Starcraft Jayco Starcraft 22.68-1 OB

[greynt]

Thule ProRide 591 racks on the car carries three of our bikes. They are expensive (Around $220 each if you shop around) but excellent and with a cheap two step ladder easy to use.
(We also carry a tandem - currently inside the van)
As an aside, to carry the tandem - I bought two Aldi roof bike racks at $39 each (on sale on sale from a catalogue a few weeks ago - still around the shops here in Brisbane) which are similar to the ProRide racks at nearly 6 times the price! Plan is to weld two together and carry the tandem also on the roof of the car. (The Thule tandem rack is almost $700!)
Cheers
Andrew

Thanks @twscoot, I would prefer not carry on the car as I don't have roof racks. I am thinking of some sort of rack on the drawbar somehow. There are a few guys on the forum that have done that, so will look at that soon. Still very happy with the van.
Cheers
greynt

 

[twscoot]

Greynt
Let's know what you come up with.
I have considered a retrofit of a fiamma bike rack on the back and/or the front of the van. (I could fit the rack between the two front windows we have). I imagine I would have to 'plate' the bolts on the inside.
Cheers
Andrew

 

[skippy]

Greynt
Let's know what you come up with.
I have considered a retrofit of a fiamma bike rack on the back and/or the front of the van. (I could fit the rack between the two front windows we have). I imagine I would have to 'plate' the bolts on the inside.
Cheers
Andrew

@twscoot @Greg Nomad
I have the Fiamma 2 bike rack on the back of the van and it's seems to be working a treat.
Done about 5,000 kms so far and my van is the fibreglass version and no cracks yet...Touch wood... Done about 300 kms on gravel rutted out tracks and the bikes are still there to my amassment.:eek-53:

 

[skippy]

Had the same problem with the small struts on my van.

Here's the fix which is working well for me.

The issue is they use a small ball bearing held against the telescopic post which is held against the post by a spring. The ball bearing gets rusty and the whole thing seizes or becomes very difficult to move.

The spring despite its size places too much pressure on the ball bearing.

There's a small clip which holds the spring and ball bearing in place.
Lever it off and remove the spring and ball bearing.

Clip off with side cutters about one or two loops of the spring. The idea is to weaken the spring tension. If you clip too much off just stretch the spring so that it places just a small amount of tension in the ball bearing. Being small windows it doesn't need much.

Oil the whole show and put it back together.

Should be good to go then.

Cheers.
Andrew.

That's what I like about this forum is the willingness to help out a fellow traveler. @expanda

Thanks @twscoot I will have a look on Saturday and hopefully fix them.
It makes sense with the rust on the ball bearing because we did 2 weeks camping on the beach.
I tried spraying silicon spray but your right the ball-bearing are too tight, in fact way too tight.
I did take the spring out so I could disconnect the struts so we could make it home and deal with them later under warranty. I will try your idea first thought and see how it works but I thinks your right evan though cutting the spring I think there will be more that enough force on the ball-bearing to hold the windows in place.:encouragement:

Cheers for that @twscoot how do you find this mechanism holds up in a bit of wind!

So far all good. And we copped a bit of wind head on to the window a few weeks ago.
I figured if it was too loose I'd just add some more tension to the spring by stretching it a little. But haven't needed to.[/QUOTE]

O I wish it was Saturday so I can fix my windows too @twscoot
These windows drove me crazy on how I was going to fix them the whole 1300 kms from Coral bay to Perth.:doh:

 

[expanda]

So do we have a 22 on the site yet?

 

[cruza driver]

So do we have a 22 on the site yet?

You tell us

 

[expanda]

You tell us

Nope sorry....

Maybe tomorrow....

Plenty of 20's though !

 

[twscoot]

4 pages of Starcraft chat in only a few days. Go on. You know you want to.....
Expandastarcraftdownunder.com. Just rolls off the tounge!

 

[relgate]

Im working on it...

 

[relgate]

:jaw:

Nope sorry....

Maybe tomorrow....

Plenty of 20's though !

 

[skippy]

U know what I reckon you might be onto something there @twscoot

 

[skippy]

U know what I reckon you might be onto something there @twscoot

Did I just say what I thought I said!

 

[janematt]

Hi thought I'd put my bit in. After selling our 18.57-6 we looked at the Starcraft both 20.62-3 and the 22.68-1. Really liked both so was a real toss up. Loved the ensuite set up of the 22 and the size of the 20. The thing that made us decide on the 20 were the length of the bunks and length of van. The 22 bunks were shorter, and having two tall kids and getting taller, we thought they would grow out of them too quick, tho everything else we loved. I think the bunks are shorter because they have to allow for the concertina door which in itself is great.

Having had the 20.62-3 ob since December we absolutely love it. The only thing i would change if I could would be the ensuite, but there's always a compromise.

Jane

 

[expanda]

Hi thought I'd put my bit in. After selling our 18.57-6 we looked at the Starcraft both 20.62-3 and the 22.68-1. Really liked both so was a real toss up. Loved the ensuite set up of the 22 and the size of the 20. The thing that made us decide on the 20 were the length of the bunks and length of van. The 22 bunks were shorter, and having two tall kids and getting taller, we thought they would grow out of them too quick, tho everything else we loved. I think the bunks are shorter because they have to allow for the concertina door which in itself is great.

Having had the 20.62-3 ob since December we absolutely love it. The only thing i would change if I could would be the ensuite, but there's always a compromise.

Jane

All good points, and unfortunately this is the dealer breaker for us...

The en suite, is the one thing in the three vans we have had that we have always wanted to change.

If only they could make the 20 layout but with an ensuite.

 

[relgate]

Thanks @janematt. I didn't realise the bunks were shorter, but it seems to me that we are much happier for the kids to compromise on bunk length than for us to compromise on a full en suite LOL.

 

[relgate]

All good points, and unfortunately this is the dealer breaker for us...

The en suite, is the one thing in the three vans we have had that we have always wanted to change.

If only they could make the 20 layout but with an ensuite.

Less talk, more buy.

 

[relgate]

Less talk, more buy.

How do I like my own post?

 

[expanda]

How do I like my own post?

No need I liked it for you !

 

[janematt]

Thanks @janematt. I didn't realise the bunks were shorter, but it seems to me that we are much happier for the kids to compromise on bunk length than for us to compromise on a full en suite LOL.

My thoughts exactly. But didnt want to fork out for another new van when they grew out of them!!! The adults miss out again

 

[expanda]

My thoughts exactly. But didnt want to fork out for another new van when they grew out of them!!! The adults miss out again

Alternative is just to cut a feet hole?