High-Top Campervans: Walking-In Space and What It Costs

Stand inside a campervan you can't stand up in, and you will know within seconds whether a high-top matters to you. For anyone over about 5 foot 6, a standard panel-van roof means spending the whole holiday stooped — cooking, dressing and making the beds all happen at a permanent crouch. On a wet UK week that is miserable. A high-top roof fixes it, but it is a trade-off, not a free upgrade. Compare high-top campervans for sale to see the premium in the flesh.

What "high-top" means

A high-top is a raised GRP or fibreglass roof fitted to a standard van, giving typically 1.85 to 2.1 metres of internal headroom. The best ones are fitted by the converter as part of the build, with a proper roof seal, wiring for the interior lights and, in many cases, a bed or bunk in the roof space above the driver's cab. Cheaper bolt-on conversions can be fitted aftermarket, but quality varies a lot.

The real benefits

• You can stand up to cook, wash and dress — the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade in a camper.
• The taller roof often allows an upper bunk or storage shelf, freeing floor space.
• A proper high-top with windows adds natural light and makes the van feel far bigger than it is.
• It suits year-round UK touring far better than a pop-top, which is cold and noisy.

What it costs you

A factory high-top typically adds £3,000 to £6,000 to the price of a used camper compared with a similar van with a pop-top or standard roof. You also pay in other ways:

• Weight: a high-top adds 80 to 120 kilograms, which matters if your payload is tight.
• Height: most high-tops sit around 2.4 to 2.7 metres — fine for most car parks and ferries, but check low bridges and multi-storeys.
• Driving: the raised centre of gravity makes the van lean more in corners and catch more wind.
• Resale: properly built high-tops hold value well; poorly sealed ones leak and ruin the van.

The verdict

If you are over about 5 foot 6, will spend any time inside in the rain, or have small children to get dressed, a high-top is usually worth every penny. Check the roof-to-body seal carefully on any used example, look for water staining on the headlining, and ask whether it was converted by a reputable firm. For a different route to standing space, the coachbuilt vs van conversion guide explains how full-width motorhome bodies solve the same problem.