Please help, seeking input on proposed build - Page 2

joey2cool · 03-15-2011, 01:19 PM

Hello. Just a couple things for you to chew on.

Penthouse top - manual or electric. If you will have load on your top you should definitely get an electric lift. It takes two of us (both women with average upper body strength) to coordinate an easy lift with nothing on top. One of us can do, but it takes practice to build your muscels and make the right moves.

Water system. We love having water (no water heater) and grey water tank (small). Convenient! Time saving - that's what you want. It's not much work to maintain and use, and it doesn't have to be a big ordeal to protect against freezing. Just drain the system before winter if you want to do it that way. Or get some RV antifreeze in there for good measure (it's not toxic). You have to flush the system after your done with the anitifreeze and that annual flushing should be enough to keep the system clean too. You'll spend more time hauling and going to fetch water than you spend maintaining this system. It also has drain valves in the right place to empty the lines outside of the van and no worry so much about water in lines inside the van (assuming it's non sub-zero where you park it - you may not need to do more than that for freeze protection, and then just soak it in highly diluted bleach solution and flush it clean once a year or so).

Nice van! Enjoy

**daveb** · 03-15-2011, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsyjaney

One more question for you or anyone who reads this. Does the danhard (or any) air conditioner work well if you have the top "popped" with its windows closed or does the top have to be down for it to work okay? Thanks again!

I would guess it will make a huge difference if the top is up. You might use the site search and type in danhard....it will give you a bunch of info. I have Starcool III and the electric AC 110v compressor is fairly useless IMO. The new Danhard is different and I've heard pros and cons to it.

gypsyjaney · 03-19-2011, 08:27 PM

Thanks for your input joey2cool, and nice to hear from another woman. I won't be using the top for anything, and will try to lift one myself before the build. It looked easy when Nancy lifted one, but things usually do when someone else does it. Does it get easier to lift after the inital push? Is there a trick to locking the corners, a certain order? I'm getting a sink and can get a small gray tank later if doing without one is harder than I think, but taking water jugs to the garage sounds easier than the freeze prevention methods.

Thanks daveb, I followed your suggestion and got lots of information. It looks like the danhard works well on shore power and for a short time on batteries. We're not too tall so maybe we can sit at the dining table with the top down, and our heads not touching the ceiling until it cools off then pop the top. Does anyone know if that works for people under 6' tall?

**daveb** · 03-19-2011, 10:44 PM

In my van I can sit with the top down and at 6.0', I can sit w/o having to scrunch my head...that's on the 50 bench.
Dave

jage · 03-19-2011, 10:59 PM

6'0" too and very comfortable with the top down. I usually don't bother to put my top up when I'm solo, what gets tough is when two people are hunched over trying to switch places in the van with the top down- it's not so much the height but size and space being bent over. The electric top is super slow, so generally I'm not patient enough to use it unless I need it or will be stopped for a while.

The manual tops go something like 1/3 where the top weight will close it if you let go, so your pushing against a fraction of the weight, and then it passes a point where it will pop open- where the springs support the full weight plus and will lift the top- at that point you're along for the ride. Reverse coming down- you're adding weight to overcome the first 2/3 but then it will drop suddenly into place as you pass that point.

The tension can also be adjusted so the springs take more of the load, this can compensate for adding gear to the roof or to make the top easier to pop- however it's not like turning a screw, you have to use a jack and chain. Something SMB can do if you're close (something to be aware of when picking up if you can't comfortably pop the top).

LenS · 03-20-2011, 10:52 AM

I also am 6' and we sometimes use the van w the top down .... heavy winds. Our top is a manual and we most the times now even put it up for a lunch stop when touring w the van. Makes it easy to stretch the legs and makes for a change of pace. We almost always raise the manual top w all doors and windows closed. The dash blower is set on high, outside air and that takes about 1/3 of the load off raising the top.

gypsyjaney · 03-24-2011, 02:50 PM

Thanks for the letting me know we'd be able to sit comfortably with the top down daveb, jage, and LenS. It will come in handy if we need to use the A/C to cool the van off in the evening, or use it when it's too hot but also windy. It's windy in most of the places I travel to or through. I also appreciate the insight about lifting/lowering a manual penthouse and either having a window open OR the blower on while doing it.