Penthouse Not fitting tight when closed

[Mariachi29]

The top was installed Nov 1 this year on an 06'.
I did not get the PH bed, but did start making one...now I need more plywood.
The gap looks much better, but I think it will get smaller in time

[4x4tour]

While adjusting my lift springs for a solar panel today, I noticed a few things:

1. Several bolts holding the main penthouse frame to the van roof were loose (like, never started).

2. I also have that Passenger rear gap issue. I will have them send me another J-bolt.

3. I had to silicone the perimeter of the top (at the base), due to gaps.

I had the top installed last June.

[daveb]

Originally Posted by Mariachi29

Update:
I went back to SMB as it was a QC issue. The top is actually "warped"
SMB doesn't know the cause for the warp, but has since discovered that the supplier of the top has shipped production to Mexico.

The fix was to add a latch in the back and move the existing latch so it looks the the latches in the front. This has helped significantly, but still isn't closing completely. I am not really satisfied with the fix but I will manage plus I intend to install an awning which should mask some of the closing issue.

How did SMB determine it's warped? Seems they would have seen it when they set the top on the vehicle. If the roof of a Ford van has some curvature, the top manufacture would have to keep tolerances very close.

[SnapCracklePopTop]

I think I will contact them also and see if I can get a shorter J Bolt for a tighter closure.

Other than that, the top has been a huge hit!

[daveb]

Originally Posted by SnapCracklePopTop

I think I will contact them also and see if I can get a shorter J Bolt for a tighter closure.

Other than that, the top has been a huge hit!

Be careful doing that. The J hooks should be just tight enough to remain snug while on the road and not rattle. Pulling them too tight can put stress on the top where the washer sits. I found that my top settled over the years and I kept adjusting time to time.

[witoke]

Mine has had that buffeting thing on the highway since new as well. It seems that there is a sweet spot for the top to settle down and seal but I am damned if I can figure out where it is or how to ensure it will close properly every time. It doesn't seem to be when the top is lined up with the gutters, visually anyway. My J hooks are at the end of their adjustment but I still get the buffeting more often than not after closing the top. Makes me miss the simplicity and solidity of my Westfalia top. I certainly expected more for the $5K it cost.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by witoke

Mine has had that buffeting thing on the highway since new as well. It seems that there is a sweet spot for the top to settle down and seal but I am damned if I can figure out where it is or how to ensure it will close properly every time. It doesn't seem to be when the top is lined up with the gutters, visually anyway. My J hooks are at the end of their adjustment but I still get the buffeting more often than not after closing the top. Makes me miss the simplicity and solidity of my Westfalia top. I certainly expected more for the $5K it cost.

I had the same problem, that being the J hooks were at the end of their adjustment, but the top was not tight enough. I went to the local hardware store and got some J hooks with more threads on them, and cut them down to the size I needed to get the top tight. Works just fine.

[warholic]

hey everyone -
I have a 2010 RB 50 with electric ph .... mine has the same issue ........ And I definitely need slightly shorter J-hook. The rear single one is all the way in and still loose. I do store some bedding on the forward bed but that one has room for it. The quilt and pillows compress nicely. I have found that I can store a thin blanket/bedding on rear platform and the gap stays the same with/without it .... about 3 inches at passenger rear and about 1/2" gap.

To me the design should have 2 hooks like the front, but too late for that. However, as a minimum the rear needs a shorter J-hook than the front ones.

warholic

[playVT]

I had a couple thoughts. In the original photos it looked to me as though the Penthouse was sitting too far aft on the van roof. This can happen if you're lowering the PH on a rearward slope. In my experience, you always want to try to find as level a spot as you can when lowering. If in doubt, position the vehicle so any slope leans towards the front of the van rather than the back.

It's equally important too be level side-to-side as the penthouse can literally overlap the gutter and this will wreak havoc with the fit. My Ford was very temperamental when it came to lowering the PH. The Sprinter is more forgiving when it comes to the roof. You have to "get it right" with the Fords.

Is it possible you bent the lifting arms? I bent my arms on a trip and could never get the roof lowered properly until I replaced the part. Do you have a lot of weight on the roof? Did you lower the roof at any point while the van was on a significant slope?

Finally, I found a trip that helped with the rattling J-hooks. I bought some clear poly tubing to fit over the hooks and it really quieted the noise. The tubing increased the tension on the system by increasing the diameter of the hooks but also eliminated the metal-on-metal contact of the hardware. Cheap fix! Hope this helps someone.

[Greggd]

As I have posted earlier on this forum , if you are not able to completely level your electric and I suppose your manual Penthouse which for us is at least half the time we have found that by lowering the Penthouse all of the way down an driving very slowly for a short distance with it still unlatched it will settle gently into place at which time we stop and latch it down . Our hooks when new in 2007 were about two turns from maximum adjustment so I to added the clear vinyl for a rattle free connection .
Greggd