Some Camper trailers are slow to put up

[Craig Tomkinson]

Hi all, On this last trip we just did its the first time we got to use our old 83 Jayco pop up van I rebuilt, for a few nights in a row and to see how essay it was to put up against other CTs, and see how much dust got in the van, The first night in Winton we pulled in to our spot in the caravan park and 3 other CTs all did the same, We were set up with table and chairs out side with the new awning up and sitting down having drinks and the 3 different CT were still going, Id say for another 20 minutes after banging steel pegs a mucking around, Then when we went out to the old Cork water hole and back to the Lark quarry and back to Longreach we did around 400ks on good but loose and bull dusty gravel roads there was buggerall dust in the van when we put it up at Longreach caravan park, I got talking to another bloke there he just bought a brand new CT and went to lark Quarry and back about 220ks his CT was full of dust I could not believe it, he was so peeved off, Are all CTs like this, Craig       

[GeoffA]

Hi Craig,

In my experience, no, not all trailers are like that. There are so many variations that it's quite a mixed bag.
As you've noticed, some are not well sealed (if at all), and some campers take a long time to set up.
The better built units should handle dust OK, and also be quite easy to erect.
And then, there are the owners that just don't have much of a clue....

[tryagain]

And then, there are the owners that just don't have much of a clue....

Design and execution always plays a role, I think the human factor is often far underated

[JD-120]

Human factor,.agreed.

We used to be able to pack our oldsoft floor camper up faster than jayco pop tops.

Practice and getting into routine.

Infuriates some

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[BC66]

We have 2005 Jayco Hawk Outback
The previous owner has been somewhere with red dust because it's inside everywhere.
I have been around it with gap filler foam and put a new seal on the side hatch, but the door needs some type of cover and so does the fridge.
He must of been somewhere rough because it looks like the fridge has broken it's mounts and come out at some stage.

The van takes about 10 min to set up by it self but the awning is a pita and time consuming.
If we keep it, we might get a Fiama awning for it


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[Traveller]

It could also come down to what is actually put up as well. We have a rear fold that takes a minute or two to unfold and set up, but we very rarely use an awning which saves us quite a bit of time, both in set up and pack up.

When we stay in caravan parks we are always intrigued to the time taken for caravaners to be set up. Some of the owners are bashing and ferreting around for ages when, to us, the units arrive pre-assembled.

I agree with others in that operator skills play a big part.

[edz]

We have 2005 Jayco Hawk Outback
The previous owner has been somewhere with red dust because it's inside everywhere.
I have been around it with gap filler foam and put a new seal on the side hatch, but the door needs some type of cover and so does the fridge.
He must of been somewhere rough because it looks like the fridge has broken it's mounts and come out at some stage.

The van takes about 10 min to set up by it self but the awning is a pita and time consuming.
If we keep it, we might get a Fiama awning for it


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Have a look at this mod it may help if your heading offroad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzM_Lq9Lp10 

[Pottsy]

We have a Challenger soft floor camper which has a 12 ft tent and a 7 ft X 12 ft annexe plus tropical roof. Tropical roof stays on at all times. Complete set up with annexe and walls, power run, kitchen and all bedding set up, tables and chairs out, dunny set etc is about 1 and hours complete.
We don't hurry and we usually stay in one spot for a week to 10 days so no real issue.
If we want to do an overnighter about 1/2 hr set up, no annexe.
Cheers

[Craig Tomkinson]

Thanks Everyone, I should of said just overnight stays, as it takes me a hour or so to set my camp up if I go up to Inskip for a few weeks stay, Craig

Hey mr edz, I saw that one it looks the goods,  I was going to set that up on my van this trip but did not get around to it, And I could not find the link again so thanks for that, I must point out on my old van I have put ply and sika over all the door and old fridge holes and extra sika around the outside to seal the top too, but it is an old van so nothing looks pretty, Craig     

[Muckinhell]

We have 2005 Jayco Hawk Outback
The previous owner has been somewhere with red dust because it's inside everywhere.
I have been around it with gap filler foam and put a new seal on the side hatch, but the door needs some type of cover and so does the fridge.
He must of been somewhere rough because it looks like the fridge has broken it's mounts and come out at some stage.

The van takes about 10 min to set up by it self but the awning is a pita and time consuming.
If we keep it, we might get a Fiama awning for it




We had a jayco dove outback, same or similar awning. I only ever put 2 poles up the outer 2 and 2 ropes and pegs. no need to put the others in unless your putting up the sides as the extra weight needs the poles. should see you seeting up quicker. Phots shows bed ends up etc but only for selling photos.


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[Muckinhell]

Thanks Everyone, I should of said just overnight stays, as it takes me a hour or so to set my camp up if I go up to Inskip for a few weeks stay, Craig

Hey mr edz, I saw that one it looks the goods,  I was going to set that up on my van this trip but did not get around to it, And I could not find the link again so thanks for that, I must point out on my old van I have put ply and sika over all the door and old fridge holes and extra sika around the outside to seal the top too, but it is an old van so nothing looks pretty, Craig     

For a few bucks on ebay, i bought a large volume air blower usually used below decks on boats to purge air in engine bays, a cheap filter system and a donaldson rip of snorkel head. I was going to fit to our cub spacevan to help keep dust out and water. have it running in the dust and during water crossings, creates a positive ariflow and presurizes the camper. the cub was written of before i got to fit it but similar to the you tube clip but better id say at the job. There are comercial grade kits you can buy, but there more for earth moving equipment to keep dust out of the cabs etc

also we have a modcon forward fold camper and this thing pisses over most other forward folds as there is only the rear bar that needs pushing up to set the tent as the rest are set. has a solid normal door for entry so for quick onight stops you can just pull the steps out under the door and hop in. (others with fold down doors that are the steps require dropping the stabilizers) Also the awning is able to be folded over the roof at pack up so no zipping on and off.

[GBC]

I remember watching an ultimate go up for the first time. My wife and I watched this couple for most of the afternoon ginning around at bough shed hole out from Winton in 2004. We swore they were the stupidest invention ever. Then we went camping with some mates who had one and knew what they were about. No Ladders, no fights. Great camper. Some people can make boiling water look difficult.

[Paddler Ed]

I grew up caravanning with my parents - spent 12 years going on holidays with them - and then spent 2 months working as a montage monkey in France.

Between all of those, you get used to having tasks based on your skills and physical attributes. In my case, I'm 6'3, so it's easy for me to pull the canvas over on our tent, and then send wife in to sort out the inner as I finish levelling off the trailer. Working together, we get the annex up, kitchen and clothes boxes out and then we're sorted.

Reckon on taking about 20mins from pulling up to being set up (in daylight or in the dark).

[Craig Tomkinson]

Thanks everyone, I just thought it was funny that 35 year Idea was still up there with speed of the put up and take down and just as good at keeping the dust out as the latest and greatest CTs, The bloke was horrified when we compared his camper to my old piece of junk that does not even have shockies, I have not seen so much dust in a van or CT before, it looked like someone shoveled it in there, I told him too take photos and take it back were he bought it, and it was a flash one with coil springs and shocks and twin tires on the back, The only reson I bought the subject up I was thinking of upgrading to a CT if my wife did not like our old van, but after seeing that, and all the stuff that some people have in there CTs no wonder they weight 1,6 to 2ton and how slow the four or five CTs we saw going up she recons our old van is ok, Craig 

[speewa158]

Hi Craig,

In my experience, no, not all trailers are like that. There are so many variations that it's quite a mixed bag.
As you've noticed, some are not well sealed (if at all), and some campers take a long time to set up.
The better built units should handle dust OK, and also be quite easy to erect.
And then, there are the owners that just don't have much of a clue....

We watched a couple set up their CT wearing gardening gloves so as not to get any dust on there hands for the next hour or so ,,,,,,,,, Beat TV hands down   

[SEADOO]

We have a Lifestyle Walkthrough model.  The tent itself is only around 10 minutes. It's al the other Shit that took us hours of very emotional pain to set the "Commonly Used Naval Term" up.

I would love to purchase a van, a Jayco have just recently released a small single axle pop top with dedicated bunks and no ensuit that finally ticks all our boxes. But I am not n the financial position to take a massive loss try g t sell our soft floor camper.

Tomorrow, we are gong to set it up in the back yard and ditched every thing that has never been used. We are gong to ditch the multi pole and Guy ropes waning  with a free standing 3x4.5 Oztrail gazebo, knowing it's a soft floor, it'll never be as quick as a van, but I wamt to be set up with the kettle on with an hour of arriving.

[JD-120]

That's what we.did seadoo. We had a 6x3 oztrail marquee thingo. 5 mins and it was done. Anything longer than 2 nights and we may have put the proper annex up. Only prob with the oztrail marquee was the pooling of the water in the rain. A few tent poles and pool noodles can fix that though

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[edz]

[quote ]
after seeing that, and all the stuff that some people have in there CTs no wonder they weigh 1,6 to 2 ton 

Best part is CT, you can spend the savings by not buying the the latest not so greatest bling on getting out and about and still be just as
comfortable  ..
I'll take Practical over Pretty any day . 

[Beachman]

We took our soft floor camper trailer to Cape York in July and I was pleasantly surprised how dust/water proof the trailer was.

All up I got a probably got a tea spoon of dust in the tool box/trailer section and zero water even though there were times some of the creeks in the Tele Track  were waist deep.

Seeing we were setting up most nights the trailer stayed attached to the car and I took the annex off our camper which made total set up including making the kids beds less than 15 minutes.

[doc evil]

We took our soft floor camper trailer to Cape York in July and I was pleasantly surprised how dust/water proof the trailer was.

All up I got a probably got a tea spoon of dust in the tool box/trailer section and zero water even though there were times some of the creeks in the Tele Track  were waist deep.

Seeing we were setting up most nights the trailer stayed attached to the car and I took the annex off our camper which made total set up including making the kids beds less than 15 minutes.

Had a laugh recently up the cape, some knobber who decided it was cool to park right next to us, well all most on top of us, later that arvo was observed with a cup bailing out storage compartments in his forward fold........