Looking for a pop top caravan here in Australia?
Pop top caravans are everywhere here in Australia. And there’s good reason; they’re a great touring caravan, you have loads of options for size and layout, they are available in off road models and they have all the creature comforts of any other caravan.
In this post, as per usual, I’m only looking at NEW small pop top caravans that sleep at least two people, have a shower and toilet (wet bath is fine) and cooking facilities inside the caravan.
And for this selection, I’m only going to include pop-tops that do not have the fold-out beds (expandables / where your bed is surrounded by canvas). Just to keep things as consistent as possible.
- Looking for a pop top caravan here in Australia?
- How does a pop top caravan work?
- How high is a pop top caravan?
- Are pop top caravans good?
- What is the best pop top caravan to buy?
- Pop top caravans in Australia
- All 320 pop top caravans on a spreadsheet
- 8 awesome pop top caravans
- Looking for other 'small' RV options?
- 60 Pop Top Caravan Manufacturers in Australia
- Buy the Off Road Caravans spreadsheet
How does a pop top caravan work?
In case you’ve never seem them before, a pop-top caravan is just like any other caravan except that the roof is lowered for travel, and then ‘popped up’ when you set up camp.
This means that the top section of the walls (approx 400-500mm) is made of canvas.
A picture explains it all:
For my North American friends, you may know it as a Garagable Unit (GU).
How high is a pop top caravan?
When set up, a pop top caravan is the same height as any other caravan. But with these roof down, it’s 300-500mm shorter.
This makes them an excellent choice for those people that have a garage or carport where they’re planning to store their caravan. A pop top means that it’s more likely to fit in the space.
Are pop top caravans good?
Yes.
Why are they good?
Well, I’ve mentioned the fact that being able to lower the roof when not in use means that you can store the caravan in carport or garage.
The lower height profile is also good while travelling as there is less wind resistance.
Some cons about the pop top?
In windy weather, the canvas can flap a bit. It’s not as bad as sleeping in a tent, but it can flap a bit.
And in cold weather, you don’t have insulated walls protecting the top section of your space. You can get insulated canvas for some pop-tops though.
And storage space. You lose a fair bit of storage space as your overhead cabinets can not be as big, nor your caravan wardrobe as tall.
What is the best pop top caravan to buy?
Ahh, the $50k question!
I’ve tried to find the prices for each of these pop tops, but sometimes they’re hard to find.
So I highly recommend that you have a look at what brands you like, and then reach out to your local dealer for more information and prices.
Pop top caravans in Australia
Before we get to the selection of caravans in this post, I wanted to let you know about this spreadsheet that I’ve put together.
I have scoured the internet and found ALL the pop top caravans that I possibly could.
And I’ve managed to find over 60 caravan manufacturers with 320 different models of pop top caravans!
I’ve listed all 60+ of the manufacturers at the end of this post, if you just want to see who they are.
All 320 pop top caravans on a spreadsheet
However, if you want to see all 320 different models, we’ve made available a spreadsheet where I’ve painstakingly gone through every manufacturer’s website and listed every model of theirs that is a pop top.
I’ve included the Make, Model, Length, Width, Height, Weights, Number of people it sleeps, whether it has a bathroom or not, the battery set-up, aircon, tow hitch and Base Price; and the URL so you can go and check it out for yourself.
Click here to buy the Pop Top Caravans spreadsheet.
8 awesome pop top caravans
Okay, let’s take a look at some of the best pop top caravans to buy here in Australia. These one’s all have a bathroom.
In no particular order:
Jayco pop top caravans
As you would expect, Jayco have a huge range of caravans, and a fairly large range of pop tops. You can see all the Jayco pop tops here.
The one that’s featured below, is their 16ft Jayco Journey 16.67-4.JY-MY22. It’s a great option for those that want single beds instead of a double, and it has all the creature comforts of any of the larger caravans.
With a tare of just 1,592kg and payload of 385kg, you won’t be lugging around a heavy van; although you will need to be conscientious of how much gear (including water, food and everything!) that you carry.
Jayco Journey Pop Top 16.67-4.JY-MY22
Length: 6.575m
Height: 2.39m (closed)
Tare: 1,592kg
Price: $52,690
New Age pop top caravans
I’ve previously written about the New Age Gecko, cos I think it’s a perfect caravan for a couple… but I think it’s no longer in production. 🙁
So for my next pick from New Age, I would go with the Manta Ray Pop Top. They have either a 16ft or a an 18ft layout and the 16ft would suit me just perfectly.
Manta Ray comes in 3 packs: Standard (which still has plenty of ‘extras’ like air con, a grey water tank and washing machine), Adventure (upgrade to semi off road + other features) and Luxury (upgraded electrical and more luxury items).
New Age Manta Ray Pop Top 16ft Ensuite
Length: 7.085m
Height: 2.575m (closed)
Tare: 1,935kg
Price: $67,990
Paramount Caravans – Micro Pop Top
The Micro is touted as a great option for single travellers, and I agree. The pop top is compact and light, but still includes everything that I would want in a caravan.
The Micro range includes 10 layouts ranging in body length from 14’6″ to 17’6″ (Approx. 4.42m – 5.33m) with either a queen bed or 2 singles.
Length: 6.5m
Height: 2.55m (closed)
Tare: 1,700kg
Price: $76,570
Avan 500 Series Pop Top
Avan is well known for its compact caravan range, so it’s no surprise to find their pop-top caravan range includes 3 models, with lots of different layouts and lengths.
This one below is from the 500 Series, includes a full ensuite and has the same layout as you’ll find on loads of other caravans. But with the advantage of being a pop top.
Avan 500 Series Pop Top 555-1 Double
Length: 6.9m
Height: 2.46m (closed)
Tare: 1,455kg
Price:
Goldstream RV 1400 Explorer Series
These compact little Explorer pop top caravans give you only what you ‘need’ and fit it into the smallest footprint possible.
There are 2 layouts available, both with an East/West Queen bed, and one of them does include an ensuite. But you do also have the option of upgrading to off road and more features, if you wish.
Goldstream RV 1400 Explorer Series
Length: 6.45m
Height: 2.25m (closed)
Tare: 1,400kg
Coronet RV ATR Series
The Coronet RV ATR Series replaces the previous STR pop top range of caravans. They’ve got more great improvements and comes fitted with a 12v 100amp/hr battery with 240v charging system,
battery charge monitor and a 160w solar panel and regulator.
With 10 layouts to choose from, which all include a bathroom, you’re spoilt for choice.
Length: Various lengths from 5.2m – 5.95m
Golf Savannah Pop Top Caravans
The Golf Savannah range is a popular little caravan, and while most of their layouts are full height walls, there are 3 layouts that are pop top. The Savannah 402,499 and 563.
I don’t see a lot of these layouts that have the small bathroom right next to the bed, but for some people this layout is probably perfect.
Length: 6.89m
Height: 2.66m
Tare: 1,640kg
Price: $67,446
Olympic Triathlete
The Olympic caravans don’t seem to be too prolific, which makes finding information about them online, a little bit difficult. If you love these little pop tops, head over to their website and get more information (including where to find your nearest dealer) directly from them.
Looking for other ‘small’ RV options?
If you’re not sure if a pop top caravan is the right option for you, why not check out the other RV types that we’ve written about:
60 Pop Top Caravan Manufacturers in Australia
This list is all the caravan manufacturers in Australia (that I could find) that have pop top caravans in their range.
Buy the Off Road Caravans spreadsheet
Don’t forget, if you want to be able to sort through the full list of Australian pop top caravans, we have them on a spreadsheet, available for just $9. Just click the image below:
Tracey
Saturday 3rd of October 2020
Hi, thanks for your article. We're looking at a pop top caravan but are fairly limited for size as we need to be able to store it in a garage (we live in a townhouse complex). Do you know of any vans that would come in under 2m travel height and 5m travel length? The height seems to be our problem. We were looking at the option of a folding draw bar to help with the length.
Michelle
Sunday 4th of October 2020
Hi Tracey, Hmmmn... I think you're right, height is going to be the challenge. A camper trailer might be your best (only) option?
Seamus O’Sullivan
Thursday 20th of August 2020
Hello Ben & Michelle, Thanks for your article above, we currently own a Goldstream Storm & are considering changing this over to a pop top as we reaching retirement age. We do intend to continue off roading however in an endeavour to maximise space are you aware of any off road pop tops that incorporate a slide out bed on the side of the van. Thanks in advance.
Brett
Monday 23rd of November 2020
Emu campers -expedition model.
Michelle
Friday 21st of August 2020
Hi Seamus, The first one that pops into my head is the hybrid from MDC. It's a small off-road pop-top where the bed slides out the back of the van. You can have a look at them here: https://www.marketdirect.com.au/off-road-caravans/xt-12-hybrid-offroad-caravan/