Hi and setup advice for MDC trailer

[tgilbert]

Just bought our first camper trailer, an MDC-01. Don't care if it's good or otherwise but I would love some tips on setting up and packing up the main tent. Watched the video several times and they make it look easy but it's not for me anyway. The main poles pop out of the boots when I try to extend them. I have to lie on the bed and use my feet to extend the frames in the centre and side. Can't seem to get it square. When packing up nothing seems to sit neatly and bits hang out everywhere.

Any tips other than getting something else?

[Peterr]

Sounds like maybe the poles are just too tight where they are supposed to slide into each other ? Try some silicon spray on them , but you'll have to get them apart first! had one , or maybe two , of mine that had had the locking screw tightened way too much and distorted the metal just a bit ; was a pretty easy fix once I realised the problem ....

Oh , you have loosened off the locking screws a fair bit ???? And don't try to get the canvas really tight either , just firm and fairly smooth is good...

And the canvas on a new tent is very stiff , it'll take a few erections to soften and move about freely...

I quite like my MDC .............................

[Planetbob]

I have a MDC as well. Not too sure if you are doing this but it was what I was doing and I felt like a goose a bit when I found out what I was doing. The poles that swing out from the bed kept popping out of the sleeve they were sitting in also and the tent was also a little loose and I could not get it taught. Those feet that kept popping out are meant to pull out of there and be extended vertically down to the ground. I wasn't doing that and had them at a 45 degree angle from the bed. That's why I couldn't get the tent taught.

Anyway that was my issue, I'm not too sure if you are doing the same as I was. I actually had to go back to the MDC to look at one set up properly. I actually thought I was missing some poles... I wasn't.

As for packing it up... I have only done it twice so I still have bits everywhere also.

[tgilbert]

Thank you so much for that tip. Really helpful.

Now I just need to figure out how to pack up neatly.

[robcaz]

It takes a little while to get some sort of a system going when setting up & packing up. Setting your camper up in the backyard is very useful as you can take your time to see how things fit together & experimenting with canvas pack up, however we have found it takes a trip where you are setting up most afternoons & then packing up again in the morning when you real get a system happening.

We leave the awning roof on & simply pull it over the main roof with permanently attached ropes on the corners of the awning, lifting the centre up onto the top with the pole. It takes us seven & a half minutes to set up a camp whether for an overnighter or for a week, that is setting up the camper tent, pulling the awning out & using three spreaders to the three poles & three ropes & pegs. We rarely use side walls on the awning. An overnighter without the awning is even quicker.

We had it down pat after owning our Track Trailer Eagle since 1993. When we had the new canvas from All Terrain fitted a couple of years ago we had to start from scratch http://www.campertrailers.org/robcazeag ... update.htm

On our recent nine week trip Carol started to get a sore shoulder lifting the 14oz canvas onto the top of the trailer. When we got home I had a play with packing it up & ended up working out another method which reduces the lifting weight & makes it so much easier.

[tgilbert]

Do you zip up the main tent door canvases before packing up? I leave mine open to let the air out and maybe that's complicating the pack up.

[robcaz]

Zip the door halfway to let air out when you collapse the tent. You can also leave the long window over the bed unzipped to allow air in when you open the tent.