Can I store in the ‘Pop Top’?

[SimonandJane]

So we now own out first ‘new to us’ T5 Cali and we are in the process of buying recommend essentials for our first trip.

We are also carefully considering the storage of the larger items we will need to be taking. With this in mind, I am looking at the external windscreen and side window thermal cover and where to store it without it getting in the way. As I want to store if flat, I was wondering if I could keep it in the pop top as this would tick all the boxes.

Is this okay ie is there enough space available to avoid it not fully closing with only the factory supplied mattress up their?

 

[shudycamps]

So we now own out first ‘new to us’ T5 Cali and we are in the process of buying recommend essentials for our first trip.

We are also carefully considering the storage of the larger items we will need to be taking. With this in mind, I am looking at the external windscreen and side window thermal cover and where to store it without it getting in the way. As I want to store if flat, I was wondering if I could keep it in the pop top as this would tick all the boxes.

Is this okay ie is there enough space available to avoid it not fully closing with only the factory supplied mattress up their?

We bought an self inflatable mattress to put on top of the mattress in Campi (T5.1 Cali). And opened the valves to expell the air, closed the top and exited the campsite. Not long At All, on the motorway, the top began to open. We quickly pulled off the motorway, parked up to inspect. Raised the roof and watched the air mattress inflating itself. Pulled it out, deflated and stuffed it back into its bag. Whew! Roof lowered w/o problem. That was a good 7yrs ago. I'm in the market to buy a topper inasmuch as the standard T5.1 Cali version of a mattress is really only comfortable for a Guinea Pig. Bottom line; no added mattress up top in Campi except to sleep on; take topper off before driving off.

 

[SimonandJane]

Thankfully our cover won’t self-inflate but is there space up there for it who allow the pop top to close completely?

 

[dspuk]

So we now own out first ‘new to us’ T5 Cali and we are in the process of buying recommend essentials for our first trip.

We are also carefully considering the storage of the larger items we will need to be taking. With this in mind, I am looking at the external windscreen and side window thermal cover and where to store it without it getting in the way. As I want to store if flat, I was wondering if I could keep it in the pop top as this would tick all the boxes.

Is this okay ie is there enough space available to avoid it not fully closing with only the factory supplied mattress up their?

Covers will be fine but as said, SIM's can be problematic. There is not a huge amount of room when closed so just keep a careful eye on it.

 

[SimonandJane]

Ideal, thanks Dave.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Just be careful. Screeen covers probably okay but anything thicker and you risk warping the roof. Others have done that and it's obviously a very expensive fix.

 

[SusiBus]

We store our reflective silver screen covers in the pop top.

 

[Randwick]

We have stored the windscreen and side window blinds on the mattress in the roof since we bought our van in 2010 and not noticed any problems. We store the windscreen blind made up and it leaves slight indentations on the mattress from the plastic rods, but its convenient not to have to fold them up while using the van. I fold them up when the vans not being used, in the winter etc.

 

[F5 JNR]

We had T5 Cali since 2012 and are currently loving our T6.1 Ocean. Golden rule is store nothing in the roof area other than OEM mattress or you WILL twist your aluminium roof. Windscreen wraparounds are best to totally prevent any condensation inside. We swear by the Windscreen wraparound and the topper (see our profile pic) which are each designed to fit in little bags and stuff into each of the boots chair slots (just!) Used Comfortz Leisure everytime.

 

[Brindisi]

We store our inside window covers down the centre of the pop top . We have had ours 12yrs and no problems and was advised the centre has the most wiggle room . I think we have tried a thin sleeping bag many years ago and you could see that the roof was going to warp when it was coming down . Chair compartments are handy to store some lightweight items , we put our pop top cover in there as we only take one chair .

 

[shudycamps]

A few years ago I bought a self inflating mattress for uptop. Cool and comfortable. Pulled the cork on it and deflated it; put cork back in, lowered roof and left campsite. Not long thereafter, the roof started to open. Pulled off motorway and parked up; raised roof and mattress was inflating itself. Took it out, deflated and put it back in its bag. Never used it again. I think a Duvaly or equivalent is much safer!!!

 

[Cameron]

We store the Brandrup silver internal screen and side window covers in the our T6 pop top + the fitted mattress cover and fitted sheet for the last seven years no problems at all. We always check it’s all flat before lowering the roof.

 

[Dave Wickham]

So we now own out first ‘new to us’ T5 Cali and we are in the process of buying recommend essentials for our first trip.

We are also carefully considering the storage of the larger items we will need to be taking. With this in mind, I am looking at the external windscreen and side window thermal cover and where to store it without it getting in the way. As I want to store if flat, I was wondering if I could keep it in the pop top as this would tick all the boxes.

Is this okay ie is there enough space available to avoid it not fully closing with only the factory supplied mattress up their?

I keep a sleeping bag in the roof when its down, sleeping bag fully open and laid flat of course. No issues.

 

[Billy Ocean Edition]

We store the Brandrup silver internal screen and side window covers in the our T6 pop top + the fitted mattress cover and fitted sheet for the last seven years no problems at all. We always check it’s all flat before lowering the roof.

Same here for almost two years now.

 

[Effric]

We slide the screen/window covers (in a bag) into the middle of one of the chairs in the tailgate.

 

[crookrise]

Well it depends, to be certain try putting them in, sliding over mattress, with roof down.
Us well we keep a sea to summit self inflating mattress up there.
Fully deflated using air pump with valves closed. Standard procedure if you have put something up there is to check, from outside, that the roof is fully closed, just the same as everytime you put the roof down.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

A few years ago I bought a self inflating mattress for uptop. Cool and comfortable. Pulled the cork on it and deflated it; put cork back in, lowered roof and left campsite. Not long thereafter, the roof started to open. Pulled off motorway and parked up; raised roof and mattress was inflating itself. Took it out, deflated and put it back in its bag. Never used it again. I think a Duvaly or equivalent is much safer!!!

@shudycamps you post above has me puzzled. I cannot understand how your deflated self-inflating mattress, if "inflating" on its own in the roof zone, could mean your pop-top roof "started to open", unless you were running a very substantial air pump into it. The physical pressure exerted by the foam 'springing' within my Sea to Summit mattress, for example (even if you left the plugs out) could hardly lift a pillow let alone a closed and locked down pop-top.

I can understand that a self-inflating mattress would harmlessly expand to fill any void: if unplugged or leaking.

Incidentally, my Sea to Summit stays fully deflated for months at a time, leaving sufficient space (with the unrequired OEM mattress removed) in the void for (i) a camping duvet over it,

Alternative to a Duvalay - self inflating

Hi there - we have an Ocean 6.1 (2024) and bought a duvalay for 'upstairs'. The comfort is great but find it a bit of a faff when we want to go out for the day and have to roll it up and store it etc. We're considering 'self inflating' options - appreciate they probably won't be as comfortable...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

(ii) my side window flyscreens below carefully placed below with the flanges to the side and upwards, and

(iii) my step:

What have you bought for your Cali today :-)

Hi. Do you have a link for these? Are they one size only? Just look up the backmara mats in IKEA.

vwcaliforniaclub.com

laid centrally in front of the deflated (and therefore shortened) mattress.

With (ii) and (iii) held in place by heavy rubber bands to avoid any movement.

 

[IanE]

Like Viktorgeorge, we leave our sea to summit mattress in the roof space for months at a time without opening the roof. We expect the mattress will inflate to take up the void, but haven’t had and wouldn’t expect any issues (we don’t leave other stuff up there though).

 

[Viktorgeorge]

Like Viktorgeorge, we leave our sea to summit mattress in the roof space for months at a time without opening the roof. We expect the mattress will inflate to take up the void, but haven’t had and wouldn’t expect any issues (we don’t leave other stuff up there though).

Interestingly, although I expected inflation to fill the void, over two years now, this has not happened. The mattress has remained fully deflated.

 

[The Fockers]

All we keep up top is our duvets. The screen covers go in the drawer under the bench seat.