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To my mind it has to be the Pennine. But YOU know best just what you are looking for. Have a good look at both in the flesh before you make up your mind.

PS I have a Pathfinder so I am biased

Pete

You dont see many Dandys for sale because they never go rotten or get mouldy. Most people are only selling them because they have 1. Changed to a newer Dandy or 2. Changed up to a tintent or to a new tent.

Mine is a Dandy 4/5 (Dart) and is for sale because I now have a caravan. Personal preference because I sometimes go camping on my own with 3 kids. The van is a lot easier for me to assemble.

Quote: Originally posted by BentAxle on 19/09/2005

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Hi would welcome opinions/experiences as I've narrowed my next move down to these 2, other atlernatives welcomed also. The Pennine seems to be plusher inside, almost like a like a luxury caravan. See a lot for sale, and not too many dandy's. Just wondering what u people think. Moving from a touring caravan by the way.

Bent Axle

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Dandy's seem to be kept - figure it out for yourself. People only seem to move onto another one or can no longer use a FC. I'd always go for a Dandy over canvas, personal oppinion, as you don't need to worry about drying out the tent if it's raining when you pack up. Also they are very wind proff. When we had a frame tent the wind would still come through the canvas. The insulated roof of the Dandy keeps a lot of warmth in.

Julian

Julian

We have a 1994 Dandy Destiny and am very pleased with it. Does everything I want from it and looks like lasting forever.

The fundamental difference between the Pennine/Conway/Trigano ranges and the Dandy's is the material of the top/sides. All are very good products. 

The Pen/Con/Trig have a heavy guage canvas tops/sides (similar to that which awnings are made but thicker) and the Dandy has a double thickness of heavy PVC with insulation in the middle for the top, and hard sides.

Both methods work extremely well.  Dandy use the selling point that you can put theirs away when wet.  Guess that you could put any of them away when wet, but I would think it is good practice to get them properly dried out as soon as possible in any case.

The PVC of the Dandy will certainly dry quicker.  But I think Dandy are probably stretching the point slightly in regard to putting it away wet, as it all depends upon the amount of bacteria present.

For me, the real advantage of the Dandy is the superior insulation that PVC material provides.  However, here again I have not heard Pen/Con/Trig owners complaining of being cold.

Go to the Caravan Show which is coming round very soon now, compare them all, then buy a recent well cared for one second hand. 

Winter time is a very good time to buy caravans.

John Jory

On the subject of winter camping in a Destiny.

Look out for the examples fitted with, the now discontinued, gas underfloor heating. It works silently and superbly.

I asked a Dandy rep why they had discontinued such a good feature.  They gave me what sounded like guff about in some extreem circumstances snow can block the flue.

Everything is possible I suppose. I feel,a more likely reason is the possibility of grilling your bare feet on the outlet grill in the floor.

It does get very hot.  But then again that is whay you asked it to do, AND you have to be pretty dumb to leave your foot there! It works so well, I'm willing to take that risk.

John Jory

The real reason they were stopped is that they didn't meet current european safety standards (one of the ways is what the Dandy rep told you) and the company couldn't afford to make them fit the standards. Shame 'cos they are very good.

Julian

Quote: Originally posted by BentAxle on 21/09/2005

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Ref: The Gas underfloor heater, are they not hard on gas and cause condensation? If I am on site and paying for a mains hookup , I have a small 500w oil filled radiator which can be left on when it's chilly.

Big AL   

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Al,

My Destiny has a single 7kg Propane bottle (The red ones).  Never really measured consumption.  Must be reasonable, otherwise I would have thought about it before now. 

Never found condensation a problem.  Perhaps because I put up the cotton  inner lining.  Takes a few minutes, but creates a really nice 'Arabian Nights' tent atmosphere.

Naturally, you dont need your own gas heating on if you have ehu.  But the underfloor heating is so effectve, at least you have the option of no ehu, even on the coldest nights.

John Jory

Quote: Originally posted by BentAxle on 21/09/2005

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 ......................if overnighting enroute at a service ares etc.

Big AL   

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Given that everything is a compromise of some sort, you have identified a disadvantage of any folding camper. 

The advantage you get from towing a 500-800kg low trailer must be offset against additional set up time which takes 20-30 mins.  Whilst not intrinsically difficult, it is enough to discourage me totally from informal en-route stops.

John Jory