C&H Campers / C&H Pop Tops of Huddersfield

I have tried to keep this review as factual as possible, so that it gives a fair reflection for others to make their own decision.
I booked the van in for a pop top, new side and rear windows and a rock and roll bed in mid May, for the works to be completed late July.

We live 200+ miles away from CandH so we booked a hotel for a couple of nights.
The day before the works were booked in, about an hour before we were due to set off I received a phone call from CandH explaining that there was a 3 week delay on the R&R bed due to the upholstery suppliers, this was due to Covid and the impact it had had.
We chose to get the roof and windows done and get the bed in 3 weeks as we were planning a trip in the new van to Yorkshire anyways.

On the day all went well, slight delay but nothing major. Went back to the hotel and told to drive slowly to allow glue to dry over night.

Next day set off back home. About 10 miles into the journey the front wind deflector at the front of the van. Known as a pod flew off down the motorway.
Obviously we pulled over and called CandH who told us to come back and they would fit another one.
They got straight onto fitting another when we arrived, although none one apologised, but one member of staff did say that it had happened a few times before as the glue takes at least 4 hours to dry. We explained it had had about 15 hours. Just to note, the glue blobs weren't dry and 2 screws at either corner had pulled out.

We then had to drive home over 200 miles at no more than 50 mph. With gaffa tape holding it down. Which obviously took a while.
I have since bought a rubber wind deflector that sits just infront of the pod and we haven't had any problems since.

A week before we were due to collect the R&R bed I called to make sure everything was in order. I was told that there was nothing in the diary booked in, but after checking with the upholsters the original date should be fine.

We arrived about 3pm to get the bed. It still had to be collected from the upholsters. We went for a walk and after about an hour and a half we were ready to go. The bed upholstery colour was a different shade of blue then ordered and I had requested that the Ford logo not to be stitch in the headrest, Unfortunitly it had.

We were due to spend 2 weeks in the van. The weather wasn't great, very wet. We noticed after the 2nd night that the mdf board at the rear of the van had started to sagg. We started to poke around, and found the carpet underneath was soaked. I then started looking harder and pulled up the carpet around the rear join where the canvas meets the roof to find several gaps, with clear day light. The biggest gap had water literally running through.
Also whilst up there I noticed that the elevating bed has only got 3 screws out of a total 6. 1 in one side, 2 in the other.

Obviously this can be fixed, but difficult to do so when camping and miles from home. Now the van also has musty wet smell as the carpet is so wet.

Like I said, this is factual, no opinion. So hopefully this reflects a fair and balanced review.
Wow you really did have some issues. Thank you for the balanced factual review. I do hope that you're happy with what you have now and you an move on. I know it won't necessarily make you feel better, but I know some people who have spent £6k on their poptops and still not happy.... I used C&H for my poptop and had a problem with the pod/wind deflector ... now sorted with insulation tape .... which you can't see!!
Enjoy and #staysafe. Thanksahain for taking the time to write up and share.
 
Wow you really did have some issues. Thank you for the balanced factual review. I do hope that you're happy with what you have now and you an move on. I know it won't necessarily make you feel better, but I know some people who have spent £6k on their poptops and still not happy.... I used C&H for my poptop and had a problem with the pod/wind deflector ... now sorted with insulation tape .... which you can't see!!
Enjoy and #staysafe. Thanksahain for taking the time to write up and share.
No worries

I know it could had happened to anyone and glad everything was fixable. All good now, just an utter pain in the bum at the time.

I used sikaflex adhesive with my wind deflector, can now drive confidently at 70ish without thinking the roof is going to fly off.
 
Hey guys, I have recently bought a T6 that has had a pop top done with C&H, I have not used the van with the roof up yet for camping at all, but have fitted a bellows bungee. 2 days ago we heard what sounded like water dripping, to the point it made me question have a left the sink pump on and water was coming from the tap. no it wasn't that, so I thought ok get the roof up and check it out, initially there was a very very little water, along the drivers side, where the canvas attaches to the van, inside obviously, and some tiny droplets on the canvas itself, only on the drivers side though?? I thought it was condensation and nothing to worry about. last night the wife driving to work mentioned that she'd had water drop on her head and clothes, not a lot, however. I'm based in Cornwall and weather here at the minute is shocking with the rain and winds, any suggestions other than the obvious of looking at the corners up the top when the roof is up, I am concerned though that this has happened with the roof down!!
 
I had my T6 T32 fitted at the end of August and the POPTOP is briiliant .... The only issue was with the wind deflector vibrated when travelling at high speed.... C&H tried to fix and Jules at C&H always replied to emails etc. Managed to resolve the wind noise by using Insulation tape to close the gap - all noise now gone!!! If anyone wants to know more just ask. cheers and staysafe!
Hi , I've just been reading this thread regarding C&H campers. Is that your van on your profile picture as that doesn't look like a C&H pop top ?
 
Hi , I've just been reading this thread regarding C&H campers. Is that your van on your profile picture as that doesn't look like a C&H pop top ?
No. I have changed my Van. This is a Top quality Skyline that fully opens at the front. This cost circa £4k+ .... depending who fits it. Cheers
 
Hi, this is my first post, so i apologise in advanced for not introducing myself etc. I have a 5.1 so only flick through the build threads on here, as the the t5 forum seems to lack any decent ones recently.

Id like to just give my experience with the C&H pop tops, as i have recently had one fitted to my van and when i was looking, i couldn't find any reviews anywhere on their pop tops, so i hope this helps you in making your decision.

I travelled all the way up to Huddersfield from the isle of wight, they fitted it within the day on a Saturday, which was a massive bonus for me, as i cannot be without my van. They lent me their caddy van for the day, free of charge.

From start to finish was first class and i cannot express enough how professional they were with dealing with all my questions etc prior to booking it in and nothing was to much bother for them to answer over a text message.

The quality of the pop top is good and i think it is a copy of the skyline roof from comparing against my friends. The canvas is not fully waterproof, but i believe this is normal, as they are meant to let the water in to then let the material air when drying. When i say lets water in, i dont mean you see puddles of water etc. It has 2 breathable windows on the side and one big clear window at the front. The canvas also has an enclosed elasticated strap at the back, to prevent it getting caught in the rear hinges when lowering, i have not seen this on the roofs that i looked at from the bigger pop top companies. The silicone around the edge of the canvas is neat and tidy, this was a big thing for me, as i have seen this left in an horrendous state on some. The rubber seal on the outside, at first is abit wobbly looking, but i have managed to sort mine out, seems as if it just needed knocking on abit more. They fitted my supplied roof bars, again free of charge.

The roof bed is a good design and seems to be constructed in a similar way to a stud wall, this was perfect for me, as this meant i was able to mount my flip down tv and run the wires all inside without being seen. I went for carpet all over and no logo, so i cant comment on the diamond stitch material. They fitted 6 leds down the side, which are all good.

They use a fibreglass bed trim around the edges which is bolted and screwed into the strengthening frame, i think this is quite a good design, as it allows the bed to sit abit lower, so it still allows enough room for me to permanently keep the bed mattress up the top when the roof is down. The roof is easy to put up and down, even when i have my roof box fitted. The locking straps are nice and strong.

I have recently put it through its elements last week down in cornwall for a weeks camping trip and it dealt with the 60-70mph winds that we had perfectly fine. My son and I slept up perfectly fine and i am 6'1. This probably wont bother you, if you only want it for standing up in. The bed is easily removable but also goes up out the way when not in use and i can still stand up in there fully when it is up.

The only downside that i can think of and its more to do with the fitting process and not the product itself, is that the dash light for the rear door was staying on constantly, so it would think the door was open all the time, they quickly sorted this out before i left and it turned out that one of the screws had nicked the wire, so was it constantly grounded.

All in all, for the price, i am over the moon with the quality and the company as a whole. They also had a decent 4 page spread in last months VWT or VW BUS mag (cant remember which one).If you would like to know anything else, then please let me know.
Hi, this is my first post, so i apologise in advanced for not introducing myself etc. I have a 5.1 so only flick through the build threads on here, as the the t5 forum seems to lack any decent ones recently.

Id like to just give my experience with the C&H pop tops, as i have recently had one fitted to my van and when i was looking, i couldn't find any reviews anywhere on their pop tops, so i hope this helps you in making your decision.

I travelled all the way up to Huddersfield from the isle of wight, they fitted it within the day on a Saturday, which was a massive bonus for me, as i cannot be without my van. They lent me their caddy van for the day, free of charge.

From start to finish was first class and i cannot express enough how professional they were with dealing with all my questions etc prior to booking it in and nothing was to much bother for them to answer over a text message.

The quality of the pop top is good and i think it is a copy of the skyline roof from comparing against my friends. The canvas is not fully waterproof, but i believe this is normal, as they are meant to let the water in to then let the material air when drying. When i say lets water in, i dont mean you see puddles of water etc. It has 2 breathable windows on the side and one big clear window at the front. The canvas also has an enclosed elasticated strap at the back, to prevent it getting caught in the rear hinges when lowering, i have not seen this on the roofs that i looked at from the bigger pop top companies. The silicone around the edge of the canvas is neat and tidy, this was a big thing for me, as i have seen this left in an horrendous state on some. The rubber seal on the outside, at first is abit wobbly looking, but i have managed to sort mine out, seems as if it just needed knocking on abit more. They fitted my supplied roof bars, again free of charge.

The roof bed is a good design and seems to be constructed in a similar way to a stud wall, this was perfect for me, as this meant i was able to mount my flip down tv and run the wires all inside without being seen. I went for carpet all over and no logo, so i cant comment on the diamond stitch material. They fitted 6 leds down the side, which are all good.

They use a fibreglass bed trim around the edges which is bolted and screwed into the strengthening frame, i think this is quite a good design, as it allows the bed to sit abit lower, so it still allows enough room for me to permanently keep the bed mattress up the top when the roof is down. The roof is easy to put up and down, even when i have my roof box fitted. The locking straps are nice and strong.

I have recently put it through its elements last week down in cornwall for a weeks camping trip and it dealt with the 60-70mph winds that we had perfectly fine. My son and I slept up perfectly fine and i am 6'1. This probably wont bother you, if you only want it for standing up in. The bed is easily removable but also goes up out the way when not in use and i can still stand up in there fully when it is up.

The only downside that i can think of and its more to do with the fitting process and not the product itself, is that the dash light for the rear door was staying on constantly, so it would think the door was open all the time, they quickly sorted this out before i left and it turned out that one of the screws had nicked the wire, so was it constantly grounded.

All in all, for the price, i am over the moon with the quality and the company as a whole. They also had a decent 4 page spread in last months VWT or VW BUS mag (cant remember which one).If you would like to know anything else, then please let me know.
Hi
Im interested to read your review of C&H Campers as Im trying to chose an installer for my T5.1. Like you I am based on the Isle of Wight. My concern is why are they so cheap? how much has the roof height been increased from the standard van as living where we do anything over 2mtrs increases the cost to our local Highwaymen (ferry operators). I would very much like to see your installation if its possible.
 
Having read the whole of this thread from start to end - the good, the bad and the downright ugly - I would caution against anyone thinking of using these guys. FFS, even the people who are "happy" with their C&H pop-tops are using insulation tape bodge repairs and openly stating "don't go here if you have OCD".

If you think that little of your van that you're willing to compromise it for the sake of spending a couple of extra grand on a decent pop-top, then perhaps you should be thinking of selling-up.
 
Anyone used these guys to fit-out their VW or install a Pop Top?

Wanted to find out if anyone has used them for any work and their feedback/comments etc. Any help/feedback PLEASE would me appreciated.

FYI mine is a LWB Shuttle & they are quoting £2150 for a straight forward Pop Top installed. LINKS BELOW:

Home | C and H Campers or for the POP TOP only: Pop Top Roofs Yorkshire, Huddersfield | Elevating Roofs

They were really good over the phone and very clear as to what is included etc. Price is important - but Quality is MORE IMPORTANT TO ME. Found some feedback which is good via Google/Fleabay which is good.
Hi, appreciate this thread was a while back but did you ever use C and H for your roof? If so what was your experience like??
 
I have read this thread from start to finish and I can only speak from my own experience.
I have had 3 pop tops fitted by them over the past 5 years the last one being on a VW Caddy Maxi this April you can see the pictures of mine on their FaceBook page the other 2 were on Transporters and I have never had any problems with their roofs in fact I am having another one fitted in October to a T6. The roofs are copies of the Skyline roofs and granted they may not use the same gas struts or hinges but they certainly do the job also you can easily change the gas struts for not much money if the ease of operation is not a smooth as you want. The canvas has never leaked on any of mine the bed is only as comfy as the mattress you use so if you don't like the one they supply just buy one that you do like. I have also had a number of vans carpeted by them and it has always been spot on. If I had one gripe it would be the rubber trim that goes around the roof it never seems perfectly straight this is because IMHO it is to thick you can change it or live with it but come on guys for the money they charge you would be hard pressed to find better and that's not to say it is rubbish quality because it is not. I had a roof fitted by one of the better know brands and it wasn't that much more of an improvement on what they supply at CandH. As for the length of the bed they now do an infill that goes above the drivers cab so you can get the full length. Also the wind deflector is now the same as the other firms use which is stuck down with 3m tape so no screws or mastic used. At the end of the day you can't expect champagne on beer money but you will be getting a decent pint for your money if you get my drift.
Just for the record I am not affiliated to them in any way I just wanted to give my experience on the company if it helps other make a decision in the future, like someone else said when you fit as many roofs as they do you are always going to get some unhappy customers there is no major leader in any field that has a 100% customer satisfaction but we always focus on the negatives but from what I see they have manys satisfied customers me being one of them.
 
The pictures post on the T5 forum by NotJustCampers, who corrected a C&H conversion, was f#cking atrocious. There was no care or consideration let alone ANY skill was used
 
I had a pop top from C&H on my LWB Jan 2023. They went through the loom in the roof on 3 occasions. So it was returned. After a month started squeaking over the drivers door. After a year couldn't stand it, and made arrangements for it be fixed. I was 6 weeks out of the year warranty and so paid the £60 for 1 hours labour. Plus a round trip of 500 miles and 2 overnight stops, using hotels, as no camp sites open in February. The squeak is still there, so a waste of money. My conclusion and I maybe totally wrong is they use the same gauge metal for the LWB as for the SWB. Because of the extra length, the metal should be either thicker or wider to compensate for the flexing. I will attempt to cure myself using rivets instead of screws. They still do transporters, but each time I have been they seem to be taking on more 1 off bespoke van conversions, as in Man and Crafter.
 
I had a pop top from C&H on my LWB Jan 2023. They went through the loom in the roof on 3 occasions. So it was returned. After a month started squeaking over the drivers door. After a year couldn't stand it, and made arrangements for it be fixed. I was 6 weeks out of the year warranty and so paid the £60 for 1 hours labour. Plus a round trip of 500 miles and 2 overnight stops, using hotels, as no camp sites open in February. The squeak is still there, so a waste of money. My conclusion and I maybe totally wrong is they use the same gauge metal for the LWB as for the SWB. Because of the extra length, the metal should be either thicker or wider to compensate for the flexing. I will attempt to cure myself using rivets instead of screws. They still do transporters, but each time I have been they seem to be taking on more 1 off bespoke van conversions, as in Man and Crafter.
So they screwed through your wiring loom? that must have messed with your electrics. Was the roof workmanship poor? ie did it leak or look shoddy? I'm asking because I've used them a few times and have found the work to be ok but I have a new van and was going to use them again but have been put off by some of the negative comments.
Maybe they have a high turnaround of people leading to slack workmanship and poor quality work.
 
Maybe they have a high turnaround of people leading to slack workmanship and poor quality work.
From the years of comments it looks like they’ve had a run of bad luck when it comes to recruitment then.
 
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