Panoramic view on pop top option, yes or no?

[GrumpyGranddad]

haha - I do hope it won't be too much longer for you! (We have a Coast on order, patiently waiting... but consoling myself with the fact we wouldn't be able to go anywhere in it at the moment anyway!) Cheers

Yes, frustrating times. We’ve booked a site in June and plan to book a few more over the weekend but we’re obviously all at the mercy of Covid rules so who knows?

 

[ThomasHJ]

Thanks for the reply. How do you get along with it, would a plastic/see through window have been a better option if available do you think, or is there a reason it's not been designed like that perhaps?

Not sure if this is the reason, but I assume that if they would use plastic, it wouldn't stay very nice for long, due to the fact that the roof-canvas gets folded everytime you shut the roof. May also not be very good for condensation.

But if you ask me, the window is an absolute good thing to have!

 

[Corradobrit]

One of the best features I optioned for my Coast. Its also nice for airflow/view when standing with the bed base raised

 

[66tim99]

One of the best features I optioned for my Coast. Its also nice for airflow/view when standing with the bed base raised

Does it have a flyscreen as standard?
So it is either closed with canvas, open with a flyscreen, or fully open to the elements?

 

[Corradobrit]

Does it have a flyscreen as standard?
So it is either closed with canvas, open with a flyscreen, or fully open to the elements?

The semi-circular section has a flatscreen. The big aperture is open to the elements but I'm pretty sure a flyscreen is available to keep bugs out when zipped open.

 

[RikFizz]

Does it have a flyscreen as standard?
So it is either closed with canvas, open with a flyscreen, or fully open to the elements?

Correct.... flyscreen on the semi-circular opening.

 

[66tim99]

The semi-circular section has a flatscreen. The big aperture is open to the elements but I'm pretty sure a flyscreen is available to keep bugs out when zipped open.

I'm looking forward to popping the ceiling up in the morning and having a bacon roll and a brew on the lounger bed looking up at a Swiss mountain through the open panoramic roof. Then closing it at night and projecting a film onto it.
I can dream...

 

[andyinluton]

If you get the Brandrup isotop VI insulated liner it comes with a removable panel the same as the panoramic opening, brandrup then extract a further £50 from you if you want a mesh screen for the big opening that zips in.
If we get some better weather Im looking at whether we could make a transparent screen that zips in as an alternative.

 

[melifornia]

Not sure if this is the reason, but I assume that if they would use plastic, it wouldn't stay very nice for long, due to the fact that the roof-canvas gets folded everytime you shut the roof. May also not be very good for condensation.

But if you ask me, the window is an absolute good thing to have!

Ah yes, that makes sense... thanks I suppose that if the weather's bad, you'd use a poptop cover anyway - and you can get one with a plastic window... so that would satisfy my wish to be able to see out even when its raining...

 

[melifornia]

If you get the Brandrup isotop VI insulated liner it comes with a removable panel the same as the panoramic opening, brandrup then extract a further £50 from you if you want a mesh screen for the big opening that zips in.
If we get some better weather Im looking at whether we could make a transparent screen that zips in as an alternative.

cheers Andy, I'll have a look at the isotop ... and the zip in screen idea sounds like a winner - do post an update if you get round to it and have any joy... I would be very interested

 

[Nolan]

It's the one thing I wish my T6 beach had, if I still have the vehicle when it goes out of extended warranty I'll be very tempted to buy the bellows and fit them.

 

[Trevor Brown]

I personally find it a disadvantage inasmuch as it makes for greater bulk of material, which impacts undesirably on closing the sliding hatch.
I bought a car in stock in the dealer, so hadn’t the choice, as mine was the only one available with a number of desirable / essential options. However if I had the choice, I would not have it.

 

[66tim99]

I personally find it a disadvantage inasmuch as it makes for greater bulk of material, which impacts undesirably on closing the sliding hatch.
I bought a car in stock in the dealer, so hadn’t the choice, as mine was the only one available with a number of desirable / essential options. However if I had the choice, I would not have it.

Interesting to hear, as I’m waiting for my factory order. I’m also considering the brandrup isotop inner insulation that stays fitted, and wonder just how much trickier that is to close the sliding hatch

 

[ThomasHJ]

I do not find it hard to close the sliding hatch at all. Hold the canvas material up, slowly pull the sliding hatch and when and if you feel resistance, give the canvas another push and the gently close the hatch. At least now the hatch stays in place, as with the older canvas the hatch used to slowly slide open while driving.

 

[subthree]

We had the storage net across the hatch. That really made closing the cover tricky. Removed it and now much easier.

 

[andyinluton]

Being a T5 owner but have had the canvas changed to the T6 one with a front opening window (not the full opening) , the T6 canvas is a bit more stiff and harder to fold in the space , it does prevent the hatch sliding open while driving a bit more , as with my original T5 canvas the hatch slided open almost emmidiatly when driving.

The T6.1 is even stiffer than the T6, the full frontal opening also adds a full length zip down each side of the front, its these zips that add to the bulk.

 

[66tim99]

The T6.1 is even stiffer than the T6, the full frontal opening also adds a full length zip down each side of the front, its these zips that add to the bulk.

So you leave those zips open when closing the roof?

 

[andyinluton]

So you leave those zips open when closing the roof?

No. leave them shut, but its why it is now a tight fit , whereas before there was plenty of space up there.

If you then add in the isotop with full front opening you get another set of zips & another layer of material in exactly the same place. If you open the isotop front it then lays flat rather than being folded in half doubling up the thickness.

One of the problems with earlier vans was the sliding roof hatch used to open on its own whilst driving. With the extra material on the new vans making everything a snug fit we won't be having that problem.

 

[Stu@rt]

Any Coast owners out there with this option able to add some feedback on how this effects the ability to roll the canvas back behind the clamps and avoid the snagging risk. Beginning to wondering if I shouldn't have added this to our order?

 

[andyinluton]

Any Coast owners out there with this option able to add some feedback on how this effects the ability to roll the canvas back behind the clamps and avoid the snagging risk. Beginning to wondering if I shouldn't have added this to our order?

If you left it out you would probably regret it. Even if you don't use the panoramic opening, the smaller front opening lets in a huge amount of light & gives the best view out the van whilst still in bed.

Its relatively cheap to add now & expensive to retrofit.
It is one of those options that secondhand buyers may well be looking for in the future.

 

[Stu@rt]

If you left it out you would probably regret it. Even if you don't use the panoramic opening, the smaller front opening lets in a huge amount of light & gives the best view out the van whilst still in bed.

Thanks Andy. That's the problem with the extended delivery times eh? You spend hours on here (learning loads) amassing a huge potential shopping list and then questioning the decisions that you agonised over months earlier. I'm sure it'll be fine eh?

 

[ThomasHJ]

For the spectaculair views, the ingress of light and general feel of roominess, and....-more important then you might think-, the ability to get insects out of the top bed, I would absolutely recommend it.

 

[Stow]

Be careful where you position the zips when closing. If they're in the top corners they will damage the panel below when the roof is closed.

 

[WelshGas]

So do they do Mosquito / Fly nets for this panoramic opening like they do for the sliding door, side windows and tailgate?

 

[andyinluton]

So do they do Mosquito / Fly nets for this panoramic opening like they do for the sliding door, side windows and tailgate?

Not yet, but there is one available for the isotop liner. when the weather warms up I will see if the separate brandrup isotop fly net will just zip straight onto the original roof. Rather than needing the isotop liner to fix to.