pointcloud_to_laserscan height range
This might be a bug, or just a misinterpretation. Within pointcloud_to_laserscan/cloud_to_scan.cpp the range of y values checked is negative, whereas I think it probably should be positive. Changing those to positive values (above the ground plane) seems to work for me, whereas otherwise the fake laser scan looks wrong.
Should the height range values normally be negative, because if so this might be yet another case of needing to invert the sensor orientation within the URDF model.