Tom, we make use of baby powder in the extrusion or you can get you a ''Wonderwiellietjie'', which you can purchase from the manufacturers of the Sherpa Tiny. I have one, which I can give you, but I have to look for it, because I have not used it for a very long time.

Die babapoeier is nogal moeilik om in die groefie te kry, mens mors meer op die grond as wat daar ingaan.  Of is daar 'n maklike manier om dit in te kry, DK?

Werk die silicone spray goed, Geert?   Trek dit nie in die tent in en maak later merke nie?

Ons sukkel gladnie met ons afdak nie, maar as ons die voltent opslaan het ons definitief hulp nodig. 

Tom years ago there was a product called "Tent-Easi" that was fixed to the extrusion and as you pulled the tent through the extrusion it fed the tent into the groove. I think with a combination of Lubricant in the extrusion the Tent-Eazi and the wonder wielietjie one could sort this painfull tiresome process out.

Tom here is a pic of the TENT-EAZI

The silicone is excellent, I even use it on the zips if they get difficult to handle.

The baby powder is also just as good, use a 1" or 2" paint brush to apply into the extrusion.

Tom Sainsbury wrote:

Thanks for the tips. I like the idea of the Tent-eazy. If I had one of them I could do the job on my own which would be wonderful.
To the guys who suggested silicone spray, I must ask if it does no harm to the canvas/waterproofing. Also, would you apply it to the tent and the extrusion?
I was once told by an old-timer to rub that part of the tent that goes through the extrusion with a candle. I am not sure that would work in very hot climates like ours.

Tom

I spray it in the groove and on the rope of the tent for many year and never had a problem.  Heve a look at this thread, click on the link.  Al the info is there and the web link.

TOP 'O THE MORNIN TO YA TOM...  (my but that rhymes up nice 'n neat)...

FredaD wrote:

Die babapoeier is nogal moeilik om in die groefie te kry, mens mors meer op die grond as wat daar ingaan.  Of is daar 'n maklike manier om dit in te kry, DK?

Werk die silicone spray goed, Geert?   Trek dit nie in die tent in en maak later merke nie?

Ons sukkel gladnie met ons afdak nie, maar as ons die voltent opslaan het ons definitief hulp nodig. 

Yip... Babypowder.... I've done that for more years than I care to remember...

Campride Constantia... Gypsey 4B.... Caravette 4..... Avion LT.... Slipstream... Jurgen's 400....Oh a whole bunch of them over the years...

Everyone's got their favorite spray / muti. I don't use spray... Seen too many tents with "oil marks" along the rope thingie... (there is a term for it but  the hydraulic fluid in my head's got an air-lock)...

YA-YA... Heard it all... But this or that works better'n this or that... gotta get that... must have that....

PHOOIE!... To me it's just another can of something one just gotta have...at  a hundred and plenty Zupta's 

Baby powder / foot powder........ Cheap & readily available

Freda, so klein kwas & so klein ronde hourtjie waarin die kwas kan pas... Kwas die hele lengte van die beading....

Wonderwielitjie works like a dream... turns a 3 person swearing / sweating job into a one-man look-at-me-with-a clever-smile-on-my-face breeze...

Can make your own with a little window awning type pulley, an M4? / perhaps it's a M5 bolt, that get's a whack with a hammer in a vice and a wee bit-of filing / grindin... seriously takes 1/2H .... Been there done that....

Tom Sainsbury wrote:

Hi Warren, thanks for your input.
I must say that your poetry is much better than your technical description of how to make a "wieletjie/pulleytjie" dingetjie.
That one (as they say in the classics) was as clear as mud. 😂

hehehehe

Tom sorry mate, but I get yelled at with my long posts so I'll give it a bash..

take one of thos cast aliminium awning pullies that they use on those outside retractable awnings that curve down from above the window.

The pulley is around 50 or so mm in diam...

Use (I'm not shure, it's either a M4 or M5) (but the shaft part will slide through the beading while the head head of the bolt will stay on the inside of the beading.

The head on the inside of the beading acts as the "lock" to stop the pulley from sliding.

You will need to bend the shaft of the bolt +- 90 Deg so that the pulley lies alongside the beading (at the other end) IE your pulling chord will run through the pulley. not that the pulley stands at 90 deg to the direction of the pulling chord.

The trickey bit is to attach the open end of the bolt to the pulley, housing. I can't explain that, depends on the pulley you have.

Mine had one of those little metal loops around which the pulley housing swivelled, so I just fastened the bent bolt through that...

I'll post a pic of the pulley I had I've just copied it of the net.

You may have to grind the head of the little bolt a bit to get it to fit into the beading...

Use chord as a means to lengthen the end of the rope that you pull when you slide the tent through the beading,  it must be the full length of your van annd back again

Assemble the pulley into the beading at the far end, thread the chord through the pulley and take it back to the start side, and as you pull you feed the tent into the opening of the beading. If you feed it from the bottom almost vertically up, you can get a good run before you have to take up the slack on the chord and lower your feeding hand for the next bit.

Just work slowly..

I found the best results are by positioning the pulley at the curve of the beading on the other side , and when the tent get's there, re-position near the opening (in-gly-gleef) at the other end..

Ok I'll pick up again on Moaning day...

Pulley

Ons is verby die R50 of R100 rand spaar. Sit agter oor en my tent word opgeslaan onder my wakende oog.

Ek is daar om te kamp en te geniet en terselfde tyd skep ons werk. Met afslaan tyd is dieselfde mense daar en alles word skoon gemaak en netjies gebere. Ek het hulle selfoon nommers en wanneer ek by standplaas kom wag hulle vir my.

Work smarter not harder

Colin begin ook deesdae al hoe meer uitkyk vir hulp as ons arriveer.  Hy sit nie self heeltemal agteroor nie, maar laat die helper die moeiliker werk doen.   M.a.w. die helper doen wat Colin altyd doen en Colin doen wat ek altyd doen.  Dan kan ek rustig al my goedjies regkry.  Soos Tonki sê, die werkers is ook baie dankbaar vir daardie noot wat hulle verdien en dit spoor hulle sommer aan om behulpsaam te wees tydens jou verblyf.  Dit maak Colin net vies as hy met een van hulle gereël het om, die dag wat ons oppak, weer te kom, hy beloof hand en mond en dan daag hy nie op nie.