Chesney Kampa GT 1973

[Deleted]

Hi All

I am new to the forum although I've been browsing quite a while for inspiration. I purchased a 1973 Chesney Kampa GT about a year ago and am just getting the courage to make a start on renovating.

First job is one I can't tackle on my own though - new canvas. It's in pretty bad shape and may actually be the original. It seems to get caught up in the steel arms when the lid is lowered and I suspect this may be the reason for some of the wear and tear. No matter how much I try and get it out of the way (roll it up etc) it seems to get caught at the corners where the mechanism "scissors" close. I've been toying with the idea of having the canvas made up with a zip in each corner to more easily roll up the sections separately around the closing mechanism.

Any suggestions/tips are much appreciated. Also would love to compare notes with someone who has a Chesney Kampa. I fear I'm going to bug people to death with my endless questions as I get started.

Cheers

Jodie

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[millard1399]

G'day Jodie, and welcome to the forum! ;D

Apologies for this late reply, but 'Aussie Day' got in the road with other things I should be doing...

I'm not sure we have many people on the forum who have one of these campers. I know donnymarie has been struggling with her 1972 Chesney camper for a few months now, trying to get some of the issues with it sorted out.

I seem to remember that bob&jacqui also have or had a Chesney camper and have some experience with them, but they haven't posted on the forum for a couple of months, so I don't know what's happened to them (maybe gone bush??!).

I don't have any personal experience with these campers, so I'm no good to you, other than to tell you that Chesney made the first of these camper trailers in 1970, so you would think they would have ironed all the bugs out of them by the time the 1973 models were built. I do know that the canvas in my poptop has to be pulled inside the van properly before the roof is lowered, otherwise it gets tangled up in the roof supports or gets jammed in the roof framework. Maybe for your campers you need to follow some sort of routine about folding the canvas a certain way before the ends and roof can be "collapsed".

Hang in there for an answer, Jodie. Someone will come along and know a bit more about them and be able to point you in the right direction.

Lastly, could you have a look on the front drawbar for a chassis number and post it here, please? I'll include it in your heading.

cheers,
Al.

[suzieq]

Hi Jodie, I am new too and just posted a thread about the roof. I have a Chesney Kampa MKIV and I don't even know how to get the roof up!! How do you get yours up? Suzie

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[bobandjacqui]

G'day Al, I'm still here ;D ;D ;D

In answer to suzieq re lifting the top up. Ours just uncliped at both ends and then you just lifted one end up at a time and once the ends were up locking pins held the four corner stays up in position, hope this makes sense quite an easy lift as the stays are spring assisted.

Look in members photo albums on page two "1972 Chesney Kampa GT JF 10081" Donnymarie's photos are there also a couple of pics of our old Kampa.

Cheers Bob and Jacqui

[Deleted]

Hello and welcome Jodie and Suzie

As you've already been told, I too have an early 70's Chesney kampa and I've had my fair share of lifting issues, however they are all sorted now, yay!!!!

And don't stress about annoying anyone on here, they are very learned people and have lots of patience, they are still putting up with me after all

Here is a link to some photos of mine ......
s1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee485/donnymaree/Kamper/

Jodie, how is the canvas attached to the inside of your kampa? Does it slide on on rails like the annex would on the outside, or is it permanently attached? Mine slides on and I take if off everytime and ROLL and the canvas up and store it on the "lounge". Rolling it prevents creases which cause wear in the canvas and the screens. If its permanent, I have friends out at Warwick who have one like that and can ask them

Suzie, I think yours is a wind up kampa, should have a hole (on the back wall I think) that you put a shaped bar into and turn like you are winding up a scissor jack. However, it woudl still have some lock down clasps on the lid to lock it onto the bottom sections for travelling etc.

Hope this helps ladies, if not sing out ;D

[Deleted]

Hi Suzie,
I have a 1969 Chesney Kampa the same as yours(just different colours)The van is raised by a winch mounted below the A frame on the roadside.
Undo front and rear roof clamps and put winder handle on winch (or you can use a ratchet handle if you lose your winder.
As roof lifts beds slide out front and rear,until canvas is taught.then step inside and lift bar that goes across door to the left(mustnt forget to put this back over when packing up or front bed wont slide back in!)
Attach canvas on base all the way around and insert bed bows from inside and bed supports from outside.
Done!
Hope this is helpful to you.
Cheers
hughdeani

[Deleted]

Hi Al - Thanks for the welcome. My Kampa does seem to be a solid little thing (maybe they did work the bugs out) just in need of TLC. Hmmm front drawbar??? According to the rego papers the chassis number is CONV0123246.

Hi Suzie - my Kampa opens slightly differently as there is no winder. I undo the clamps and lift the lid slightly on each end to expose the bed slide. Then it's just a case of a slight lift and pull and it all pops up. In fact I learnt how "springy" the mechanism is when I removed some supports with the cavas still taunt around the bed ends. The whole thing collapsed down rapidly around me! Would love to see what your looks like inside to compare.

Hi Donnymaree - Great pictures - it looks like your Kampa is the same model as mine, although my canvas is permanently attached. A rail set-up sounds like an interesting idea though. Maybe when I get new canvas I could explore that option. Does it take long to set-up?

Hi Bob and Jacqui - great photos of your Kampa.

Cheers

Jodie

[Deleted]

Hey Jodie.

It takes no time really to set it up, at a guess I would say 20 mins from pulling up to ready to sleep in.

I am curious about your "springy" comment. When release the 4 hold down catches, does your lid spring up at all?

This is the only problem I have with mine, however, we have found a way around it, but I'd still like to fix it.

So did you work out how to get it closed up properly?

I'm not sure where your located, however my friends at Warwick had new canvas done for their's and they found a place that was cheap in Toowoomba.

Cheers
Donna

[Jodie]

Hi Donna,

I don't thing my mechanism is working as well as it could. When I unlatch on each side it comes up a little bit but I then have to lift the roof a little bit on each side and pull the bed slide out a bit - it seems to have a little catch that you have to lift over slightly. By that time I can just yank on one of the ends and the whole thing just springs up - or I guess levers up as it has a kind of scissor mechanism. The man I bought it from said it was easier to operate with one person at each end.

Packing it up is more of a problem. Although the bed slides in fine and the roof comes down easy - too easy as I mentioned if I forget to loosen the canvas drawstring under the beds - the last bit is a bit tricky. I have to firstly try and get the canvas in position so it doesn't get in the way of the mechanisms on each corner and then get the whole thing down straight so I can put each latch back on. Usually involves me running from end to end trying to adjust. The levers are really hard to snap on and have two have been re-attached with that Selly's rubber sealant (not very well either).

Does this make sense?

[Deleted]

I know what your saying about when they come down, they really come down.

I tend to not let mine come down on its own, instead I guide it as it descends by half pulling on the bed to prevent jarring and slamming. This might actually help with the canvas on yours getting into the right place as it goes down, not sure

My lid doesn't pop up at all when I release the latches. If your finding they are too tight, you can make the piece that actually locks into the bottom of the camper longer by turning them, they have a thread like a screw.

I have to do the running back and forward thing to to put mine up as it doesn't raise on its own at all, which i think is a result of the springs in the tracks being sprung.

Here is a link to photos of my camper with out the canvas on....
s1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee485/donnymaree/lift%20issues/

I was in the same situation when i bought mine, it was up and the guy showed me how to up it down, but didn't tell me that it didn't go up the way it was suppose to. I actually had a problem with the bed falling inside the camper on one end when you put the lid down (something else I wasn't told about).

But I still love mine, taking it to double island point next weekend and on a 3 week road trip to Victoria in April.

[Berni]

Hi, Are there any current bloggers who have a Chesney GT Kampa? I have been renovating mine and not sure how to find out what year is was made as there is nothing on the tow bar except the vin number. I need to buy a spare wheel and not sure what size I need and where to buy one.  Any help at all will be appreciated. I also need a lid for my gas burner as that is missing so any suggestions on how to get a new one of these.

[Deleted]

hey berni, where are you, i have one here you can have if your close enough to pick it up

[rebecca]

hi there we have one its still in good nick ,it has a new canvas and was repainted by its previous owners ,we go away in it every holidays ,its a little gem.I can get you the wheel size of ours although I suspect it may not be the same as previous owners also had it jacked up