Dandy folding camper end of season thoughts

This isn't the end of season for some of us but for others it is,those that are packing away until spring 2012 what are your thoughts about dandy camping,did you enjoy it,are there any additions or alterations you need to make before next year.

Our Designer may get another outing or two during the winter, depending on the weather, but other than that it is more likely to see some use by visitors. For us, winter months will see us returning to using our little motor home on a regular basis. Meanwhile, we must get the Dandy erected and sort out a couple of niggles. Purpose made tie downs for the roof will be one of them and one of the seats to the dinette needs some adjustment as it doesn't sit squarely on the locker and has a tendency of 'sagging' under excess weight (alright then, my bum!). The other niggle with the Designer is the tendency for the dinette seat cushions to slide off when used. Perhaps some velcro stuck to the seat & back and sewn onto the underside of the cushions. Anyone got any better ideas please?

Steve

Owd Lad wrote:Our Designer may get another outing or two during the winter, depending on the weather, but other than that it is more likely to see some use by visitors. For us, winter months will see us returning to using our little motor home on a regular basis. Meanwhile, we must get the Dandy erected and sort out a couple of niggles. Purpose made tie downs for the roof will be one of them and one of the seats to the dinette needs some adjustment as it doesn't sit squarely on the locker and has a tendency of 'sagging' under excess weight (alright then, my bum!). The other niggle with the Designer is the tendency for the dinette seat cushions to slide off when used. Perhaps some velcro stuck to the seat & back and sewn onto the underside of the cushions. Anyone got any better ideas please?

Steve

Wonder if a square of this laid underneath would stop it.

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mike wrote:Wonder if a square of this laid underneath would stop it.

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The non slip mat is amazing stuff, it's definitely worth a try, I made some feet for our step ladder in the kitchen because it kept sliding on the vinyl tile floor, it didn't budge after that.

We use it for the shelf in the campervan to keep the tea, coffee and sugar in place, they haven't yet slid off, there is no retainer of any sort on the front of the shelf.

Steve,what mororhome have you got?

Thanks to Mike & Cazz for that idea. I'd never given it a thought but we have utilised this matting in the past, on shelving. Isuppose that if it works with the weight of tins and food containers it's likely to have an even better effect with human weights, well mine anyway.
Our little motor home is an Autosleeper Mezan, which is basically a copy of the Romahome, on a Peugeot Partner base. There's only limited room but the two of us and two big dogs fit in snugly enough. You quickly get used to the available room. It's advantage for winter has been proved to us through having travelled and been caught out in some horrendous weather. It was easy to find a safe parking spot and, making use of the fact that it's very much self contained, to snug down warmly and comfortably until it was safe to continue.

Steve

Going to be putting Minnie away for the winter on Saturday It's been a good year despite the weather and we've managed to get away quite a lot. We were really pleased with how the renovations turned out and it was also great going to our 1st (of many I hope) Dandy Meet in September.
Hoping to get Ian at Riva to do a little work on Minnie over the winter, new bed boards, a little welding etc but other than that next time we take her out will be next spring.

Well the enterprise is now tucked up for winter,jobs to be done..We went to Cumbria in october and we endured gale force wind and rain , sometimes the kitchen wall went over by 3 or 4 inches so now the storm pole will have to be refitted, I took it off because it interfered with the gas locker but in hind site I do not go-into the gas locker very often usually once when we arrive and then when we leave, so the storm pole is going back on

John wrote:Well the enterprise is now tucked up for winter,jobs to be done..We went to Cumbria in october and we endured gale force wind and rain , sometimes the kitchen wall went over by 3 or 4 inches so now the storm pole will have to be refitted, I took it off because it interfered with the gas locker but in hind site I do not go-into the gas locker very often usually once when we arrive and then when we leave, so the storm pole is going back on

I always thought they where a good idea cant do it on a 6 though.

mike

I think our storm pole was did a grand job in the strong winds we experienced in September.

I do wonder why Dandys weren't designed so the kitchen panel went up first, then it could be held in place with the storm pole whilst the door panel was put up.

Storm poles are a great idea and now you mention it Cazz that would have made them even better.

I wish all campsites stayed open all year, I know it's not practical for many but it would be nice for us lot that still camp over winter.

cazz wrote:I think our storm pole was did a grand job in the strong winds we experienced in September.

I do wonder why Dandys weren't designed so the kitchen panel went up first, then it could be held in place with the storm pole whilst the door panel was put up.

As referred to in my review of camping last weekend I was surprised at how small a heat input was required to keep the inside of the Dandy not only warm but toasty.
One of the things I didn't mention was packing up. The wind caught the roof and threw it up off and onto the ground to the left of the Dandy. Fortunately no damage as far as I've seen.
Now I'm single handed so some of my problems are different. As was witnessed by the roof continually throwing itself off the trailer when I was trying to pack up.
I'm forced to ask would I, or even those who are multiple handed want to contemplate erecting in a wind strong enough to require deployment of the storm pole before you had fully erected?

We have erected in strong winds and we only gave up once. We didn't realise then to turn the fixed roof bed end into the wind and even with two of us we have occasionally had the roof do the same as yours, for the first few years we fixed the loose end of the dandy roof by putting cable ties around the bungee and to be honest we also found it easier to pack away. We were not shown the correct way to fold a Dandy and so for years we packed it away with the roof under the bedboards still attached to the Dandy. No damage was caused by doing it this way but it didn't sit flat, we have often thought of going back to that way of doing things especially when it's been really windy and I have been worried about the roof flailing in the wind. The roof also stayed clean inside.

Tow Itch wrote:

cazz wrote:I think our storm pole was did a grand job in the strong winds we experienced in September.

I do wonder why Dandys weren't designed so the kitchen panel went up first, then it could be held in place with the storm pole whilst the door panel was put up.

As referred to in my review of camping last weekend I was surprised at how small a heat input was required to keep the inside of the Dandy not only warm but toasty.
One of the things I didn't mention was packing up. The wind caught the roof and threw it up off and onto the ground to the left of the Dandy. Fortunately no damage as far as I've seen.
Now I'm single handed so some of my problems are different. As was witnessed by the roof continually throwing itself off the trailer when I was trying to pack up.
I'm forced to ask would I, or even those who are multiple handed want to contemplate erecting in a wind strong enough to require deployment of the storm pole before you had fully erected?

Get married i just wouldn't attempt a 6 on my own in strong wind,did come up with an idea for making the smaller dandys easier single handed,i know the open door is supposed to hold it but my idea was a fabricated piece to slip on the door wall when the door is open this would fit on the fixed lower wall and with a stepping in also the rising part,bet no one knows what i mean but will explain at Christmas if any one wants to know.

mike

i'm not 100% sure what you mean but am very keen to find out at christmas as that allows me more freedome when camping

For those of you who camp all year, how do you discourage little furry friends from over wintering in your cushions, curtains etc and prevent them getting damp?

The Admiral wrote:For those of you who camp all year, how do you discourage little furry friends from over wintering in your cushions, curtains etc and prevent them getting damp?

You make it difficult for them to climb up by not leaving any thing hanging,make sure you block your waist tube,as for damp just never happened to us so never gave it any thought.

mike

i'm a bit confused Jayne, surely the fact that you put your dandy away for the winter makes it more likely to have furry squatters than if it's used regularly?

In a way yes I suppose it does, but by taking out all the cushions, curtains etc hopefully if they do get in they won't stay long! Obviously you can't be using your Dandy all the time over the winter so I was just wondering how you discouraged furry squatters in between trips.

ah, now it makes sense

i keep mine in my garage and it seemed to survive last year ok

Yes Minnie is garaged as well, we were told to take everything out, but I'm wondering if it's really necessary what do the rest of you think?

The Admiral wrote:Yes Minnie is garaged as well, we were told to take everything out, but I'm wondering if it's really necessary what do the rest of you think?

We never have but wouldn't like to be the one to say leave it in you never know.

mike

I haven't bothered emptying ours ever. I did take the curtains out last year but that was only to use them as a template for new ones.

What do you use to block the drainage hole

helen wrote:I haven't bothered emptying ours ever. I did take the curtains out last year but that was only to use them as a template for new ones.

What do you use to block the drainage hole

On ours the metal cooker back plate folds up and lays over it,Nancy stuffs a dish cloth down but that wouldn't make much difference, although it would be hard for the to hang on to the inside of the pipe while chewing there way through.

Ours is covered when the units fold but only with the wood of the units, it is double though. The little monsters could chew through it but as you say I don't see how they can get any type of grip inside the smooth vertical pipe.

Might have a rethink then & not take things out. I suppose then if we did get a nice crisp sunny weekend she would be ready to go away if we wanted to.