Tracker Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 Such little info and reviews that I have seen suggests this idea, briliant in concept, is not so easy to achieve both in effectiveness and cost? It stems not from any desire for peace and quiet, although that would be a nice bonus, but from my wife's physical conditions not giving her enough strength to slide and slam shut a PVC van side door. Does anyone have any experience of this and are there any workable but cost effective alternatives please? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 Rich Is this of any help? (it's quite expensive, but may be the answer) http://artim-bus.pl/en/product/automatic-sliding-door-system-peugeot-boxe/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 Should have mentioned two simple things which I have used in the past (possibly you have tried them already) .... 1) always have a roof light, or other opening open when closing the door, as this reduces the effort to get it to close and. 2) add another handle to the inside of the door, so as to make it easier to grip the door and get it moving (quite easy to do on the vans we have owned). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 It was an option on Globecar's some years back, IIRC Mel had one, I seem to recall several posts of them having problems, no idea if they are better now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 Earlier 'soft-close sliding door' forum discussions here https://tinyurl.com/4puxx9a4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted April 4, 2022 Author Share Posted April 4, 2022 Thanks Michael and Derek. We used both of Michael's tips when we has an A/S Warwick, they helped but not a lot and it was particularly difficult to shut when facing uphill - and we were younger and stronger then I saw the links and after speaking to a Dutch guy in Spain some years ago he was not very polite about the Artim device that his van had, which kinda puts me off. Thanks for your help guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted April 4, 2022 Author Share Posted April 4, 2022 Many years ago, long before white van man invented slamming side doors, panel vans only had cab and back doors and we all seemed to manage perfectly well with side doors? So with a bit of sensible re jigging can we manage similarly now as well as gaining the unused side entrance floor and wall space to put to better use? Perhaps a bit of lateral thinking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterjl Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 Hi. I have soft close on my current Possl and on my last Globecar. I love the system, just gentle slide the door closed and it is pulled in and locked. On my last Globecar it did go wrong after nearly 3 years. After consulting on this forum and talking to my dealer I easily removed it and the dealer sent it off for exchange. The technician at the dealer reckoned the fault was unusual. You cannot purchase independently and Globecar will only replace if you send one back. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeco Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Rich, there is a company here in AU that has conversions from sliding to hinged. They are very expensive but could be a solution if you can find a local UK manufacturer. https://diyrvsolutions.com.au/collections/door-conversions (!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Tracker - 2022-04-04 8:10 PM Many years ago, long before white van man invented slamming side doors, panel vans only had cab and back doors and we all seemed to manage perfectly well with side doors? So with a bit of sensible re jigging can we manage similarly now as well as gaining the unused side entrance floor and wall space to put to better use? Perhaps a bit of lateral thinking! This 2001 review is of the Manhattan "Tardis" model https://tinyurl.com/2p83eja7 that turned a Ducato's left-side sliding door into a 'slide out' and added a hinged GRP entrance door to the vehicle's right-hand side. The idea was fine, but the execution was not great. I understand 16 were produced. (Manhattan also exhibited a large coachbuilt motorhome at an NEC show. The vehicle had a steel skeleton that was advertised as having excellent accident-safety qualities. I don't think it got beyond the prototype stage,) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 There is also a conversion which adds a hinged door in a slider. https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Sliding-doors-an-answer-/37215/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted April 5, 2022 Author Share Posted April 5, 2022 The most effective solution we found was to swap the Warwick XL PVC for an Executive 50th Anniversary edition - very little extra footprint or height - a heck of a lot more room inside, same running costs, and almost as easy to drive and manoevre. Silly me, due to illness and lack of use we sold it several years ago and now the prices gone up. The wonder of hindsight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simian Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 I find a rear pair of barn doors a handy escape route should someone larger than me find the slider slammer annoying ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simian Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Intended to attach an image to previous post, but site very shakey, that plus Ban notifications made for difficulties !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Tracker - 2022-04-04 8:10 PM Many years ago, long before white van man invented slamming side doors, panel vans only had cab and back doors and we all seemed to manage perfectly well with side doors? So with a bit of sensible re jigging can we manage similarly now as well as gaining the unused side entrance floor and wall space to put to better use? Perhaps a bit of lateral thinking! Wouldn’t be an entirely new concept Rich - many years ago quite a few vans had hinged side doors including the early VW transporters and Mercedes 207D - have seen a few examples and they always strike me as a sensible alternative. David I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simian Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 I believe sliding doors became a de rigeur feature on vans due to the standardised palletising of loads. It being difficult to manoeuvre a pallet once loaded. Sliding door opening width (if not height) are standardised to allow forklifted load universal accessibility. This otherwise would require a pair of side hinged doors to shut off a 1200mm plus opening..... fairly dangerous, and a single side hinged door would definitely be dangerous imo. Oddly Mercedes, at least for the large Vario van listed the substitution of the sliding door with a panel as a no cost option. Whereas you might well have expected a discount, at least I did! Most buyers went for the standard door, after all it can be easily left unused. Some PVC converters just utilise a dead slider as a maintenance access hatch for fridge, gas bottles etc. limits design possibilities of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmover Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Hi, On a slightly different tack, Is there anywhere you should lubricate, on the sliding door or track?. I have looked several times, couldn't decide if it would the right thing to do, Re- attracting crud. Cheers Em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simian Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 From time to time clean the exterior track and bearings with WD 40 and a small brush. Then spray motorbike chainwax suitable for X and O ring chains which makes it harmless to plastics and rubber. And anti static. My door bearings are a combination of steel balls races and nylon 'tyres'. The interior track I clean and occasionally spray with a light silicone grease. But I believe where nylon is used manufacturers regard it as self lubricating ....no maintenance required. All I can say is my door gear has lasted quarter of a century and hasn't had any repair or replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earthmover Posted April 10, 2022 Share Posted April 10, 2022 Hi Simian, Thankyou for your comprehensive reply, I will give it a go !. Regards Em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YorkshireGlobecar Posted April 11, 2022 Share Posted April 11, 2022 peterjl - 2022-04-04 10:33 PM Hi. I have soft close on my current Possl and on my last Globecar. I love the system, just gentle slide the door closed and it is pulled in and locked. On my last Globecar it did go wrong after nearly 3 years. After consulting on this forum and talking to my dealer I easily removed it and the dealer sent it off for exchange. The technician at the dealer reckoned the fault was unusual. You cannot purchase independently and Globecar will only replace if you send one back. Peter Our 8 year old Globecar has this system. Has always functioned perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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