Solo set-up? Can I do it?

[henwilli]

Greetings all,
I am wondering if anyone has been setting up their quicksilver alone. As in, a one-man operation. My wife and I can set up our 10.0 fine. But, I am interested in doing some solo camping soon and was wondering if we could share some tips and tricks for solo set-up.

I am in fairly good shape so the weight of the pieces should not be a factor. The main concern is having to manhandle the bunk ends by myself. (with minimal profanity)

Thanks in advance,
Henry

[subaruwx]

It can be done. I've set up my QS10 ~5 times all by myself. It takes a lot more time, and the only trick that I've found to make it easier is to have a wooden dowel or post to help hold up the bed ends while you connect the aluminimum support posts.

[aznighthiker]

I have a 8.0 model and I mostly set it up by myself. I attach the bunk end supports at the lower end first, flip the bed decks out than attach the upper end of the bed support) gently pull on (each side of the camper) the bimini support poles/canvas to unnest them before pulling it out completely. It would be a good idea to use a board or a pole to support the bunk ends while attempting to attach the bunk end supports.

[henwilli]

Thanks for the suggestions. I had a feeling that a helper pole would be handy.

[admin]

I mainly setup our 10.0 by myself as the wife chases our little one around the campsite

I dont have any real trouble with setup and the bunks flip open fairly easily. Like aznighthiker said I attach the poles to the lower support first, then when I flip the bunk open I can use my elbow to help support the edge of the bunk as I make the first connection with the upper support. I dont find it to be to difficult and it gets easier with practice. I would think a supporter rod would get in the way since you will need some fine adjustments to get the supports lined up.

The only part I find more frustrating is trying to open the canvas top. Trying to get it open with only one person is a bit harder than I'd like it to be. Like mentioned before as well I'd be sure to loosen up the top and supports before you pull it open.

Part of the reason I love the QS series is because even the 10.0's can be setup by one person with relative ease. I can have mine open with basic functions in about 15 min (not including parking).

-Sean

[henwilli]

One thing that concerned me was the strength of the piano hinge. If I happen to lose my grip and it goes past level will it (the camper) bend from the weight? It looks strong but the sides of the camper may not be able to hold it. Does that make sense?

[mary59mac]

This it exact problem I need solved! I am 61 yrs old and short (5'4") and I want to be able to take off on my own. So far I have the bunk end "fall" onto a padded step ladder but it is still too high to attach the support pegs. I am completely un mechanical (which is one reason I wanted a simple camper) so I need to rig up something to hold up the bunk at the right level for me to attach the  supports.
As far as getting the rest of it opened, the one time I did it alone I just climbed inside and hefted it   open from the inside. I had to fight my way thru some of the canvas but I managed.
This is my first attempt at any type of pop up camping and I am a lot more frustrated than I thought I would be!

[admin]

Every problem has a solution, however I've been sitting here thinking about this on and off for about an hour and I cant think of a solution that would work well without adding a lot of complexity. I've had ideas about a winch and or pulley system. As well as something as simple as a jack of some sort, but the complexity of the system keeps coming back. The problem I see is the lack of leverage for supporting the bunk from the top side. Without anything above it the force generated when it hits 180 degrees would be extremely high on anything mounted inside the rig. Then you run into problems with supporting the bunk from the bottom side as well. A simple pole or jack seems like the easiest solution, but it has to be highly adjustable to account for varying terrains. The bottom line in my thinking comes down to the basic design of how the bunks flip out. I just dont see an answer that solves all the aspects of the problem with the given design. It will be a problem to ponder for some time to come.

[henwilli]

Well, I learned that I could open the bunk sides very easily and hold them up on my shoulder while I hook the support pole using my foot and lifting it up to my hand and attaching it. I'm sure it looked very graceful. But, I did it. Leverage helped me with the weight of the bunk end. As I got it perpendicular to the ground it got easier to lift and lower.

I also learned that I could let go of the bunk for a few seconds while I lean down to grab the pole. The piano hinge shifted slightly but held up. I believe that if the bunk end got away from me (While I was lifting it over to the the open position) it would've bent the side of the camper or possibly ripped completely off.

So, having said all that. I think a tent pole or walking stick might be enough to help hold up the bunk end while you're trying to get the pole in your hand to connect it. You might end up like I did, holding the bunk end on your shoulder while you get the first pole in place. I should mention here that I connected all the poles at the base of the camper prior to attempting to lift the bunk.

Now, about the tent itself. I just grabbed it from the side and pulled it over. No problem at all. Except, I had to re-adjust the tent because it slipped off-center. But that was not an issue. I popped in a couple of snaps on one end and then pulled up the other end and had it up just fine.

Okay, so breaking it down and packing it up:
Surprisingly easy. I thought I would have trouble shoving the tent back down into the camper but I got it all in fine. The bunks were fairly easy to flip over as well. I didn't have the same concerns about closing it because there was no stress on the piano hinge when closing the camper.

I would suggest trying it by yourself once or twice but have a spotter nearby - just in case. My wife is an excellent spotter. She had no problem watching me make a fool of myself the first time I tried.

[vmcmn]

I'm like you I've learned to balance the beds on my shoulder while I attached the supports.As long as you learn how to handle the tent you're OK. Just takes practice,done it myself a few times without help.

[mary59mac]

Thanks for the ideas! I think I'm gonna get myself a "helper pole"!
I will have an opportunity to try some new techniques soon because my son and I are taking a road trip in Sept.
He can help out in a pinch but I wanna develop a technique that works for me when I'm by myself since my goal is to be able to hit the road alone whenever I want to.

[mbanks]

[quote source="/post/1904/thread" timestamp="1404862430" author="@aznighthiker"]I have a 8.0 model and I mostly set it up by myself. I attach the bunk end supports at the lower end first, flip the bed decks out than attach the upper end of the bed support) gently pull on (each side of the camper) the bimini support poles/canvas to unnest them before pulling it out completely. It would be a good idea to use a board or a pole to support the bunk ends while attempting to attach the bunk end supports.[/quote]My dealer here in Columbus told me there is no problem to simply rest the bed without support temporarily. He claimed the hinges are strong enough to hold the beds with no support.

I did not like it very much but yes, he said he does it that way.

This was on my used 8.0

[mary59mac]

That's good to hear!

[walt3]

I set up our 10.0 by myself all the time at the house to get it ready for camping, clean up after camping and for mods and measurements. It has gotten to take about as long for me to set it up (never all the snaps on the tent cause just temp set up) as when the wife helps when camping. Practice will make it very very easy!

[mbanks]

Those of you looking for a "helper pole". I am originally from Poland and I can be helpful when asked or bribed with a beer.