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Subject Topic: Dandy Discovery
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PersonBede
via mobile 20/7/2021 at 11:32pm
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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I bought a Dandy Discovery at the weekend and am rather excited by it. We are taking it away on Friday for two nights and are hoping that it is as easy to put up as billed and also, given that the forecast seems to be thundery showers for Saturday and Sunday, that the "putting away wet" is all it's cracked up to be.

In the long-term, though, we had hoped to move up to a Dandy Destiny with toilet and thought this very good condition Discovery with side skirts and awning might come into that. However, I've just noted that Riva Dandy Sales won't buy Discoveries (or presumably part exchange them).

They say on their website "We Buy; Dart, Destiny, Dimension, and Designer Campers"

Any idea why Discoveries are a no go?


Personnavver
21/7/2021 at 8:25pm
 Location: West country
 Outfit: Mondeo View navver's Profile View Profile   Reply to navver Reply   Quote navver Quote  
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Hi Bede, the 4 they mention are the ones which were made more recently. The designer sort of replaced the discovery and was mainly bought by couples. They wanted the table. Families tended to buy the destiny 6 berth.

There was also a Delta which was half way between Dart and Discovery. They don't list those but still sell them.

I'm sure they will buy a Discovery, but just haven't listed it. They are only a very small company run by Ian Smith who is a really nice and helpful chap. He started as the teaboy when it was a factory ending up as factory foreman and eventually bought the company. He knows loads about Dandies and can get all the spares you need if any and do repairs and servicing.

Many of the ones for sale are actually owned by their previous owners and he sells them for them on commission usually doing any repairs or whatever to make them right after selling them before you collect it.

It's worth ringing him for a chat.

Have you put it up yet. It's worth practicing at home first if you can. My wife went A over T on the drawbar first time and ended up in A&E.

When erecting it, its vital the strings are used and that they are the correct length. Basically they pull the roof up and if the length is correct the roof will stay up. If it falls one way or the other the string length probably needs adjusting. Also polishing the inside of the roof with something like Mr Sheen helps it slip over the roof supports more easily.

Have you seen the online video of a Designer being put up and down. The young chap is Ian. Watch that a few times to get the routine right. It's here

If it's windy, stand at the back by the door point the left hand bed at the wind. That will control the roof better. You can raise the legs and move it into position when erected.

I always put the trailer cover down on the ground and unfold the roof onto it. That helps it pull up smoothly. It then makes a good ground sheet under the skirts.

When dropping the leg supports don't extend them too firmly into the ground. If you do you'll find that when you raise the bed end boards and try and clip the bat wing top supports into them they wont go up high enough to get them in the holes.

They do fold up wet OK. When you open it weeks later, you may find the PVC windows (the tent type ones) are milky white in colour and you can't clean it off. This is normal and if you leave it erected for a few hours they will clear on their own. I don't know why but it does.

You can put quite a bit inside when it's folded by passing it in through the back. But make sure you remove it before erecting or it might get stuck in the works.

We found it best to keep everything camping related either inside or on top and take clothes, food, fridge etc in the car. That way there is no need to erect to pack or unpack at home.

Hope that helps, good luck.


PersonBede
via mobile 22/7/2021 at 10:46am
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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Thanks, Navver.

I emailed and they have confirmed that they do buy them, although they don't get them in very often.

Thanks for those tips. They sound very useful. We sold our old trailer tent yesterday so now have room on the drive to open the Discovery up for a practice run before tomorrow.

I've watched Ian's video several times (and some of Neil's from the Dandy Forum). I get the feeling we're not going to find it so easy but we'll see.

Bede


PersonBede
via mobile 22/7/2021 at 8:12pm
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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I am very pleased I took your advice to have a go putting it up at home. I couldn't work out why it wouldn't go up according to the video or instructions. It's because the people we'd bought it from had put it down very eccentrically and so the brackets and poles were trapped under the door which meant we had to put up the front and back before the walls. No wonder they said putting it up was a faff!


PersonBede
via mobile 22/7/2021 at 10:27pm
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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Personnavver
23/7/2021 at 8:25pm
 Location: West country
 Outfit: Mondeo View navver's Profile View Profile   Reply to navver Reply   Quote navver Quote  
Joined: 23/8/2008

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Well done. It looks really good. Looks like new upholstery too.
You probably need to put the cushion from the little bed on the floor when you fold it down. Everything must be below the fold height which is about 12 inches. I had to put our designer cushions down by the door.

Store the poles on the left on top of the little bed, this means the little extra kitchen cupboard must also go on the floor.


PersonBede
via mobile 24/7/2021 at 7:20pm
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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Thanks. We've brought it away to a pub campsite for a couple of nights to try it out. It is a bit cosy for five of us (the oldest child declined to join us this weekend) but would be absolutely fine for a longer stay with decent weather.

Mind you, the thunder storms forecast for the whole day had disappeared by 6 a.m. and we've had blue sky all afternoon so have been outside the whole time.

It really does have everything one can imagine. For £600, it was an absolutely excellent buy and I'm slightly in love.


Personnavver
24/7/2021 at 7:51pm
 Location: West country
 Outfit: Mondeo View navver's Profile View Profile   Reply to navver Reply   Quote navver Quote  
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Wow that's a brilliant set up for that money and will last for many more years yet. You really did well setting up especially with the awning as they can be tricky.

Eldest child will probably be happy in a pup tent, ours were from about 13/14 years old. They tended to stay in there until gone noon when hunger took over.

The awning must be a big help and you can put a Porta-Potti toilet in there with a cheap shower curtain round it. Just as good as a cassette toilet.

If it's raining when you pack up, just be aware that rain can pool on the roof if it sags a bit and this can then tip down inside when you drop the sides. If you know it's there you can push it off with a roof pole (keeping your head out of the way) then smartly drop the sides and beds.


PersonBede
via mobile 25/7/2021 at 9:09pm
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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Mrs Bede thinks a pup tent in the awning with a gazebo for kitchen/living room is the way to go. (The site we're booked on in August charges £3 for pup tents but £2 for gazebos.) I think a pup tent in a Dandy awning would melt in a pile of sweat. What do you think?


PersonBede
via mobile 25/7/2021 at 9:26pm
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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As for the awning, we followed the instructions online and it seemed to work.

On packing away, we realised that the mattresses didn't have to slip when lifting the beds up because one can use the clamps.

It really is splendid.


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Personnavver
26/7/2021 at 8:12pm
 Location: West country
 Outfit: Mondeo View navver's Profile View Profile   Reply to navver Reply   Quote navver Quote  
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They should be able to sleep in the awning without a tent. My big bruv and I did when we were kids. It shouldn't get too hot. Damdys are very cool in summer.

I've done the leaving the bed bolt off and folding over trick. Mattress falls out.


PersonBede
via mobile 26/7/2021 at 8:22pm
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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Quote: Originally posted by navver on 26/7/2021
I've done the leaving the bed bolt off and folding over trick. Mattress falls out.



It certainly does. The couple we bought it off warned us that the mattress slips when packing away so we assumed it was just the way it was. Then, when packing away on Sunday morning, my wife spotted the bolts...

The couple were lovely and had really enjoyed their Dandy. However, they had very much made it up as they went along rather than looking anything up. They really did make life hard for themselves.


Personnavver
27/7/2021 at 7:42pm
 Location: West country
 Outfit: Mondeo View navver's Profile View Profile   Reply to navver Reply   Quote navver Quote  
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Ahh thought so. It sounds like you're well sorted now. Only thing I think I can add is to tie the roof down in windy weather.

There's a series of eyelets on the roof where it overhangs the walls. These are used for tying the roof down to the buttons on the trailer side that the cover fastens to. Use either thick bungee or thin rope. In strong winds the roof can lift up completely as it's only held down by the long rope along the side.


PersonBede
via mobile 27/7/2021 at 9:15pm
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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Ah, that's where the bungees go! I could work out they should hook into the roof (and I think it was Neil Taylor's video who told me they should point outwards) but I couldn't work out what they should be attaching to at the bottom.

The left hand bed also slips because the "sideboard hinges" (as Riva call them) come apart. The selling couple had said they slipped; I hadn't realised that could be stopped for a few quid.

Thank you very much for your advice; it really has been very helpful.


PersonBede
via mobile 27/7/2021 at 9:17pm
 Location: Oxon
 Outfit: Dandy Destiny 1994 View Bede's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bede Reply   Quote Bede Quote  
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Oh, actually, there's another question: there don't appear to be any eyes for curtain poles in the awning. Am I missing something? (There aren't any curtains either but we could easily make some up. I'm just not sure how to hang them.)


Personnavver
28/7/2021 at 8:00pm
 Location: West country
 Outfit: Mondeo View navver's Profile View Profile   Reply to navver Reply   Quote navver Quote  
Joined: 23/8/2008

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Sorry I didn't have an awning, only a sun canopy which was brilliant, however, this is the info I have on awning curtain hanging.

How to hang an awning curtain using a curtain wire, loop wire with hook on end round the awning pole and clip the hook back onto itself. We also use a shorter piece of wire half way along to reduce sag when curtains are closed. Loop shorter piece around apex pole and hook to curtain wire. The Side curtains are attached in the same way but these are taut as the curtain wire runs along the awning poles so needs no support as no sag.

Do the side board hinges need replacing. I expect Ian at Riva has some. For repairs you will find a pop rivet set invaluable as there are so many of them. They are brilliant fixings, very simple. A heavy duty gun is best as some of them are pretty big and the little hand rivet guns are a bit under gunned.



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