Setting up the camper.

[Nay-DMAX]

Ok folks I have a question for you all about setting up the camper. (no not how many fights you have about it)

How many of you can set up your camper on your own like whole set up including awning?  If you do could you answer some of the following questions, not looking for sales pitches as we are not looking to buy just interested to see what people have and how set up goes.

What brand and style do you have ie soft floor camper, hard floor camper, caravan, hybrid etc.
Are you male or female and how tall are you? That might seem a personal kind of question but helps with my information because I do not have height on my side.

If you have an awning do you have walls or just the roof and do you always put the walls on?  How big is your overall set up?

Cheers   

[Karl]

I have a Pioneer Longreach hard floor and to set the camper without awning takes about 5 - 10 mins depend on how low it takes you to unhitch and get level - height isn't and issue.

I am a male and 180cm tall.

To set up the awning takes about 30 - 40 mins and I can do it on my own and I use a small step ladder to assist - you need to start at one end and do poles and ropes etc in a logical order and it can be done by one person.

Pack up time is similar but folding the canvas takes a little time but isn't too hard.

I don't have any walls etc for the awning.

Hope this helps.

Karl

[silverfox1111]

Put our forward fold up by myself yesterday & realised just how useful shmbo is!
Prob was the awning poles falling out when trying to get others poles onto vertical poles etc. Got it done but is easier with 2.
Don't think I'll tell her though.
Silverfox

[duggie]

G'day Nay-DMAX,


Male
!87 cm tall
2009 Trackabout Delux soft floor
Awning every time - never removed from the main tent.
Walls when needed - after setting up the tent/awning.


I start with having the bed base/tent hinged open . After emptying out the gear I need from within the trailer.

By having the bed base/tent hinged open it makes it far easier to pull the folded up tent of the bed base and pull the floor/tent  into approx position.

Close down the bed base and lock into closed position .

Rearrange the floor / tent so square and in place - enter the inside of tent and extend the tent bows to required height.

Exit the tent and peg down floor if required.

Arrange the awning poles and spreaders to correct lengths/height required.

Spread out the ground sheet ( heavy duty shade cloth ) for the floor area of the awning .

Pace out/measure and bang in the pegs required for the awning, attach ropes to pegs.

Pull the awning over from the tent roof and hang down in front of tent.

Attach the spreaders to tent and start attaching/inserting the awning poles,( I always start with the highest center  pole first and I lean the bottom of pole in towards the tent ) , attach the center pole tension rope and then I do the same with each corner pole , ( I lean the corner poles in towards the tent but also at roughly 45 deg toward the center of the awning floor. ) 

Then stand the poles vertical and tension as required  Add other poles if required .

Add the walls if needed .

[ScarpsD40]

Hey Nay,
is Andrew in trouble?

I can set our Trackie up on my own if needed, but it's much more fun if Sue helps me

In terms of male/female - depends on the day I guess

Height - tallish except when I'm in trouble and then I'm short.

Interests - dogs and like to travel........alot

Sue and I originally looked at the Vacationer CT's (now out of business), and they based their main design on one short person set up. We've found however the height of 4wd ct's make it a challenge for Sue unless I'm there.

Hope this helps

[Bird]

Like I think any trailer - the tent is easy and quick to setup... The Awning is the killer if you don't leave it on. Then everything else that goes with it, chairs, tables, bedding, kitchen etc.

Lifestyle had a video of a 1 minute setup (which I still have a copy of) on their site which is achievable, like on the video - once unhitched, legs down, travel cover removed, poles ready to go and not 1000% humidity .. that was 2 people - no awning.

To setup the tent on mine with 1 person  once trailer is unhitched and legs down... without rushing.

2-3 mins -  To unzip travel cover and fold back out of the way... Shit loads quicker with 2..
1-5 min - Pull tent off the trailer, open door to allow air to flow in so tent 'expands' and put corner pegs in.
3-5mins - Walk inside and put 3 poles that are stored on the bed upright and 2 on roof - you can now sleep if you like.

Then pegs and ropes depend on how long we are staying.. usually only use 4 corners, and 2 near door to prevent damage.

Awning..
With 1 person is a whole world of hurt from scratch. The 12ft tent makes the awning ****in huge. But once up, its awesome to sit under

But that would be the same with any trailer with large awning. But you can fold the awning over the tent when packing up (takes a while with 1 person) its actually designed to fit perfectly over the tent - this makes it piss easy to setup next time.

Setup from scratch... with 1 person - I have a gorilla 4 step ladder to get it over the highest point and make life easier..
5-10+ mins and a **** load of sweat to zip onto the tent just due to the weight of the canvas with 1..

10+ mins for poles, pegs, ropes.  Same if the awning is folded over the tent - its pretty easy.

then chairs and everything else.


Caravan - Unhitch, cordless drill to wind down 2 legs = finished.. <1 minute.

[speewa158]

lm Capricorn , tall , good looking can set up a CT by myself ( though not well ) My best advise is keep lineO in the car till the job is done ,, so much easier . let the dogs run free so they don't get his fleas .           

[Nay-DMAX]

lm Capricorn , tall , good looking can set up a CT by myself ( though not well ) My best advise is keep lineO in the car till the job is done ,, so much easier . let the dogs run free so they don't get his fleas .           

Haha and here is the problem I cannot set ours up on my own which is where the question comes from lol.

[DrewXT]

I can set up our Customline in about 30 minutes on my own including the awning...

Hardest part is lining up the awning poles...

Pack down, with two of us is about 45 minutes, as we don't have a decent system yet, so I'd imagine about 80 minutes on my own...

And an arse load of sweating

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[Nay-DMAX]

I can set up our Customline in about 30 minutes on my own including the awning...

Hardest part is lining up the awning poles...

Pack down, with two of us is about 45 minutes, as we don't have a decent system yet, so I'd imagine about 80 minutes on my own...

And an arse load of sweating

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Thanks setting up with two of us is not to bad we both have our own tasks and I have not timed it but if we didnt include chairs etc then even with the awning it is not very long with two pack up does seem to take longer maybe that is because pack up means going home

[DrewXT]

Thanks setting up with two of us is not to bad we both have our own tasks and I have not timed it but if we didnt include chairs etc then even with the awning it is not very long with two pack up does seem to take longer maybe that is because pack up means going home

For setting up, half the battle for us is keeping the excited 4 year old twins out of the way until the tent is up...

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[Nay-DMAX]

For setting up, half the battle for us is keeping the excited 4 year old twins out of the way until the tent is up...

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Yes at least the dogs we can just tie them to the car. If they are 4 though then not long and they can start having little jobs of their own that are helping to set up even if that is just getting ropes out and putting them around the camper ready for pegs or setting up their own chairs if they have them.

[IanS]

With a rear fold hard floor, about 5 minutes to set up tent, that includes unhitching and levelling.
The awning by myself about 30 minutes, I only have the front end wall and corner section.
I take the awning off as I don't usually use it, I have found that a piece of cord about a metre long attach to the zipper makes it easier to pull along, I'm 5'8" so need a box or milk crate to stand on, I've also been told its easier if you drop the centre tent bow down to head height.

[DrewXT]

They have their jobs, but still need to be kept at bay!

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[Nay-DMAX]

With a rear fold hard floor, about 5 minutes to set up tent, that includes unhitching and levelling.
The awning by myself about 30 minutes, I only have the front end wall and corner section.
I take the awning off as I don't usually use it, I have found that a piece of cord about a metre long attach to the zipper makes it easier to pull along, I'm 5'8" so need a box or milk crate to stand on, I've also been told its easier if you drop the centre tent bow down to head height.

Thanks I am only 5'2" so I would struggle even more I like the idea of the hard floor but the ones I have seen not really enough inside floor space for the dogs to sleep and they are almost always with us when camping.

[Bird]

I cannot set ours up on my own which is where the question comes from lol.

Why?

[GeoffA]

.....
I have a gorilla 4 step ladder to get it over the highest point and make life easier..
.....

....
I take the awning off as I don't usually use it, I have found that a piece of cord about a metre long attach to the zipper makes it easier to pull along, I'm 5'8" so need a box or milk crate to stand on, I've also been told its easier if you drop the centre tent bow down to head height.

The awning stays attached to the Coota, but a broom handle with a hook on the end works well on the odd occasion it needs to be removed/refitted.

 

[Streetkid]

9 foot customline, 40 ish minutes fully set up including awning and one Wall and all the other crap, on my own.  I'm just under 6 foot I would say it takes about half the time than it did the first time just because I worked out where I went wrong and what works and what doesn't, things like which awning pole to put up first.

[Nay-DMAX]

Why?

I am not tall enough or strong enough to open and close the tent off the top by myself. Have tried a few times.

[ScarpsD40]

I am not tall enough or strong enough to open and close the tent off the top by myself. Have tried a few times.

Don't sell yourself shortneither's Andrew

[Foo]

Gettin rid of ours. To much pain involved with my shoulders, so it gives me the chits big time. From start to finish with two people = 30mins and two days of pain killers. 

Foo

[Nay-DMAX]

Gettin rid of ours. To much pain involved with my shoulders, so it gives me the chits big time. From start to finish with two people = 30mins and two days of pain killers. 

Foo

Bugger are you getting something else

[tedota]

4 cans of rum and coke and its pretty much done.

[Foo]

Yeah, we will get a van of some sort in the future but after I upgrade the tow vehicle first.

Foo

[Nay-DMAX]

Don't sell yourself shortneither's Andrew

But he can set it up and pack it up himself