We've bought a secondhand Cabanon Galaxy and this weekend put it up in our garden.
Thing is we had a dome tent before and it was easy as all the pegs and flysheet could only go in one place.
We noticed this weekend that as we pegged the canvas down on one side of the cabin we pulled it over to that side. Then the whole thing looked lopsided.
Also on the main awning part how do we know how far out to put the poles, we had to move them in to get the zips to fasten!
I suspect we made hard work for ourselves by constantly fiddling, but we were worried about overstraining the canvas and the stitching (it's got to last us a long time, can't afford to wreck it).
The sleeping cabin didn't seem quite level, the horizontal poles weren't quite straight - am I being too much of a perfectionist?
And should we have the weight of the cabin on the legs, as it was still on the wheels (we have purpose made plates for the legs to stop them sinking, the former owner was a welder and made them). How would we possibly lift it off the wheels anyway?
Sorry to whinge, it was a bit of a surprise how large and technical everything seemed, I was hoping to take the kids away myself again this year, with a few other mums, but how will I stop myself looking like a fool??
Any advice appreciated.
I think we all panic to start with! Is there any height adjustmanet on the bedroom legs? if not several small pieces of wood which cover all eventualities in combination. Awnings are a matter of practise. We erect ours untensioned and then push the poles up and out little by little till it looks about right and then we spend the rest of the week saying needs to go up/down a bit you know! Unless yours is different to any I've seen the wheels are load bearing.
------------- Good friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget.
I totally agree with Jan. Don't worry - I have never met an unhelpful camper yet - when in doubt - ask. I guarantee someone will give you a hand. Just had a look at the Galaxy on line - it looks enormous - does it come with one awning or 2 - if 2 try just putting the first section up initially. You will never get it looking absolutely right - life's not like that! as Jan says get the frame up loosely to begin with and then ease the fram out to fit the canvas. - Also don't worry about the wheel - they are of course load bearing.
Thanks for the comments - yes it does seem enormous - especially when the canvas is all in a pile aroung your feet!
We found it easier not to leave the front awning zipped on to the cabin, I know a lot of people leave them on, but it was just too high and too heavy to cope with.
I definitely can see us also spending the week adjusting poles and ropes, but perhaps that's not the end of the world and I shouldn't expect everything to be in straight symmetrical lines!!!
First outing end of May - getting a bit excited noww.
Lynn
Quote: Originally posted by kinza123 on 02/05/2005
And should we have the weight of the cabin on the legs, as it was still on the wheels (we have purpose made plates for the legs to stop them sinking, the former owner was a welder and made them).
The weight of the trailer should be carried by the wheels. The corner steadies are just to steady the trailer, to stop it rocking.
I`ve had two TTs, and my advice is not to peg down the cabin fully at first..get the four corner pegs down, straighten it then go back and do the rest.
And you should always close every zip before you peg out, otherwise they won`t close at the end.
We had the Galaxy prior to our current unit. Make sure the trailer is level front to rear by use of the jockey wheel - the corner steadies are just that to steady the trailer. Make sure the beds are level by adjusting the legs on them.
Peg only the four corners down (loosely) on the bedroom unit and it will look very lopsided at this point. We then zipped the awning on and threw it back over the roof - then build the frame of the main living area and pull the awning over it. Then build the front frame and again pull the awning over this. Any pegging I did up to this point was simply to ensure the wind did not catch the awning and it was only loose. There was always some tweaking to be done on the poles but after a few times you will get to know roughly how far to pull them out. We never used to fit the kitchen area frame until we were reasonably happy with the rest of the frame setup.
Finally peg out - I always did the trailer unit first starting at the rear and followed by the two sides. I then moved to the front and pegged the doorway after that working my way back. This made sure everything was level-ish and taut. Even after 18 months and as so-called experts with it we still found times when we needed to tweak things.
Don't worry about looking like you may not know what you are doing because there are plenty of us who look like that and are arguing with our other-halves at the same time. We've all been there.
Oh thank you for all this help, we're learning all the time, as well as having a laugh!
I didn't mention the arguing with the other-half at the same time - how did you know?
Quote: Originally posted by kinza123 on 02/05/2005
Oh thank you for all this help, we're learning all the time, as well as having a laugh! I didn't mention the arguing with the other-half at the same time - how did you know?
If you don't argue you are definitely doing something wrong.
------------- Steve
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I like the odd drink. Five is odd, seven is odd, nine is odd...........
The first time I set up my Galaxy it seemed fine, evrything level and well pegged down. I thought from then on it could only get better but it didn't. I put it up in the garden and adjusted all the poles to perfection, went camping the next weekend and the ground was uneven, the beds not level and a six inch gap at the front even though the poles were adjusted all the way in.
I now know that its not the time spent but how good the ground is where ites being put.
Darren.
I know this reply is late but its good to see we are all having the same problem.
I agree with mike+jen we do ours practically the same, its easy to get the beds level using the adjustable legs under the bed boards(we spent two nights rolling out of bed until i discovered them!! Honest!) I also have a small spirit level to make sure level front to back and the beds are level, In the instruction book it says to put poles up to the middle hole on the main trailer poles ie front and rear and the side ones that hold the inner beds up,try to make sure that the awning goes up square to the main trailer(or it looks odd) and that the roof canvas is tight to stop puddles forming.Hope this helps you and any one else with the galaxy.
we have only pitched our tt twice. we get it up ok and then spend the rest of the holiday tweaking bits and sorting other bits. i think it gets easier the more you put it up and take it down. we also have a small spirit level for the beds but i still feel as if im going to roll out during the night....but we will get there. practise makes perfect. half the fun is setting up anyway!!!!
The more you do it the better you get... So hubby says anyway.
We had a frame tent before our FC and always pegged out the corners first and adjusted it from there. My parents had a Raclet TT and did theirs the same way.
Well its never easy getting an awning up to look dead right, dead level, or dead straight. But it will get easier the more you try. The wife and I bought a Trigano 575 LX late last summer and have just erected the awning for the second time using a little triangular spirit level gizmo which help ensure the unit was straight and true front to back and side to side. With that sorted out, the awning went up heaps easier.
OH just a quick hello to Mkie & Jen and to say hope your Trigano is doing you al well.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: First time - did we do it right?
Is there any height adjustmanet on the bedroom legs? if not several small pieces of wood which cover all eventualities in combination. Awnings are a matter of practise. We erect ours untensioned and then push the poles up and out little by little till it looks about right and then we spend the rest of the week saying needs to go up/down a bit you know! Unless yours is different to any I've seen the wheels are load bearing.
So hubby says anyway.
Sharon 
