New van

You would lose a hell of a lot of space, I'd spec one with no SLDs, you have cab doors and back doors which I think is more than enough.


And zero whoosh bang for others to listen too.
 
Thistle said:
I assume you spend most of your time abroad hence why the sliding door is on the wrong side (from a uk perspective)
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I hate this expression "On the wrong side". Why is it wrong? In the UK it is no more 'on the wrong side' than the driver's door is. Under no circumstances is it more dangerous or inconvenient to use than the RHD driver's door. In a layby, parking place or camp site it matters not a jot what side a door is. So why has the expression 'on the wrong side' come about?

As for the whoosh bang sliding door, I know what you mean because I had a PVC with it. If I ever get another one it might be a Globe Car, partly because they are very well made, but a big plus reason for getting one of those is that they have an electric shutting mechanism. When the door is at its 'nearly closed' position a dectector jumps out, grabs the door and shuts it silently. It is an excellent thing - but cannot be fitted retrospectively. Unless of course you work in the Globe Car factory and have access to the components and tools to fit it.
 
mark61 said:
Easy sorted by getting a van with sliding door on both sides. :)
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EEEK! Don't do that, it weakens the body horribly.
In France a few years ago in a service station there was an Electric Company Ducato with two sliding doors. It was on a pedestal inside some metal fencing, on show to the public as a warning. It had been rear ended. It was an inverted V shape, bent where the two big holes made the body too weak to withstand an impact. Call it a crumple zone if you like.
I have a photo somewhere but what with 5000 photos on my pc, mostly not labelled I can't find it.:(
 
gasgas said:
I hate this expression "On the wrong side". Why is it wrong? In the UK it is no more 'on the wrong side' than the driver's door is. Under no circumstances is it more dangerous or inconvenient to use than the RHD driver's door. In a layby, parking place or camp site it matters not a jot what side a door is. So why has the expression 'on the wrong side' come about?
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As someone who own's a van with the SLD 'on the wrong side', I'd have thought it very obvious why it's called 'on the wrong side', whilst it's workable, it's far from ideal having the habitation door on the side facing traffic.
 
gasgas said:
EEEK! Don't do that, it weakens the body horribly.
In France a few years ago in a service station there was an Electric Company Ducato with two sliding doors. It was on a pedestal inside some metal fencing, on show to the public as a warning. It had been rear ended. It was an inverted V shape, bent where the two big holes made the body too weak to withstand an impact. Call it a crumple zone if you like.
I have a photo somewhere but what with 5000 photos on my pc, mostly not labelled I can't find it.:(
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Too Late, already done it, and will do it again if I ever buy another new van.

I don't buy that it weakens the body either, well, I'm gonna have to see some proper evidence that it does.
Wouldn't be surprised if it's stronger.
 
Thistle said:
Well I am assuming all manglefacturers offer both options but I could be wrong.
i am also one of those stubborn people that simply won’t park the wrong way around i.e. facing the oncoming traffic so when parked on the left a sliding door exiting in to live traffic wouldn’t be ideal
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No problem whatsoever just head out through the passenger door.
I really don't know what the issue is here.
When I bought my current van it was the only A class with the drivers door on the UK side. (drivers side)
I got comments on here that it was better on the continental side, seems I can't win:)
Sorry but when choosing a van I am not particularly bothered what side the sliding or habitation door is on.
My primary concerns are layout, equipment, and price. What side the sliding door is on is neither here nor there for us.
As for manufactures offering alternative door openings, I have never heard of this.
The only way I could get it on the "right" side would have been to buy a British van, and none of them suited our needs.
 
It's usually older vans that have the problem and I think some vans have an electric closer so it really is almost silent but they have been around a long time
 
Just spent two days reading manuals, and finding out about how things work on the new van. All going well apart from the black Milenco mirror protectors I bought at the NEC. They’re for long armed mirrors, I have short armed :( But on the good side I was surprised to see the domestic fridge came with winter covers. I will now be selling a small pair for a Thetford fridge, but I think they are exactly the same the domestic covers. The alarm tracker system caused a lot of problems during the handover and when I got home. Every time I entered the van it went off resulting in text messages and phone calls from the monitoring people. It was caused by the system not being programmed properly, this being resolved on Friday night. Looking forward to first trip to Braithwaite Village in the Lake District.
 
wildebus said:
Is that the hole you fall out off? (speciality of European vans I find).
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Based on the pre 2023 Kelso Rally visit to yours, David, I think you have more experience in falling out of the Van, than do I ... :ROFLMAO: . I seem to remember a 'hit rate' of some 80%, based on the sample of 5 'trips' from Brunhilde ... :ROFLMAO:. My memories from that Rally are of you falling out of the Van during the Fridge Fan installation, and of Elaine tripping with the fresh pot of coffee and depositing the contents in my lap [that cooled my ardour]. The pink skin is beginning to fade nearly 5 months later, but is still the colour of Blackpool Rock :rolleyes:

I shall try to adopt a lower profile at the 2024 Rally for fear of being banned from future gatherings ...

Steve
 
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