Expandable Vans... more correctly Expansible Vans

[2deuce]

I was wondering if they are prone to leaking. I have been interested in them as an RV(as in another thread) but they would not be much good if they leak whether opened up or closed. Do they have some preventive measure against leaking or are there rubber seals that weather with age. It rains alot up here in Oregon.
Thanks,
Greg

 

[DaveP]

we have an XM820 and i have yet to find a leak in there. only had it for 4 or 5 weeks. but its dry even when opened.

 

[2deuce]

How does it seal out the water? When the wings are out one side would have water flowing toward the truck. Depending which way it's leaning. Dave you have some very nice looking trucks. What are your plans for it?

 

[M1075]

The operation of the expandable vans is clearly different than RVs. In RVs, an entire room is basically moved outward at the flip of a switch to gain more foot space in the camper. In expandable vans, the sides manually fold down & up to reveal more SF. Nothing in the van moves outward. Significantly more work is required, and you would definitely get wet if raining!

 

[DaveP]

thanks 2deuce. i dont know where the water runs to tell you the truth. all i know is when it was open for a couple weeks it stayed dry. its been closed for a couple weeks now and its still dry even with all the snow on the top that is melting. plans? dont really have any other than its something different to take to shows. should be able to pull the dolly and M146 behind for the overnighters.

 

[DaveP]

I just realized that i misread the title of this thread. i have expansible not expandable. sorry for the confusion.

 

[2deuce]

M1075, I'm not sure what you mean by nothing moves outward. It looks to move outward by half the wall.

 

[M1075]

Sorry, that was confusing. With the sides closed, you can cram pack the van the full. Once you expand the van (assuming you can get to the hardware to open it), nothing you stored in the van is going to move.

I guess you could build a false floor into the van and slide your gear (couch, bed, kitchenette, etc.) out on a track system.

 

[2deuce]

Dave you are correct, my terminalogy is bad. Trucks like yours are sometimes referred as expandable. I didn't know the difference. The truck like yours is what I was referring to. I'm the one thats sorry for the confusion.

 

[DaveP]

no trouble. they are easy to mix up.

 

[DaveP]

in the members rides section i have some photos of this XM820. i think its titled 820 opening

 

[DDoyle]

The operation of the expandable vans is clearly different than RVs. In RVs, an entire room is basically moved outward at the flip of a switch to gain more foot space in the camper. In expandable vans, the sides manually fold down & up to reveal more SF. Nothing in the van moves outward. Significantly more work is required, and you would definitely get wet if raining!

I think you have confused an expansible van with a water purification truck body (and some shop trailers use the purification-type body as well).

Having owned both, I'll continue.....

On the expansible van, both sides move straight out, they don't fold like the water truck.

The floor, ceiling, and ends swing into place, making a fully enclosed, water proof room.

I'll post up a pic in a bit.

Best wishes,
David Doyle

 

[DaveP]

Thank you David for taking the time to share those pics. it clearly show the differences for those that have not had the oppertunity to see these in person.

 

[dc3coyote]

Very good pics, and thanks for sharing. Now I want one

 

[area52]

Very good pics, and thanks for sharing. Now I want one

Ahem.....

see my sig

 

[M1075]

I apologize for the confusion. I guess my comments relate to the expansible van. I was using the term expandable in accordance with the thread topic. I have the M820 as pictured below. Yes, the outer walls move outward, but the sides still fold up/down.

 

[Kalbrman]

The sides move out. Then the end panels are folded out and away before the ceiling/floor can be moved. The ceiling and floor are connected together by cables and move together if operating correctly. The floor folds down and the roof swings up. There are three hooks at the top of the sides that are extended towards the center and the roof panel can now rest on those when the sides are cranked back in (helps to keep the roof aligned). Once that is done, the end panels can be swung back in to enclose the ends. There's a metal bar on them that is extended to guide the end panels when the sides are cranked back in.