What are the benefits of a pop-top campervan?

Pop-top models like the Bailey Endeavour B64 and B65 combine all the convenience of a traditional campervan with a clever elevating roof design, so they give couples and families who love a spontaneous adventure enough space to be able to go on them.

Built by Bailey of Bristol, the UK’s longest-established leisure vehicle manufacturer with over 75 years of experience, every Endeavour camper van combines innovation and reliability tested in extreme conditions from the Sahara to the Arctic.

But what is a pop-top campervan? What are the benefits? And what should you be aware of when looking to purchase one? Read on to find out more.

What is a pop-top campervan?

A pop-top campervan is a compact leisure vehicle with a roof that lifts to create extra headroom or sleeping space.

Bailey’s pop-top campervans, the Endeavour B64 and B65, feature an elevating roof that houses a high-level double bed with a mattress, reading lights and an opening rooflight, turning extra space into a comfortable second bedroom.

What Bailey campervans have pop-tops?

What are the benefits of a pop up roof campervan?

Pop-top campervans give you several benefits over standard ones, including:

• Extra sleeping space: The pop-top roof in the Bailey Endeavour range features space for a high-level double bed. This means you can use this as your full-time bed and not have to make up a bed in the main part of the campervan each night. It also means that there is space available for friends and family to travel with you if you want to bring them along.

• Airier interior: The raised roof and opening skylight make the space feel bright and open.

• Better flexibility: Use the top bed for guests or kids while keeping the lower lounge free.

• Made to keep you comfortable in every season: With Grade III insulation and Truma Diesel Combi D4E heating, you’ll stay warm even when it’s -15°C outside.

• Adventure-ready design: Built on a Ford Transit chassis and tested in harsh climates from the Sahara to the Dolomites, every Endeavour is engineered to be reliable wherever you end up taking it.

What are the benefits of a coach-built pop-top campervan over retrofitting your own?

Choosing a coach-built pop-top campervan from an established manufacturer like Bailey offers quality assurance, safety, temperature regulation and long-term reliability that self-conversions can’t always match.

In recent years, it has become a common practice to make your own campervan conversions by purchasing a work van and then kitting it out with things like beds, kitchens, shows and even pop-top roofs.

While it is possible to purchase a van and convert it yourself (and it is a fun project to undertake), buying a pre-converted campervan from a manufacturer like Bailey of Bristol ensures that you have a vehicle from a company with a long history of building leisure vehicles that is ready to hit the road as soon as you are. Our campervans are built on a Ford Transit chassis, a vehicle known for its reliability.

With a Bailey campervan there are many benefits, including:

• Tested in the real world: Our campervans have been real-world tested during trips to the Sahara Desert and the Dolomites in Italy during the winter snow season. So you know that they can cope with extremes of temperature and a variety of terrains.
• Winter-ready comfort: The Endeavour range has achieved Grade III Classification (the highest classification) for heating and thermal insulation, confirmed by cold chamber testing. This includes when the pop-top is up under the tent fabric. So you can stay warm all night when the weather is as cold as -15 outside.
• Onboard convenience: All Bailey campervans come with a fully fitted washroom that includes a built in toilet, sink and shower so there are no worries about needing to find a place to spend the night with these facilities – the Endeavour already has them built in.
• Ready to drive: The Endeavour range can all be driven on a Category B licence as they have a weight of 3500kg. No need to take any extra tests if you passed your driving test after 1st Jan 1997.
• Family-friendly design: Both the B64 and B65 pop-tops also have ISOFIX fittings so that you can use child safety seats in these campervans.

Pop-top campervans FAQs

How much height does a pop-top add to the campervan?

As the pop-tops on the B64 and B65 models contain a double bed on a platform, the height of the pop-top will not add anything to the headroom in the campervan itself. The overall height of the Endeavour models is 9ft 10in so there is plenty of headroom even for the tallest traveller.

The big benefit of having the pop-top on the Endeavour B64 and B65 is that you have the extra double bed above the campervan which comes complete with a mattress, reading lights and opening rooflight.

What weight can a pop-top roof hold?

The Bailey Endeavour campervans with pop-top roofs have a max loading weight of 180kg, which is the equivalent of 28st 4lbs. This is more than enough capacity for two fully grown adults.

Why does my campervan need a pop-top roof if it has another bed?

Your campervan will have the ability to make up a double or single beds from the seating in the main part of the van. However, this means making up the bed every night which is a job not everyone wants to do each evening.

Having the pop-top bed means that you have a bed ready-made up for you every night and the flexibility to use the seating downstairs to accommodate extra sleeping space for friends and family.

Is a pop-top campervan suitable for winter travel?
All Endeavour models achieve Grade III thermal classification for insulation and heating, ensuring comfort down to -15°C.

Can I drive a Bailey Endeavour on a standard licence?
Every Bailey Endeavour is under 3,500kg MTPLM, meaning it can be driven on a standard Category B licence.

See the Bailey Endeavour for your pop-top adventures

Ready to start your pop-top campervan adventures?

Check out the Bailey Endeavour range of campervans, which includes both standard and pop-up roof models for you to choose your next home away from home.

See the Bailey Endeavour range here