# DIY Slideout on our N&B A Class!



## val33

So, we love our Niesmann & Bischoff motorhome, but find the transverse rear double bed to be a real bind. The only reason we would change the van would be to get two fixed singles at the rear.

As we all know, when you start looking at new vans, you end up constantly increasing the budget. The models we liked the look of were going to cost us upwards of £40k as a 'cost to change'! Plus, most of them would not actually get onto our drive as we live on a hill and require a van with a short rear overhang.

When pondering this issue in the summer, I suddenly had a brainwave, why not just add a slideout! I then thought 'idiot' and forgot about it. Later in the year, we were at the Western Motorhome Show, I started looking at all the RV's with slides and thought 'well, maybe'. Then I saw a post on Motorhomefacts mentioning the Frankia Variospace as in this link. I was amazed to see that the Frankia was very close to what I had thought about doing, so decided that whilst I might be mad, I was at least in good company!

I spent some time researching the slideouts on RV's and came to the conclusion that they are pretty basic in engineering terms. Most rely on huge girders driven by heavy motors or hydraulic rams, however, the system from BAL looked both simple, elegant and light. (link to BAL). Normally, in the BAL system, the slideout runs on rollers. I decided that as a failsafe I wanted to use slides (drawer runners but mounted on their side) I sourced these from GSK (link to GSK). The composite panels came from GM Panels, the slide motor and cables from a US seller on eBay, and the rest from various suppliers, mostly web based.

The total cost, including adding a second door to the garage and all the bedding etc, was just short of £1900. Just a slight saving on the £40k cost to change then 

Lots of pictures are HERE

Val


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## teemyob

wicked!

When are you coming to do ours?

(name and address available on application)

TM


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## peejay

That is excellent, N&B will be offering you a job when they see it!



Pete


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## elainekirk

.
That is awesome


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## ched999uk

Congratulations that looks amazing. I can't believe that that is a 'DIY' modification. 
Really impressive and a great idea. I do wish the manufacturers would get some decent ideas like this one. 
They really need to think out of the box 

Well done great images and great conversion.

I assume insurance company wasn't too expensive? How have you ensured the water cant get in the joints?


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## gaspode

I remember you telling me you were thinking of trying this at Malvern - I thought you were mad.  

I can't believe you've actually done it - and such a professional looking job too. 8O 

Can you book me in for a January conversion please? :wink:


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## kandsservices

Well done val looks super.
kev


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## Hezbez

Excellent - It's really great what you can do when you've got the technical ability and courage to make that first cut!

Better not show this to my hubby - it is just right up his street.


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## Christine600

Amazing!   

Are you an engineer or something since you dared to do this?


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## val33

teemyob said:


> wicked!
> 
> When are you coming to do ours?
> 
> (name and address available on application)
> 
> TM


Trevor, it was you that posted the link to the Frankia that prompted me to actually go ahead with the conversion!

Sorry everyone, I'm not offering to do yours!

Weather sealing wasn't too difficult. It has a 'bulb' seal on both the outside and inside of the back wall that the slide closes/opens on to and a 'wiper' seal as well.

Insurance was no problem as such. Safeguard have just excluded the slideout from the policy, seemed fair enough to me. They are happy to leave value etc as it was before conversion.

Weight was a concern, but due to removing lots of heavier materials and replacing them with the lightest I could find, I've managed to only increase the weight by 65kg. As the van is plated at 4100kg and rarely weighed over 3700kg when loaded, I'm very happy with this.

Ken, I thought you'd like it 

Val


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## havingfun

*diy slideout on our n&B a class*

hi val,

who,s a clever boy then............,i bet jackie,s chuffed to mintball,s,its a fantastic looking job,just one small favour...please dont show it bernard,you know what he,s like, he will have to have a go,and i dont think my blood pressure would be able to cope with a big chunk of the van on the floor

really looking forward to seeing you next year,keep the van until i can stand and droll over what you,ve done. we are hopefully off to europe in the next couple of weeks,until may,hopefully. so will have to wait till then to see it.

all the best mags,


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## DABurleigh

Unbelievable DIY. Well done!

You should have gone the whole hog 

Dave
https://picasaweb.google.com/108495877005911654786/NewZealandShare#5336677645078843474


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## val33

Hi Mags, yes, Jackie is rather pleased with it. My stock of brownie points has received a definate boost 

Have fun while you are away and hope you find the sun.

Dave, that looks very interesting, I like the way they have put windows in the side of the slide as well.

It is surprising, our slide adds 2ft to the internal length, but only about 14in to the external length. This is because the rear wall is inset from the side trims, bumper and towbar. 


Val


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## erneboy

What an excellent job, amazing, Alan.


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## LadyJ

Brilliant Val could I borrow you please ive a few little jobs need doing, could lend Jackie my John for a bit :lol: 


Jacquie


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## spatz1

Your a true craftsman...

And as an ex kitchen fitter know the work and thought that involved and something i would never attempt in the latter stages of life...

well done...


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## peedee

Pity I didn't see this before I ordered a new van  

What an excellent job you have made. Its a brilliant idea which should be adopted by manufacturers.

peedee


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## SilverF1

Nice job, Val. Congratulations on the finish.


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## val33

Thanks to everyone for their compliments, 

When I first thought of doing this, I could find no information online from anyone else who had fitted one. In fact, the only references to DIY slidouts were on forums where the poster was strongly advised against attempting it 

I can honestly say that it was not that difficult. Yes it involved a fair amount of thought and planning and it did cost a fair amount of money, but I have done far more difficult things in the past! It certainly helped that I could afford to pay someone to fix it if it all went wrong 

It took just over four weeks. Working about five to six hours a day, seven days a week (with a couple of days off in the middle!).

I am amazed that of the European manufacturers, only Frankia and RS have done slides. They seem such a sensible solution and as I have proven, they do not need to add a great deal of weight.

Only problem now is that I've got the bug for modding....hmmm what can I do next???


Val


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## Pudsey_Bear

Having done a self build there is no way on earth I would even dream of doing this conversion, I am SOOOO impressed Val.


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## val33

I'm a little humbled by the praise. It really was not that hard, some engineering to get my head round but otherwise just reasonable DIY skills required. Working on my current van conversion has been taxing my brain far more!

The link to the rest of the pictures in the first post is broken, this one still works:

http://www.valwalker.co.uk/photo_album1.html

The Arto will be for sale in a couple of months if anyone is interested


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## jiwawa

That is absolutely amazing, ad such a good idea.

I see it was originally 2011 so it's surprising there haven't been a few designers following suit.

Any disadvantages over the years Val?


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## dghr272

Great job Val, I would tackle most DIY tasks but the bravery to attack the rear panel with a jigsaw requires a fare amount of bravery.

Total respect from me.

Terry


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## coppo

Great job, has it leaked is the main question.


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## nicholsong

val33 said:


> I'm a little humbled by the praise. It really was not that hard, some engineering to get my head round but otherwise just reasonable DIY skills required. Working on my current van conversion has been taxing my brain far more!
> 
> The link to the rest of the pictures in the first post is broken, this one still works:
> 
> http://www.valwalker.co.uk/photo_album1.html
> 
> The Arto will be for sale in a couple of months if anyone is interested


Val

A really great job.

We have a Arto 69 also 2003 and we are very pleased with it, and the only reasons we would change is to get an island bed and more payload than we have on our 3850kg max. Do you think that yours could accomodate an island bed, well it would not be an islnd bed but a fore/aft one, but enabling either party to exit without clambering over the other? Did you have to lose any height in the garage? I like the second garage door - did that come from Polch? Does that require any stregthening around the surround or can the usual strong N+B walls take the cut-out without?

Obviously one drawback is that one loses the ladder.

I am so impressed that I may well be interested when you sell. Have you got a spec drawn up yet? If not if you could PM me some rough details - mileage etc. and any add-ons I can let you know if I would be interested when you put it on the market.

Again excellent job.

Geoff


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## Gretchibald

Like everyone else, overly impressed by the ingenuity and skills employed here . Praise well deserved.


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## Pudsey_Bear

Val, I have looked at it several times, but I cannot grasp it at all, from inside, can't see what moves, have you phone video on youtube or somewhere as I find the concept fascinating.

Kev, (Pudsey bear)


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## jiwawa

As far as I can see Kev the foot of the mattress 'climbs' the wall to the front and the slats of the bottom 1/2 to 2/3 of the bed concertina as the top section of the bed comes forward.

Ingenious!


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## Pudsey_Bear

Yes I ,looked at the link again and it makes more sense now.


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