Hightop vs Highboy

I’m just asking for clarification on the description or difference between the two terms. This is what I was once told that differentiates the two but I’d like others opinions just for clarification.

A high-boy is a curved bubble roof line that starts at the front windshield and bubbles up all the way to the back end of the vehicle in one solid curved arch. This is seen on the Eureka High-Boy or the old guardians

A high-top is basically a raised fiberglass box that is placed over a cutout which creates a high-top. As seen on a Superior High-Top


Is this an accurate description? Any addition comments are welcomed

Thanks
 
"High Boy" was a Eureka model name. A "hightop" is any ambulance with a raised roof. Each manufacturer had its own name for its hightop ambulances -the S&S Professional High Body and later Medic Mk. 1; Superior Rescuer and Super Rescuer; Miller First aider, M/M First-Aider, etc. Hope this helps. - Walt
 
"High Boy" was a Eureka model name. A "hightop" is any ambulance with a raised roof. Each manufacturer had its own name for its hightop ambulances -the S&S Professional High Body and later Medic Mk. 1; Superior Rescuer and Super Rescuer; Miller First aider, M/M First-Aider, etc. Hope this helps. - Walt

Thank you for the response

I can understand the High-Boy was a model name used by Eureka and I can understand what you refer to as ANY ambulance that had a raised roof is classified as a hightop however I guess it comes down to the type of raised roof that my question is directed at.

What or how would you classify or define the different types of Hightops? or do you? For example as I mentioned in my earlier post.
 
I don't believe that the way that the top is formed, will make a difference in terms. A high top, is generally referring to a vehicle that has a raised roof. We struggled with this question on our judging forum for over a year, and I believe that the final consensus was that if the interior hight was greater than 42" with the raised roof, then it was a high top. If the inside dimension was less than 42", and the roof had been raised, such as in a station wagon ambulance, it was still considered a low top. I don't believe that there ever was an industry standard.
 
"High Boy" was a Eureka model name. A "hightop" is any ambulance with a raised roof. Each manufacturer had its own name for its hightop ambulances -the S&S Professional High Body and later Medic Mk. 1; Superior Rescuer and Super Rescuer; Miller First aider, M/M First-Aider, etc. Hope this helps. - Walt

In Western NY we referred to ambulances as highboy or low boy,even though manufacturers,as Walt pointed out,had their own designations. It's just like referring to ambulances as "rigs" or "Cars". A newer term "bus"(which I personally hate), has also come into use.

No matter what we call them,we love them all!!:)
 
Hi Boy Hi Top

Ambulance men from the 50's and 60's have used the term in my neck of the woods as Hi Boy! Then in the 70's Hi Top was popular term since most of the 50-60 guys retired or changed careers, so that term was not heard of as much, so Hi Top was adapted for the description.:D
 
Walt said it perfectly. All Hi-Boys are hightops, but not all high tops are Hi-Boys. Just like all Jacuzzis are hot tubs, but not all hot tubs are Jacuzzis, its the brand name. It was a good question though.
By the way to the one who mentioned the term Bus for ambulance, I hate it too, and this made me wonder, how did that name come into use?
 
Walt said it perfectly. All Hi-Boys are hightops, but not all high tops are Hi-Boys. Just like all Jacuzzis are hot tubs, but not all hot tubs are Jacuzzis, its the brand name. It was a good question though.
By the way to the one who mentioned the term Bus for ambulance, I hate it too, and this made me wonder, how did that name come into use?

I believe that it came into use in the big cities where the large type I & III units are in use. I don't know how any one could mistake an ambulance for a bus, but obviously some people do. I only remember this term being used in the last 10 years or so.
 
I believe that it came into use in the big cities where the large type I & III units are in use. I don't know how any one could mistake an ambulance for a bus, but obviously some people do. I only remember this term being used in the last 10 years or so.

Denny,
I remember the term being used in the 70's also.....
When I was driving we had a LOT of folks that called us the "bus" since they were regular "riders" not patients mind you....heck one of my employers instructed us to go down to the local park and pick up a few "winos" (apologies to the younger members) but this is what the homeless and others were referred to back then.Anyways we would head downtown to one of the many parks and ask if anyone wanted a meal and comfort for awhile,of course we usually got 4-5 people,SAT them up on the gurney and even put one or 2 in the front seat and headed to the county hospital (now UC Davis Med)....on the way there most all of them knew the routine and would whip out their Medi-Cal card and a POE sticker from their welfare card.
We then dropped them off in the ER,usually they walked in on their own power and they would wave good-by to us and thank us for the BUS ride !!
The company collected $8.00 for every "patient" we brought in....:rolleyes:
 
I don't believe that the way that the top is formed, will make a difference in terms. A high top, is generally referring to a vehicle that has a raised roof. We struggled with this question on our judging forum for over a year, and I believe that the final consensus was that if the interior hight was greater than 42" with the raised roof, then it was a high top. If the inside dimension was less than 42", and the roof had been raised, such as in a station wagon ambulance, it was still considered a low top. I don't believe that there ever was an industry standard.


Paul thank you for the clarification. I think you best answered my question with your response which I highlighted in bold text.

Walt did in fact clearly answer the question of what the definition of hightop was, which is ANY ambulance that has a raised roof that is higher than a standard roof. I was not challenging his response and if it came off that way then I apologize,

I was just asking if there was a difference or any clarification in styles of these hightops for example either boxcut or gently curved bubble top, and again you answered that. I thought maybe I didn't clarify my question enough but then I must have since you responded with a clear answer.

I just think its interesting how some of the MMs have that smooth bubble roof line that arches upwards on their hightops opposed to the very square and boxy hightops of the Superiors. I was wondering if there was a correct styling term that describe those differences and apparently there really isn't one.

Thank you for your response Paul




No need to further question Walt McCall's thorough and definitive answer just because it was not the response you were looking for.

Why not question him? Who does this Walt guy think he is, and what does he think he knows about these things? :D

Of course I am just joking, and as I said before I wasn't challenging his thorough and definitive answer but was asking for further clarification on style types which Paul clearly answered for me.

I'm sorry you took offense and thought that I was actually challenging Walt's response as I would never disrespect such an authoritative figure who has not only contributed to this hobby more than anyone in it's history but actually helped create it.
 
I just think its interesting how some of the MMs have that smooth bubble roof line that arches upwards on their hightops opposed to the very square and boxy hightops of the Superiors.
.

Its just their coachwork styling, just like S&S and Eurekas also have a different top design than the other two.
 
The only thing that you will find consistent in commercial chassis cars of the same year of manufacture, is the front end styling forward of the windshield. From the windshield back to the rear bumper, you will find every inconsistency that you can imagine, and quite a few that you couldn't imagine, even if you were higher than Cheech and Chong in Up in Smoke. This is what makes commercial chassis professional cars so unique, they almost never built any two that were identical. Of the 30 Superior downsized ambulances that were built between 1977 & 1979, I believe that only 2 were built alike, and those 2 were ordered by the same origination at the same time.
 
To break "high-tops" down further can only be to use the specific model names from the specific manufacturers, or to define them by height (Superior had 51" and 54" rooflines, for example). But yeah, a lot of people used the terms interchangeably just as a generic word. The "Jacuzzi" reference is the best comparison.

...By the way to the one who mentioned the term Bus for ambulance, I hate it too, and this made me wonder, how did that name come into use?
It seems to me that the term "bus" is primarily a New York City term, that grew outward from there. I suspect it has to do with the fact that NYC ambulances in the '50s were box trucks and, later, step vans. You could put several patients sitting up in the back of these ambulances. And as people began to use the ambulances regularly, it became like a bus. I hear the term "bus" used occasionally in the DC area, but only by people who've immigrated from New Yawk. Indeed, notice that Denny (from NY) was the one who brought it up! ;)

Now, though, when we talk about a "bus" as an ambulance around here in MD and DC, this is what we mean.
 

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