We've just bought a Conway Tardis after borrowing it for a short break. We love the camper but have a few questions.
1. How hard is it to fit the awning? and any tips to help. We've taken it out and had a good look but not yet tried to fit it due to the weather. Looked on Conway owners site and downloaded the owners manual but nothing specific for awnings.
2. My brother has had the camper and lost the door keys, Can you replace the lock or do you need to buy a new door?
Any other tips etc would be fantastic as we've camped in a tent in the past but this is our first camper experience.
We've just bought a Conway Tardis after borrowing it for a short break. We love the camper but have a few questions.
1. How hard is it to fit the awning? and any tips to help. We've taken it out and had a good look but not yet tried to fit it due to the weather. Looked on Conway owners site and downloaded the owners manual but nothing specific for awnings.
2. My brother has had the camper and lost the door keys, Can you replace the lock or do you need to buy a new door?
Any other tips etc would be fantastic as we've camped in a tent in the past but this is our first camper experience.
The awning is easy enough - although, *all* awnings are the work of the Devil!
The rafter poles will hook into three nylon eyelets spaced along the side of the trailer roof - best to thread the awning into the track before winding the camper up, then pull it onto the frame.
The door lock is an easy replacement. The door is hollow, remove the interior trim board and the lock will be found screwed to a timber block inside. Conway used a standard plastic lock, so a replacement should be easy to source.
One note, the doors usually leak, and it's a racing certainty that you will find that the timber block (and perhaps also the timber frame of the door) will be soft and sodden with water.
You might be lucky - but be prepared to replace as necessary
------------- Getting Old, Staying Active (much to Mrs Folder's dismay..)
It's doubtful if the lifting gear has ever been serviced. A snapped cable will be a right royal pain, so some preventative maintenance wouldn't come amiss.
Conway used the 'Jayco' lifting system which is internal. This type of system uses cable *and* long springs to raise the roof. Access to the lifting gear will mean removing some interior panels.
Personally, I prefer the Coleman/Fleetwood system, which is all exposed, but easier to maintain and replace.
A web search will provide enough reading matter on Jayco lift system maintenance to keep you happy for months ;)
One important point - the Jayco lift posts are blted to the floor of teh railer. A bad design, imo, because any rain entering the post tubes will collect at the bottom and rot the floor.
To prevent this, Conway supplied four canvas sleeves for the lift tubs - but, often, they have long vanished.
Again, inferior (imo) to the Coleman/Fleetwood system, where the stainless steel lifters go 'through' the floor (actually, they miss the floor entirely) and are bolted to the chassis. this means that, effectively, the lifter posts act as a 'drainpipe', and any water gets deposited on the grass, rather than on the wooden floor.
------------- Getting Old, Staying Active (much to Mrs Folder's dismay..)
My brother has fitted a new cable for the lifting gear and also a new ceiling so were not bad on that front. He did lots of work on the unit but now wants a caravan so I'm hoping nothing major needs fixing.
The awning has a tear and apparently is to old to repair, but having looked at it I think I can repair it myself
When you start to wind up the camper, thread the awning through the rail when the roof is at shoulder height, then throw the canvas up onto the roof (leaving a piece to pull it down again!) Then make up the frame, leaving the front legs at half height, and pull the canvas over the frame. You can now adjust all the poles to get the canvas taut and peg down.
Made the most of the great weather and spent the day working on 'The Tardis', managed to fit a new door lock and other little jobs. Just a quick question (Sorry )
I think at one time the camper had a dining table but this seems to have gone, Any ideas where I can get one from or is their a dining table from another camper that will fit or are they pretty standard
Hi,it would be cheaper to buy a bit of 18mm ply to make the bed up and just keep it under a seat cush1ion, and buy any free standing table that fits your needs.
Hi. I may be speaking out of turn here, but I wonder why you would bother replacing the lock? The one on my own Tardis is fine but I use it more through habit than any sense of security. The camper walls are canvas. Any determined thief only needs to cut these and they have access, also you only have to put your hand between the canvas and the doorframe and you can open the door from the inside even when locked. Anything valuable is always placed in the car when we are away, never left unattended in the camper. I have always found people to be friendly and helpfulk when camping and have never had any trouble, however, it would only take one who is not.
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Topic: Conway Tardis / Camper questions
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