Track Trailer Forum

Thanks for the info re the annex on the mark 4. Very useful.

Pete

Thanks for the enthusiastic vote of confidence for the full annex. We have one on our current soft floor camper and love it. 18  minutes is nothing for the extra space if you are staying for a while.

Will keep ticking boxes on the order form.....its only money


Craig

Hi all

My wife and I are on the verge of buying a new Tvan (very excited and are considering the full canvas annex. We wont use it often but about once or twice per year we like to spend 2 - 3 weeks in one spot near the beach so would appreciate the extra space during an extended stay. My question is to anyone who has the full annex on a mark 5 (with front boot) how well does it seal up to keep the mozzies etc out. The main use the full annex on our current camper gets is to sit in it by the beach with all the windows up enjoying the view and breeze without getting eaten alive.

Any insights would be appreciated

Regards



Craig

Thanks all for the additional comments and thanks Jeff for balanced view. My wife and I did go and meet Tim and his wife Julie. They were so helpful and spent a great deal of time showing us around their Tvan. They even let us have a go at packing away the tent to see how easy that was. In the end I think we have decided not to get the skyward deck and spend the money on other things. Its not that I dont think its a beautiful piece of engineering but its a lot of money that I can spend on other bits and pieces.

I agree with Jeff that the skyward will probably be standard in 5 or so years. We shall see

Regards

Craig

For those that are interested, track trailer responded to my questions regarding what would happen if the skyward deck mechanism failed. If it was closed at the time and wouldn't disengage then you would simply use it as if it were a non skyward deck (drop the deck and open the hatch). If the deck was open and would not re-engage when shut you would have tie or strap the whole hatch down and seek repair. They did say they have never encountered this and don't see it happening. 

Craig

Tim

Thanks for the reply. I have sent you a personal message regarding the possibility of having a chat on the phone about your experience. Thanks again


Craig

Tim

Thanks very much for your detailed response. It was very helpful. Practical examples of when the skyward has been useful is very helpful. I have not heard back from Track Trailer yet regarding what would happen if the mechanism failed but when I do I will post their reply. I think you were right on the money. Do you like simplicity or good engineering and I must say I'm a sucker for both so still a hard choice.

My wife and I are getting quite excited now about the prospect of buying a Tvan. We are forcing ourselves to wait and go the the Sydney caravan show to have one last look at all options before we make our final decision. Its a lot of money to spend without making sure you have considered everything. I suspect we will leave the show having placed our order for a Tvan and then will start the agonising wait for our build slot to come up. That will be a killer.

Thanks

Craig

Thanks all for the feedback so far. I have emailed Track Trailer to ask a few technical questions regarding what would happen in different scenarios if the mechanism or switches etc failed. Could I still lower the deck and open the hatch as normal if the skyward mechanism failed or if it was open and failed could I still close it up??

Thanks

Craig

Hi All

New to the forum and after some advice. My wife and I are in the final stages of selecting our next camper and hope to decide and order in the next 6 weeks or so. We are upgrading from a soft floor side fold, and at this stage the Tvan is way out in front on the top of the list.  Kids all grown up so its just us 99% of the time. Will be going to the Sydney show to have one last look at all the options before making our final decision.

Anyway, the one topic of most discussion between us when looking at the Tvan is if the new Skyward deck is worth the extra money. Having never owned a Tvan before its hard for us to judge. Have spent a lot of time at the local dealer opening and closing decks and hatches both with and without the skyward deck and cant decide either way. The quick access / convenience seems good but there seems to be a lot of extra stuff going on that would add weight and things to fail.

Any thoughts from experienced Tvan owners would be appreciated.


Regards

Craig