Canvas top on a box trailer

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Stop it Michael..... Next thing you'll have Leroy lecturing you! lol

Sorry Jillian, that happens all the time on this forum. But seriously, how much gap is there between the canvas and the trailer body? And is this a raised canvas enclosure or just a flat cover across the trailer top?

Micheal I was asking someone for constructive ideas not stupid comments mate.

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Not "stupid comment" Jillian..... just bloke's humour.
This forum has developed into "Sitting around a campfire and yarning with a joke or two". Maybe lighten up and enjoy the companionship?

I think you need to join Leroy in the humour injection queue Jillian.
Just don't reply to the comment if you don't like it.
William

I was curious to know what constitutes a predator. Snakes don't qualify as a human predator, they don't hunt or eat us.

Not too many things scare me at all when I'm out bush and I quite often I travel solo and sleep on the ground.

Had most of Australia's dangerous wildlife come into my camp at some stage over the years with some getting a bit too close for comfort but I've never shown fear, as wild animals can sense that so I just stood tall and upright and with beer in hand lunged forward at them and told them to f off !!

But there was one time many many years ago back in the early 80's when a very scary and relentless predator chased me and just wouldn't stop ! This chase just went on and on and on and in the end I wasn't quite sure what was the best thing to do - so I rang my lawyer and had a restraining order put on my ex wife !!!

Happy safe and predator free travels

Cheers
Gazz

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The photo helps Jillian, thanks. But I don't see an easy solution.
Maybe a 25mm wide adhesive-backed velcro strip around the bottom edge of the canvas to secure it to the trailer body. The velcro would not affix well to canvas so it would be necessary to first use contact cement to prime a strip on the canvas before pressing on the velcro. It would probably be best to also do this on the metal trailer body too.

But someone else will surely have a better solution, C'mon guys..... help the girl out.

"The velcro would not affix well to canvas so it would be necessary to first use contact cement to prime a strip on the canvas before pressing on the velcro."

Or have a sail maker or motor trimmer sew it on. I've had something this done on an awning as anti-flap measure.

Yes, even better Briste.

Wouldn't Velcro get clogged with dust and mud? Perhaps a rubber strip on the trailer and tie downs a la ute torneau covers. Depends on what size creepy crawlies you want to stop. Alternatively a canvas strip along on the tailgate and a zip?

Dont use Velcro . It will with dust and if it gets wet its a nightmare.

Sailtrack all around the top edge of the trailer or slightly down the side. Then a canvas strip with sewn-in rope for the sailtrack and half a zipper. Other half of the zipper on the canvas walls so you can zip the walls to the trailer. Do it in 4 sections, one per side if necessary/preferred.

Thanks Frank for your suggestion sometimes we just need another angle to look at things . Thanks

Zippers will also fill with dust and become hard to use. The best thing for zippers in dusty situations is to spray electrical contact cleaner onto them. It is a “dry” lubricant, better than WD40 or Silicon spray.

Macca.

Hey Macca,

I was thinking more of the "jumbo" black zippers with the big teeth. They are resistant to dust and respond well to Selley's Easy Glide, a purpose made dry lube spray. But I do agree - zippers exposed to hours of dust when being towed behind a vehicle would likely jam.

If Jillian adopted my suggestion, all the canvas, including the zippers, would likely be packed away in transit and not exposed to any dust at all.

Cheers

Perhaps u need to think about your answer or maybe u have never been in the bush.

We were camped in a camper trailer overnight near Inkerman one night. We'd arrived late and set up quickly for overnighter only, and the trailer was a little up-hill, so much so that we slept the opposite way around on the bed so our feet were downhill. In the dead of night, I felt something moving up my thigh. Too afraid to move, I woke my wife, to get her to turn the light on (the switch was on her side). Because we were back-to-front, she was confused and kept turning the damn switch the wrong way. Meanwhile, the unknown critter had started to enter my pants leg. By this time, I'm a gibbering wreck, and my heart is smashing ribs from the inside. Eventually the light comes on, and there was a medium-sized green frog wondering what all the noise was about.
So yes, deadly predators do indeed enter canvas camps!

Jim S1,

Snakes will climb anything, spiders, frogs, even crocodiles will climb some objects.

Macca.

Yeah Macca, I know that they can, but how many people have had a snake climb up into their camper ?

Hasn't happened in my experience, and not to anybody I know.

It's all irrelevant anyway, as everyone has to decide for themselves what comfort and safety they need.

No point in being in the bush and worrying about something , especially at night.
My worst experience was camping near some farmland area, and being wakened by gunshots. Roo shooters were out having fun on a Friday night, but we were were very uncomfortable I can tell you.

Cheers
Jim

Agree Jim. People should decide for themselves what level of security they're comfortable with, keeping in mind that the most potentially dangerous and annoying critter might well be camped near you. :-)

Couldn't agree more Jim

For thirty odd years I've thrown my trusty ol' DB swag on the ground and not more than twice was it ever zipped up fully and the worst critters that ever ended up in my swag were beetles, ants, hundreds of mozzies, a few other unknown to me bugs, some spider that left a mark after having a chew, a few mice after a plague in outback NSW, a dingo licking my face in the desert and some crazy drunk woman from Mount Isa lol lol lol

Happy safe and critter free travels

Cheers
Gazz

None of us will ever know what is behind Jillian's fear of snakes. Those of us who don't have a phobia will never be able to rationalise it to one who does. Nor will the sufferer - all they know is the fear and no amount of reasoning will make it go away.

I think it is to Jillian's credit that she is trying not to let her fear curtail her bush experience. All she is asking for is a bit of help to reduce the risk of what for her could literally be a heart-stopping event.

Jim,

Saw a photo the other day of a carpet python entwined through a caravan door handle opening, half way up the side of the caravan door. If I can find the photo again, I will copy and post it here.

Macca.

That's right Macca, pythons climb really well, but aren't particularly dangerous. My son recently had one in his stand-alone garage, looking for the resident possums. Possums are now gone, along with the carpet snake.
The python was not bothered with the usual comings and goings, and stayed for more than a week.

A brown snake ( all types) is a different kettle of fish.

Had a very heart-stopping moment in Tasmania when visiting an arboretum. My wife decided to check out a short cut back to the car , and as she came to a small ditch I saw a snake rear up beside her then thankfully turned and slid away. We both had the shakes for some time, and there were plenty of signs about the place warning of tiger snakes. Wasn't the only tiger snake we saw in Tassie either.

Everyone has to deal with the possibility of encountering snakes , and we all probably do it differently.

Cheers
Jim

Not knocking Jillian at all but like Jim said it is not very common .

just copied this from the net


" Deaths from snakebite rarely occur in Australia — two people die per year on average. From 2000-2013, there were fewer deaths from snakebites than from bees, wasps, ants, and ticks.29 Oct 2021"


Cheers

Gazz

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Gazz, it will probably not surprise you that, in all my years travelling, I have seen very few snakes.
However, I think that maybe it was the snakes that I didn't see that may have been a greater risk?
I can appreciate Jillian's concerns.

Howdy Allan - yes it doesn't surprise me at all as I'm in the same situation. Seen plenty of snakes but they were mainly crossing tracks when driving and a few when bushwalking but hardly any at the campsite.

I'm guessing that's because with one, two or more vehicles pulling up the noise and vibrations would send them into hiding before the people get out of the cars to set up camp and get a fire going.

One trick I've learned over the years after hearing that snakes don't like loud noises or vibrations as they fear it's a predator is to consume six to eight more cans of beer than I really should around the fire so that when I get in my swag I snore like a Robinson R22 taking off sending a vibration for about five metres around my swag. I must work as I've never had a snake in my swag yet :)


Cheers
Gazz

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Your 'guard dog' Michael?

Well, there you go Michael , the little fella is just sitting there quietly , being a good boy , minding his own business.
What's all the fuss ? :)

Cheers
Jim

Stumbling down the steps at 3am, a full bladder might be the least of one's problems.....

I've known a black snake to climb into a twin cab. Gave the guy I was working with quite a turn. He was driving along the levee bank and the snake appeared from under the seat between his legs. It was a low bank less than a metre high, he shouldered arms so to speak, feet up on the dash and the twin cab slowly veered off the bank and gently came to rest on its side. He climbed out the window and walked back to where we were packing up, white as a ghost, all he could get out was 'sssnake'. Surprisingly the damage was limited to pride and a broken wing mirror, as the ground was soft and the grass long. We pushed the Triton upright washed the spilled battery acid off, checked the oil and water and it fired up and he drove back to the depot. I got a photo and his boss wanted to put it in the council in-house newsletter titled 'council tip truck' but on further consideration they figured rate payers wouldn't see the humour. After that we made sure that vehicle doors were closed when we weren't accessing vehicles.

Jillian

I have spent a lot of time in the Australian bush, encountering most of our animals , including snakes, goannas and crocodiles.
I have watched a Tasmanian tiger snake curl and climb all over a picnic table and shelter.
I have watched two very large brown snakes entwined on a walking track in Queensland.
Snakes almost always will give you a wide berth if they can. Same goes for most animals.
I do have plenty of decades of experience in the Aussie bush, and when I'm in my camper I'm not the least bit worried about critters.
When I'm walking in the bush I keep a pretty close eye on the path ahead, and I carry a snake bite bandage or three.
I reckon you are pretty safe in your camper, but we are all different, so do what you have to do to feel safe.
Cheers
Jim

Thanks for the suggestion. Ii take it on board.

I am also going to take on the idea of foam, as my campomatic campertrailer has a bad design, which allows four entry points into it for snakes, so the foam idea is a great idea. The velcro idea is also good as, My wife replaced a zip on my JLX Vitara 3 door 4wd soft top as it was was stuffed. I used that vehicle for 5 more years on some dirty tracks both bull dust and mud, and it was not a problem for the velcro. It was high quality velcro and it did not end up dirty and unusuable.