Interesting ideas from VW

gumpy · January 16, 2015, 07:20:29 PM

This is kind of interesting. There are some unique ideas in this design that could easily be applied to bus conversions. While a rear engine and upper cooling system might be a problem
with most MCI buses regarding the sliding rear unit, some conversions, skoolies and trucks in particular, could very easily incorporate something like this.

http://www.wimp.com/awesomefeature/

daddyoften · January 16, 2015, 07:58:31 PM

That's pretty cool!

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Jeremy · January 17, 2015, 03:40:47 AM

Those have been around for a while now and in fact I don't think that's even the current version of the van. It is a cool idea though, and I did something similar myself

Jeremy

chessie4905 · January 17, 2015, 05:56:03 AM

Made me think of a pop up camper.

Oonrahnjay · January 17, 2015, 09:19:39 AM

A $100,000 would buy a lot of bus converson components, even at the marine supplies store!

chessie4905 · January 17, 2015, 11:22:14 AM

Remember, you have that money to buy the used coach also.

dbldragon · January 17, 2015, 04:34:51 PM

A good used coach would still leave you with 80k in your pocket and look at the space difference. Carry 3 sleep 4 seems strange to me.Then again I am building low tech and 2 bedroom .I still have a couple of things to buy but think parts budget will still be under 10k for my conversion .

Lin · January 17, 2015, 04:46:01 PM

It's innovative for something the size of a van, but since our buses are already 35 to 45 feet, extending it further might cause problems with space length. Slide outs do roughly the same thing in A and C motorhomes.

HB of CJ · January 18, 2015, 07:35:29 PM

Typical precise German engineering also. Now wondering to myself if this would work ... only take it one step further and have a second interior sliding partition ... inside the first? A double slide out? That plus multiple lateral slide outs? The precise fit and friction problems might be a concern. Other than that? Can one also imagine the cost of repair if such a VW were to experience even a slight smack and tweaking? $OUCH$. HB of CJ (old coot)

gumpy · January 18, 2015, 08:51:45 PM

I didn't say it was necessarily practical or affordable. I said there were some interesting concepts in it, and not just the slideout.

Maybe my next one will have a 2nd story that lifts up, a rear slide unit, and both sides will slide out full length.

There isn't any reason I couldn't make a 3rd story come up out of the 2nd story, too. 3 levels of living space!

chessie4905 · January 19, 2015, 04:52:03 AM

Uh oh, too much caffeine.😱

Jeremy · January 19, 2015, 05:50:37 AM

I forget who it was now but there's at least one Class A builder fitting 'concertina' slideouts - ie., a slide within a slide. I'm sort-of doing something similar with one of my side slides, except that the inner one hinges out rather than sides out.

Extending-height motorhomes are used by all the big motorsport teams here and there's a company that builds them only a short distance from my house. I don't know whether the same idea has ever been done on a bus conversion though - I would doubt it

Jeremy

Jeremy · January 19, 2015, 06:03:57 AM

Just had a look at the website of the company local to me (Vipex) and this is what they described as being one of their 'standard products' the Vanguard Double-Decked Mobile Hospitality/Retail Suite (Semi-Trailer). I reckon 100 sq.m. of floor area might just about be sufficient if you wanted a cosy motorhome for occasional weekend use.

Vanguard Double-Decked Mobile Hospitality/Retail Suite (Semi-Trailer)

100.60 m2 retail space
Internal & external display areas
Mobile billboard in transit
Ground based selling opportunities
On board generator for field based retailing as standard
Basic lighting package and air-conditioning included as standard
Full bespoke branding and interior tailoring available
Mobile internet or wifi available
Retail display design available
Retail staffing available

digesterman · January 19, 2015, 07:05:03 AM

Those were never intended to be used in the RV industry, when folded up no space to walk and most on in trailers where there are no passengers.

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Jeremy · January 19, 2015, 07:14:18 AM

Obviously. This thread is just a flight-of-fantasy and not meant as a practical proposition for any of us - although the fold-out rooms used on these corporate units do in principle impact much less on the interior space than slide-outs. But with the downside of much longer set-up times and having to re-arrange all the furniture etc each time.

Jeremy