What did you do to your SMB today?

[joey2cool]

Originally Posted by Greggd

Raised Penthouse for tri yearly cleaning of exterior canvas and waxing of roof top , followed with ...cleaned all door seals and 303d them.
Greggd

I'm getting ready to clean my canvas too after completing a 1,700 mile trip (loads of fun - will post in separate trip report) and before winter. What's your process (include supplies used) for cleaning the canvas?

What is the 303d product? Will the silcone lubricant I use on the penthouse gasket work just as well on my door seal gaskets?

[joey2cool]

Originally Posted by kmessinger

The gray water tank has been a pain in the butt since day one. It doesn’t drain on the same side as black water. You need to run a hose to drain it if you are in a sensitive area. And there was the size, the venting, and the drain being about 6? under the sliding door. I finally got tired of having to lay down in the dirt every time I connected a hose so ...

This may sound like a PIA too, but we just drain the tank into a bucket and dump that in the bathroom utility sink at most parks we stay in. The tank is only six gallons so a one gallon bucket makes for three trips if you waited until the tank was about half full (or, as measured by us, until a third of the fresh water tank is drained). Parking next to the bathroom cuts the travel distance down.

Never had a problem with the location of the valve handle. We squat rather than kneal or lay down to remove the drain cap and open the valve. Maybe that doesn't work if you're real tall and/or have knee problems.

Still prefer just letting it go down the street drain when it's legal.

[Ford_6L_E350]

Originally Posted by joey2cool

I'm getting ready to clean my canvas too after completing a 1,700 mile trip (loads of fun - will post in separate trip report) and before winter. What's your process (include supplies used) for cleaning the canvas?

What is the 303d product? Will the silcone lubricant I use on the penthouse gasket work just as well on my door seal gaskets?

303 products are similar to ArmorAll except they are good for the surfaces and contain no silicones and it blocks UV from attacking the surface.

Once you use it you won't go back to ArmorAll.

http://www.303products.com/shop303/inde ... ectant.cfm

Mike

[Tapatio]

Installed an EBO (emergency beverage opener).

[ANZAC]

Yeah 303 is good stuff. We use the canvas silicon spray on everything sunbrella we own, and convertible tops too.

303 also makes a convertible top/canvas cleaner (very gentle).

re gray water, I only use evironmentally friendly hand and dish soap, so my gray water is pretty safe to dump anywhere (+/- park rules) REI has a good range of soap.

[larrie]

Over the past several days built a support structure that would sit on top of my van to keep the Formosa cover and the rain off the roof. My penthouse has sagged and collects rain water in the depression. The support is a light weight and should help prevent ponding on the cover.

I used 1/2" PVC pipe to build the base structure.


Then cut up the gasket material used to waterproof electrical junction boxes that are located in wet areas. The gasket material is stuck on with silicone.


Was concerned that the distance between the upper supports would allow the cover to sag. To prevent this I wove about 100 feet of rope between the supports to prevent the cover from sagging.


I centered the support on the roof and covered it with a poly tarp.


The poly tarp was pulled tight using bungie cords. It provides a second layer of protection to the top under the cover.


Finely I installed the Formosa cover. Hopefully this belts and suspenders approach should rain off the roof.

[larrie]

This is not really to my SMB but was required to store it for the winter.

Installed an weatherproof outlet to plug the van into for shore power. I ran the 120v cable from the SMB over the roof so that it would be out of the way when we walked past the van.

[joey2cool]

Originally Posted by larrie

...My penthouse has sagged and collects rain water in the depression. The support is a light weight and should help prevent ponding on the cover. ...

A response to this should probably be sewn together with the two other links on SMB Penthouse problems, but I'd like to hear from you on the following:

(1) How old is the van?
(2) Does your Penthouse have a Rhino-like coating?
(3) Was SMB the only vendor who worked on your Penthouse?
(4) Do you carry a rack and load on the Penthouse top?

[Viejo]

I can't speak for Larrie, but I have exactly the same problem and my answers to your 4 questions are:

1. It's an '02 F350 EB
2. No
3. I believe so, I got it used.
4. Occasionally, but the racks & load are at the rear and the sag is in the front.

I believe my dent comes from someone pulling down the front latches too tight... way too tight.

[larrie]

joey2cool

Here are the answers
1. The van is an 89
2. It has the original gel coat on the fiberglass.
3. As far as I know - yes they were
4. It does not appear that there has ever been a rack attached to top.

Looking at the top it appears that it has sagged with age. It I understand correctly from what I have read on the forum he top has a plywood core. Plywood will sag over time when it is only supported by the outside edges. My assumption is that is what has happened.


Larrie
89 Ford RB