Dandy Trailer Tent Restoration

We have decided to replace all of the wood panels on the Orange Dandy 4, it only really needs two but whilst it's being done we may as well put all new on.

What is best to use as it is going to be restored to it's original state, we can get it ordered whilst the legs are being sorted. We don't need to do the floor as it is solid and the chassis only has surface rust. Pop is ready and rearing to go, mum has said he can do it on the drive rather than have him knock down her wall

Hi Helen,

When we first started Phoenix's rebuild we tried every timber merchants/builders suppliers in our area
nobody had seen this type of faced ply before, being 40 years old.

After a conversation with Cazz and Kevin it was discovered to be Phenolic Ply.

I looked up a company in Essex and phoned them for a price, 1 sheet of 4mm double faced was £50 Plus £50 Delivery (He said they have BIG Lorries). We did not get a price on the 3/4 Ply that you would need for the ends.

One sheet of 4mm would do the sides including the quarters

We did not replace the door and window ends , only the bottom halve of the door, and we used marine Ply for that.

Hope this helps.

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Sorry Helen, I forgot to tell you what type it was. RIGA PLY.

That does help thanks, my dad was considering Marine ply for the bottom of the door but we didn't know the name of the correct ply for the tub sides

Helen

dhh looked to be the only importer of Riga Form I eventually found

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At the time I spoke to them ATP did not provide 4mm Riga Form (Phenolic Ply) it was only 6 or 6.5mm.

I can't remember the exact costs but they were cheaper than dhh. Try them they may now be able to provide 4mm now and the transport costs would be a bit more possible.

Phoenix, 1 will do both sides and quarters? Both back and front quarters?

Helen I've said to myself I wouldn't get round to doing the sides but if your getting to the point of thinking of buying some of this contact me. If nothing else it splits transport costs.

Tow Itch wrote:

Phoenix, 1 will do both sides and quarters? Both back and front quarters?

Sorry Mr Itch you are right. 1 8' x 4' sheet will do the sides and front, but you will be missing the rear quarters. When we done Phoenix we were getting the grain the same all the way round so needed 2 anyway. I don't think you need to worry about the grain with this stuff.

Helen, you could get away with 1 and pick the best of what you have to do the rear quarters, or share 1 sheet with Mr Itch.

Without measuring I am not sure if 1 8'x 4' sheet of 3/4" would do the Kitchen and door ends! Don't forget you could use the piece out of the window for the door bottom!!

We would have gone down this route but were too far in to change.

Hope this helps.

They are moving the Dandy to my dads at the weekend ......... all five doors down pops has been up and down all day with a tape measure and paper/pen. We have a security camera and I actually saw him patting the top of the cover today when he was coming in ........... I think it's growing on him and he announced it's called Betsy

I'll contact you when he has decided what he is ordering Kevin.

Thanks for the help and info Pheonix, there is also a plastic coated type ply that looks interesting too.

A local supplier has come up trumps with the price for phenolic ply 4mm, an 8 x 4 sheet delivered to my dads house is £60 if you would like to order some at the same time Kevin let me know it is £50 per sheet but he is only charging £10 for delivery of any amount we want, if not we can give you this chaps number he is a very small local business but I'm sure he will also deliver to you or we could strap a sheet to the roof bars of our car and deliver it to you ourselves. He has to order it in himself so I'm not sure yet how long it will take to get it.

New box section for the legs has been ordered too but it's going to snow again so it may have to wait a bit longer to start.

Helen wrote:A local supplier has come up trumps with the price for phenolic ply 4mm, an 8 x 4 sheet delivered to my dads house is £60 if you would like to order some at the same time Kevin let me know it is £50 per sheet but he is only charging £10 for delivery of any amount we want, if not we can give you this chaps number he is a very small local business but I'm sure he will also deliver to you or we could strap a sheet to the roof bars of our car and deliver it to you ourselves. He has to order it in himself so I'm not sure yet how long it will take to get it.

I was just about to suggest ordering 3 sheets between us as 1 wont do both ends as well as sides. Then had a mental deliberation about a matching gas/battery box. Anyway that would take quite a bit of ply and disable use of the storm pole.
As I've not done any measuring yet, just before we order what are the measurements of the front and sides? I'm just having a quick think about the difference between the high and the low sides.
Can you, or are you ordering a part sheet for the door work required. If you are and dependant on what you need to order and what you have spare Cazz might be interested as I think I remember her door bottom is going.

Had a brief look at the specs for end sealants is your Dad thinking of ordering anything specialised for this ?

I need new corners as the plastic ones on mine are past the sell by date. We both need bottom of panel trim, Mr phoenix can you enlighten us? Otherwise I will be looking at the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] catalogue? Pick And Mix anyone?

We were thinking of ordering just the one Kevin but now you mention it perhaps a matching front box would be nice

Dad was hoping to open it all up again this weekend to measure and look at everything himself properly but the weather looks naff. I'm not sure if he is going to replace the window and door sections yet, in our opinion it doesn't need all of the wood replacing but my dad likes to be thorough.

Will let you know when we are ordering and just how far he is going with the work. As for sealants we haven't even thought of that yet or of trim.

Tow Itch wrote:

I need new corners as the plastic ones on mine are past the sell by date. We both need bottom of panel trim, Mr phoenix can you enlighten us? Otherwise I will be looking at the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] catalogue? Pick And Mix anyone?

For the new white plastic trim round the bottom I went to a local firm that does plastic Facias, guttering etc. A 6 metre length from memory was less than £10. They may well do an angle trim suitable for your corners Mr Itch. We reused our corner trims which are ally, from your pictures Helen I think yours are ally too. If you reuse them you can use them as templates to drill for the rivets in the same place, then the frame won't end up like Swiss Cheese. If you need to replace any try a local metal merchant, or there is a small step edging used in the flooring trade that would do. The only thing is it is reeded (groved) on the top edge.

Hope this helps.

The corners on this one are metal so can be re-used and as Phoenix says its probably wise to clean them up and use them.

Helen wrote:We were thinking of ordering just the one Kevin but now you mention it perhaps a matching front box would be nice

Dad was hoping to open it all up again this weekend to measure and look at everything himself properly but the weather looks naff. I'm not sure if he is going to replace the window and door sections yet, in our opinion it doesn't need all of the wood replacing but my dad likes to be thorough.

Will let you know when we are ordering and just how far he is going with the work. As for sealants we haven't even thought of that yet or of trim.

I'm getting a bit confused here my Green Un is residing in Bolton at the moment so I can't have a quick look. The sides are 6' 6" one slightly more than 2' wide one slightly less. I presume these allow one 4' sheet to do both. I was thinking either side of the door at the door end is thin? Is the front wall thin or is the whole of the wall 18mm?
Feeling stupid, looked at this a few times and realise I don't know what the front and rear are made from.

Mr Itch,

On Phoenix the sides, rear quarters and bottom front panel are all 4mm thick. The top front panel with window, rear top panel, door and door bottom are 18mm or 3/4" from memory.

The sides are 6'6" long and from memory 1 is 2' high the other lower. so you would get them out of 6'6" x 4' leaving you 1'6" x 4' out of an 8' x 4' sheet to do the front panel which is 4' wide and about 1' high. You are then just missing the rear quarters.

That is if the Green Un is a 4 berth the same size as ours.

Dandy is now round at pops house having the surface rust removed, the box section will then be welded on to create new leg brackets, will post pictures as we go along but the side panels will have to wait a few weeks - will let you know when we are ordering Kevin, we are getting two sheets of ply and will add what you want to the order if you can wait. My mum has a kidney op again on Friday so it's on hold for a little while.

hope all goes well for your mum Helen