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Anybody know where I can get hold of spare pole sections and a replacement canvas for an Event Shelter.

These things just do not like a bit of wind. As I found out to my cost in Norfolk on yesterday!

Damaged 4 pole sections and ripped the roof.

Is it possible to buy spare pole sections and fabric? Or can the fabric be repaired? IS it cost effective?

Thanks

OPen sided shelters like that are a bit of a disaster in high winds. As you'll have found the wind gets under them and lifts the whole thing up so it thrashes around against poles and guys. Really it's best to take open sided shelters and canopies down in strong wind.

If you do decide to replace it, might be better looking at the day room kind of shelter, with sides that can be zipped in and out or rolled up. These usually perform better in high winds.

Thanks for all your replies.

Ironically, the shelter was fitted with four side panels at the time of the damage. However, the panels are not a snug fit to the poles and I guess the wind just got under the considerable gaps between the panels and the ground (about 75mm in places).

I already knew that the shelter shouldn't be out in strong winds. The problem was that we didn't know the wind was going to pick up to be so strong. None of the weather forecasts had predicted them (bbc weahter site, Metcheck both useless). We had unfortunately decided to go for a walk and were about 2 miles away from the site when the damage happened.

Shelter should have been dismantled. Shouln't have gone for a walk and left it unattended in winds. Should have been safe rather than sorry. Isn't hindsight a wonderful gift. Anybody know where I can buy some hindsight from?

BTW, the poles are steel poles and are curved in profile, to make up the dome shape of the shelter's roof. So they are going to be specific to the Coleman shelter i fear.

I'm going to go and follow up on the suggestions given about repair tape and "day room" type shelters. Thanks again.

Just had a quick look at the day shelters. Problem is, they're just not big enough.

The Coleman event shelter is 4.5m square. For a large group (there were 4 families sharing the shelter for eating and socialising), 3m x 3m is too small. Also, because of the light weight of material, the event shelter canvas folds up really small. The poles are a bit hefty though, being steel tubes and not glass fibre or carbon poles.

The tenacious tape looks just the job. I'll need a couple of rolls though. The rip is about 50cm x 50cm in an "L" shape.

All I need now is for Coleman to sell spare pole sections and someone to tell me how to get the chain/shock cord clips apart to separate the sections.

Alternatively, if anybody sees a shelter being sold on ebay for spares or repairs, let me know please.

Sonja

Bad news for me, is that there are no spares around. I talked with Lancashire Sports Repairs, who are listed on Coleman's website as the repair agents for Coleman tents. They have no shelter spares and no plans to get any. The helpful lady there gave me the number to contact Coleman directly.

I spoke to Coleman and they also do not carry spares. The lady there tried to be as helpful as she could and gave me the name of someone who might just on an off-chance have one or two spare poles lying around, but he hasn't come back to me yet.

Good news for you Sonja, is that the lady at Coleman said that the only spare she did have was the centre plastic cross piece, which I think is the bit you were saying you had broken. So if you get in there quick, you may be able to get it.

The number for Coleman is 01275 845024.

What's frustrating for me is that people keep telling me these things are not meant for wet & windy conditions. I know that, but accidents do happen and surely it would be sound customer service to have some spares holding for the shelters, given the number that must be out there.

So it looks like I'm going to have to shell out another £130 ish pounds to replace the shelter completely. Something I'm going to do very reluctantly, given the knowledge of the lack of spares availability. Problem is, there's just nothing out there to compare with it at the same sort of size.

Unless of course, you know better...........?

Quote: Good news for you Sonja, is that the lady at Coleman said that the only spare she did have was the centre plastic cross piece,

Quote: Originally posted by Mr Bluesky on 01/6/2010

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Isn't hindsight a wonderful gift. Anybody know where I can buy some hindsight from?

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Sonja

Sorry. I don't remember the lady's name. All I know was that she had a Dutch accent. Not very helpful, I know. Sorry you had a wasted call. She definitely said that she had one available, because I commented to her that ironically, that's the one bit of mine that wasn't damaged.