Penthouse vs. Fixed Raised Roof

[joey2cool]

Bill, I'll take your wisdom and a good story over pics any day. You keep 'em coming

[billwilson]

Originally Posted by joey2cool

Bill, I'll take your wisdom and a good story over pics any day. You keep 'em coming

thanx buddy
i dont know about the wisdom part, maybe just Real Expensive payments to the School of Hard Knocks

there are quite a few stories, very similar to Hunter S. Thompson.......and i live thru 'em

[Aldercrest]

So I finally loaded kayaks on top of the Voyager top this weekend. Bottom line? I think I'm going to buy a trailer. I'm 6'8" and needed help getting them up there. My wife would not be able to provide that help.

If I don't go the trailer route, I will need to add a third cross bar at at the midpoint, and have saddles on the front cross bar, hully rollers on the middle, and hully rollers on the rear cross bar. I will also need to install a second Aluminess ladder on the driver side rear to match the passenger side rear. And, I will either need to create some sort of step on each side of the van at about front door window sill height or carry a step ladder in order to tighten the front straps. A trailer would be safer and simpler.

Something to think about if you're thinking of hauling cargo up top on a fixed top van.

[billwilson]

Originally Posted by Aldercrest

So I finally loaded kayaks on top of the Voyager top this weekend. Bottom line? I think I'm going to buy a trailer. I'm 6'8" and needed help getting them up there. My wife would not be able to provide that help.

If I don't go the trailer route, I will need to add a third cross bar at at the midpoint, and have saddles on the front cross bar, hully rollers on the middle, and hully rollers on the rear cross bar. I will also need to install a second Aluminess ladder on the driver side rear to match the passenger side rear. And, I will either need to create some sort of step on each side of the van at about front door window sill height or carry a step ladder in order to tighten the front straps. A trailer would be safer and simpler.

Something to think about if you're thinking of hauling cargo up top on a fixed top van.

I feel ya buddy
For ME, i hate to trailer
rollers, second ladder, and folding step on side of rig
would outweight a trailer

trailer easy on and off
but still a trailer

my buddy has a Lancer, cab over, 4x4 truck
and puts two kayaks up
a PITA, but once up he is good to go

my two satang

[RocKrawler]

Originally Posted by Aldercrest

So I finally loaded kayaks on top of the Voyager top this weekend. Bottom line? I think I'm going to buy a trailer. I'm 6'8" and needed help getting them up there. My wife would not be able to provide that help.

Any chance you measured the overall height? I'm trying to imagine where this might or might not fit in this configuration.

[billwilson]

no
i am a slacker
will try to remember tonite
feel free to text me 949-533-9036
or ping me here

did you find a source for the cruiser tops??

[Angel]

My SMB with cruiser top is about 9 feet 6 inches tall not counting the AC on top

Angel

[Aldercrest]

Originally Posted by RocKrawler

Any chance you measured the overall height? I'm trying to imagine where this might or might not fit in this configuration.

I didn't measure it this time. I did measure it in the past when I put a storage box on the cross bars. Basically the van is about 9'6" tall without cross bars. With cross bars and the box or kayaks, I top out at around 11'0".

[RocKrawler]

You still tossing around the idea of selling the Voyager top? I'm tossing around the idea of going hi-top instead of penthouse for simplicity and absence of moving parts...

[jage]

I think you can go PH to fixed, or fixed to other fixed, but I don't think you can go fixed to PH, at least not easily, because the opening is already too large.