17' Series introducing our beloved, but moody Expanda-Diva

After I needed a lot on advice on our car (full story can be read here) it's time to introduce to you our Expanda.
It's a 17.56.2 Outback, year model 2010


It has always been clear to us that we want an Expanda, love the concept. So no doubt on that.
But being a complete greenhorn to the Jayco environment, I do question some of their design decisions as well as I believe not all engineers are campers or have spend even a night in their product.

Maybe you can offer me again your advise on various "discoveries" we have made so far living in our Expanda for the past 4 weeks.

Push-Buttons
These are real moody divas! Sometimes they work on the first go, sometimes we give up after minutes of trying to make them do what they were built for.
And half an hour later, one push and it's done.
They also open up while driving. Just by itself.
Any hints and tips to make coexistence with them more enjoyable?

3-A-Fuse for Flush keeps failing
Not the type you get easily at every petrol station, but I do have some spare ones that will be used within a week.
That fuse keeps blowing up. Need to check the pumps wiring … but I know myself … I am not an electrician ;-)

Dining area
The lower parts (upholstery were you sit on) keeps on sliding forward when his sit on.
Quite annoying as that makes the back parts slide down as well and I guess material won't take that for the next 12 months.
Have not figured out yet how Jayco designed them to stay in place. Velcro doesn't work.

Grill (stove)
Let's be honest, that grill underneath the gas stove is a joke!
Its field of working is limited to 1 cm in front and beyond the flames.
How can one possible do a pizza in there!?
Any mods that you can suggest?

LEDs
As battery only lasts 2 days when free camping (see battery) I need to extend that.
Hell, LED are expensive in Australia … especially that JAYCO T10 socket type. Why can't they just use the ones everybody else is using!?
Have you got a good and cheap source for warm whites ones? Online order is nat that easy as we don't have a postal address in Oz.

Tires
Right side of the caravan is run down, the ones at the left side were replaced.
Any recommendations for cheap tires? I was told to go with the model "SAVERO" by

Battery
I believe it has come to its end of life. 2 days of free camping at it's done.
Just had it plugged onto 240V for 48 hours, but after unplugging, the control panel shows just 2 out of 4.
I do have 2 additional batteries in the back of my car, guess it's time to do split them up and have one to ride in the caravan.

Waterpump
Is quite loud, especially when water levels are getting low.
Any ideas to make them a bit more silent?

Watertank
One of our water tank (rear) looses water after being filled up.
Not sure if it got punctured by a stone.
How to fix that?

Fly Mesh (Mozzy screen)
On one of our first days, my little one was curious what would happen if he pokes his fingers through an already existing tiny whole in the mesh.
Will it widen up? Will it make Daddy happy? It didn't!

Believe it or not, but 2 possums have actually managed to break into our caravan.
They have ripped of one of the mozzy screens of the pop-up-section of it's velcro attachment and enjoyed our food at 2:30 in the morning. Wasn't fun chasing them ;-)
Is there an easy fix for holes in screens or can the one on the pop-up-section be easily replaced?

Fridge Door
Unfortunately the door opens up while driving. That "lock" isn't really very much of a help.
Need to squeeze some cushions between cabinet and fridge door while driving.
Any ideas to fix that?

Privacy screens
Found out that they do a good job as an additional "mozzy barrier".
(First nights my kids legs and arms touched the fly screen while sleeping … and mozzies had a feast)
It also acts as a "rain barrier" as it prevents hard rain from touching canvas.
BUT I believe those "metal-push-buttons" for keeping them in place or when stored away won't last for another 12 months.
How to get round replacing them?

Ants
Was already advised to use Ant-Rid and I have met a family that has sprayed all stabilizing legs, the jockey wheel as well as the axles.
Basically anything that touches ground.
What is your preferred method for "ant-free-camping"?

Toilet
Really that expensive stuff or does Aldi's NappySan a good job too?

Cleaning
The Expanda we bought needs a good wash. Previous owner had been quite lazy.
What are your preferred agents (apart from water)? For vinyl, outside shell and canvas?

Mods
What are your favorite mods to gain additional space, racks, shelves, …
I know you guys have been out there camping for years and made some improvements to your mobile homes.
Please share them

Those are some of the issues we came across the past 4 weeks.
Would be great if you could share your experiences and comment on my points.
Any help is more than appreciated!


Cheers!
JLJ
 
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Drover

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2013
12,723
19,450
113
QLD
Now thats a shopping list for sure.......................


Push-Buttons
One of the true Jayco mysterys and the later versions are not much better, checking the striker inside the draw/cupboard is in best position can help.

3-A-Fuse for Flush keeps failing
thinking on it, I would just throw a 10 amp in it, 3 amp is for radio gear not pumps, try a 10, if it smokes just pee on it,,lol,lol.

Dining area
Try smearing a glue like Quick grip over the base, it has to dry well for a day then it should act as an anti slip, it is used like that for floor mats so should work.

Grill (stove)
I use a barbie like a Weber, the grills are useless for even toast.


LEDs
I bought mine from china as local was way too expensive, car shops like Supercheap etc sometimes have the right type for a bearable price, battery power saving won't be all that great.

Tires
Most tyre shops would be able to replace your dodgy set with some that match what you have on if one side has new tyres, otherwise replace the lot with what suits your budget, as you are here for a limited time.....
Battery
Battery could be dying but 2 days of full use will suck them down, maybe swapping around with the ones in the ute will extend things but they really need to be charged up daily or the life can be shortened greatly when camping full time for months, the Setek in the van which charges isn't a great unit fro quick charging.....depending on the battery type in the ute you could set up dual batteries in the van again can be complicated.
Waterpump
The lines around your pump insulate them from the floor/walls and where they go thru floor so the vibration doesn't travel as much, they get noisier when they suck in air.

Watertank
Crawl underneath and see if the tanks are interconnected, if so as you drain one tank the other will flow into it to the level of the inlet, or , your 3 way valve is set to draw from both tanks, it has little arrow heads if you look closely, draw from one, draw from both and off...........otherwise you have a hole...

Fly Mesh (Mozzy screen)
Quicky repair, get some aquahere wood glue, some mossie screen cut a bit to cover the hole, cover it with the glue and stick it in pplace with some sticky tape which you can remove when dry, quick fix, stays in place for ages and glue dries clear......
The top screens, glue velcro back on if its come off, we have a fella on here who made new ones
but again post is a problem, a motor trimmer could run a new one up at most major towns. (motot trimmer does vinyl stuff, seat covers etc on vehicles)


Fridge Door
I have used gaffa tape, velcro straps and the seat cushion on the floor, depending on the latch, a hole can be drilled on top of some and a bit of coat hanger wire used as a pin thru latch into door......

Privacy screens
The press studs can be replaced easily available from Bunnings or other hardware stores along with dies to mate them together, drill old and screw old ones off.

Ants
ANTRID wins.............................

Toilet
The commercial toilet sachets, whatever colour are great but when using the Thunder Can daily it becomes expensive I use the Aldi nappi San, purple bottle 1kg last a month of travel, a cap full tipped onto a couple fo squares of toilet paper then wrapped into a bomb and dropped in, then half a bowl of water dropped on top, walk outside grab can and give a little shake to stir, every 2 or 3 dumps give seals a quick spray of olive oil, don't use other oils, always flush can well after dumping...don't lick fingers.............other brand of Nappi San work okay but they must be 32% sodium percarbonate, its noted on the label.......now since nappi buckets and normal washing can be emptied in septics and thats what this stuff is for then dum[ing the can in a septic is okay.......did it for years at the old place, no dramas so theory is tested....Works well.

Cleaning
Outside; normal car wash and wax, canvas just mild soapy water well rinsed, spray with water proofing when fully dry, the stuff we use on Drizabone coats, not pressure pak stuff either, buy from saddlery. polish if you like with Septone Fibreglass polish and restorer, BCF, Supercheap....

Inside walls and cupboards a mild soapy wipe down, not a lot of water or soap, floors just a normal floor wash/polish like OneGo...
Awning I clean it early morning while dew is still on the inside, use broom or mop and mild car wash well rinsed after....



Okay Beer Oclock .........................
 

MDS69

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2014
727
793
93
Grill - get down low and look up with the grill door open. There is a metal heat shield that slides put exposing more of the gas burner. Our first couple of times using it I was thinking this was a slow way to cook two half pieces of toast.

Dining area - our seat base cushion slide out as well and the same as yours the seat backs drop down. I have purchased some wide Velcro strips but haven’t worked out how to afix each strip.
 

Bluey

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2014
2,651
3,817
113
Australia
Ive scewed much bigger velcro to the timber the seat sits on no worries mine havent moved in 3 years easy fix will take a pic when i get home
Maybe some magic spray on push buttons to free them up
Fridge door dont know mines never opened when traveling
Maybe getting new privacy screens made up which are thicker darker and miggy mech i have elastic straps on mine have had since new got mine with the van but made by someone else as they are thicker and not a jayco product
Apart from all this hope all is going well a lot of your fixes are easy some like tyres are expensive its a biit cold at the moment as a low front has moved in it will quickly move on
All the best
 
Last edited:

Bluey

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2014
2,651
3,817
113
Australia
Heres a pic of the valcro i put on for the seat it sticks that good i just ripped half of it off takeing this pic DOH!!!!!!
20190214_190524.jpg
 
Thanks to @Bluey and his lovely family we had a "pit stop" this weekend at his house.
Not only we could meet & greet, eat & drink, chat & talk, … we could also do some work on our Expanda.
I can put some things off my list. Yeah!

seat base cushion doesn't slide anymore!
Strips of velcro met the staple gun (bench only) and as the backside of my cushions are some sort of vinyl it needed not only self-sticky-velcro but also some super-glue. Not a hurricane can now blast the damn things off my bench!

Safety first when entering the Expanda!
Well, that wasn't really on my list but it is worth every cent.
(my mum slipped on one of these steps breaking her thumb and her glasses at the same time. Better fix that!)
• Anti-Slip XL Step from Bunnings, perfect size 50x18 cm, around 8 AUD
• "don't know what that rubber is called" from Clark Rubber, 1.5 meters for about 16 AUD

Apart from that, we learned a lot about Expandas (and Melbourne)
Cheers Bluey!!

(anyone else wants to have us camp in his driveway and help getting some "to-do's" off my list – just write me a PM)
8-)
 

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Boots in Action

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2017
2,054
1,806
113
Ferny Grove, Queensland
Now thats a shopping list for sure.......................


Push-Buttons
One of the true Jayco mysterys and the later versions are not much better, checking the striker inside the draw/cupboard is in best position can help.

3-A-Fuse for Flush keeps failing
thinking on it, I would just throw a 10 amp in it, 3 amp is for radio gear not pumps, try a 10, if it smokes just pee on it,,lol,lol.

Dining area
Try smearing a glue like Quick grip over the base, it has to dry well for a day then it should act as an anti slip, it is used like that for floor mats so should work.

Grill (stove)
I use a barbie like a Weber, the grills are useless for even toast.


LEDs
I bought mine from china as local was way too expensive, car shops like Supercheap etc sometimes have the right type for a bearable price, battery power saving won't be all that great.

Tires
Most tyre shops would be able to replace your dodgy set with some that match what you have on if one side has new tyres, otherwise replace the lot with what suits your budget, as you are here for a limited time.....
Battery
Battery could be dying but 2 days of full use will suck them down, maybe swapping around with the ones in the ute will extend things but they really need to be charged up daily or the life can be shortened greatly when camping full time for months, the Setek in the van which charges isn't a great unit fro quick charging.....depending on the battery type in the ute you could set up dual batteries in the van again can be complicated.
Waterpump
The lines around your pump insulate them from the floor/walls and where they go thru floor so the vibration doesn't travel as much, they get noisier when they suck in air.

Watertank
Crawl underneath and see if the tanks are interconnected, if so as you drain one tank the other will flow into it to the level of the inlet, or , your 3 way valve is set to draw from both tanks, it has little arrow heads if you look closely, draw from one, draw from both and off...........otherwise you have a hole...

Fly Mesh (Mozzy screen)
Quicky repair, get some aquahere wood glue, some mossie screen cut a bit to cover the hole, cover it with the glue and stick it in pplace with some sticky tape which you can remove when dry, quick fix, stays in place for ages and glue dries clear......
The top screens, glue velcro back on if its come off, we have a fella on here who made new ones
but again post is a problem, a motor trimmer could run a new one up at most major towns. (motot trimmer does vinyl stuff, seat covers etc on vehicles)


Fridge Door
I have used gaffa tape, velcro straps and the seat cushion on the floor, depending on the latch, a hole can be drilled on top of some and a bit of coat hanger wire used as a pin thru latch into door......

Privacy screens
The press studs can be replaced easily available from Bunnings or other hardware stores along with dies to mate them together, drill old and screw old ones off.

Ants
ANTRID wins.............................

Toilet
The commercial toilet sachets, whatever colour are great but when using the Thunder Can daily it becomes expensive I use the Aldi nappi San, purple bottle 1kg last a month of travel, a cap full tipped onto a couple fo squares of toilet paper then wrapped into a bomb and dropped in, then half a bowl of water dropped on top, walk outside grab can and give a little shake to stir, every 2 or 3 dumps give seals a quick spray of olive oil, don't use other oils, always flush can well after dumping...don't lick fingers.............other brand of Nappi San work okay but they must be 32% sodium percarbonate, its noted on the label.......now since nappi buckets and normal washing can be emptied in septics and thats what this stuff is for then dum[ing the can in a septic is okay.......did it for years at the old place, no dramas so theory is tested....Works well.

Cleaning
Outside; normal car wash and wax, canvas just mild soapy water well rinsed, spray with water proofing when fully dry, the stuff we use on Drizabone coats, not pressure pak stuff either, buy from saddlery. polish if you like with Septone Fibreglass polish and restorer, BCF, Supercheap....

Inside walls and cupboards a mild soapy wipe down, not a lot of water or soap, floors just a normal floor wash/polish like OneGo...
Awning I clean it early morning while dew is still on the inside, use broom or mop and mild car wash well rinsed after....



Okay Beer Oclock .........................

Hi @Jack Lucy & Josh, just a couple of things to add to @Drover 's suggestions:

Regarding the fuse for Flush currently only 3 amps and blowing. See if you can find what current the unit is rated at. It should be marked somewhere. I would not go the whole hog on fuse rating as drover suggested. You may not have enough urine to put out the smoke demons in the wiring if you use a 10 amp fuse. Try a 5 amp for starters if you cannot find the rating plate somewhere.

The ant problem: Ant Rid is a tried and tested product that has been around for ages, but newer and better products are now available. Suggest you try Talon Ant Gel (a Selleys product) available from Woolworths and Coles at approx $8.00 for a 5 gram syringe. You only need to place 1 or 2 mm of this gel product across the ant trails and they really go for it!! Also, the Ant Gel does not stain and can be used indoors and out, does not dry out and is effective for up to 14 days too. Although $8.00 is a little more expensive, I have found it more suitable in my van for cleaning out ants altogether.

Just a word of warning - after 48 hours of feeding watch out for falling dead ants!! They seem to drop out from everywhere!!!

Good luck on your journey through this great country and drive safely.
 
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Reactions: Jack Lucy & Josh
Thanks @Boots in Action, I am grateful for every experience you share. Not sure if I have a 5 amp fuse with me, but an "AutoBarn" is always around the corner.
I will tackle the ants on various battlefields. Try not to let new ones in AND to get rid of the already traveling with us.
Not that ants are of any serious problem at the moment, but I want to be fit when meeting bigger red or green ones some place further north ;-)
 

Boots in Action

Well-Known Member
Mar 13, 2017
2,054
1,806
113
Ferny Grove, Queensland
Thanks to @Bluey and his lovely family we had a "pit stop" this weekend at his house.
Not only we could meet & greet, eat & drink, chat & talk, … we could also do some work on our Expanda.
I can put some things off my list. Yeah!

seat base cushion doesn't slide anymore!
Strips of velcro met the staple gun (bench only) and as the backside of my cushions are some sort of vinyl it needed not only self-sticky-velcro but also some super-glue. Not a hurricane can now blast the damn things off my bench!

Safety first when entering the Expanda!
Well, that wasn't really on my list but it is worth every cent.
(my mum slipped on one of these steps breaking her thumb and her glasses at the same time. Better fix that!)
• Anti-Slip XL Step from Bunnings, perfect size 50x18 cm, around 8 AUD
• "don't know what that rubber is called" from Clark Rubber, 1.5 meters for about 16 AUD

Apart from that, we learned a lot about Expandas (and Melbourne)
Cheers Bluey!!

(anyone else wants to have us camp in his driveway and help getting some "to-do's" off my list – just write me a PM)
8-)

Hi @Jack Lucy & Josh , just read your latest on Anti slip step, but be aware that even that rubber is slippery when it is wet. I was also in Bunnings a while ago and found a product called "Croc Grip". It consists of several strips approx 500mm long by 25mm wide and has strong adhesive backing. It has a rough sandpaper feel to prevent slipping and better still, is luminous at night so you can see where you are putting your feet even if it is dark. Not expensive either (under $10.00?) and very tough wearing too. I stuck mine down directly onto the steel steps in 4 parallel rows and they really do provide a safe and visible non slip surface.
 

rags

Well-Known Member
@Jack Lucy & Josh let me know if/when youre heading north of Brisbane, now's not a great time though wait till its cooler and the cyclone season is over ;)

Same here if you are looking for a spot to stop on the Brisbane, Northside drop me a message. We have a good spot near city transport and easy access to motorway but tucked away on a secret spot on a freshwater river with plenty of room.