Sliding window for Suzuki Carry cab

[patriscott]

We've got 2 dogs who travel in our 1980s Romahome while we are travelling in the Suzuki Carry cab. But it gets hot in the back so we had a couple of ideas for what we could do about it:

1. We could put a sliding window in the back window of the cab so it opens up into the Romahome. Neither the Suzuki dealer or Autoglass can help us with this.

2. The other idea we had was to somehow seal between the cab back window and the Romahome window which are next to each other, although not the same size.

Does anyone know if either of these ideas are possible and how we could do it?

Patricia

[jayjay]

Hi Pat,

In the beginning I just opened the roof vent at the front and angled it this way /// towards the back so that the wind went over the top. Can be expensive though if you get a side wind as it might rip it off! That never happened to me though.

Later, I took out the cab window, the one on the roma had already been removed.

Then I checked for leaks. It seemed to be sealed all around anyway, but just to make sure, i pushed a good length of rubber round seal in between the two, and it worked like magic. See link below:

http://www.sealsdirect.co.uk/bbCMS/s...DepartmentId=3 scroll down to expanded neoprene cord. Ask for samples, they will send them out free of charge so you can get the right size for the gap.

Another advantage was that I could open the cab windows now and air would get to the dog, who was happier not to be 'cut off' from me as well! Also very handy to 'post' things through at night, which is what I used to do with the backs off the seats to get them out of the way! I had a curtain on curtain wire for privacy.

[jayjay]

Forgt to add that neither of my windows were the same size either, but the expanded cord worked a treat, just to make sure! If you have no water leaking into either the cab or the van, then taking out both of the windows won't matter or cause a leak, just remove them from the seals.

I tried for many a while to get hold of a sliding window with no luck.

[patriscott]

Dogs and Romahome window

Jayjay

You are a mine of information. That's a brilliant idea. And exactly our thinking about having contact with the dogs, circulating air for them etc. Will try what you suggest.

We are just off to Wrenbury for a night, not so far from you. Hope to meet up with you and pick your brains some more some time.

Patricia

[jayjay]

Have sent a PM to you!

[patriscott]

Hi Jayjay

Just to update you, we've taken the window out of the cab. Dogs liked it much better. In fact Dolly jumped through it into the cab, so at the moment we have a cooker shelf wedged behind the cab seats to prevent her doing it again!

Seals Direct sent me some samples of expanded cord, but the gap is too wide in places for even their largest sample. Anyway it doesn't rain in, so that's good. It's already so much better. Dogs are a bit more settled and we can get air flowing into the back for them.

Our mechanic has got an idea to seal draughts around the hole through to the cab which would make a rubber seal, so we will see what he has in mind and how much it will cost. But things are definitely looking up.

It was lovely to see the picture of your old Romahome like ours on the forum.

Patricia

[jayjay]

Hi Jayjay

Just to update you, we've taken the window out of the cab. Dogs liked it much better. In fact Dolly jumped through it into the cab, so at the moment we have a cooker shelf wedged behind the cab seats to prevent her doing it again!

Seals Direct sent me some samples of expanded cord, but the gap is too wide in places for even their largest sample. Anyway it doesn't rain in, so that's good. It's already so much better. Dogs are a bit more settled and we can get air flowing into the back for them.

Our mechanic has got an idea to seal draughts around the hole through to the cab which would make a rubber seal, so we will see what he has in mind and how much it will cost. But things are definitely looking up.

It was lovely to see the picture of your old Romahome like ours on the forum.

Patricia

Hi again, I wondered if my dog would do the same, but she didn't! I did wonder about things flying through the gap in the event of a sudden stop so probably some sort of removable safety guard (or a cooker shelf - brill idea!) is probably a good thing.

If the gap is too wide for the cord, try pipe insulation (sort of springy grey expanded foam stuff) from B&Q, just cut it a bit larger than the gaps and squash it in. (That tip comes courtesy of Ant, he suggested it to me!). You'll only need approx 3 lengths and it won't show. Just cut it to fit with a craft knife and push into the gaps around the windows from the inside of the pod, just out of sight.

The pod of my van was really close up to the cab, in fact, the windows were so close together in places I had to push the cord in (quite a thin one) with a screwdriver. Just check underneath the beds that your pod is in fact bolted on properly!!! But I know some have a much bigger gap than others and it's probably ok.

Did you have a good time at Wrenbury? first time I went camping I spent most of my time trying to find out where I'd put things! That all became logical and organised after a few trips!

[patriscott]

Wenbury site at the Cotton Arms was really nice and friendly. A very busy week-end because the scarecrow event was on. Lovely walks along the canal and plenty of places to eat. What more can a girl want? I would recommend it it.

It wasn't our first time out in the van. Like you with your caravan we are sorting it out bit by bit. So it seems like first time out every time. I am in the process of making a small folding table now. The fridge is working now, but not very well. So we've got the instructions to work on that.

Off to Tan-y-Bryn CS in Wales this week-end, then a 2-week trek in August.

Will try the pipe insullation. I did think of that too.

Patricia

[patriscott]

Gap left by taking out cab window

Jayjay, I have sealed the gap by making a cuff to fit between the cab window hole and the Romahome back window hole. I used leatherette and sewed it into shape so it fitted snugly and sewed velcro along both edges. Then I glued velcro onto the back of the cab. And it seems to have done the trick - no more draughts, dogs are happier and it actually looks quite neat and finished off.

I checked the bolts under the seats and the Romahome is nice and securely bolted down.

Next I'm going to paint the dark brown melamine cupboard doors to update them a bit.

The grill isn't working, so I am trying to find a compatible cooker to fit in the cooker space.

Patricia

[jayjay]

Jayjay, I have sealed the gap by making a cuff to fit between the cab window hole and the Romahome back window hole. I used leatherette and sewed it into shape so it fitted snugly and sewed velcro along both edges. Then I glued velcro onto the back of the cab. And it seems to have done the trick - no more draughts, dogs are happier and it actually looks quite neat and finished off.

I checked the bolts under the seats and the Romahome is nice and securely bolted down.

Next I'm going to paint the dark brown melamine cupboard doors to update them a bit.

The grill isn't working, so I am trying to find a compatible cooker to fit in the cooker space.

Patricia

Hi Pat,

It's sounding good! Your leatherette cuff sounds just the job!

I also cut in half my seats and backs, faced/edged the raw edges, it made life a lot easier when trying to get things out of the lockers underneath. It all became much easier to manage after that and one of the backs was just right to fit in the gap between the pod and cab, in the window at night, which shut off the cab (after I'd posted everything thru into there!) and kept the pod nice and warm. If you're making up a double bed though, you'll need all the backs for that.

I cut them with a sharp knife, then edged the raw edges with similar coloured material. It wasn't an exact match, but when the seats and backs were in place, you couldn't see it anyway! I put two strips of velcro on the facings, so they fit back together and stayed put.

I hardly ever used my grill! Only for one night when it was cold, just to heat the place up for a while. It was so small anyway, when I sold the van, the grill pan still looked like new! I don't have a grill in my little Kip caravan, but haven't missed it. I have one of those little toasting thingys that fit onto a ring for toast. A frying pan is much better for bacon and so on anyway, the grill pan was so far away from the flames that I had to balance it on top of a tin plate to actually cook anything! (apparantly this is new EU regulations , so a new cooker/grill will also have this problem). I also have a little gadget which you put over a ring and it turns it into a heater.

If you decide to get a new cooker, there are some good camping cookers in Aldi at the moment, can't remember the price but I remember thinking it was a good price for one. You need to check that the cooker will work on the gas you use in the van.

And of course I now have a double skillet - so an oven as well! The toaster and little heater is in the accessories/gadgets section if you want to check it out.

I'm glad it's bolted down ok - it's worth checking!

As an alternative to painting the cupboards, you could always cover them in that plastic sticky backed stuff that comes on a roll. I've done that with the wood I used to box in the fridge. See my post in the caravan section for details. Although I used one which looked like wood, the nearest match I could get to the units, in B&Q there are no end of different colours! Nice stuff too, looks like it will be hardwearing. I was wondering whether to 'paper' the roof on my pop-top with it, but decided it would be too hard to do, and very expensive, so back to the drawing board on that one.

Keep me updated! Lovely to hear from someone with the same outfit I had (still missed!)