Message Forums

Help!

being a newbie what do I buy trailer tent wise?

Folding or normal trailer?

Eg on ebay all finishing together are a Pennine Fiesta, Conway Camargue, Conway Calypso and Conway Corniche.

But are these all similar years and much of a sameness.

Obviously Pennine has in-built sink but will it blow about in wind more when up on own without awning, as opposed to a trailer just popped up on own and pegged in without awning? 

All about 250 -400 (at moment..will probably rise)

Any advice please   Thanks David.

Looked at Conway Campas DL but again no experience of age or how compares.

d 

Useful reading...

http://www.conwayowners.org.uk/units.htm

Thankyou,

I am new to this and trying to buy on ebay so we can start a holiday.

Saw some Conway Cruisers, mid 80's  and a 1992 ish

What would you say are fair prices for these?

How would you compare a Cruiser to a Pennine Pullman/Sterling?

thanks for your help   David

How io

 reasonably priced dandies crop up regularly on ebay. Simply the best all weather folding camper - see various postings re dandies on these pages . Dandy material does NOT deteriorate with age & so a 30 year old one can be as serviceable as a new one.

Unfortunately the older a canvas folding camper is (conway, pennine etc )    the more likely to need canvas replacement unless you are lucky enough to find one that has been garage stored & hardly used - there are some about like that.

george

If it is a conway or a pennine you want that is fine as they are good units but there are loads of others out there that may suit you better.

Trigano,  raclet quickstop, Camplet, combis,  and of course Dandys.  Can I suggest that you look around at the variety before leaping in.. and buy secondhand the first time

What is important to you about a unit, make a list......

Quick to put up.. combi, camplet

Low maintanance .....Dandy etc etc....

No one unit suits one person we are all passionate about the units we own.

the moral of the story with any folding camper is "watchout for condensation and foist" (Dandys do condense a bit), also how long the camper takes to put up. You'll get faster with experience but some pull out like conways , some unfold like pennines, the bigger the leaf you've got to fold/pull  out the stronger and taller ( pathfinders and pullmans are taller than sterlings and fiestas and the beds are bigger too so more comfort) but it means a higher starting lift and bigger panel to swing over.

i agree with tentpegjenny think about what u want out of it, make a list of needs,  shop around for a good 2nd hand and after a year if its your type of unit think about a new one but be open minded many buy new and sell in 12 months cos its not what they expected so u can get a nearly new bargain.

we like pennines but not conways even though they are now the same company so personal choice is big decider.

I actually do contest the condensation one because I have had more damp inside my old canvas unit then I have EVER had in a Dandy.  With a Dandy you have several ventilation points and you are meant to leave one window open a crack on a special setting.. then you have no problems.. Honestly ... you can come and inspect if you see me in a campsite.  People are always telling me (who own other units) that I have condensation problems... well if a boil pasta endlessly without a lid keep all the windows closed yes would get condensation.. but otherwise it is a real non event.  We get no more condensation than the average caravan which also has non permeable walls.....

You do get condensation under the beds and you need to turn them daily... that happened in my old canvas trailer tent.. it is the moisture  you lose from your body on the solid surface below.

INcidently Dandies go up in a totally different way to anything else have seen on the market it is all about strings........

  What about the TRIGANO RANGE, we are newcomers to the folding camper/trailer tent brigade and are the proud owners of a Trigano 415 folding camper, and what a dream to put up and sleep in ( 2.1 metre beds great !! )

Well there is a Conway Challenger folding trailer about to end in 1 hour on ebay.

Any thoughts/guidance anyone.

I missed the Pullman Fiesta so gutted really. The Conway looks nice but your posts about beds pulling over bothers. I'm 5 foot 3, agile and don't mind standing on ladders and swinging from trees...am I going to have a problem...not with the trees you understand!!!!

Ta David

hello again!

If there's two of you working on a sterling/ pullman there's no problem swinging the beds over. Pathfinders have hydraulic lift rams on thier beds so its not the weight its just the technique (as the bishop said to the actress) The fiesta (side to side type) is quite low so that would'nt be a problem at all. On the models that fold out end to end like our sterling, watch out for the middle pole though, on uneven ground its quite a reach to extend it upwards and lock it in place. On end to end models you also want to get a short hooked rod made up to help pull the awning zip up and over the top. I made one out of a plastic coated wire thingy that you use to dry towels on a radiator cost about a quid for 3 drying rails but have seen the hooks in camping shops for a lot more. 

There's another bit of bad news you should be aware of, couple of years ago Conway had a bad fire at their factory which resulted in the company going into receivership and being bought up by Pennine off the receivers. Trouble was a lot of Conway spares for the older models went up in the blaze.  But there must be someone out there who's spotted the niche in the market and can supply. But if you're considering conways off e bay its worth bearing in mind because they are well made and the vendor must have a good reason for selling.

you've not given a location where you live but if you can get to a folding camper dealer (like barrons) and get a look at thier (overpriced) second hand stock you'll see what the weaknesses are in the different makes and models and get an idea what's going to be best for you. If confident enough bull~~~~t a sales man into demonstrating to you how one goes up and "innocently" get hands on,  but remember to not take your wallet.

best of luck with the bidding don't worry if you missed the fiesta others will be along soon 

Thankyou, your help is very much appreciated.

I am going to view a Pullman tomorrow, the awning won't be up but it 'appears' to be a family who are selling having bought and not used from a work colleage. Seems too vague to me but we'll take a look. Problem is, apart from word of seller how do you know anything is waterproof. Obviously I'll look for blackish mold and mildew and smell. The model I think is mid 80's and currently 400. Somone on this forum pointed me towards the original brochures and specs of all Conways. Is there an equivalent for Pullmans on the forum somewhere?

Thanks David

We got our Conway from a work colleague - a 2001 model for £350!!!

Dear Mummy,

What type of Conway was it please? n  David

Hi David,

Don't worry too much about waterproofing, like a canvas tent they all need reproofing at some time. Pick a one with goodlooking canvas, they all fade so look for fabric condition rather than colour. Put it up, wash it down with a mild detergent to shift any dirt, rinse well, let it dry, buy a gallon of fabsil a pump up garden sprayer and a fume mask - pick a nice dry, windless day and jobs done  good for years more. The thing to watch out for when buying as you've realised is the dreaded black stuff and the smell of foist.  If its an older model look out for water getting into the sidewalls of the camper body and making them soft. It usually gets in around the door frame. On the earlier models the door hinges were on the camper body not the door frame. The result is that the door won't visually hang right or close smoothly. (not to be confused with an uneven levelling where the stabiliser legs are so tight they are pushing the body out of shape- so check it with the stabilisers up!). Once the foam filling the body has gone soft the poor camper's ready for the bin  (Or buy another and cannibalise the dead one for spares!)

Hi David,

Sorry forget, most makers keep a reasonalbe stock of spares for models up to 6-7 years old after that try a caravan breaker, ( caravan scrap yard - they are out there)