Hi David you are right if you don't ask you never get, unfortunately we don't have a van for sale as we have just got a new van but surely there will be something out there that you will be looking for and within your budget. The biggest issue with a pop top with age will be the springs, canvas and roof. If they tick all the boxes then you should be right.

Good luck in your quest and look forward to an update of your success.

Hi oakforddavo

We just bought ourselves a little poptop.
Only 13 foot so easy to tow with the Mitsubishi Outlander.

It's a Jayco 'Eagle' of which apparently not too many were made (there is also a Jayco Eagle Camper trailer with the pull out end beds similar to what you must have had)

Ours is a 2003 model in reasonably good nick that we paid 12k for. We have just spent a grand on brakes, bearings, awning repairs and a few other minor things that we thought were needed to bring it up to scratch.

You do need to be able to 'crawl' into bed with this one though as being only 13 foot it's pretty small - but you don't need to climb up.

Off for our first couple of days in it in a week so I'll let you know if it's a keeper!

many thanks for comments so far received re pop ups. As suggested I have already been scraping through gumtree etc and a few older ones come up now and then. I have looked at one or two and as expected in some ways they are good, in others maybe not and I don't want to be paying out a fortune on repairs as soon as I get it. Whatever you buy there are of course risks. As it happens my wife was offered the chance by a friend to borrow a Fleetwood Viscount to bring home and get to know it - which we have taken up. Its age and value is about our range and as far as I can see in general it is in pretty good shape. Canvas is good and the inside doesn't seem to have been badly used - of course there is wear and tear which I would expect after thirty odd years of use. It seems like it will suit us - the main thing that worries me a bit is that it is bigger than we previously were using and it will take time getting used to towing and parking it but in general I think we will get more enjoyment out of it. We drive a Territory which should be able to handle it, not 4wd though but so far we don't venture too far off the beaten track. Should we decide to buy it things may change - only time will tell.