“KEEP CLEAR. Awful Company. My Hilo roof has started to split and I have not been able to drive the van in windy conditions or the split get worse. I was for over a year trying to get hold of somebody from Hilow that would promise to fix the roof. After two cancellations of the promised work, they have stop answering my emails and calls. They had NO intention of fixing the roof and was just fobbing me off. I have never dealt with such unprofessional people. I hardly ever complain about stuff, but i feel so strongly about the horrible way that I was treated. They just want there money and run. Thanks a punch Hilow Roof for making me loose two Summers of camping with my young family. I can never replace those lost memories. What disgusting people would waste my time like this?!!! I would keep away from this company and use a company that supplies better quality roof. Worse thing is the roof started splitting before I ever used it. I only had driven a few miles after collecting the vehicle after the conversion. The Hilow approved company that fitted the roof was so disgusted with the way I was treated, they stopped fitting Hilow Roofs!”
“Bernie in the Office, Tony who looked at and the repaired the issue and Wayne the owner simply were fantastic. They went above and beyond to help me get sorted. Their attention to customer service was excellent, whilst being very helpful and friendly. 5 Stars guys - keep up the great work.”
“After experiencing a problem with the strengths of our struts I was contacted immediately by the Hi-Lo customer service team, in particular Kerri. Kerri’s support and feedback has restored my faith in Hi-Lo and made me feel that no matter what, everything would be resolved.
Looking forward to using our Hi-Lo this year.
Many thanks
D Thomas”
“Particularly in the strange world and circumstances - its all been a positive experience. Great communication throughout, smooth fitting (it took longer but a little pandemic had to be adapted to!) and clear handover / instructions!
Loving the mid blue scenic canvas, cant wait to hit the road - soon.........”
“Hilo Very professional company from first enquiry to van pop top fitting completion, the service was socond to none, two day fitting service, great pop top really please with it, works brilliantly and you can't really tell it there. I can't recommended them enough!
A big thank you to Kerri and the Hilo team.”
“So far so good, Ive not had chance to use it properly yet as Im waiting for some seats but ive used it a few times to get used to putting it up and down and it is a very good quality roof love the scenic zip out canvas and the polished hinges, and a few people have been surprised that it even has a pop top on it as it just looks like the original roof has been painted when its in the closed position which was exactly what i wanted, and when the bed is hinged up to give the headroom I can comfortably stand up even at the lowest point and im 6ft 3.”
“A great service. As my Transit was one of the first to be fitted with a HILO Roof, I was a little nervous. But I was kept up to date throughout and the result is a great looking conversion that has improved the look of the vehicle. We can't wait to go out for our first weekend away.”
“If you're debating whether to go for a HiLo roof on your van or not, we’d say just go for it - you will not be disappointed!
We bought our first base van in March this year (SWB T5.1 4 Motion T30) and the most important decision to us was what to do for a pop roof. After visiting a few shows and speaking with different conversion companies, it was clear a solid product was essential to maintain rigidity with the original roof removed (not all reinforce the framework sufficiently, we hadn't even considered this).
We looked at numerous options including SCA, but settled on Hilo. The main reasons for us were that its low profile and colour matched so you cant really tell that it’s got a roof on at all, in fact people ask us when we are going to get the roof done and are then blown away when we pop it! It's ease of use when opening up, no roof straps flapping around (Hilo solution really neat and tidy in this respect), room in the bed area and standing/ sleeping at the back (particularly when getting in & out, turning around, wanting to sleep with your head facing rearwards while your partner answers the call of nature at 3am etc..), build quality (we've been really impressed with this - as have all friends who have suffered one of our 'full tours' whenever they show any interest! We've been out twice a month all over the UK since Spring, literally 'hammering it' each time). Plus with 2 kids under 4 and another on the way, the peace of mind knowing the system had been crash tested was important to us we didn’t want to feel that we’d compromised on the quality and safety of the van that we had saved up for and stretched ourselves on initially.
A few other things we’ve realised since living with the roof that have further 'sealed the deal' for us are the Scenic zip option - we get comments at every campsite and every show or festival that we take it to - people love it, as do our kids! The 3 layer windows (blackout probably more important than we realised with two toddlers inside), the thick canvas & substantial hinges at the back - both have been great on the colder, windier nights, (we've literally been out in a gale on the seafront and in the Lakes and never had any worries).
Its not the cheapest elevating roof out there, but we didn’t want to scrimp on the roof as we saw it as the main integral, value adding part of the conversion. It’s in the same ballpark as the other options we looked at, but with a lot more functional value, so it was an easy decision in the end. We spent a lot of time looking at our options before taking the plunge, but we couldn’t be happier with the result - it's been a game changer both for our van and our family weekends away. Can't wait to get back out there in it once the downstairs has been converted next month!
James & Colette, Ilkley, West Yorkshire”
“In 2015 a brand new T5 van, had a professional conversion with an elevating roof. When we received the van converted we were not happy with the roof fitted. It would not close properly, this caused excessive wind noise and cracking an creaking when traveling. The installer tried to recertify it but was no better then it went back to the manufacturer for 1week and was exactly the same afterwards we then realised the only solution was to have a different roof. We contacted agents of other roofs. None were interested in removing the roof and to fit their roof eventually we contacted Hilo and explained the problem to Wayne who said his roof would fit and was prepared to do it. Wayne removed the roof sympathetically as we had to return it to the manufacturer without damage. Hilo fitted their roof and the van was transformed,looks great and the quality and fit of roof is outstanding. Thanks to Wayne & staff for an excellent job and resolving a difficult situation .We now have been using the van for over 12months and get many comments on the quality of the roof.”
“I'm SO glad I chose a van with the HiLo roof. The sleek low fit makes it look like a normal van, not spoiling its lines and making it ideal for some stealth camping.
The scenic or panoramic option to unzip the material and sit up top transforms any camping trip and at a recent festival I had many many people saying it was amazing and how they want one in their vans.
If your reading this before committing, don't hesitate.”
“When we decided to put a elevating roof to our van we looked around at various designs that are out on the market , and decided on the hilo model with the option of the panoramic view which is fantastic when sitting up there.
The build quality of the product in my opinion is the best out there .
Also when the roof is down it does not spoil the designs lines of the van , brilliant :)
Worth every penny spent”
“Great product - almost everyone who looks at the roof line can not see its a pop top roof. Works well, lots of space and looks good from inside once trimmed up. The Hilo workshop and presentation does not do the product justice.”
“We had a HILO roof fitted to our LWB T5 using their 2 day drive away fitting service that left us with the task of sealing the canvas and 'finishing' the interior. We had looked into lots of options when deciding what roof to fit before deciding on the sleek lines and solid build of the HILO. When we picked the van up, the fitter spent about 90 minutes walking us through every step of tasks needed to finish the roof.
Once I finished the roof, we took the van off for an 8 day vacation touring around Wales. The roof was brilliant! The kids slept in the roof every night, and we had no worries about stability even with the gusty winds we encountered on an open hilltop campsite one stormy night.
On Sunny days, the 'panoramic roof' was great to zip back when parked overlooking the sea; sat up on the roof with a drink and a glorious view.
All in all, we're really happy we chose HILO - the heavy duty frame makes it feel really sturdy and strong - even with 3 of us sitting up on the roof bed looking out to sea. It looks great when it's down - and there is hardly any wind noise at motorway speeds. When it's up, it makes the van feel spacious and open - and the kids love the space in the roof when the bed is down.”
“Sorry haven't replied to the feedback form earlier but we've been too busy getting out and about and using the HILO! Had loads of interest and compliments so very happy indeed!”
“After researching and looking at the other premium roofs, and dismissing all of the cheap and cheerful, I decided that Hilo was BY FAR THE BEST, not only does it look good, the engineering is far superior to anything else on the market and it is 100% BRITISH.
I had to wait 2 years, living in Cornwall it wasn’t easy getting to Preston, even though I was born there, but it was worth the wait.
My van, a LWB T5 was prepped and ready, deposit paid and booked in for mid May 2015, Wayne and the team completed the job in the 2 days as promised, and I drove it back to Cornwall to begin the “finishing off”.
The briefing Wayne gave me was excellent and the box of spares and equipment to finish the job was most comprehensive and the very best quality kit. The estimated time to finish was, perhaps, a little optimistic, – it has taken me a lot longer to finish the job however I haven’t rushed and have done many other jobs on my van whilst finishing the roof. The strength of the frame is totally re-assuring especially as many cheaper roofs suffer from flexing especially on an LWB.
In summary, I am ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED with my Hilo roof, the design and engineering that has gone into the roof is just fantastic, I look at the other T5’s that come to Cornwall in summer and see vans with “bathtubs” stuck on top of the van. Whilst some may not be bothered about maintaining the sleek look of their T5, I see Reimo and SCA roofs (not to mention the cheaper options) and think how awful they look.
Other things – too many to mention, bed great, windows great, sleep either way round great, very best quality all round great – all in all great!!!!
Last positive point for anyone who has an LWB van – with Hilo it’s the same price as an SWB – great.
Thanks to Wayne, Sharon and the team.
Kindest regards, Steve Ellison, Helston, Cornwall”
