Visor?

drpprmt

We were thinking of getting the T&B visor XL but our dealer said it was almost impossible to install, set-up, and remove.  Any thoughts?

LauraRey

I don't have one yet, but lots of folks on this site have them...and travel solo.

RollingBnB

Takes maybe 10 minutes if you stop and have a beer. Was your dealer trying to sell you something else?

Cyclonic

I don't know what your dealer is trying to sell, but as @RollingBnB said, 10 minutes with a beer stop.  Love ours.

RollingBnB

We ordered the tent today for when staying in one place for awhile. That might be a pain to set up if you are alone.

j_ntabowners

It's actually not that bad, I've set ours up several times by myself, being a little on the short side I had to stretch a bit to slide the upper portion in the rail over the tallest part, but once you figure out which piece goes where, and what's inside out and inside in, It should be a breeze for you to set up.

TABaker

That's an odd statement.  I put my visor up every trip unless I'm using the add-a-room.  I'm 5'2", and have the regular Visor in place in mere minutes.  Easy peasy.  Makes me wonder if he's confusing it with the add-a-room.  However, I also set my room up solo.  It's just a little more work.

jkjenn

TABaker said:

That's an odd statement.  I put my visor up every trip unless I'm using the add-a-room.  I'm 5'2", and have the regular Visor in place in mere minutes.  Easy peasy.  Makes me wonder if he's confusing it with the add-a-room.  However, I also set my room up solo.  It's just a little more work.

Maybe the dealer just didn't want to deal the Visor.

TABaker

jkjenn said:

TABaker said:

That's an odd statement.  I put my visor up every trip unless I'm using the add-a-room.  I'm 5'2", and have the regular Visor in place in mere minutes.  Easy peasy.  Makes me wonder if he's confusing it with the add-a-room.  However, I also set my room up solo.  It's just a little more work.

Maybe the dealer just didn't want to deal the Visor.

True, but I hate to hear they'll mislead folks in that way just to avoid ordering one.

j_ntabowners

 ahh, yes, I misread Rolling Bnb's comment I thought he had bought the add on room... embarrassed face... you guys don't miss much here do ya :-)

ericnliz

drpprmt, Personally, I have to look at it this way: It's YOUR trailer, and you can do whatever suits you, and your needs. We have the side tent for our T@B, and it's not that hard to put up, just takes Liz & I about 15-20 minutes start to finish. Feeding it into the keeder rail takes maybe 5 minutes at the most [I usually do this part myself with no help] which with a visor is the hardest part of the install. Don't know which dealer you are going to, but sounds to me like they really don't know that of which they speak, or at best don't want to be bothered with it. The advise from the folks who have already posted here is very sound advise to me and I would have to agree with them as quite a few of them have been at this T@B thing for quite a while and would not mislead you. Good luck in your decision, and have fun!

RollingBnB

j_ntabowners said:

 ahh, yes, I misread Rolling Bnb's comment I thought he had bought the add on room... embarrassed face... you guys don't miss much here do ya :-)

No, your right, I have the XL but just ordered the full tent from Teardrop store. That's what I meant about needing two people.

cbarnhill

Your dealer is wrong. I'm 4'11, travel solo, and can put it up in 10 minutes. Easy peasy. Maybe he is referring to one of the other add ons: tent, awning. 

rtolan

My husband and I tried to put up the extra large visor and couldn't get the pole to fit. It wouldn't fit in the sleeve. If you do get it in, how do you keep it from popping out of the sleeve. Also it looks like others are staking it to the ground rather than to the trailer. We must have been doing something wrong.

Michigan_Mike

rtolan said:

My husband and I tried to put up the extra large visor and couldn't get the pole to fit. It wouldn't fit in the sleeve. If you do get it in, how do you keep it from popping out of the sleeve. Also it looks like others are staking it to the ground rather than to the trailer. We must have been doing something wrong.

Once I have inserted the fiberglass rod into the sleeve and inserted the (end away from me) into the opposite sleeve, I pull out any extra slack in the visor sleeve and as taut as possible.  Once I've gathered up any extra material and pulled it toward me (tightly) I insert the end of the fiberglass rod into the small web type pocket on the end I am working from.  You should have a sleeve on both ends of the visor.  

https://youtu.be/j5-ewcUu8kA?t=5

Verna

Make sure the pole doesn't hang up on the webbing at the other end of the visor. And you can GENTLY bend the pole a wee bit more to get the pole to fit in the visor track. I do not attach the lines to the lower Keder rail--there's nothing to keep the visor from folding over the top of the T@B. Use 6' ratchet straps attached to a tent peg in the ground with the other end in the strap on the visor. If I am parked on a solid surface, I fill two jugs of water and attach the ratchet straps to the jugs. 

Newfisher

10 min?! The video shows 2:40 and I think that is a little long. I have sprayed dry silicone in the kedder rail and the visor bead before using it and have no problems with the XL visor.

Mariner459

Love love our XL visor.  Our dealer tried to discourage us, too.  Said it had been a waste for others.  We ignored and ordered it ourselves.

Note:
Loved the pahaque add a room for the first 3 sunny days until it started raining and it rained and rained for 3 more days..this is Pacific NW...it is "waterproof" but eventually things got wet inside from condensation, dripping zippers, us walking through, open gaps next to keder, etc. This truly was a test situation. We took it down and rolled it up wet in a contractor bag the day we left, and we had heck trying to dry it out at home that night. Reinstalled it on trailer at home (against homeowner rules) but it kept raining a little each day...just couldn't get dry...finally figured out a way.... removed from keder, kept pole in it, and suspended from 4 hooks in garage (rotated 90 degrees essentially and suspended by the loops on it using paracord). The interior flannel covered extra floor was soaked as was the outside extra protection floor we'd bought as a foundation.

Once hung, we put a big Vortex fan on all 24x7 and things were dry in another 3 days. Rolled and stored. Will use it again but not in rain if possible. In NW???Meanwhile, another rainy trip, the XL visor we brought home wet and suspended in garage with same method, and it dried in about 2 days. We will use it anytime as it is smaller, lighter, and just deal with it. :-)

spkbeam

Love our xl visor. Quick set up. We do stake it out to the ground. Never had any problems. 

mickietucs

I like mine but have had a heck of a time with getting the end in that "pocket" (feeding it through isn't too bad) - my hands are a "mess" (with thumb joint arthritis, trigger fingers and generally not strong anymore - used to be but it's now bone on bone..but I digress). Any hints on getting the "foot" into that pocket. I personally think they made the pocket too small so I really struggle.

pthomas745

I'm with Mikietucs..that last quarter inch is really hard for me.  Trying to take it down last week in a strong wind was a problem for me, too.

Verna

@mickietucs, my hands are similar....But, make sure the end of the pole is not touching the webbed part, put the end of the pole (inside the sleeve) on the ground, sort of gently force the pole to bend another 1/16" and there will be enough slack to slip the end into the pocket.  Once you leave the visor in the Keder rail for a couple of days, the pole seems to be be bent in place more and it is easier to put it in the pocket again.  

Homebodyatheart

@pthomas745  and @mickietucs, have either of you used silicone spray in the keder channel? It makes everything slide so much smoother both in and out! I used it on my hitch and tow ball, too. Can't camp without it now!

pthomas745

My keder rail works pretty smoothly.  It is just the tolerances on those poles are so tight.  But I will say I have silicone spray on almost every other part of the T@b!

mickietucs

@Homebodyatheart - same thought as @pthomas745 --- getting it to slide through the kedar rail is easy. Just working with the pole at the end is where I have issues.

@Verna - I can't picture what you mean by "put the pole on the ground"...here's how I install the visor - tell me if I'm doing something wrong: I feed the visor through the kedar rail, start feeding the pole usually from the back of T@B toward the front (while putting the poles together as it slides along). When I get to the very end where the sleeve is, I have to push REALLY HARD on the pole (due to the tension) more, then try to open the pocket to slip that end back in. Does that make sense? 

Verna

See my revised comment below

Verna

@mickietucs, I sent you a private message. 

pthomas745

Verna, are you installing the poles before you insert the awning in the Keder rail?

Verna

I see the misunderstanding....sorry.

I push the pole against the side trim to make it bend just a wee bit more. Sorry everyone!  Don't use much pressure, it just takes a bit. (For some reason I kept thinking the ground......).

 Once I get the visor all the way into the Keder rail, I pull about 6" of the visor out of the Keder rail. The pole will not scratch the plastic trim if you leave this much of the visor out until you have the pole in its pocket. 

Photomom

Geeze, I can put up our awning in 10 minutes by myself and that includes digging the stake hammer out if the SUV. 

Verna

@Photomom , you may not have the arthritic hand problems that @mickietucs and I experience. Please do not judge without reading all of her comments.