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Hello, We have recently purchased out first trailer tent after tenting for years. It is a 1998 Conway Mirage brought on ebay.

When we collected it the guy showed us how to put it up and did the awning by first putting the poles up and then dragging the canvas over the frame and zipping it to the main body.

First time out i did the same, but i am off again this weekend and I am considering zipping canvas first and then building frame underneath.

I am wondering what you guys do? when I was a kid my Dad always used to do canvass first, but then he seemed to get a lot more cross than i did when doing frame first :)

Thanks

Hayden

it really is a case of what works for you.some zip on first put the canvas up on top of the unit build the frame and drag it other the top this is good if you are tall!me being a short ass find it easyer to build the frame leaving it low at the front then pull canvas while folded across the frame and up to zip on.

i wouldn't build the frame under the canvas as far to easy to damage it with a pole.

Wongers,

That is a good idea, zip on and put the canvas over main unit, and then move the canvas over the frame, i had not thought of that. 

I worry about bringing the canvas over the front of the frame as it could tear on the poles (they have open ends to join the sun canopy to)

Quote: Originally posted by wongers on 25/6/2010

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it really is a case of what works for you.some zip on first put the canvas up on top of the unit build the frame and drag it other the top this is good if you are tall!me being a short ass find it easyer to build the frame leaving it low at the front then pull canvas while folded across the frame and up to zip on.

i wouldn't build the frame under the canvas as far to easy to damage it with a pole.

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I'm for poles first with legs at half height, canvas second, but it's what works for you.

Mike 

Were quite new to this just done our 3rd holiday and..........

We were advised to build the main unit,zip on the awning and throw it back over the trailer unit.Then erect main frame leaving the legs not quite at full height(reaching distance) then one at each side and pull the canvas over ,we found a sweeping brush broom up works wonders.  

On our second outing we were rushing and forgot to zip on the awning and erected the frame 1st we found it an absolute nightmare zipping the awning on while working around the frame.

Also while on our hols to cornwall a fellow experienced TT camper  advised not zipping the awning off at the end of our holiday just carefully fold it over the top of the main unit and fold it all down together,boy did we feel smug when it all seemed to go well.   Only we have just been to butlins and because of the weight of the awning on the trailer frame it had pulled a pole out of its join but at 1st we thought we had broke the pole.  so try this at your own peril.

But i must admit i don't take my curtains down at the end of my hols it saves loads of time when setting up on our next trips out,anyone else do this? or have any more time saving tips???

We have just come back from our first outing in a Cabanon Atlantis, the guy we bought it from had both awnings zipped on permanently and then rolled up and over onto the main cabin area.

We found this very easy, put up the poles for the first awning, legs at half height, pull out canvas over this. Build up front awning poles as above and then pull the remaining canvas over this, level out and peg.

Breaking camp is just the reverse, I set this up first time using this method from arriving on pitch to sitting down with a drink in 1.5hrs, and this is one of the bigger Cabanon TT.

Hi, thanks for all the replies, i tried it this weekend and found it best to build the frame with the front low and drag the canvass over

thanks for the help !

If we use the awning we fit the poles first, roll the awning over the frame then zip, this because the awning weighs to much.However if we use sun canopy we zip that on then fit the poles, as the canvas is lighter.