Delica Canada | Mitsubishi Van Club

I notice that between a '90 and '91 there are differing rear windows (sliding and pop out). Is one preferred over the other?

I can imagine sleeping in the deli on a hot night with the sliders open wide and a sweet cross-breeze drifting through, ahh, nice. I wish Hazel had sliders, for sure.

Understood..... hehehe

Pop out windows look 'cleaner' on the motor and also save some wind noise/drag due to the flat surface. They are also easier to maintain because there is nothing too them. Downside is lack of ventilation.....although I have spent 5 x summers camping in the Mystery Machine with no real probs. (pop out windows)

Sliders are less attractive (thick frames, two panes of glass per window etc..) but give you masses of ventilation. I fitted some sliders to the Mud Monkey and they have proved very handy - especially when BBQ'ing in the back of the van to get all the smoke out. (real nice driving around with a van that stinks of BBQ steak though!)

Sliders are much more sensitive to maintenance due to all the rubbers & seals ....and also the slide clips/catches which become brittle after time. The parts for these are VERY expensive and may be worth considering this before changing to a set (unless you can find a set in great condition)

I wouldn't put sliders in the Mystery Machine because I love the way it looks as it is, and haven't felt the need for them. I am glad I put them in the Mud Monkey because they have proved very useful....and that is one vehicle where I don't give two hoots about the looks! Horses for courses as they say...


(taken on a VERY cold morning in late Nov during an off-roading weekend....)

ventilation is great but has anyone fitted screens or anything to keep the bugs out?

loki wrote:ventilation is great but has anyone fitted screens or anything to keep the bugs out?

Are they really that much of a problem over there?

I'd never even considered it because we don't suffer much from the biting things of the winged variety over here (and any we do get seem to favour my g/friend over me.... )

Mystery Machine wrote:

loki wrote:ventilation is great but has anyone fitted screens or anything to keep the bugs out?

Are they really that much of a problem over there?

I'd never even considered it because we don't suffer much from the biting things of the winged variety over here (and any we do get seem to favour my g/friend over me.... )

not as much a problem in BC as when I lived in Ontario but I also plan on driving this thing all over this continent and south america too perhaps and the situation will be different every where. Plus it only takes on mosquito bite on the 1 year old in the wrong spot to make everyone miserable for a day or too :).

i worked at a campground last summer (riverside RV) and there were tonz of people in different vans.whne i showed up with my deli i had people comming over telling me all these little hints for sleeping.best one was one guy said for a cheep screen he just takes a piece of screen ( bought at any hardwere store)and puts magnets around it and it just sticks to the metal around the window.looks alittle weird but who cares its night time and not perminet.
i really wish i had slidders as i sleep in my van pretty much every weekend

patty wrote:i worked at a campground last summer (riverside RV) and there were tonz of people in different vans.whne i showed up with my deli i had people comming over telling me all these little hints for sleeping.best one was one guy said for a cheep screen he just takes a piece of screen ( bought at any hardwere store)and puts magnets around it and it just sticks to the metal around the window.looks alittle weird but who cares its night time and not perminet.
i really wish i had slidders as i sleep in my van pretty much every weekend

that is a good one I will keep that in mind.

I really appreciate having the negative aspects of the sliding windows spelled out so well by someone as experienced as Mystery Machine Bruce. Makes me feel a little less bad about not having them. You look so comfy leaning out of the Mud Monkey though... OK I still wish Hazel had sliders! No where near enough to try and hunt down a set and make a mess out of attempting to make the switch though. I can just see the scratched paint, barked knuckles and plastic and duct tape... The solution, it seems, is the same as for the high roof / low roof quandary - get one of each!
Great idea about using magnets to hold up bug netting. That would work just as well over the open doors and make the lack of sliders moot for sleeping (maybe we could get some Mitsumaple fridge magnets made up for the job!). Though I wonder if one were to keep the backdoor open for an extended period like overnight if it would be wise to use a lock of some kind to support the weight of the door and relieve the pressure on the pistons? Perhaps a piece of plastic pipe cut open length-wise and popped over the piston shaft?

Are they really that much of a problem over there?

not as much a problem in BC as when I lived in Ontario

If by BC you mean select areas of the lower mainland and the East coast of Vancouver Island, then I completely agree. But there are places, even here on the Island, but esp. in the northern interior... shudder. I can recall times after a nice spring rain and a big hatch when we had to tie bandanas over our mouths so we could filter out the dense clouds of mozzies - again, shudder. And then there is the dreaded noseeum - They come out at night and are so small they can get through all but the very finest of bug netting. Just a tiny speck on your skin but when they bite they feel big! Nasty devils.

konadog wrote:I really appreciate having the negative aspects of the sliding windows spelled out so well by someone as experienced as Mystery Machine Bruce. Makes me feel a little less bad about not having them. You look so comfy leaning out of the Mud Monkey though... OK I still wish Hazel had sliders! No where near enough to try and hunt down a set and make a mess out of attempting to make the switch though. I can just see the scratched paint, barked knuckles and plastic and duct tape... The solution, it seems, is the same as for the high roof / low roof quandary - get one of each!
Great idea about using magnets to hold up bug netting. That would work just as well over the open doors and make the lack of sliders moot for sleeping (maybe we could get some Mitsumaple fridge magnets made up for the job!). Though I wonder if one were to keep the backdoor open for an extended period like overnight if it would be wise to use a lock of some kind to support the weight of the door and relieve the pressure on the pistons? Perhaps a piece of plastic pipe cut open length-wise and popped over the piston shaft?

Are they really that much of a problem over there?

not as much a problem in BC as when I lived in Ontario

If by BC you mean select areas of the lower mainland and the East coast of Vancouver Island, then I completely agree. But there are places, even here on the Island, but esp. in the northern interior... shudder. I can recall times after a nice spring rain and a big hatch when we had to tie bandanas over our mouths so we could filter out the dense clouds of mozzies - again, shudder. And then there is the dreaded noseeum - They come out at night and are so small they can get through all but the very finest of bug netting. Just a tiny speck on your skin but when they bite they feel big! Nasty devils.

I should have stated that I've only lived in BC for about 5 years and all of that on the island. Been to a few spots on the mainland but not enough to really know details. I hope to get to see much more of it, the deli should help with that, especially once running on wvo and my portable filtering system is going :).

best one was one guy said for a cheep screen he just takes a piece of screen ( bought at any hardwere store)and puts magnets around it and it just sticks to the metal around the window.looks alittle weird but who cares its night time and not perminet.

I was going to post that exact advice. I made a set of 'magnet screen' for the front door windows of my VW Vanagon Syncro and used them for many summers with great success.

Some Tips: Lay the magnet stip onto your van first. Then remove the sticky tape from the manet strip and attach the mesh. Then add a layer of epoxy from the mesh side over the magnet (the sticky magnet stick alone will not last very long). Make sure you dont get any epoxy on your van! Let dry and then trim the extra mesh away. Re-attach the screens and check for gaps, if any are located remove from the van and fill carefully with epoxy. Total cost will be like $10 at most.

I've been meaning to post on this very subject. I have sliders on my Delica and the seals are indeed disinegrating. I have a few spots that leak when I put the hose to them.

Does anyone out there no of a place in Vancouver that might be able to re-seal such a thing.

Thanks, Jason.

Simple idea learned from the knowledgeable UK site was attaching above the open sliding door and hanging a ; which surprisingly keeps out squitos quite well, though no-seeums and the breeze can get through. Been wanting to cut apart a that would fit the open rear hatch and attached with used in place of the plastic buttons to secure the edges of the interior trim. in the right size fits well, and are handy to use as replacements for the buttons/tabs that won't hold anymore. Would be fabulous to use with a . On hot, clear, sky nights a small sheet of noseeum netting covering the open moon roof is ideal. Combine that with an attached large tent door would be provide a open air nights sleep without the bites.

Jason, Glen at CCAuto has a few slider window seal.

Mystery Machine wrote:Are they really that much of a problem over there?

The Canadian military has a large air force base at Cold Lake, Alberta, called the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (see here for more info) that is used by many nations from around the world for fighter and bomber training.

It is said (only slightly jokingly) that the reason it is so highly valued is that with the mosquitoes they have up there the pilots get real air-to-air training against adversaries that fight back.

Further east, in Quebec one time I had to run back to the car to escape the mosquitoes after about 5 minutes. I counted 26 bites on one leg in the space from a couple of inches above to a couple of inches below the knee.

Fortunately for me right now, the mosquitoes we get in Alberta don't seem to like me

But I'm still working on designing screens for the windows and/or doors