Dust Proofing your Expanda ?

[Doggy]

Hey all, We are wanting to completely dustproof our new 18.57.8

We are in Nth QLD where bulldust is rife and as fine as Talcum powder. We have just had our first big wet season rain just a few days after arriving home & water has entered the front storage locker under the bed end. If water can get through , well so to dust.

Has anyone have any pointers or ideas of solving the age old problem of dust & water in vans & storages?

PLEASE, feedback would be great.

Looking at Jayco's setup on seals , including doors outside, entry door to van & other orifices , there is not a great deal or thought gone into sealing these so called " Outback Models "

Cheers Doggy.

 

[Brad]

Gee that one is a tough question I would have thought.....
My smartarse answer would be to say to keep the van stationary. Don't hook it up to a car and there will never be any dust.
Hopefully someone else out there has some more constructive answers for you.

 

[chartrock]

My model has a boot on the front and it leaked from pickup, (it poured all the way home from Newcastle). After two attempts the dealer took off the rubber strip joining the top half of the front of the van to the top of the boot and found just a few dabs of silicon along the join allowing water in where there was no silicon. It was fully siliconed and has since stopped leaking. I know your model does not have the same join but I suspect that it may be a common problem on all their joins.

i may be able to give a more definitive answer in a week or so when I get our van back because one of our problems was dust in the cupboards above the rear bed, and I have been told that all problems have been resolved. I'll wait and see. :nod:

 

[Doggy]

Thanks Chartrock. Be good if you could pass on what they say .

 

[richard]

Gee that one is a tough question I would have thought.....
My smartarse answer would be to say to keep the van stationary. Don't hook it up to a car and there will never be any dust.
Hopefully someone else out there has some more constructive answers for you.

That is until a dust storm comes along, then you are sunk.

 

[cruza driver]

On our trip up the Oodnatta trk and various trips around the High Country area I find most of the dust enters fridge vents and door vents, covers can eliminate this.

Dust also gets in past the bed end hard lids seals and through the bed hinges.

Also get underneath and reseal all the accessory points where the wiring, plumbling etc goes through the floor.

Have a look at Stone Stompers Expanda (Christian) he has done a lot of dust proofing on his Expanda
Personally for us I haven't been to worried about dusr in the living area as the dust cleans up pretty easily and we bought a 12v vacuum to make the job easier. I concentrate more on keeping of out of cupboards and storage areas.

 

[cruza driver]

Here you go Doggy the Expanda in action through the Painted Desert

 

[Doggy]

Nice one. So from that sort of dust path mate. Would you block up tour door vent & other openings for a trip like that ?

 

[cruza driver]

If you are doing a lot of this type of travelling I would recommend some covers. Its funny if you are getting a side wind away from the door and vent side of the van no dust will get in the vents but if its the other way dust will get in for sure.

After that trip I pulled the fridge vents off to clean behind the fridge etc and it wasn't tp bad considering where we had been.

There is a gaps in the inner cupboards along side the fridge and that needs to be blocked if you dont have vent covers, as dust gets in the vent then inside the cupboards along side the fridge. As for the door most of the dust got on the inside step and not to bad in the Expanda itself. Also we keep the sink plug in and block the shower drain but this could be done on the drain outlets.

 

[Doggy]

Thanks mate for that. I didnt think of the fridge vent where dust could get up into the cubboards.

 

[Capt. Gadget]

Do they have one of those pressure vent thingos on the roof? Like my Canopy on the ute !

 

[Doggy]

No mate unfortunately not. Thats what they need I recon.

 

[Deano]

Can anyone tell me how to fix the problem of dust coming into the back of a ute with a canopy? Thanks! Maybe take it to ARB or TJM to fix?

 

[brookes2622]

Do it yourself with a visit to Clark rubber. They have all sorts of adhesive and pinch weld rubber seals bound to have something to fit. Worked a treat on my Ute.

 

[BUSH PALACE]

From my experiences with dust i used expander foam on all plumbing areas sprayed body deadner on joints , extra foam on seals / door plus the dust hatch but i found the only real way to stop the dust (which wasnt much) was to carry a role of duct tape and tape the rear bed and walla NO DUST ..

 

[leesy]

If you are doing a lot of this type of travelling I would recommend some covers. Its funny if you are getting a side wind away from the door and vent side of the van no dust will get in the vents but if its the other way dust will get in for sure.

After that trip I pulled the fridge vents off to clean behind the fridge etc and it wasn't tp bad considering where we had been.

There is a gaps in the inner cupboards along side the fridge and that needs to be blocked if you dont have vent covers, as dust gets in the vent then inside the cupboards along side the fridge. As for the door most of the dust got on the inside step and not to bad in the Expanda itself. Also we keep the sink plug in and block the shower drain but this could be done on the drain outlets.

I had covers made by Alpine who do alot of the awning work for Page Bros Jayco, i have the same white PVC kinda stuff they use for the bed flys on the pop tops cut to the size plus 25mm which was the width of the velcro, i then use stick on velcro around the vents and covered them. I did not do the fridge as i was worried about the ventilation of heat from the fridge and yes to Curzas point that was the main dust issue area, i will look at a breathable filter or something like that instead. what did you use for the fridge vent Cruza?
i have just sent mine in for warranty work and has asked them to seal it up! that i was not happy with the dust ingression given its an "outback" pick up is Thursday so we will see!! regardless of the outcome i will be in a dark van with a bright light underneath to fill any little place i can see light coming in too!!

 

[cruza driver]

What's the wisdom on putting covers over the fridge vents whilst the fridge is running on 12v?

I was planning on using some heavy plastic (like the garden bed grade black plastic or similar) and some gaffa tape to cover the lower vents (door vent and lower fridge vent) when i'm out on the gravel roads (Flinders / Gammon Ranges / Marree/ Oodnadatta track etc).

No wisdom needed on the Expanda I never covered the fridge vents when travelling the same area you plan on doing. We didn't run the fridge when travelling in those areas anyway and it seems to maintain temp with the fridge stocked up and as long as the door isn't getting open and shut all the time also. This works for us.

We covered the vents on our OB Hawk with canvas covers velcroed to the side of the camper, yet it had a fridge vent on the bench to breathe.

If you block the hole where the 240v leads runs into the rear boot this will stop alot of dust entering in there and then coming up past the rear boot trap doors.

As Bush Palace also mentioned alot of dust enters via the rear bed.

what did you use for the fridge vent Cruza?

Nothing on the Expanda yet Paul, I haven't worried about it yet although I have kept the old canvas covers I got made for the Hawk if I decide on fitting any for future planned trips.

 

[leesy]

No wisdom needed on the Expanda I never covered the fridge vents when travelling the same area you plan on doing. We didn't run the fridge when travelling in those areas anyway and it seems to maintain temp with the fridge stocked up and as long as the door isn't getting open and shut all the time also. This works for us.

We covered the vents on our OB Hawk with canvas covers velcroed to the side of the camper, yet it had a fridge vent on the bench to breathe.

If you block the hole where the 240v leads runs into the rear boot this will stop alot of dust entering in there and then coming up past the rear boot trap doors.

As Bush Palace also mentioned alot of dust enters via the rear bed.



Nothing on the Expanda yet Paul, I haven't worried about it yet although I have kept the old canvas covers I got made for the Hawk if I decide on fitting any for future planned trips.

Cheers Cruza, i think your right, nest time im on the Ood or the bird tracks i will just turn it off and hold the temp whilst a cover in place.

 

[chartrock]

I found dust in the top cupboards above the bed at the rear of the van. I appeared to be coming in from under the van where the rear wall fibreglass finished. Again, Silastic to the rescue and the dust scoop was filled in.

 

[leesy]

I found dust in the top cupboards above the bed at the rear of the van. I appeared to be coming in from under the van where the rear wall fibreglass finished. Again, Silastic to the rescue and the dust scoop was filled in.

View attachment 9351

We did not seem to have an issue with the rear door letting in dust, had a little at the rear top roof where the pop meets the base, i will have a look at this spot though!!
Cheers