Slider or swing door?

[Wanderer]

Was checking out some vans 


http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ctd/5377885636.html

http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/ctd/5359941126.html


and while the prices look good (Per NADA) I am wondering if a slider is 
a deal breaker....

I have side swing out doors, but was thinking back to my 1978 Chevy Van 
and the PITA when the roller pin shattered and fixing it...

Any opinions?

 

[BigT]

I'm torn on that issue myself. I've had both sliding and swing-out doors on vans I've owned, and I think they both have their own distinct advantages.
On one hand I like the low maintenance/fewer moving parts that come with swing-out doors, but I use my current van as a daily driver, and the sliding doors make it easier to load stuff in crowded parking lots.

Ultimately I think I'd rather have swing-out doors on only one side of the van. MY TC has sliders on both sides = more moving parts to break, and expensive repairs.

 

[SternWake]

Sliding doors are always noisy, and it is a very distinctive noise that everyone anywhere can pinpoint as to what made it.

I can still perfectly imagine the slider door noise on the VW Kombi I owned in South Africa, in '98.

My swing doors have fold out shelves, and plenty of storage behind.

 

[B and C]

The old vans we had always had the swing out doors.  Mount a thin cabinet with a fold down door to the rear side door and use it inside or out.  Great storage and work space.  The only advantage to a slider I can see is if you are parking in parking spaces near the store door and need to open it to stow something.  Park further out and get some exercise.

 

[accrete]

We've got a slider on our 2010 full size chevy and while the "noise" isn't a bother to me, the wife has stated she would really like a silent mode on it! And of course the slider noise is, as someone said, everyone in camp will know it was you ;P

If you go with a swing out side door plan you could include the idea of a quick galley box and drop down table of sorts that can be bolted to the inside of the swing out door.

[img=600x800]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMFFye8xJeE/TdHrcrTfSgI/AAAAAAAABhc/dCC1TFnu44I/s1600/IMG_2051.JPG[/img]

A bit off topic but maybe helpful to some...
That all said... on the galley side of things, we are going with a rear bumper mount galley box by aluminess in California. It will be fabricated and shipped up to Van Specialties in Portland to mount.

Happy Holidays,
Thom

 

[highdesertranger]

I will say this having been a mechanic for years, I have only repaired a couple of swing out doors(barn doors). I have repaired hundreds of sliding doors. highdesertranger

 

[Almost There]

If everything else is equal between two vans, I would definitely choose the barn doors over a sliding door.

The sliding doors are a PITA, particularly if you're not parked completely level. If the front end is downslope, half the time the door won't stay open. If it's uphill to close it, you have to take a running start at it and slam hard.

Opening just one barn door is usually enough for getting in and out and that means that only half as much rain gets in...

AND, you can use all that door space for building extra cabinetry in/on them to add storage space. There is nothing you can do with a slider to add storage.

 

[highdesertranger]

very good points Almost There. highdesertranger

 

[LeeRevell]

I live in both worlds.  My 2005 Grand Caravan as the sliders, which I can open and close with the key fob.  Convenient when shopping.  But as said, noisy.  Also I had to learn to disable the flashing emergency lights whenever they were opened - very annoying making that bathroom call in the campground at midnight.....   A "Child safety feature".   :dodgy:

My '88 E150 Conversion Van has the barn doors - much better on longer road trips.  Also nice to have a key lock on ALL doors.  The GC has a key lock on only the driver's and rear door.  Sometimes the autolocks drop offline, and I have to climb through the driver's door to unlock the right door from inside - annoying.

Buying a new van and given the choice, I'd definitely go for the barn doors.

 

[East]

Thinking back to people I've known in the past with sliding doors on their vans vs barn doors, definitely more of them were "out of order" on the sliding side of things. They just look like a pain to service, never done it, though, kinda glad the Aerostar slider didn't give me trouble when I had it.

Insulating and building is a lot easier with the barn doors as has been said, that alone makes me prefer them.

 

[Patrick46]

I have a friend who has a Chevy super-extended cargo van for sale, (ex-carpet van, in very nice condition) in that same vintage and price range as the one's you've posted. I think he may be a 'motivated seller' too.

I think it may have the barn-type doors, but I can't say for sure. (I DO prefer barn doors myself, but it's usually not a deal breaker for me.)


Would you like for me to give him a call, and see if he's still selling??

 

[akrvbob]

So far I've spent $300 on my slider and expect to spend more eventually. Hate that piece of sh*t!
Bob

 

[karl]

I'm in the swinging door camp for all the reasons others have stated.

 

[MrNoodly]

I had wanted swinging doors because I could mount things to them and because it's a much simpler mechanism. But I got one with a sliding door because the van had so much else going for it. But whenever I need to load my groceries in a parking lot, I'm glad I have a sliding door. (Access in tight spaces is why they were invented in the first place.) And the fact I can't really mount anything on the door means I have more open space inside.

 

[SoulRaven]

Another vote for swinging. On our 1993, we were out somewhere and the door broke and just was open and froze in place. We could not close it. Also, it can take quite a bite of energy to pull it shut on a hill and then you have the "slam".

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I am also on the side of barn doors but in saying that all my vans have sliders so it is not a deal breaker, another thing to note, two of my vans are 23 years old the other is 29 and all the original sliders are still working with no issues. I keep the rollers greased and clean the tracks regularly, I know they are a pain when they break but my experience is that they are pretty reliable overall.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Barn door all the way for me.

Sliding doors are harder to insulate.

Sliding doors are more difficult to close from the inside.

There is a van I really like and have thought about buying, but the ONE thing holding me back?

....sliding door!

 

[regis101]

I've been a slider kinda guy. I like that it lays flat with the vehicle.
I would certainly entertain barn doors if they would lay flat

 

[eDJ_]

Back in the custom Van days when the sliding doors came along one of the earliest products for those sliding doors were "extender arm link".

These made it so that insulation and carpet cover on the inside of the door could be installed and then provided room for that added material such that the door could be opened and closed easily. 

I don't know if these are available today or not.  I've never wanted a slider.

http://www.vanning.com/threads/ubbthreads.php/topics/613706/all/Extra_WIDE_door_slide_extensio

 

[highdesertranger]

yep I installed a few of those. highdesertranger