A 'B' for the Tall Ones among us

mikes47 · 12-10-2015, 11:16 PM

Advanced RV has published a video of their new Super Tall RV built on the MB3500 super tall van. Mike N kind of goes overboard on the height thing. It's not enough that he's 6'2", he's sprouting a cowboy hat!

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%...2F&h=HAQF9olbh

Davydd · 12-10-2015, 11:31 PM

They have another one just starting conversion that has no customer called the Run Away that they are building for in-house use and rental I assume. It is the graphite grey like my Alvar. Hope to see that one at the Lucky 13 RV.net B13 Rally in Rutherfordton, NC this coming May. I suspect that is the one Mike Neundorfer is anxious to take out on the road. It will definitely be around for Advanced Fest.

The first Super High B has a lot of customer specific requests for the interior design even though it is basically a rear try-fold sofa bed design. I expect Run Away may be a bit different and reflect what Advanced RV will be recommending.

The Lucky 13 B Rally will be interesting if the Super High shows up. There will also be a totally custom Advanced RV unlike any they have built yet. You will see lots of Bs old and new. The caveat is you can't attend unless you own a true Class B built from a van. B+s and small Class Cs need not sign up as you will be rejected.

mkguitar · 12-11-2015, 05:50 PM

I'm 6'2" and move around my 2006 PW Lexor pretty good. ball cap, no cowboy hat...and no cowboy boots ( heels).

areas of danger are "someone" leaving the cabinet open over the galley and the rear AC.

so manageable.

increased interior height can come at cost: mpg, clearance and higher CG.
(my van is 8'9" )

But if you need it you need it and that could make B's availble to those taller than me

Mike

avanti · 12-11-2015, 06:15 PM

I'm 6'3", which is just about the limit of comfort in a non-super-high sprinter. I asked Great West to build ours with as much head room as possible. I don't think they put too much effort into it, though. I'm fine in stocking feet, but with shoes it is tight. Still MUCH better than our old T1N-based Interstate. That was true torture.

With enough effort, I think one could squeeze an extra inch more-or-less from a Sprinter. You could scrimp on the flooring (put the insulation outside). More importantly, instead of a sheet of paneling below the roof ribs, one could wrap the ribs themselves with ultra-leather and fill in between with separate flush panels. Would be a nice look, I think.

Davydd · 12-11-2015, 09:07 PM

Mike Neundorfer said the interior height was about 80". That's 6'-8" to get that back to how we normally think of a person's height and there is no air conditioner hanging down in that space. Also the Super High Sprinter total exterior height is only about 1-1/2" higher than the regular height because the air conditioner is nestled in the recess. I think that would still make it under 10 feet high. It would seem the cowling like surround of everything on the roof might make it better in the wind. I've seen this particular van throughout its build history. The storage inside is phenomenal for a Class B. The aluminum truss design they came up with takes all the loads off the roof. Even for us short people the extra height makes it seem pleasantly comfortable. This one had a squared off interior cabinetry. I'd like to see the next one that will have Advanced RV's more curvilinear interior cabinetry design which should make the ceiling a little more spacious looking. They already know the will have a better valance lighting design (they say.)

Tenbike2 · 12-15-2015, 04:52 AM

What I found interesting when visiting with Mike N was that the labor to build the super tall was less than the regular height vans. He thought that it would offset the higher cost of the chassis so the finale cost would be the same or less than the regular height vans. This also allows ducted air conditioning that would be much quieter in addition to the added storage that Davydd pointed out.

wincrasher · 12-21-2015, 11:39 PM

That is interesting. I would have thought more labor since you have to install the ducting, as well as all those trusses to support the air conditioner and bigger cabinets. Must be alot of hours in all the smaller fiddly stuff in the "regular" sized vans.

TravelingCOWs · 12-23-2015, 10:08 PM

Just checked out the super high premium with the folks at ARV. Given that they have only built one, and a very custom one at that, they don't have enough data to tell. They are now working on a "standard" one and expect an answer in 3-4 months once they are finished.

SiennaGuy · 12-26-2015, 08:31 PM

I'm glad that they figured out a creative way to mount the AC without adding to the height of the van. Still, I'm curious about how they would deal with things like antennas. Given that the roof is fiberglass in most areas, they might be able to mount some of that clutter inside.

Hopefully, other manufacturers will offer super-high models soon. Not all consumers are shorter than 5'10".

stanw909 · 12-27-2015, 12:18 AM

David's (Advanced RV van )antenna is mounted inside his van. There actually isn't any need for the crank up antennas any more. Satellite dish is another story but a lot of people like to use the portable ones to be able to get it out from under the trees.

avanti · 12-27-2015, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stanw909

There actually isn't any need for the crank up antennas any more.

Except that a pointable antenna can double as a mast for a directional WiFi antenna.

Antenna1.jpg

Davydd · 12-27-2015, 04:19 AM

My antenna is not inside the van. It actually resides inside the rooftop air conditioner covering. It is a Winegard Rayzar Ultra Thin Indoor antenna. It seems to do the job. I pick up 34 channels at home and I am located in a wooded depression on the far west side of the metro Twin Citites area. So, though not directional it is satisfactory as far as I am concerned since TV is not a priority. It is better than having one more maintenance item on the roof.

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