Height clearance with pop top roof

[jhr]

Hi all, looking  at getting a converted Alphard (c.2006) with a pop top roof - my concern is getting it into the car park at work which apparently has a clearance of 2.10m. Does anybody know the height of the vehicle with a pop top? Have had a dig around the internet and this forum and not been able to find anything.

 

Thanks!

[Rojie]

1 hour ago, jhr said:

Hi all, looking  at getting a converted Alphard (c.2006) with a pop top roof - my concern is getting it into the car park at work which apparently has a clearance of 2.10m. Does anybody know the height of the vehicle with a pop top? Have had a dig around the internet and this forum and not been able to find anything.

 

Thanks!

 

Hello Jack,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

The problem here is that there is more than one supplier of pop-tops.

 

Differing tops may have differing heights.

 

Some owners change the wheel tyre combination from the OEM to something more appealing.

Most times, this will affect the vehicle height too, albeit often lowering the overall height.

 

It may not just be your work vehicle park you need to worry about either.

 

I live by the coast.

All my local car parks have height barriers (to prevent motorhomes and caravans).

My van stands at 1.94m. The barriers are, supposedly, 1.98m.

 

It can be dangerous to assume the height notice is accurate.

The entrance may not be level,

Some barriers are fixed, but can still be 'altered' by minor mishaps.

Others have a movable notice which are frequently hit by optimistic (or could not care less) vehicles, especially those with roof bars, kayaks, windsurfers, etc, etc.

Does the height notice remain accurate ?

 

And last, but by no means least, are multistorey car parks.

Notorious for actual height projections that are less than the posted height.

 

Having said all that 2.1m is not particularly low.

 

If in doubt, park elsewhere.

 

Good Luck.

 

[jhr]

Thanks Roger - very useful info. Tricky one because it will have to be main vehicle, and would be a huge pain if I can't park at work. Will do some more digging!

[smurf]

Mine is 2 metres including roof bars on the top of the pop top. It is all going to depend on the installation really.

 

I've easily cleared 2.1M height barriers, but I normally do it cautiously at the first attempt for the reasons Roger gives.

 

 

[Markb59]

Hi my 2005 alphard with pop top on 17" wheels 70 series tyres and a thule side awning which is a little taller than the pop top goes in car parks with a 2.1 metre height as that's the height of our underground parking space. I've only had trouble getting in one car park and that was the local hospital. 

[stopgapcat]

We've got a Calder Campers conversion. With a bike rack on the back, it will go in our garage which is precisely 2.1m tall. Without the bike rack, we can just squeeze under 2.0m

But I'm guessing different conversions will be slightly different heights.

[jhr]

On 2/7/2025 at 8:32 PM, Markb59 said:

Hi my 2005 alphard with pop top on 17" wheels 70 series tyres and a thule side awning which is a little taller than the pop top goes in car parks with a 2.1 metre height as that's the height of our underground parking space. I've only had trouble getting in one car park and that was the local hospital. 

 

On 2/7/2025 at 8:32 PM, Markb59 said:

Hi my 2005 alphard with pop top on 17" wheels 70 series tyres and a thule side awning which is a little taller than the pop top goes in car parks with a 2.1 metre height as that's the height of our underground parking space. I've only had trouble getting in one car park and that was the local hospital. 

Thanks Mark  -very useful! As an aside, how hard is that awning to fit, does the vehicle need anything installed in order to fit it or can it done as it is?

[Markb59]

Hi, I had the awning fitted by Hill View Awnings. It took them around an hour to install but 24 for the adhesive sealer to set before we could use it. The brackets are screwed on with the sealer behind and around the mounts.
Hope that helps.