Dormobile roof

[Lefty]

Could someone advise how the Dormobile roof locks in the up position, and then if I can finally get it to lock how would you get it down

Mine does not seem to want to lock

Thanks Kevin

[Dormy]

Hi Kevin,

The two telescopic poles have spring latches in them same as metal tent poles. Trouble is as the concertina PVC fabric ages it shrinks fractionally and gets tighter, making it difficult to extend the poles enough to lock.

On my Dormy I can latch the rear pole quite easily, but use an awning tensioner to get the front to extend that last 1/4" ! Warmer temperature also makes a big difference making the PVC much less stiff and easier to put up.
Later Dormobiles (post 67/68 ?) had an adjustable bracket at the top to allow varied tension of the poles.

Getting the roof down is much easier as you can usually take the pressure off the latch by extending the pole slightly, then pressing the stud of the latch in. Ensure the fabric is folded between the metal stiffeners as it comes down. The roof won't fall on you. In fact it is easy to give it a bit of support so the whole thing comes down slowly and it will probably need a final pull down on the central bar to close the last couple of inches.

If you want to try this all out at home over winter, maybe put a fan heater inside and get everything warm. Might just make the difference you need.

HTH
Ian

[Lefty]

Ian

Yes that all makes sense, I have only tried it over the Christmas period when it's very cold.
It felt like it would not open high enough and to make it worse the roof has not been opened for a couple of years.

Hopefully it will be fine when the weather warms up. I will keep trying it and hopefully the fabric will stretch a little

Thanks for the info

Thanks Kevin

[AlexB]

Seconded

They really need some warmth. Once up, it is an idea to leave up for a few days - especially if not freezing - to help aclimatise everything - yourselves included - as to how it all works

Enjoy

[Ian]

It is probably a good idea to not fully raise the roof, particularly if your roof material is old as it shrinks when cold at night and can split. Ask me how I know. Leave it a little slack. For test purposes, make a couple of poles that can support the roof in its open position. Once I had figured out the optimum setting for the roof on my Dormie, I drilled new holes that matched the spring-loaded catch position so now I don't need the extra roof support poles. I hope that makes sense!

Ian

[Lefty]

Checked mine again today and it does have the adjustable brackets at the top, still could not get it fully open.

It was very tight so your advice was correct.

I will see what happens when the weather warms up and maybe the extra holes may be the way forward

Thanks again for all the advise, Kevin