PH rules over Voyager it seems...

[Aldercrest]

Originally Posted by dhally

One other thought on the fixed roof - it does affect the handling and road presence of the van. The weight up high and the sail area combine to accentuate the Ford's tendency to wander down the road.

I'll second that!

[Zeta]

I've had both. Wouldn't go back to the voyager as it was unbelievably hot in the summer and had terrible ventilation. Also made for a gigantic vehicle. My RB is a 10000lb mountain goat--it'll go anywhere, cools off well at night and has tons of storage while camped.

Z

[lndshark]

Originally Posted by Aldercrest

I'll second that!

Ah! Now that's the kinda input I was looking for (not that the others weren't valid concerns)! So I think we are certain we are going the PH route...just thought I'd ask.

I just mentioned in my other thread about our alternative vehicle, likely an F-250 Supercab with a short bed and one of the heavy-duty pop-up campers (Four Wheel, Hallmark, Off-Road Campers, etc.). If one of those was a consideration, the PH SMB certainly had to be in the running too. But, with the van, we could crawl in the back and crash on the bed (even make coffee or sit on the couch and eat) with the PH down...can't do that in a pop-up truck camper, plus we'd have to get out of the truck and enter the pop-up from the outside. No bueno in Saskatchewan when it's -30 out (for me at least, for my wife, it's "normal.")

Thanks folks!

[charlie56]

Originally Posted by lndshark

But then I also saw a gallery pic of a PH-equipped EB driving under a fallen tree (CA Lost Coast, maybe?) and though "hmmm...

Yup
You are not getting under that one with a voyager top. Or the one that YVRR mentioned leading into the Barker Ranch. Or a number of other obstacles I could come up with.

Originally Posted by lndshark

So I think we are certain we are going the PH route...just thought I'd ask.

I think you made the right decision.

[rionapo]

A fixed roof was never an option for us, so we never looked at its pros and cons. However, I will say nothing beats sleeping upstairs, windows open, fresh air everywhere. We've also slept in single-digit temps with no problem though I envy CCV's insulated tops. We've slept on the gaucho a couple of times. It reminds me of a pine box with the fridge's noise & vibrations added in.

[stanw909]

CCV does a low top now. I think it can be insulated.

[jage]

Gigantic 4x4 van... not exactly stealth.

Still it's true, PH up is insta-advertising that you're camping.

Not sure what a bed is like in the fixed tops. I feel like there is more room in the PH bed, but most fixed I see don't have a bed.

[KTMRIDER]

Originally Posted by jage

Gigantic 4x4 van... not exactly stealth.

Still it's true, PH up is insta-advertising that you're camping.

Not sure what a bed is like in the fixed tops. I feel like there is more room in the PH bed, but most fixed I see don't have a bed.

I have a sectional bed I can bring along if needed. While I can't sit up once I climb in I sleep great up there. Part of the reason is I have the side windows up there and I can reverse the fantastic fan to pull in cool air on my face/head, works great. My father was recently here from Australia and we took a trip to Toroweap and Flafstaff from So Cal. I slept up there every night, even stealth camping in an RV park with some family that lived there.

There are pluses and minuses to each for sure. I am undecided which is better. I was worried the penthouse wouldn't stand up to high winds I often camp in when in the desert but this has proven untrue after camping with Gooseberry lots of times and with Dig. It is sure nice to pull into camp and not do a thing but pull out the futon slider shelf and crash.
Eric