More space in the camper van: The secret behind the pop-up roof!

Reading time 4 Min.

The good old pop-up roof! Anyone who has ever traveled in a camper van knows: the pop-up roof can be a blessing. But why actually, and what's behind the brilliant idea? Well, it's about pop-up roof a way to temporarily occupy space in the camper van enlarge. Compared to the pop-up roof, which rises evenly, the pop-up roof rises at an angle - sometimes at the front, sometimes at the back. And what's up there? Mostly a cozy one Doppelbett, which doubles your sleeping capacity in no time. But not all pop-up roofs are the same. The smaller variants, for example for the VW California, require this Cut out part of the vehicle roof, which requires an additional frame to keep everything stable and tight. A bed is integrated into the cutout, which can be opened up to create standing height.

SCA / Reimo in the pop-up roof industry

Brand names like SCA or Reimo should definitely be a household name here because they are the rock stars of the pop-up roof industry. And the best thing: they offer roofs that you can also later can be mounted (or had) mounted on his own bus. Then there are the bigger ones, like the one for him Fiat Ducato, VW T6 or Ford Transit. Here the fiberglass dome is mounted directly onto the existing sheet metal roof. If you want to go up, you go through a small hatch - almost like a rocket! That's a little different Hubdach, which is raised horizontally and serves more to more headroom to accomplish. The ID. buzz from alpine camper relies on this because there is no pop-up roof for it (yet). And what a brilliant idea to extend the roof over the entire length, as with the Eriba Touring the case is.

Due to the design, it is not suitable for winter!

But back to the pop-up roof: The one Ford Nugget has a new design based on the Turneo Custom. And it has solar panels on it! No joke. But be careful when closing it: sometimes it gets stuck and the fabric prevents it from closing. That can be annoying. That's also exciting California concept with its pop-up roof, which will soon be built in series production. And the Burstner Copa has gotten a facelift thanks to the Ford Turneo Custom. Finally, a little note for winter campers: The insulation of pop-up roofs is not optimal. It's drafty in winter. So it's better to save it for warm days! Photo credits: Ford, Eriba, Opel

Installation of a pop-up roof (rough overview):

• Initial Situation:
  • Ford Transit Custom.
• Objective:
  • Integration of a pop-up roof for sleeping and standing options.
• Preparation:
  • Selection of the pop-up roof: E.g. Reimo pop-up roof, super flat, high at the back.
  • Costs: Approx. 5.000 EUR (short version) approx. 7.300 EUR (long version)
• Installation process:
  • Step 1:
    • Vehicle is covered/protected as best as possible inside and out.
    • Cut edges are marked on the roof and the roof is opened, for example with a compressed air saw.
    • Cut-out sheet metal is removed, cut edges are smoothed and then sealed.
  • Step 2:
    • A subframe is installed in the open roof area.
    • Hinges of the roof membrane are positioned.
    • GRP roof is put on as a test.
  • Step 3:
    • Small frame is added if necessary to hold the tent fabric of the sides.
    • The roof is finally placed on the camper and screwed tightly.
    • Gas dampers are positioned and the roof is erected.
• Finalization:
  • The fabric of the sleeping roof is attached tightly and without wrinkles in the frame.
  • Seam sealing is applied.
  • The lying surface is assembled and the mattress is inserted.
  • Optional spoiler is attached above the windshield.
  • Let dry overnight.

The overview given here is of course only very general and, at the same time, rough. But it gives a compact overview of the installation of a pop-up roof.

other related posts

Below is an excerpt of other articles on the subject Camping and RV. Do you want to see them all? Then just click HERE.

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