.au/isolators/sc80---90-amps-standard.html)

Even withoutout a 2nd battery installed it's going to isolate the main battery as soon as it's voltage gets down to the cut-off voltage. I have an SC40 fitted, but am yet to bother actually having the 2nd battery fitted ( we will when free camping obviously :) ).

If that link gets deleted because it should be in the market section ( :rolleyes: ) just google traxide sc80.

seeya,
Shane L.

Simple, one is a work car and what I can't scrounge for nothing, don't get fitted. ;). i also tow the van with about 4 other vehicles, so I'm not going to the trouble of doing anything with these - the fridge stays off when on the move. Add to that I'm a lazy Electrican that understands what sort of current draw things have, and always seem to make it work.

What may surprise some is that even though I do high level engine and generator control for a living, programming PLC's, Microprocessors, etc that my battery setups with my vehicles and van are all very simple - solar panel permanently connected to the batteries, those batteries connected to the towing vehicle batteries, a $3 voltmeter and that's it.

Simple in both design and practice - and works great. :)

Battery isolaters, DCDC chargers, expensive power management - forget it. :)

[DoubleChevron]

Simple, one is a work car and what I can't scrounge for nothing, don't get fitted. ;). i also tow the van with about 4 other vehicles, so I'm not going to the trouble of doing anything with these - the fridge stays off when on the move. Add to that I'm a lazy Electrican that understands what sort of current draw things have, and always seem to make it work.

What may surprise some is that even though I do high level engine and generator control for a living, programming PLC's, Microprocessors, etc that my battery setups with my vehicles and van are all very simple - solar panel permanently connected to the batteries, those batteries connected to the towing vehicle batteries, a $3 voltmeter and that's it.

Simple in both design and practice - and works great. :)

Battery isolaters, DCDC chargers, expensive power management - forget it. :)

Oh yes, simple is best ............................ I just know without a doubt I'm going to forget to unplug the anderson when we pull over at a playground .... or petrol station ... or bakery. An isolator is going to be cheaper than a dozen call outs to a roadside rescue service to jump start me every few days or so :) I don't trust my memory for this sort of stuff at all (a bit like remembering to turn the headlights if used in daylight ...... I'm certainly going to find a flat battery when I get back to the car .............. again :( ).

seeya,
Shane L.

[ozscott]

I use a fridge switch to stop battery drain when stationary but that is 12 volt. 12 volt only works well when min 6b&s is used from back of the vehicle and where wires to there from battery are big suckers. Then it pulls temp down fast as opposed to just maintaining temp.

Cheers