Re: penthouse or not?
We like our 2012 Penthouse Sprinter with power lift + roof solar panel. Only problem is sometimes it comes down a little more to one side or the other if you put it down while parked on sloping ground. You know it from the inside because the latch on wide side is way easier to latch and on the outside cause it looks crooked. If you watch it while lowering, you stop and just reach up and easily shift it. Love the light and ventilation and most places we camp we want to hear the wildlife or water nearby while sleeping, like in a tent. We have also stealth camped in parking lots with the top down because ours looks more like a passenger van with full windows. We have a Westfaiia as well and the manual slant top stays aligned better and is nice inside under the soaring roof (but you can only sleep head forward)but the canvas sides get wet easier than the SMB material. The Westy has a slightly wider bunk too. Another advantage IMO is that you can be up and doing things "downstairs" without as much disturbance of a sleeper above (if they have their head to the back) because its like a separate compartment. The hightop was too conspicuous to me and really does not accommodate an upper bunk space that had enough clearance above or below IMO. PS found out this winter that the top can be frozen to the body in cold snow weather when parked outdoors for a few weeks. Takes turning up the Espar for awhile and some tapping if you want to raise it.
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Spenard
1991 VW Westy (N8IV) aka Vanna, of Ashland, OR
2012 Sprinter RB SMB PT (ALCES2) aka Moose, chill'n in Anchorage, AK
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