Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-12-2008, 03:08 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Bigfork, MT
Posts: 7
Send a message via AIM to realbtl
Newbie PH Questions

Got the SMB bug and have been having a great time on their design page. However, I do have a couple of questions for those of you w/the PH.
1. How high off the van floor, w/o the optional storage, is the bed and how do you get into it? My 60 yr. old knees ain't the greatest and I'm wondering about getting in/out of the bed.
2. On an RB van relative to the back of the front seats, where does the PH start?
Thanks in advance for any help, and also for all of the good info here.

__________________
1963 VW rag sunroof, 130k orig. miles, slammed and quite cool
1996 Miata (If I have to get more mpg's it may as well be fun)
2 x 1999 Ranger 4x4s
realbtl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2008, 03:23 PM   #2
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Bigfork, MT
Posts: 7
Send a message via AIM to realbtl
Oops, 1 more question

Forgot to also add:
3. How high from the bed to the PH top?
Thanks again.

I'd say that this was the last question but I'm sure there will be more.
__________________
1963 VW rag sunroof, 130k orig. miles, slammed and quite cool
1996 Miata (If I have to get more mpg's it may as well be fun)
2 x 1999 Ranger 4x4s
realbtl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2008, 05:10 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: South Padre Island, Texas
Posts: 238
Realbtl,
I don't have measurements, but:
my knees are 62 years old--along with the rest of me. I am not athletic and have been fairly clumsy all my life. I was worried about entry and exit from the PH, but I've solved it with a small white plastic stool from the hardware store ($10?). It's one of those molded one piece items that is just enough to get me up to the counter top and from there to the bed. Coming back down the same way is easy too, you can hang on to the crossbars of the penthouse mechanism. They're very strong.
I'd thought of getting a ladder, but this is more simple. Plus when the stool is laid on it's back on the floor of the van, I can put stuff in it I don't want rolling around and I also use it for a make shift desk or table next to me when I'm sitting on the couch.
Final note: I'm 5'4"
__________________
'07 Ford EB50 PSD SMB $x$
Joanna is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2008, 06:35 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
jage's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 7,653
My niece uses the counter.

I'm not sure where the bed starts and stops, but it's two pieces which can be moved on the rails and you don't have to have them all the way at the back of the van.
__________________
it was good to be back
jage is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2008, 07:18 PM   #5
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Bigfork, MT
Posts: 7
Send a message via AIM to realbtl
Joanna- This gives me hope. I'm tall enough (6'1) but not very light on my feet anymore.

Jage- Does this mean that I could get into the PH bed from the rear of the van as well as from the front? Marc is just up the road from me (40 mi, close by Montana standards) and has invited me to look at his one of these days.

You all appear to be a friendly bunch. Once I get mine, in 10-20 months, I'll be joining you for your get-togethers. Thanks again
__________________
1963 VW rag sunroof, 130k orig. miles, slammed and quite cool
1996 Miata (If I have to get more mpg's it may as well be fun)
2 x 1999 Ranger 4x4s
realbtl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2008, 09:06 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
jage's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 7,653
Sure, put the bed all the way, or part of the way forward and scale the water closet.
__________________
it was good to be back
jage is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2008, 10:12 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Greg In Austin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 1,543
Send a message via AIM to Greg In Austin Send a message via Yahoo to Greg In Austin
Some of the PH bed layout changes a little depending on EB or RB and on whether you have a 50-ish layout or a center aisle layout.

The EB Center aisle like we have comes with a one piece PH Bed, and the back end of the van rook is an extension to the PH bed; that means that the PH is typically going to be pushed to the back of the van when you want to use the entire length of the bed. THis also means that you enter the bed from the front of the bed side.

With the center aisle layout you can step up onto the gaucho, then onto the counter top and then into the PH bed.

I have not measured it, but I would estimate that the bottom of the PH bed sits about 4.5 feet from the finished floor of the van.
That would put the top of the bed about 3 feet from the bottom of the PH Top.


.
__________________
Greg in Austin
2008 Ford 6.0PSD EB/E-PH SMB 4X4 Aluminess f/r bumpers (13.5mpg avg, 15mpg hwy) 52k miles [Texas McBeast]
2006 Toyota Prius (48 to 68 mpg) 120k miles [Penelope]
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (15 to 18 mpg) [Johnnie]
2012 Mitsubishi MiEV (no gas required) ($.50/day in electricity) [Evie]
https://badge.facebook.com/badge/1232...3.32047100.png
Greg In Austin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2008, 11:02 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
jage's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 7,653
That must be new, my EB bed is two pieces.

__________________
it was good to be back
jage is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2008, 08:02 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Greg In Austin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Austin, Texas
Posts: 1,543
Send a message via AIM to Greg In Austin Send a message via Yahoo to Greg In Austin
Jage,

but yours is a 50-ish and not a center aisle.

The 50-ish have a two piece PH Bed to facilitate the raising and lowering without having to be on both sides of the couch.

The center aisle allows you to easily be at each end to raise/lower a one piece PH bed.


.
__________________
Greg in Austin
2008 Ford 6.0PSD EB/E-PH SMB 4X4 Aluminess f/r bumpers (13.5mpg avg, 15mpg hwy) 52k miles [Texas McBeast]
2006 Toyota Prius (48 to 68 mpg) 120k miles [Penelope]
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon (15 to 18 mpg) [Johnnie]
2012 Mitsubishi MiEV (no gas required) ($.50/day in electricity) [Evie]
https://badge.facebook.com/badge/1232...3.32047100.png
Greg In Austin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-13-2008, 09:38 AM   #10
Site Team
 
BroncoHauler's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,204
Mine has a two piece PH bed, with about a 12-18" (pure guess) fixed section of a platform at the rear of the van.


Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
BroncoHauler is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:24 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.