Pop Top repairs / servicing

Pop Top Repairs and Servicing

Canvas repairs and replacement

Vanscape specialises in repairs to pop tops and is one of the few companies in the UK offering this service.

We can undertake most pop top repairs, but our main speciality is the professional replacement of the roof canvas tent – this can be because the original one is damaged or because an upgraded canvas is required. Upgrades can include a scenic zip, extra mesh windows for better ventilation, a different colour or thicker, heavy duty canvas.

We can usually repair rips and cuts to the canvas in most elevating roofs – whether it’s a small rip or a larger tear we can usually offer a quick and easy service to repair them.

A common issue we see is a rotted out rear panel which is usually due to the roof rubber shrinking apart and allowing water to get onto the canvas. The water then sits there for months at a time when the roof is closed and rots the canvas so that it tears easily. We can repair this type of damage with a complete bonded on rear rear panel – prices are from £350.

In the case of an older canvas that’s badly rotted or any canvas that’s beyond repair, or where the vehicle’s owner wants to upgrade the roof canvas tent, we can offer a complete new canvas replacement service. This will involve removing the roof and the old canvas and replacing it with a brand new canvas – prices from £1700 for a short wheel base van.

A full replacement canvas service will take two days. The time-frame and price is dependant though on the van’s conversion and the type of roof it fitted – it can take longer where solar panels or a roof bed are fitted and so there are additional charges for this to cover the extra workshop time.

To provide more than just a repair service for our customers, we also have established the means to be able to supply a bespoke canvas made for a pop-top roof. This opens up some new options which may otherwise not be available from the original manufacturer, such as a coloured canvas, contrasting mosquito nets, a scenic / safari canvas, thicker heavier duty canvas, etc.

To produce a bespoke canvas usually means two visits to our workshop; first time so that we can remove the old canvas or take specific accurate measurements in order to get the new canvas made, and the second visit to fit the new canvas.

The costs for this service vary depending on the customer’s requirements, but typically start from £1950 for a made-to-order canvas fully fitted.

Summary of costs:

~ Small canvas repair: from £45

~ Canvas Back panel: from £350

~ Full canvas replacement: from £1700

~ Bespoke canvas manufacture and fitting: from £1950

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Please get in touch via email with pictures of the damage, if possible, for more information.

Pop Top Canvas waterproofing

Waterproofing your elevating roof canvas can be easily overlooked.

We recommend that the canvas is re-waterproofed annually.
Regularly adding waterproofer to your canvas ensures that:

Your canvas remains waterproof
Your canvas is protected from UV rays (this adds longevity to the canvas for many years of use)
Your canvas is strengthened

We use Stormsure Waterproofer because we feel this is one of the best on the market. We can waterproof your elevating roof canvas using Stormsure Waterproofer for £125

Summary of costs:

~ Waterpoof pop top canvas: £125

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Stormsure Waterproofer can be purchased from our friends at Campervan Parts for self-application. Click here to view product on Campervan Parts’ website.

Hinge servicing and replacement

Scissor hinges on an elevating roof can become loose or worn over, or can even get broken. We can service and, if necessary, replace scissor hinges on most pop tops.

If you’re concerned about your pop top hinges, we offer a scissor hinge inspection service. We can check everything moves correctly and can make small adjustments if required. We charge £38 for this service.

If you have faulty or damaged scissor hinges, we can often replace them for you. We need to see the hinges and possibly take some measurements so we can determine which hinges are needed. The costs for replacement hinges vary a lot and not all hinges can be sourced easily unfortunately. A typical cost for replacing a pair of scissor hinges, where available, is around £500, but this is a very rough estimate.

Summary of costs:

~ Scissor hinge inspection: £38

~ Pop top hinge replacement: Call / email to check current prices

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Please get in touch via email with pictures of the hinges and any information you can provide regarding the roof or the problem, and we will hopefully be able to help.

Gas ram / strut replacements

Replacement standard rams / struts:

The lifting struts on an elevating roof can become tired or start to leak over time. We can replace the worn rams with new high quality replacements.

Uprated rams / struts:

We also offer high quality uprated lifting rams for anybody that has a roof rack fitted to their pop top and needs an extra bit of push to get the roof up.

Summary of cost:

~ Standard roof strut fitted: £80 each

~ Uprated roof strut fitted: £100 each

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Please email or telephone for more information.

Replacement pop top roof rubber

The rubber that goes around the edge of an elevating roof and seals it to the roof of the van to stop water getting to the canvas, can become loose and start to fall off; it can get damaged and stop working properly; and they can shrink and come apart at the rear of the roof which allows water to get in and rot the canvas away.

We can replace the elevating roof rubber and help prevent more costly repairs in the future.