Closing Expandable Bed Ends

[BruBoy47]

Howdy Campers,
We just bought a 2008 Shamrock 21ss and are coming to "grips" with the many features despite the generic User Manual. We have managed to prepare the rig for camping including the recalled Dometic frig!
We could sure use some help with the procedure/steps you folks use to close the expandable bed ends. Do you unsnap the bed? Do you remove the beds?
Best position for canvas end brace? Seems to be a real struggle to get it closed properly the first or even second try.
Thanks for helping.

[bikendan]

we fold the inside half of the mattress over the tent hoop. then the side straps get wrapped once around the hoop's sides and snapped down. we then pull in the canvas and close the bunk door.
others put the hoop on top of the folded half and then strap the same way.
they say that the hoop has rubbed the top of the mattress when it's sandwiched between the two sides. we haven't had this issue, yet.
we've never had to unsnap or remove the beds to fold the ends up.

here's Chuck S.'s pics. he's the Roo Guru! look thru and you'll see pics of how he folds his up.
http://good-times.webshots.com/album...cBGQW?start=72

[PattiPatti]

We do exactly as Bikendan described, altho it's kind of a pain to get all the canvas in. Plus i'm short, so often my husband has to come and do my side again, while i hold the end up.

Just by sort of accident, i was in there today and took the mattresses out to air out a little, and we closed up w/o the mattresses in there. Man that was easy! LOL So i think we might do that more often, and just store the mattresses inside for travel. We don't put much else in there besides the bags of clothes. Most everything else is in the bed of the truck.

[LDcamp]

We do ours like bikedan described also but I usually end up having one of the boys help. Sometimes it is a struggle but man the room it adds to the trailer is well worth it!

[Bama PrimeTime]

When we had our Hybid(not a FR brand) we found it was much faster to break the U-dinnette down to a bed, and stack the bunk mattressess on it and close the ends without all that bulk. Plus we could slide coolers under the now folded table.

[miatared]

Well - we are new with a Shamrock 19 - and have some issues with the darn wrap around strap and snap on each side.

Tried with the hoop in the mattress fold or outside - and the strap does not hold up - and snaps off - are we doing someting wrong? It all ends up very bulky inside...

Denis

[llarock]

I would just suggest to be cautious putting the beds in with the mattress still on as we had an issue with our hybrid in which the bed door ended up bulging out and we ended up with water damage....we now always take the mattresses out when we close the bed ends.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by miatared

Well - we are new with a Shamrock 19 - and have some issues with the darn wrap around strap and snap on each side.

Tried with the hoop in the mattress fold or outside - and the strap does not hold up - and snaps off - are we doing someting wrong? It all ends up very bulky inside...

Denis

pics would help!

[TF-Kevin]

On my shamrock 19 the one end at the front looks bulky and sticks out a bit but i am ok since i stuff the tent part in alot so the rubber seals properly, and half the time i forget to button them straps
Kevin

[miatared]

Kinda hard to show this with pics. Sorry.

There are few pics in other discussions, where the hoop is sandwiched in the folded mattress, and others where the hoop is set on top of the folded mattress - in either case, my strap comes undone - the snap simply does not hold up. I was thinking maybe a 12 inch length of wide velcro would do better - I may try it.

On the other hand, the bulk inside is no big deal - as I do stuff the tenting well back to have a good seal on the door.

I guess it bugs me more than anything else - as I think as a new unit it would hold better. I am stickler with some details

Regards,

Denis

[bikendan]

denis, do you have bedding on the mattress when trying to fold up? that would make it tougher to snap.

we do ours like Chuck except for we fold the smaller section over the hoop and wrap the side straps one time around the sides of hoop before snapping down. we do put something around the hoop's black thing that the pole goes into so it doesn't abrade the top of the mattress.
we don't have anything on the mattress when doing this.

[miatared]

Nopes - no bedding - only the mattress and it's a tight squeeze to get the strap to look and snap.

Will try with mattress over the folded mattress and see how it goes. Mattresses are new - so maybe over time they 'thin out' a bit.

Thanks.

Denis