bjphillips Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 After looking at the RV's with the expanding side sections I wondered why some enterprising designer doesn't come up with something like that in a smaller vehicle.Just imagine having a transit or similar sized MH possibly a VW that you could extend the sides or the rear outwards a couple of feet or so when on site.It amazes me that you can buy an already large vehicle & be able to increase its interior size but not with a smaller MH where a few feet more would be a godsend.I wouldnt need my 7 mtr MH if I could buy a 5 mtr one & make it grow when needed. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 There was, I think it was called 'Tardis', it is in a normal van, the slide out bit is where the sliding door is. I don't think it caught on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 There have been a couple, one that springs too mind was manhatten, but didn't sell so well. I've thought along lines of using panelvan with two sliding side door option, replace second sliding door with slide out, place toilet in slideout, and when out having good size shower. The other thought I had was using MWB van with a Twin syle layout,and having slide out at rear, so slide in would have small rear 'seat' slideout for double bed, but in end thought might as well just have LWB, but some might prefer MWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred grant Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 theres a bendy motorhome in this months mmm my biddies. given fred sum ideas it as me ansums - so watch out sites it cood catch on. f Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 The Manhattan Motorcoaches' "Tardis" has already been mentioned. It was a bold idea not wonderfully well executed in prototype form and, to become successful, it needed further development to justify the asking-price. Manhattan Motorcoaches also offered a large coachbuilt model (the "Coachman"), also with slide out, but, even if production of this model actually began, it very soon ceased. A few other motorhome manufacturers have attempted stretchable panel-vans in one form or another. Perhaps the most radical is the latest "Littoral" design from Atlanspace, a French company based in the Loire-Atlantique departement. This takes a 3500kg Renault Master panel-van and places a secondary GRP 'skin' over much of the original metal bodywork rearwards of the cab. When the motorhome is parked, the skin section can be slid backwards (in about 3 minutes apparently) increasing the vehicle's overall length from 5.50m to 7.30m and internal volume by some 70%. Despite the weight of the secondary bodywork, payload was said to remain reasonable at 490kg. Asking-price was quoted as 63,500 Euros, so it ain't cheap. There was a piece about it on page 8 of the July 2007 issue of Le Monde du Camping-Car and the photos reveal the amount of modification needed to make the design viable. They also reveal potential drawbacks (at least on the prototype) as the 2nd-skin must be slid back to expose the fridge vents (presumably a compressor-fridge would be employed on production models). It would also be interesting to learn how well extending the 2nd skin works in practice, as it must exert a lot of leverage. It's probably significant that the photo of the motorhome in lengthened state shows steadying-jacks deployed beneath the very rear of the GRP body and another set of jacks just behind the vehicle's rear wheels. More Atlanspace photos and information on http://www.atlanspace.fr/loisirs/index.php?p=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred grant Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 derk i think its april 1 in france my biddy. france IS a day in front of us isnt they? foolishfred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 You is foolish fred to day me biddy try 1 hour . :D nononsencemichele :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olley Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 hi I would imagine its the extra weight that is the biggest problem, manufactures have a problem keeping under the 3500kg limit as it is, adding a slide would only exacerbate that. My brave with two slides weighs near 1ton more than the older non-slide version, caused by the extra stiffening in the body plus the slides and their associated hydraulics. Franke did or maybe still do one with an extending rear. Olley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 olley: Yes, I'm sure that the extra weight of a slide-out will be a potential problem with smaller motorhomes and I note that the Atlanspace vehicle uses aluminium in its structure. Incidentally, just in case forum members should be misled by fred's April Foolishness, the Atlanspace Littoral motorhome genuinely exists, as is easily confirmed by clicking on the link I provided earlier. It's worth browsing through the website's photo gallery as this shows just how clever the design is to provide travel-seating and separate sleeping berths for four people in a vehicle only 5.50m in length in un-extended state. Another unusual French motorcaravan range comes from Bolloré based in Brittany. Bolloré doesn't build 'expanders', but instead aims to provide LPG-free motorhomes, something that's been referred to in recent MMM letters. The designs look a bit quirky (I saw a couple of early models at a French exhibition in 2005) and the leaflet I picked up then listed some unique features including the option to have a rainwater collection system for use in washing the vehicle. However, I notice from the Bolloré website that this particular option is no longer mentioned! The link to the Bolloré website is http://www.bollore-motorhome.fr/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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