Handbasket
Asheville, NC
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Joined: 01/17/2003
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I recall once or twice entertaining frantasies of adding 'slide-out porches' to the side and/or rear of my last RT... just a flat platform pulled out from under the floor to let you sit a bit higher, and stay out of the mud. Quickly decided it wasn't even remotely practical, and the benefit gained would be largely illusory.
I suspect the problem with a canvas-sided slide would be security in parking-lot overnighting or bear country; maybe more the feeling than anything real. But a hard-sided slide would be a lot harder to design and build.
The added rear weight might also hurt handling, especially for vans with long rear overhangs... too much 'junk in the trunk', so to speak.
Jim, "Mo' coffee!"
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison ('Loafer's Glory'); '07 Forester 2.5 ( the 'HANDBSKT'); '95 Toyota SR5 V-6 4x4 pickup, ARB locker, Bilsteins, Warn hubs & M8000, etc;
'94 968, M030 swaybars ('DOPPLER')
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Hit The Road Jack
Treasure Coast of Florida
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Joined: 10/20/2005
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Handbasket wrote:I recall once or twice entertaining frantasies of adding 'slide-out porches' to the side and/or rear of my last RT... just a flat platform pulled out from under the floor to let you sit a bit higher, and stay out of the mud. Quickly decided it wasn't even remotely practical, and the benefit gained would be largely illusory.
I suspect the problem with a canvas-sided slide would be security in parking-lot overnighting or bear country; maybe more the feeling than anything real. But a hard-sided slide would be a lot harder to design and build.
The added rear weight might also hurt handling, especially for vans with long rear overhangs... too much 'junk in the trunk', so to speak.
Jim, "Mo' coffee!"
I totally agree with this guy...
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hoosiermark
Batesville ,Indiana
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Jim, and others
Appreciate the information. I know this addition would be van specific for my vehicle only. A slide will take up too much precious space inside for the limited use. I am a traveler more then a camper. I think I am down to either a custom extension to the rear of 3 feet or bury the idea. The van being a one ton and only limited weight to the rear of the wheels makes me think it could be done. Especially since the area will only be used for sleeping at night. I see all kinds of issues but I am a tinker er. I envision a fiberglass truck cap type unit attached to the rear. hook it in the hinges, clamp it elsewhere and seal it around the edges. just an idea slowly being refined. Maybe not worth the energy we are putting into it but what if...
HoosierMark
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Hit The Road Jack
Treasure Coast of Florida
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hoosiermark wrote:Jim, and others
Appreciate the information. I know this addition would be van specific for my vehicle only. A slide will take up too much precious space inside for the limited use. I am a traveler more then a camper. I think I am down to either a custom extension to the rear of 3 feet or bury the idea. The van being a one ton and only limited weight to the rear of the wheels makes me think it could be done. Especially since the area will only be used for sleeping at night. I see all kinds of issues but I am a tinker er. I envision a fiberglass truck cap type unit attached to the rear. hook it in the hinges, clamp it elsewhere and seal it around the edges. just an idea slowly being refined. Maybe not worth the energy we are putting into it but what if...
HoosierMark
Now you're thinking in the right direction, toward a positive path!
An Inflatable Bedroom Shell could be professionally fabricated for a lite-weight...space saving...insulated addition...
Compressor experts, feel free to chime in...
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kking
Lowell, MA
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Joined: 02/18/2008
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If your van happened to have the big single rear door, I'd wonder if you couldn't hook it to the hinges on the one side, and actually latch it as the stock door does. It would be easy to seal that way, and you could even open it like a door.
The map shows the states my wife and I have driven (or camped) in together.
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bananadanna
Cambridge, MA
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Joined: 11/30/2005
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I investigated the idea of extending a bed 30" out the back doors of my Sprinter. My folding bed design uses 15"w x 75"l atv ramp sections. (Two sections make a 30"w bed, three sections a 45"w bed...) Easy enough to make cross supports from U-channel. The bed could be supported inside the van or on alternate supports 30" farther back. I had 45 degree cantilevers that bolted to the bumper to support the outside cross channel. It worked ok but was more work than the inside bed since I had to bolt or clamp down several cross supports instead of the usual "gravity" method inside the van. Seemed like too much work for 30" of space. Plus I needed to rainproof and bugproof the outside space.
If I wanted a more-or-less permanent rear couch then I would have considered a back that dropped flat out the back doors. Simple "drawbridge" cables attached to the top of the doorframe would minimize the set up time.
I also looked at pickup truck "bedslides" that allowed you to pull a cargo bed out the back by as much as 96". I think Sportsmobile installed one in a Sprinter for someone. The trouble with the slides is that you give up 8" of floor height and the "revealed" multiple slide supports get in the way unless you deck over them. Pretty expensive, too.
A better way would be use just two side "drawer" slides. The heaviest Accuride slides are just not big enough for a ~54" width. I was given the advice to capture a substantial I-beam in a "C" channel and rely on grease to help slide it. That would eliminate the center slides that the bedslides rely on. The drawer floor could be fairly low but still need cross supports.
If you sleep on a bed ~18" off the floor you could replace the heavy I-beams with 18"x80" trusses. That would be super stiff and leave you the usual storage room under a typical van platform bed. Capturing the bottom edge of the trusses would allow a no-fuss slide out. Picture the bed-and-trusses as a freestanding "sleigh" and you could slide it out completely for tent use or to use the van for work instead.
I gave up on the sliding bed option but did build a really easy to use "rear porch" sock that slips over some extended pipes on my roof rack. Awesome shower room or mud room.
Rear porch
We also have a 10x14 side porch that makes a great kitchen and sitting area.
Always like to hear about van "slideouts". Good luck with your project.
Dan
02 Freightliner Sprinter 2500 long tall home brew conversion
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Handbasket
Asheville, NC
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Joined: 01/17/2003
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Mark, depending on how far along your conversion is, you might do better to just buy a used 19' cargo van and make a fresh start.
Jim, "My cat is smarter than your honor student."
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hoosiermark
Batesville ,Indiana
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I think I found the answer!! I will just make my wife stay home. Now I will have plenty of room. Ok at least you thought it was funny, her, I am not so sure. The idea is dying rapidly. If anything it needs to be a semi permenant installation of an extension of the van, no slide. The extension looks like it is more work then it is worth. Based upon that I think it is dead. Thanks for all your thoughts and comments.
HoosierMark
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omjones
Stoney Point, Ontario, Canada
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Joined: 06/19/2004
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How 'bout this... remember the old 'Apache' pop up camper trailers? They had solid sided extensions on the ends where the bedrooms were. The new pop ups have canvass or vinyl on these bedroom walls. Maybe something that would fold up like an 'Apache' would do the trick for you.
john 'I am Canadian'
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hoosiermark
Batesville ,Indiana
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Yes I did think about that. I remember some that seemed to have plastic sides and almost became a hard sided unit. My goal was to take this reg length van that is in excellent condition. I know the history of it from day one (35,00 miles, 1 ton never wrecked, excellent mechanicals). I want to use it but wished it was bigger, I wanted to find a way to extend it so it could be used for stealth camping when my wife and I travel. I believe I will eventually find away. I plan to visit a local shop that builds custom fiberglass things such as fountains, baptismal fonts, etc. I am hoping they might shed some light. When I do I will share it. Time is on my side at this point due to other commitments so we shall see what happens.
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