Motorhomes

[Vorpal]

Installing one involves cutting out the roof and three or four folded steel cross beams. A subframe is installed front an rear, but I can't believe it gives anything like the rigidity of the original roof, and I've fairly sure the roof is structural...it is in a car. I bet these conversions are never crash tested.

The roof is not structural. Only the pillars (on each corner and between doors), and the rectangle frame under the roof are structural. You could remove the roof entirely, and still have a structurally sound car or van.

IMO, the safety issues with conversion vans are stuff that is likely to break or come loose in an accident, such as televisions, microwaves, 'captain' chairs, poorly secured cookers or beds, etc. Some conversions do not even meet clear legal requirements, such as BS EN 1949:2002 Installation of LPG Systems. That sort of thing would concern me far more than a pop-up roof.

[Abradable Chin]

You could remove the roof entirely, and still have a structurally sound car or van.

That's reassuring to know.

I agree about the loosely secured (mostly wood) furniture in the back that is often only secured by a few self-tapping screws.
I don't think there is a solution to this other than to keep the bulkhead, which wouldn't be all that bad if is had a door or gap in it...it would aid privacy since the only clear windows are at the front.

[ambodach]

One rule of thumb is that you should be able to stand up to put you trousers on. In the yachting world there was a condition known as " folkboat stoop ". These boats had very limited headroom and owners went about with one hand on their heads where they had thumped them on the roof and the other holding their sore back from being bent over all the time. Having said that I had a VW type 2 van with no rising roof for a few years and managed ok but we were younger then. Wouldn't do it now and tho' it is economic nonsense I have a 5.6 metre coach built just for myself now. Good for centre based cycle touring as you can move to where hopefully the best weather is.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
A flip up roof of some description is a necessity and should be the first consideration in a conversion, even if its just a two foot square port hole.

Makes the space liveable by not depressing the owner, where you are forced outside to recover.