Pop Top Caravans for Sale in Australia

Pop top or full height?

The difference is the roof. A full-height van is ready the moment you open the door. A pop top needs the roof raised before you can stand up inside, and lowered before you drive away, so it suits buyers who do not mind a few minutes of setup.

Before you choose, measure the place the van will live. If it has to fit under a carport or through a garage door, compare the opening with the travel height the seller gives, and ask for it if the ad does not say. Measure to the highest point, including any air conditioner or hatch on the roof.

Sleeping arrangements vary as much as in any caravan. Some pop tops have a fixed double bed, some have bunks for children, and a few combine a pop top with fold-out beds. The Sleeps filter on this page (the van's berths) shows how many people a van sleeps, as the seller describes it. If you want more fold-out space than a pop top gives, compare the hybrid campers for sale.

Pop top ranges in our make index come from builders such as Goldstream, Avan, Coromal and Snowy River, and Jayco builds pop top versions of several of its vans ⁵. Some off-road builders also make pop top models, Bushtracker and Track Trailer among them ⁵. Our page of Avan caravans for sale lists that maker's ads, pop tops included.

The roof, the canvas and the struts

A pop top's roof mechanism and fabric are what separate a good used one from a tired one, so spend time on them.

Lifting the roof

Raise and lower the roof at least twice. It should rise evenly at all four corners without the struts or winder straining. Look at the strut ends and the brackets that hold them for cracks or bent metal, and check that the roof locks down firmly for travel.

Canvas and seals

Open the roof fully and walk around the van outside. Look for tears and pinholes in the canvas, and for mould spots in the folds. Check every zip and window. Then look at the rubber seal where the roof meets the walls, because a hardened seal lets in dust and rain while you travel.

Packing up wet

If you will often pack up in the rain, ask the seller how the canvas has been dried in the past. Fabric that has been folded away wet for long periods can show it in stains and smell, so trust your nose when the roof first goes up.

Towbars, couplings and ball weight

The coupling between the car and the van is where the towing ratings meet. The Western Australian Department of Transport's Safe Towing Guide makes several points that matter on any caravan ¹:

• the most commonly used 50 mm tow balls are not rated beyond 3,500 kg, and heavier trailers up to 4,500 kg need a 75 mm ball or another coupling rated to the trailer's ATM ¹
• with a 50 mm tow ball, the towbar must be able to be set at a height between 350 mm and 460 mm from the ground to the centre of the ball, with the vehicle as used ¹
• towbars and couplings made after 1 July 1988 must clearly and permanently show their maximum rated load, along with either the vehicle they are made for or the maker's name and part number, unless they are a permanent part of the vehicle ¹
• turning the tow bar tongue upside down can change its load rating, and a towbar that can be inverted carries a plaque showing the rating in each position ¹

On weight distribution hitches, the WA guide says to match the hitch's weight category to your ball weight, and that such a system must not be used to correct excessive download or rear axle overloading ¹. If a seller says a van "needs" a weight distribution hitch to tow level, find out why.

The towing figures on a pop top ad

Every towable ad on Caravan Domain shows the van's ATM, the most it may weigh loaded. The seller can also give the tare, which is its empty weight, and the ball weight. Check the ATM against your vehicle's towing capacity and the ball weight against its towball limit. The tow-match tool does that comparison across every towable listed.

Queensland's guidance on towing vehicles and trailers makes a useful point here: a trailer's ATM may be higher than the tow vehicle's rating as long as the trailer is not loaded beyond the vehicle's rated towing capacity ². That only works if you know what the loaded van weighs, so take it over a weighbridge.

The weight of the rig can also cap your speed. In NSW, a single trailer towed by a vehicle with a GVM over 4.5 tonnes, or by a combination with a GCM over 4.5 tonnes, must not exceed 100 km/h whatever the posted limit ³. In Western Australia, the WA guide says a vehicle towing a trailer may not exceed the lesser of the posted limit or 100 km/h ¹.

Other used pop top checks

The rest of the inspection is the same as for any caravan:

• look under the van for rust, cracked welds and damaged brake wiring
• press the floor near the door and around the wheel arches for soft spots
• run the fridge, lights and water pump on battery and on mains power
• ask whether a licensed gasfitter has checked the LPG system, and for the paperwork
• match the VIN to the registration and run a PPSR search before paying

Safety chains need a look too. Transport for NSW says a trailer under 2,500 kg loaded needs at least one chain, a heavier one needs two, and two chains must be crossed over ³.

Selling a pop top on Caravan Domain

Private ads cost $23 a month for Basic or $35 a month for Premium, and you can cancel at any time. You can upgrade a Basic ad to Premium at any time and pay only the difference for the rest of the month.

Show the roof both ways. Buyers want photos of the van packed for travel and with the roof up, and a close look at the canvas. Give the travel height, the weights from the plate and the sleeping layout. Sell your pop top caravan once you have those ready.