Newbie bought an 80's Dandy

Hello, I'm all new to the lovely Dandy Trailer tents, and after a lot of research, bought one
It's a Dandy 4/5?? and the year is 1982 it glorious brown and white. It hasn't got a cooker in as it is an early model??, the frame looks solid as does the wood, but the fabric smells so may recover/ replace foam and fabric, and may update the lovely flowtex carpet.
Thanks,
Nat

nattygeegee wrote:Hello, I'm all new to the lovely Dandy Trailer tents, and after a lot of research, bought one
It's a Dandy 4/5?? and the year is 1982 it glorious brown and white. It hasn't got a cooker in as it is an early model??, the frame looks solid as does the wood, but the fabric smells so may recover/ replace foam and fabric, and may update the lovely flowtex carpet.
Thanks,
Nat

hope you enjoy your new toy,i would have thought all models in that era left the factory with a cooker i would guess the top unit has been removed at some time,so you wont have a sink then.

mike

Hi, welcome to the Dandy Campers ..... you'll have lots of fun making it home from home.

Tend to agree with Mike about the (non) cooker unit but if there is a sink in situ who knows? Photos always help.

Have you got a twin burner and grill unit? Close of play last year Tesco were offering them for less than nothing.

If you have room at home leave the Dandy up for a week or so see what the upholstery is like aired. With or without the aid of Febreze.

Photos are always good.

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well it must be that the cooker was taken out?? the sink unit is there but next to it, is just a worktop of stainless steel. I'm sure I can pick one up if needed. I will post some pics soon, it came from the riva and dandy sales in wigan (they wanted £700!!) which was far too much, only paid £400, this felt reasonable, has an awning also.

Like this?

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My Green Un has a kitchen like that.
Reminds me mine has a raising piece that I never knew if it was an original fitment or an owner made mod. I must take some photos. It lifts the unit 5"or 6".


Not listed as sold yet!

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Hello and nattygeegee

Looks like you got a good buy. Now you will have hours of enjoyment making it your own and having fun times away in it. Any thoughts on names for it yet.

Yes that's the one!
No name yet, I think female,any suggestions?

Florence ...... flo for short

I love Florence or FLo
going to wire brush and paint the metal later if not too cold (hamerite)

Hi, Nat's hubby here.

Having looked at the original Dandy brochure (downloadable from www[dot]dandytrailertent[dot]co[dot]uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dandybrochure2.pdf) it would appear that our cupboards are all original, but is missing the freestanding hob which stood on top of the stainless steel section of the worktop, to the left of the round basin shown in the picture on page 4.

Our 4/5 is pretty much idential to this picture with the difference that we do not have the little cupboard at the end of the bench seat (will be the perfect place to put a 12v fridge), doesn't have the hob, and has external wheel arches meaning we don't have the wheel arch taking up space in the floor area inside the trailer. Interestingly I notice that the top cupboard (with the stainless top) seems to be somehow elevated (almost levitating in the picture) whereas ours are literally sitting one on top of the other. Does anyone know how this is raised?

The one in that picture is a five which later became the Discovery. I believe that is the only model with that extra cupboard. It lifts out at night allowing the bench seat to become a full size double bed.

You'll certainly be able to buy a cooker similar to that and have the advantage of using it in the awning if you want to.

Interestingly, our Dandy has the space where that cupboard would have been. We were told it was a 4/5 (now Delta) by Ian at Riva Dandy, but looking at that brochure Im wondering if it's a 5 minus the cupboard and cooker?!

I guess the easiest way to know would be to get a tape measure and see if it's the larger width (5'10" for the 5, rather than 4'10" for the 4/5)

Might quickly nip out in the dark and check

OK, just quickly popped outside and measured the width across the back of Florence...

4'10" so looks like it is definitely a 4/5....

That said, does anyone know if the 4/5 had something similar to that cupboard at the end of the bench seat like in the picture of the 5 in the brochure?

Mr MGB

All the things you miss! I doubt I've ever looked at the 1981 brochure properly two things in there that navver pointed out now you're mentioning the photo showing a raised cupboard. I have a device to raise the cupboard but I was never sure if it was original or a user mod.
Made up as a frame of very approximately 1" by ¹/_4" wood it was a back piece and two sides the sides being hinged. It was affixed to the base by way of 4 holes in the base and three toilet door style bolts on the frame. The bolts extending into the holes. Other toilet furniture appeared to be utilised, as at the front what resembled the spindle on a toilet roll holder was used to support the middle of the upper cupboard.
The upper cupboard is centred by way of metal tags on the frame and a "C" clip above the bog roll spindle. Can't see any of the frame in the picture but the bog roll spindle is there.
Always thought that if original wood dowels in the frame would have been cheaper and as serviceable as the bolts.
The current middle shelf that hinges in and down is only one jump of imagination further on.

Is the Dandy for general camping or especially as an adjunct to the MGBGT for weekend long shows?
I don't think it was a MGB show but I've seen pictures of an event at Stoneleigh (home of the big Feb MG show) where there were either 4 or 5 Dandys parked up together. Older Dandys may be becoming de rigueur for classic cars.

Don't know if there was ever a Dandy stove other than the one fitted into a joint sink unit. Whatever is cheap is the first thought or are you looking for something period?

The standard sink and drainer is just short of 4' so fitting into the Dart giving about 10" to 12" in a Delta and barely 2' in a Designer/Discovery for a seat or box. Though the space on yours looks large for 10".

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Unfortunately the BGT has long since been sold (a small person put pay to that!) but we still have the classic Mini Cooper in the garage ready to bring back onto the road at some point (hopefully she'd be up to pulling the Dandy). Old habits die hard, however, and the MishaBGT username still gets used from time to time on forums.

Florence was purchased as a general camping tent as UK holidays are becoming more affordable than going abroad in the current climate. That said, we can still take it to foreign soil if we want in the future.

Hello Nattygeegee,

Hello to Flo