HiLo or SkyLine?

What is fitted back in when a Hilo is fitted structural integrity wise, I know the visual roofs lots of people hate or slate don’t get me wrong I don’t preach that mines good or nice looking it was on the van when I got it but it’s down in thirty seconds if that and can store mattress and bits easily up there also there’s metal frame work put in behind the trims, the comments of it’s like a bath tub on top does not bother me lol especially when they have come form people without a pop top and are waiting lol, I love the look of Hilo up and down and a great idea but my personal position I would not pay for one to be fitted I understand totally that it keeps the van look especially when they are lowered and look as good as @Insert Coin van but I not bothered in hiding mine as a camper
 
Skyliner33 said:
Ypou cant really compare the disaster of the Surf roof, with one that has undergone rigorous testing and is TUV approved.
Click to expand...

Read it again dude, I meant the Skylow is new to market, not the Aurora. The Skylow isn't even mentioned on their website, does it even exist?

I'm not defending my roof, but exactly what does he mean by "no comparison in quality with the Skyline far better"?

I don't believe for one minute that there is anything better component wise on a Skyline to come up with that statement. I've been up close with both and I fail to see the 'far better' quality on the Skyline.

Let's keep it factual and not invent straw man comparisons.
 
Insert Coin said:
Read it again dude, I meant the Skylow is new to market, not the Aurora. The Skylow isn't even mentioned on their website, does it even exist?

I'm not defending my roof, but exactly what does he mean by "no comparison in quality with the Skyline far better"?

I don't believe for one minute that there is anything better component wise on a Skyline to come up with that statement. I've been up close with both and I fail to see the 'far better' quality on the Skyline.

Let's keep it factual and not invent straw man comparisons.
Click to expand...
Skyline Roof are all TUV approved. Can Hilo say the same?

Yes, it exists, its been out since November, but only in SWB last time I asked.

Build quality, quality of finish and mechanism.
 
Skyliner33 said:
Skyline Roof are all TUV approved. Can Hilo say the same?

Yes, it exists, its been out since November, but only in SWB last time I asked.

Build quality, quality of finish and mechanism.
Click to expand...

Dude, do you even have either roof to make a valid comment?

The Skylow is so new it's not even listed on their website and nobody on the whole T6 forum has one, but you think it's a safe bet? Ok, good luck with that.

And your installer says build quality, quality of finish and mechanism are all better than HiLo? Well that's definitive proof, based on what somebody told you.

Seriously, don't try and pass off hearsay as fact, you don't even 'have a dog in the fight' so to speak.

HiLo safety blurb -


Six years after being the first pop top roof manufacturer to obtain M1 pull (crash) test certification, and 16 months after commencing the stringent TUV process, we were very excited to announce that National Type Approval was granted on the Volkswagen/ VW Transporter fitment, HiLo Sport elevating roof system (in SWB & LWB variants) in August 2019 by the German Government's Road Traffic Department (KBA), after exhaustive testing by the inspectorate at TUV SUD.


TUV is considered to be the quality stamp in Germany, and is instantly recognised in the UK and across Europe as being of a standard resulting from the strictest, most rigorous safety & quality checks. HiLo’s issued accreditation was based around a number of factors including UK/ German premises and procedural audits, followed by multi-product assessments/ inspections, and subsequent before & after simulated body/ on road torsion tests.


However - unlike others who may or may not have gone through similar TUV testing stages, with the help of TUV Sud and our German partners, HiLo went one step further by obtaining highest level approval from the KBA for there to be no requirement for an individual test on a van after a HiLo roof conversion has been carried out. This unique roof manufacturer level of quality assurance means we can distribute our elevating poptop roofs, have them installed, for the newly converted VW camper van/ camper conversion to hit the open road with peace of mind there’ll be no delays or legal/ paperwork concerns.
 
So you can only make a valid comment if you own something?

Do you own both?

Yes, I would go with skyline over Hilo for a safe bet every time.

Skyline don't use a stack of penny washers on their hinging mechanism to make up the gap instead of producing something to do the job properly. Unlike HiLo.
 
@Insert Coin
Thanks for sharing the pics. I hadn't seen Hilo install pics before.
Have you a pic of the van roof cutout before the Hilo support frame is installed? Are the gutter rails cut?
Also would be good to see a pic from inside the van with the Hilo support frame installed, to see how deep into the van the frame sits.
 
My lid arrived warped, not sure if it happened in transit or storage, but it only became apparent once fitted. HiLo provided a replacement lid and had it shipped down within 2 working days. There's another guy on here who had his Sport fitted and it was an absolute nightmare from beginning to end, even after he took it to HiLo directly.

I never quite understood why the founding directors didn't come back and get hands on again to sort out all the issues they were having around the time they launched the Surf, seemed like they took on too much work, lost a few key members of staff and quality nosedived at that point.

I can only assume if Vision Tech, Jaibow, Simply Surf Bus etc are all still fitting them then they must have resolved these issues.

No matter what roof you have fitted make sure you get personal recommendations before committing yourself.
 
Insert Coin said:
My lid arrived warped, not sure if it happened in transit or storage, but it only became apparent once fitted. HiLo provided a replacement lid and had it shipped down within 2 working days. There's another guy on here who had his Sport fitted and it was an absolute nightmare from beginning to end, even after he took it to HiLo directly.

I never quite understood why the founding directors didn't come back and get hands on again to sort out all the issues they were having around the time they launched the Surf, seemed like they took on too much work, lost a few key members of staff and quality nosedived at that point.

I can only assume if Vision Tech, Jaibow, Simply Surf Bus etc are all still fitting them then they must have resolved these issues.

No matter what roof you have fitted make sure you get personal recommendations before committing yourself.
Click to expand...
I could become a convert, who would have thought it could be such a thought provoking thread good job no one mentioned cambelt changes that’s normally good for an argument, if I ever destroy my roof it’s probably going to be a contender now
 
Niknak said:
I could become a convert, who would have thought it could be such a thought provoking thread good job no one mentioned cambelt changes that’s normally good for an argument, if I ever destroy my roof it’s probably going to be a contender now
Click to expand...

I have it on good authority that HiLo are about to release the lowest profile cambelt on the market.
 
Skylo is here!!!

Head over to Skyline on faceache. £4k + extras, but looks great. No roof bars allowed though :-(
 
I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again. ANY roof is only as good as the bloke (or blokess) who fits it. It’s the fitter you should be researching, not the roof.
 
Salty Spuds said:
I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again. ANY roof is only as good as the bloke (or blokess) who fits it. It’s the fitter you should be researching, not the roof.
Click to expand...
Im not disagreeing with you but first you need to choose the roof (or roofs) of choice, then find a fitter that has a good reputation. No way would I put an upside down bathtub on my van just because the fitter was good.
 
Just to change it around a bit I’ll throw the Vanmax poptop into the mix.
It’s low profile when closed, normal height when elevated. Has pull-test certification.
Will take roof bars.
Looks good in my opinion.
Mine hasn’t creaked or rattled since it was fitted last August and is easy to put up and down.

B5FC35F0-DAA8-4DD7-9D4F-98290726697B.jpeg

F78B3DF7-22E8-4D49-9CAE-FA09931E199F.jpeg
 
@Insert Coin Just wondering and hope you don't mind me asking, who fitted your roof as it looks great! looking to get my van done shortly, but looking for a good fitter.

Thanks

Daniel
 
Thanks dude, sadly my fitter went out of business during the first covid period (Old Harry Camper Co).

I’d use someone like Simply Surf Bus or VisionTech as they fit loads of these roofs without issue.
 
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