Chevy EB

Trek777 · 09-19-2008, 12:03 AM

Hello,
I haven't been able to find any good images of recent Chevy Sportmobiles, except for a few small pics here and there. I'm working on building a Chevy EB plan, so if anybody knows where I could find some good examples (especially with the PH top), please post!

Thanks in advance,

Roubo · 09-19-2008, 09:57 PM

What type of pictures do you want? Interior? Exterior?

We have a GMC EB, but with a Voyager top. The interior is a modified EB-17 (Dinette "L" in the rear, stove and sink on the passenger side with stove closest to side door). We had a 3-burner stove with oven installed, which is a bit deeper than normal.

There's a few exterior pictures in my album, but I don't have any good ones of the interior at the moment, which would probably be more helpful.

Let me know if you have specific questions.

John

Trek777 · 09-20-2008, 05:18 PM

Roubo,

Yes to all the above! Images of the general interior, closet (inside & out), and upper cabinetry would be great. Also if you have some closer in shots of the exterior, that would help.

I'm wondering about the true interior standing height on the Chevy + Voyager top. What dimensions do you come up with? I'm almost 6' and my brother is 6'3", so that's a concern. I've heard some say you should take a few inches off whatever SMB says.

Also curious about different owner's reasons for going with Ford or Chevy.

Thanks alot!

Roubo · 09-21-2008, 09:53 AM

I'll take some pictures later today and put them in my album.

As to standing height, I'm 6'1" and can easily stand in the van with the Voyager top. Your 6'3" brother will brush his hair on the case of the fluorescent lights SMB installed on the underside of the roof, so if this is critical talk to SMB about mounting pairs of smaller lights on the sides of the top (rather than one light in the middle) to give headroom.

I don't have, obviously, a penthouse, but understand that when it's open it has about 6'10" or so of headroom. Converserly, when it's closed just about no adult can stand up.

Lots of opinions about which top is best. Even with a penthouse top, the vans are tall enough that they don't fit into many garages. Since we previously owned a VW Syncro with a top very similar to the Voyager, and got used to the interior height, choosing the Voyager was pretty much a given for us. Also, the fixed top gives us a major increase in storage.

More later, but need to get to a reunion.

Roubo · 09-21-2008, 07:14 PM

Trek777,

I made it back from the reunion and uploaded some photos of the exterior and interior to my album, so take a look.

Let me know if you have questions.

Trek777 · 09-22-2008, 12:25 AM

Roubo,

Thanks for uploading all the pics! Looks like a nice rig. I've never seen the upper shelf like that on the passenger side over the door. So would you say the interior height is 6'5" as claimed? If so, then this is definitely the best Class B hard top for height.

By the way, what kind of stove is that? Haven't seen anything like it on SMB's site.

Thanks again,

Roubo · 09-22-2008, 08:48 AM

I'd say that 6'5" is pushing it. If having free headroom for that tall of a person is critical, I would look at the Cruiser top, which may have more headroom (not absolutely sure). I'd also do a factory visit before buying, but's I expect that's already on your list. Given the cost of a SMB, the relatively small cost of the visit is worth its weight in gold.

The upper shelf has two parts, the shelf under the window, which matches the one on the driver's side, and a smaller one hung under the upper shelf. Both are very, very useful. I have seen them on other SMBs, so you should have no problem specifying them.

The stove is an Atwood/Wedgewood RV1733, three burners with a 17" oven. It is the stove SMB uses on the Sprinters, and we had them shoehorn it in because my wife likes to bake, and I like to cook. A lot of our trips are with similarly-minded friends, and can turn into an unofficial competition for best food. The stove is deeper than standard, so you lose a few inches of aisle room, but it hasn't been an issue for us so far. We've never regretted getting the stove. If you read the entire forum, though, you'll see that everyone has a different approach to cooking in the SMB. One more thing -- if you get a stove, be sure to get the Fantastic ceiling fan. Cooking generates a lot of moisture, and the van's interior will get damp quickly without good ventiliation. If you turn the fan on low to medium when you cook, the moisture is sucked out and all is well. Of course, if it is raining when you're cooking, you'll just have to accept some moisture and dry out later. It's not bad enough to stop, thank heavens. Some of our best memories are when our kids were smaller, and we'd bring them into the (predecessor) van after playing in the rain and have something hot for them.

Angel · 09-23-2008, 12:27 PM

Trek777, I am going to SMBW tomorrow at 9 to check on my SMB. The cruiser top is on. I will take my tape measure and let you know the standing clearance, even though it is a Ford and not a Chevy. You can have a cruiser top put on either one.

Angel

Angel · 09-25-2008, 11:34 PM

The true interior standing height in the Ford with the cruiser top is 6 ft. 4 in. after the floor and headliner have been installed.

Angel

Trek777 · 09-26-2008, 12:42 AM

Angel,

Thanks for the info. Please post pics (if you can) when you get your new rig!