Hello All, ... an intro & question/recco for covers

Two weekends ago we picked up our "new to us" 1970 Puck (USA Export Model), & your Forum came up on my search for an all weather cover for our Lil Pucker (sheesh! it's a good thing they didn't name it the "Shag"! ;-). Our puck being a USA model was shipped without wiring & appliances to California, then finished out with USA LP stove & tank/etc., sink & water tank/etc., & 110V electrical & lights, & 12V trailer light wiring & lights as appropriate for our market, then certified as a RV/Trailer (Caravan) by the Calif. Dept. of Housing. Otherwise, it looks pretty much from the outside as does any Euro/UK markets Puck of the 1970-75. It has mostly all original paints, finishes & flooring, galley etc. & is mostly complete - although the main curtains were replaced & cushions re-upholstered due to age deterioration (she still has her OE mesh under-curtains).

We're across the pond in mostly sunny SoCal, & have been in the vintage trailer scene here since 2012 with our restored 1960 Avion T20 (#2 of that model, similar to an Airstream of the day), as well as with our classic cars - OO of a 1988 VW Vanagon T3 CamperGL "Westfalia" (T25 Joker in UK), & OO of a 1985 BMW 325e E30 coupe, & 2nd owner since 1975 of a 1973 Porsche 914-2.0 "914S" (under resto - VW-Porsche "914SC" in the UK). Currently only the T25 is tow equipped, but I'm on the hunt for a factory E30 tow bar, & factory or aftermarket for the 914.

We're looking forward to our 1st vintage camping outing in 2 weekends with the Puckster, & am trying to line up 3 new 145/80R10 tires (tyres) & a winter or all weather cover for the Puck in the meantime. We'll solve the "Lack-a-Loo" issue with both the Puck & Westy by getting a Thetford Porta-Potti, & already have a solar shower & rear hatch tent & bamboo shower grids for the Westy - but they do have facilities at most campgrounds where we go for these Vintage Trailer Rallies & camp-outs.

I've got a couple of tire options in process with New Hants & USA-MiniSport - but the cover is proving a problem with some of your UK cover makers.

After ordering a cover online from your UK Specialized Covers, they then informed me that they don't have the patterns for the older Pucks & refunded the credit card payment (but I get to "eat" the fees & exchange costs for both the payment & refund!) - which is very odd because I got their name from somebody on TheSamba.com Eriba Puck topic who had ordered & gotten one for their `60's from S.C.!!??

To avoid more cancelled orders & lost fees, I've now I've sent emails/messages to Pro-tek, Automotive Leisure, some Kampa sellers, & Eriba to see if any of them make a cover to fit our 1970 Puck.

My 1st question is - which of these are most reliable sellers & best covers? (Kampa appears to be the budget one)
.... basically all the ones on here:
Fitted winter covers

2nd - can I just order their standard Puck, Puck L, or Puck 120 cover & have it fit okay on our older & smaller Puck?

We can get some pretty strong winds here (70-100 mph hot "Santa Ana Winds"), but I'd probably take off the cover before they hit, & we do get rain .... sometimes.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. TIA

I'll try to upload a photo here ....
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... Wow! Now that's teeny-tiny, but I guess that you can click on it to see the full sized image. Can you find "Jana Banana"?
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Cheers!
Tom .... & Jana
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sorry i cant help you with the cover. And yes, she's peeking out!

Tom & Margaret

Thanx Randa,

I did think from what I've read that the Pro-tec were the best covers.

Unfortunately they just emailed me back to say that they do make a cover for our 1970 Puck, but will not ship to the USA!

Hopefully that's not just Trump backlash, because I know somebody here in the States with a Pro-tec cover for their Puck, but not sure if they had it shipped directly from Pro-tec UK.

I'm waiting for responses from Automotive Leisure, Hymer-Eriba (they'll probably redirect to A.L. in the UK), or a Kampa dealer.

If nobody in the UK ships to the USA or makes a suitable cover, then I guess I'll have to just get a USA made generic non-fitted small trailer cover. :-(

BTW - Did you hear that THOR Industries over here in the States, which owns Airstream among others, has purchased Hymer-Eriba, which itself had purchased a Canadian RV/Trailer maker in order to expand themselves (back) into North America.

We're all hoping that THOR/Hymer-Eriba will start bringing their Touring/Puck line back to the states so that folks & small families with small cars can get a nice lightweight camping trailer/caravan here in the States again!

There is a San Diego company which makes the Meerkat, which they literally reverse-engineered from an older USA Export Puck, but I don't know if they'd survive patent challenges, nor be in business long term, as it's tough for start-ups here, what with all the regulations & high costs.

I just ordered 3 Falken SN807 145/80SR10 tires from USA.MiniSport.com - so the search goes on for a good all weather cover!

FYI - a pic of our "Big Gal" 1960 Avion T20 & the `88 Westy at a local Vintage Trailer Rally - no we don't tow it with the Westy, but are renting 3/4 ton pick-up trucks until we find either a V8 2008-14 Cayenne S or else a Toyota Sequoyah as our own TV to tow it with ....

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The size difference between the Avion & Puck is amazing in this pic in our driveway....

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Cheers!
Tom
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No Randa,

We haven't seen that one, but then I don't know why Hymer would enter the market here with yet another all FG trailer, when there are already many others from Casita, Airstream, etc. on the market. I agree with the cockeyed & quality comments on that thread too! Or ... if I had, I just forgot it immediately thereafter - of course I have half-zymers & CRS at 66! LOL

It may be a rebadged & slightly redesigned FG trailer from the Canadian company which Hymer-Eriba bought into about 2 years ago (2015-16-ish) as a quick fix market entry - which rarely works out. Remember the unsuccessful VW Routan - a rebadged Chrysler minivan made in Canada, instead of just importing their T5 - T6 era VW minivans & "California" camper-vans! VW recently did an article & photo shoot for one of the car magazine about their latest "California" camper-van (T6 or T7??) - along with an `80-`90's era Vanagon/T3/2.5 Westfalia camper - but they're still not importing them here! Look at the recent sales of nicely restored Vanagon/T3/2.5 Westfalia campers listed at the GoWesty.com website's Recent Sales listing - they just keep going up $70K+ for 2WD like ours & $90K+ for Synchros 4WD Full Campers!

The old original Puck/etc. format with aluminum lower body skins & the FG top/pop-up & it's short & lightweight gives it more tow vehicle options. I think that one is too long/big & heavy (FG weighs more than the aluminum skins) to be pulled by the smallest compact & sub-compact cars over here, & a smaller traditional size Puck/Pan/Faun/Familia size & weight would fit the bill nicely for younger gen & retirees with a small car. The Meerkat hits that mark far better than that "silver turd" Eriba Touring USA!

I'm in the real estate biz over here, & the Baby Boom & Baby Boom Echo generations are driving & will continue to drive everything market-wise for housing & cars/trucks/suv/cuv, since they're both about the same size in actual number, with the Echos continuing to grow. So the recent surge in both smaller travel trailers/campers/caravans & Retro look ones - as well as the growth of the Vintage Trailer thing - are all also driven primarily by those numbers too.

In our case, the Puckster gives us another vintage trailer event option that can be more easliy towed with our smaller cars (`88 Westy is the only one with a hitch for now), & leave our bigger 1960 Avion T20 parked & hooked up as our facilities while we are redoing the plumbing & all for our almost 100 year old house, as well as later for a change of what we "show" at the rallies.

Cheers!
Tom
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I must say that this forum has truly captured my true essence in my current picture there in the top right! A true cartoon character! ------->>>>
I think I'll keep it!

PS ALL - Thanx for the warm welcomes!

Cheers!
Tom
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Quote: Tom T wrote in post #6

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Unfortunately they just emailed me back to say that they do make a cover for our 1970 Puck, but will not ship to the USA!

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Hi, Tom.
Would you post some pics of the interior of your big gal? Id love to see what one is like inside.

Thanx Rob,

I may resort to that, but at the moment I'm trying to convince the gal at Pro-tec to have her upper management just sign up for a UPS account, since I know that they DO ship UK to the USA, since I just ordered on Tuesday 3 new Falken SN807 145/80SR10 tyres from minisport.com to ship here.

My other option is the offer which I put out to CoverKing covers to bring our Puck over to them to digitally scan for one of their excellent USA made covers, since they're just a few miles from our house. Then there would be a USA provider, & the UK shipping difficulties & lack of interest would be irrelevant.

The cost of a good quality cover here is about the same as a Pro-tec or Select or Eriba winter cover - so there is not a cost issue with those of us in the States, but rather the seeming unwillingness of the UK makers to bother doing business with us "Yanks".

I'd played Rugby over here for 26 years 1970-96, did Rugby tours to the UK & Australia in the 1970's, my wife & I honeymooned in the UK & Ireland in `85 - as well as buying parts from UK parts sellers recently over the past few years for our 1988 VW T25's resto - & everyone was very polite & helpful.

So frankly, I'm finding the Caravan cover sellers polite but complete lack of interest or helpfulness a bit perplexing!

Cheers!
Tom
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Here ya go Islay -

She's a1960 Avion T20 - which was #2 of that model built, so the one in the 1st photo of the sales brochure could have been ours, since it's equipped as ours was (before later upgrades), & since they used early production models for such brochures (no way to prove it though, according to the grandson of the original owner of Avion trailers - Cayo). They were advertised back then as: "Better than an Airstream" due to stronger frame/skeleton, more interior room width/height/storage, it has a full bathroom (sink, shower/mini-tub & Loo), & full galley (sink, 4-burner LP Stove with Oven, LP/110V/12V Refrigerator - but the PO's took out the original too deteriorated stove & Fridge & put in the "modern" stainless RV stuff in the pix - we're looking for an original stove, hood & sink to backdate the galley), with both the dinette & Gaucho Sofa converting into 2 beds for 4 (2 each + they had an optional roll-out cot above the sofa for a 5th - not in ours), & the actual length is 21'-6" with a 17'-6" L x 8'-9" W x 7-6" H (above floor frame) body, & weighed 2680 lbs dry & before options, & is probably 3000 lbs as equipped, wet & loaded with all of our stuffage.

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... & of course all of the period correct paraphernalia & outfits!
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We usually keep the sofa in bed mode, because it gives enough room - along with the tub/shower, to carry everything but the bikes.

Cheers!
Tom
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.... And so our "Lil' Gal" won't get jealous, here are some of her, although the camping set-up & with the 68 VW Beetle are the prior onwer's shots, all of which except the Beetle we inherited in our stewardship of this mostly original survivor 1970 Puck USA Export Model.

She came with a sink with pump water tank/faucet, 2 burner LP cooktop & Icebox (I heard that an LP/110V/12V Fridge was an available option), with USA standards 12V & 110V wiring, outlets, lights, etc.; & with probably more storage per cubeage of the cabin, than even in our "Big Gal"! As I understand it, the USA Export Model Pucks were shipped to the USA with all but the galley, LP & electrical items, which were then added at a local plant using the readily available USA trailer items, so as to work with our systems & to have easier serviceability & warranty over here in the States.

Although I hate it when people say a car/caravan is all original, except ... & then give a long list of items which essentially make it NOT original much at all - I'll use that format to explain the originality of our Puck -

Wherein, the paint & FG top & seals are all original - except the vinyl cover strips on the body joint aluminum strips are a modified non-Eriba replacement (we got a box of all seals made by EriBasir from the seller for future resealing), the cushions were recovered in a modern fabric with similar colors to the original (not same patter/weave), the fishnet under-curtains are still original, but the colored curtains are all replacements (the originals fell apart upon gentle cleaning by the seller, except 2 which he gave us for reference), & he added both the form fitted Sisal mat & a new canvas + new liner in the pop-top ceiling,

The 10" wheels, tires & hub caps are replacements, as well as some wiring updates to accommodate the 4-pin flat electrical connector to the TV which we use over here). The optional rear stowage tube bumper & spare tire mount is believed to be original (new wheel & tire, with extensions to accommodate the "fatter" 145/80SR10 tires available today - the PO 3 ago may have updated these from 8" or 10" wheels). The taillights are also non-Hella replacements from Australia (Land of OZ) by the seller, due to damaged originals (I'll keep an eye out for some new/NOS Hellas).

The interior wood/varnish is believed to be original, the interior fabric/skin & flooring is original with that almost digital-camouflage pattern to it - although I'll need to remove the remnant glue from the adhesive carpet squares which the PO before our seller put on (the seller never got "a round' tuit'!"). Of course all of the decorative goodies, spice rack, fan, etc. are not original items.

I'm still learning Puckisms & details - so I'll try to research more with PO's, online, etc., in order to properly conserve this survivor.

So here are some interior & exterior of ours, but the camping/show shots were the seller's pix -
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Cheers Again!
Tom
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