How Much Load Can A Penthouse Support??

[LenS]

Does Sportsmoble specify how much load you can safely put on a penthouse roof with the roof power lift?? Are the penthouse roof sissier lift tubes made out of heavier tubing on the power lift roofs??

[surfgeek33]

Here is a good topic on this. We have an electric lift and its suppose to max out around 250#.

Ray

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/vie...imum+penthouse

[yvrr]

Note that the 250# I mention in the referenced post is for the portable electric lift which has only a single motor. The hard-mount electric penthouse lift uses two motors, one for each side.

[LenS]

Thanks for the good information

I take that the same tubing is used for scissors in the power lift as in the manual lifted top. That is if the scissors are LOCKED in the up position that it should take the same roof load to buckle the scissor tubing or shear a hinge pin (which ever is the weakest).

My impression is that SMB's with the power lift can stow about 400 lbs. of gear and toys on the roof (plus bed) and raise it safely??

[mjeffrey]

Sportsmobile West last week told me 150lbs for the electric top and 40bs for the manual. Any more than 40lbs, according to the email, might bend the rails, which isn't covered by warranty.

This doesn't answer 'how much load can a penthouse support,' but rather, 'how much does Sportsmobile recommend.'

Cheers,
Mike.

[LenS]

I saw a post (not this site) from "Twolost" while building their van that they were told 200# was what the electric scissor mechanism could lift.

Also shown on several penthouse tops (but not any pics at the SMB site) is a shock type of device...shown below. Looks like an air spring. I assume it is for assisting raise or lower the penthouse. Can someone explain its function.

Sorry to say that in the last 10 months the only SMB's I have seen:

One at a state park that gave us the idea to add a penthouse top
Many at the SMB Indiana plant
Our own.

So still do not know much about them.

[surfgeek33]

I can take a video of its function if you'd like....let me know.

Ray

[LenS]

If you could discribe it it would be great. Is it always installed on electric tops??

I wonder if Harry knows how much weight he has on top of his rig in this pic. I assume the rack is made of aluminum but it still must weigh 30-40 pounds empty.

[daveb]

I was also told that a bare top with nothing on it (racks/solar/lighting etc) could handle about 200 lbs. SMB might have decided that is too much. I would not want to have much up on the roof in high winds. I bent the crome molly bars once when the rear hook grabbed while lifting the top. SMB has a jig that can straighten them out. The picture you posted is what pushes the top up Via a sliding mechanism thats hidden in the rails and has carpet covering it.

[jage]

There is also a post on straightening the bars with a hi-lift somewhere around here.