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Old 07-25-2020, 07:55 AM   #41
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My only user experience is with the Vanagon. The luggage rack is handy; we use it to hold occasional items that we know won't be used every stop (bagged screen room, hibachi, and other items that just seem to take up valuable interior space) but we could live without it. Other Vanagon guys have decided the same thing and have done away with the luggage rack and actually extended the pop portion to extend the roof's full length, but this requires a new, longer canvas to be fully appreciated. They use the luggage part; they skin over the depression area to make it a full-height top section and blend it into the main part. A lot of work, but some of us are nuts and more energetic than the rest. Pic and project roof below from user Howesight on thesamba.com.


I like the look of the Eurovan roof, sleeker and lower profile but harder to find. PleasureWay essentially copied it for their Traverse line but it's a shorty poptop like a Vanagon uses, ending behind the front seats, while the Eurovan is full-roof length. I think your selection will come down to which poptop you can actually find. Vanagons are most plentiful and probably the cheapest but you might luck out and find an EV. Check the Samba EV classifieds. Note: There's a seller in Pahrump NV with a less-than-stellar rep.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=76

Some Type/T nomenclature: All VW vans are Type 2, the Transporter; the Beetle was Type 1. The various versions of the Transporter are the T vans; the original split was T1, the Bay (or loaf) bus was the T2, the Vanagon was the T3, etc. So, a Vanagon would technicallly be a Type 2 T3. It can be confusing.

Yeah a bit confusing. I did some reading kinda makes sense now lol. I found a decent t2-3 top with the luggage rack. Orginal bed, canvas and parts. Needs a new canvas. Also found a t4/eurovan westfalia top off a 93-98 van. Looks to be a little bit cleaner. Just the top and hardware though. No bed etc. Both of them I could get for under 500 ea. Found them up noth by me. Indiana area.

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Old 07-25-2020, 12:10 PM   #42
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You may not want or need an upper bunk for sleeping use but you might like a short platform for stowage space when parked. That's what we usually do; stuff that travels in the wayback (behind the rear seat) gets moved upstairs when parked and popped. This gets to be a hassle when driving daily and stopping nightly and spurs many poptop users to spring for a highroof instead for more/better storage space. We picked up the big ex-wheelchair Dodge in my avatar for a buildout and will eventually be selling our Westy.
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Old 07-25-2020, 12:43 PM   #43
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You may not want or need an upper bunk for sleeping use but you might like a short platform for stowage space when parked. That's what we usually do; stuff that travels in the wayback (behind the rear seat) gets moved upstairs when parked and popped. This gets to be a hassle when driving daily and stopping nightly and spurs many poptop users to spring for a highroof instead for more/better storage space. We picked up the big ex-wheelchair Dodge in my avatar for a buildout and will eventually be selling our Westy.
Nice you will have fun with that build. You can do some cool stuff with the high top. No I probably wouldnt use the bed. Really just want it for head space when I'm camping or hanging out when I'm just using the van. On most trips I tow it behind my motorhome. I have had sprinters and Express Van's with high tops. I want to go the pop top route as it keeps it lower profile. Can get In
and out of alot more places. Also my mpg wont really change. My personal choice of van is extended duramax Van's. They are my favorite been daily driving them about 10 yrs lol. The one I'm driving now is 600+hp
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