Newbie PH Questions

[realbtl]

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.

 

[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.

 

[Joanna-SMB]

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"

 

[jage]

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.

 

[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

 

[jage]

Sure, put the bed all the way, or part of the way forward and scale the water closet. :a4:

 

[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.


.

 

[jage]

That must be new, my EB bed is two pieces.

 

[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.


.

 

[BroncoHauler-SMB]

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

 

[Ford_6L_E350]

Who would have thought there would be so many variations of PH beds?

We have a center aisle with a one piece bed. In use the bed is nearly centered and entered from the rear. Our layout has a rear dinette and we have to stack the dinette couch backs on the couch bases to make it high enough for my wife to get up. I'm 5'10" and have no trouble getting up from either the front (step on the counter) or from the rear (step on the couch base.

Mike

 

[charlie56]

Who would have thought there would be so many variations of PH beds?

Mike

Here is another variation.
EB-50
Three section PH bed.
26" long rear section
10" long center section
45" long front section

Only the front section is attached to the ceiling. So far I have kept the center section in the rig, but am thinking about leaving it home on the next trip. As far as getting up there, one step on the short cabinet in front of the refrigerator, the next step on top of the refrigerator, then on the bed.

 

[realbtl]

Thanks for all of the good info. I want the PH top but am still working on layout. I want windows at the expense of storage and am going back and forth on rear dinette vs. a modified 50 similar to one of the used SMBs on their site (forgot which one) that has a counter top height storage area as opposed to the full height cabinets on a standard 50.