Westfalia Pop Tops Gone Wild

I’m always on the search for new (to me) products for my Vanagon. I tend to go outside the normal suppliers and manufacturers to see if there are any not so recognizable independent shops that are launching products.

That’s when I happened upon Space Roofs. I didn’t know they’ve been around for 20 years. Then again, they are from the UK, not the U.S.

I knew other Vanagon owners had installed pop-tops on their Tintops, and occasionally people were replacing their well-worn Westy pop-tops (fiberglass destroyed) and early Bus turrets, but I figured they were always used and grafted from donor vans, not brand new. Wow was I wrong!

Space Roofs is just one of several suppliers. Well, you learn something new everyday.

Website capture from Space Roofs in the UK.

They manufacture Turret style roofs and side-opening roofs, too. You’ve gotta check it out. What I liked about Space Roof is they allow you to customize your own roof style, including color, the tent fabric, the cushions, etc. Every component is crafted by Space Roofs, never using old technology.

While Space Roofs is located in the UK they ship all around the world. I have no idea if these are DIY friendly. But they appear to be if you have the skills and tools.

What got me to Google “Westy pop-tops” in the first place? After seeing so many non-Volkswagens cursing around with the Westfalia type pop-top I figured I’d have to take a closer look at the product. I’ve seen no less than a dozen other vehicles outside of VW that are using the design, including full-sized Chevy and Ford vans, Honda Elements, Mercedes Sprinters, Kia Carnivals, Toyota Pre-Runners and the Mercedes Metris.

It was super revolutionary when Westfalia created the pop-top design for Volkswagen back in 1968. It was an immediate hit that continued until the last Vanagon rolled off the production line. The Westfalia pop-top took on various configurations during the years they were made by the German company, but the intent was always the same; adding maximum headroom for camping.

I think they succeeded in making millions of people happy campers!