Message Forums

If it was made to fit a Dandy, the only place is Riva Dandy Sales in Wigan.  The manager is Ian Smith.  He's a lovely guy who is very helpful.  That said, most Dandy bits can be re-made at home.  What is made by a human can be repaired by a human.  Get a piece of veneer coverd MDF & run the router round the edge, apply a couple of coats of varnish, re fit the legs & there you go.

Steve.

Rainbow conversions will make you a new top for £85 according to their website but if you use the table to make up the dinette bed check it will be strong enough (as theirs is ply not mdf) - if it is just the laminate damaged they may be able to supply replacement laminate. If you never use the table for the bed you could think about a smaller top (it is only as big as it is because it has to span the benches - this makes it unweildy and hard to get in and out of the benches).

I couldn't find the trim for the top of the walls anywhere (but I didn't try Riva as they are a bit far away) - in the end I found that the electrical trunking that B & Q sell was the right size and only cost a few pounds (but I had to carefully trim the excess sections of the trunking away with my router to leave the correct U profile). Easily riveted on and looked good as new.

Hi, 

Does anyone know where I can get an Awning to fit my 1995 dandy destiny? 

Someone told me Riva did them but not sure about fitting the older models and that they recall them being rather expensive. 

I have since found out that a few people in the same situation as mine (needing a awning to fit older model) use a motorhome awning instead?? Can anyone advise on this and let me know if this does work. I really could do with the extra space for our 2 Golden Retrievers!    Thanks Everyone  

The Dandy ones were about £800 when new.  I'm pretty sure Ian at Riva would make you one, but not sure I'd pay that sort of money.  Tent Valeting Services have made custom awnings for people, but again not cheap.  The Destiny can have a caravan awning rail screwed to the front wall & would then take any suitably sized caravan awning.  Problem is the gaps under the beds which would need a piece of fabric making to fill the hole. Many people use stand alone motorhome awnings with Dandys.  Look on the Yahoo Group in the Photos section for some ideas, & do a search for posts there.

Steve.

Thanks Steve McV for the advice on awnings.

I think i will have to take the cheaper option and try a motorhome awning!

Also just wondering!

Our gas bottle box is on the front of our destiny along with the handbrake and hitch, the odd bit is, once the destiny is up we cannot get to the box to open it, which i consider not only is a pain but also dangerous.

What  if i needed to turn off the gas bottle quickly ? So now not only do i have the leisure battery stood in a plastic box tucked away under the dandy but now a gas bottle??? apparently the battery is not to be used inside the dandy due to fumes it may give off???  I would have to say i love my dandy but i think this has to be its only negative.

The gas bottle box sounds as though it has had its fastenings changed.  The originals (assuming you have the glass fibre box) were fastened at each side with a plastic closure.  There were no hinges so the whole lid came off.  Later models had a one piece GRP moulding with a door a bit like a caravan.  I have seen one with a trapdoor under the bed.  All gas appliances should have their own isolating valve inside the camper too.  As for the battery, the rules on placing them in gas bottle lockers changed a few years ago.  We could argue all day about how safe they are inside that box with the gas bottles, Mine is in there, & I am quite happy with that.  Later campers made by Riva had a gas locker like a caravan with an outside door.  When charging the battery will give off Hydrogen.  This is lighter than air, wheras Propane is heavier, hence gas lockers need ventilation at high & low level.  If putting the battery inside the camper, then the container should be ventilated to the outside, & the enclosure sealed internally to stop any Hydrogen getting inside the camper.

Steve.

Thanks Steve, 

Ours does have the fibre glass lift off lid with catches to the side and front,so does this mean I can store a gas bottle and the leisure battery in the box together but keep the lid off?

Hope Im not going to sound dense now but what happens if the gas bottle runs out and needs replacing, with the dandy errect I would'nt be able to remove the empty bottle???  

Caravan electrical regs (BS whatever) prohibit electrics, batteries, etc  in the same compartment as gas bottles.  The fear is that if you attach or remove a battery lead, a spark might be created which if there is a small leak on your gas bottles could cause a fire or worse.

Regards Bob

This has been covered so many times before.  The regs are not applied retrospectively, only to new trailers from when they came in.  It is a bit of risk assessment.  Would you rather have the battery full of Sulphuric Acid in a sturdy, purpose built steel frame in a ventilated box bolted to the chasis outside the camper where the manufacturer put it?  Or else rattling round in the boot of your car?  You could of course build a place for it in the camper.  A sealed box from the inside so no Hydrogen gets into the camper, but ventilated to outdoors.  Would mean cutting through the wall of the camper into a locker & fitting a door.  Al Dandys & caravans used to have the battery & gas bottles in the same place.  As long as there is ventilation & you are careful to turn the gas off before disconnecting the battery you are more likely to get bitten by a Giraffe than blow your camper up.

Steve.

There is no need for extreme measures.  I just fitted a plastic battery box in one of the under seat storage boxes with a vent tube running through a small hole drilled in the floor.

Regards Bob