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Hiya.  I have to waterproof the canvas on my folding camper next time I have it up (the previous owners have told me it would need doing, and it did leak a bit during a shower last time).

Most people seem to use Fabsil for this, and reading on it, it seems you can buy aerosols for small areas, or use a brish for larger.  I was just wondering though whether i could pour the fabsil into a garden spray and do it that way.  I will be doing it on a campsite so think that might be a bit easier rather than have to use brushes etc.

What do you think?

I havent mentioned it - is it stinky stuff then?

Are there any non stinky products available?

A lot of campsites won't let you do this because of damage to the grass. Also, it needs several hours/overnightto dry and you don't want to be sleeping inside it during this, because of the fumes. You can get round this by sleeping in a pup tent next to it.

Also, remember you'll need to clean it first! No point in putting Fabsil over a load of dirt. Apart from anything else it won't grip properly. So ideally you need one day to clean and double rinse the thing, overnight to dry it, plus 12 hours per coat of Fabsil + drying time. Two thin coats are better than one. It's a weekend job, best done in a garden. Or you can ask the campsite if they have a piece of rough ground they don't mind you working on, with a hose point nearby.

sh*tty job, really, which is why I advise folk not to start proofing their canvas till absolutely necessary. But some folk seem hell bent on it, gawd knows why, and then of course you need to carry on doing it every five years.

Thants a bummer then.  I cant get my camper up the path so its in a caravan storage place.  Maybe I can do it there.  Thanks for the advice :)

I know what you mean about not waterproofing.  I have had canvas tents in the past that I never ever put anything on.  We used to spray them with the hose in the garden and let them dry at the start of every Summer, and never ever had a leak. Can't see the point in applying waterproofing if a canvas isnt leaking.

Hi Pennine say they don't need re proofing untill ten years old, this is a statement that is impossible to sort out because a camper could be used 1-50 times a year, our Sterling is a 1999 and last august it got the biggest downpour with zero leaks, so does yours really need doing. Iain

Well, as I mentioned above, I dont see the point in waterprooofing if the canvas doesn't need it, but I did get some rain coming into the living area when I had the camper up a couple of weeks ago and we had a bit of a heavy shower so I reckon it does.

The canvas is not in the best condition - 25yrs old and getting a bit thin - so if I can get it waterproofed and make it last me through the Summer, then I can consider whether it is worth replacing the canvas, or whether it is best to sell for a as much as I can get and upgrade to one a bit newer..

Watch out for more questions when that decision has to be made! :)

HI, All i have to say is why use fabsil, that is very expensive, we had to water proof our old sumcamp continetal 6, ten years old, and that was going to cost around £60 with the fabsil, so i looked around and went to my local DIY shop to look for an alternative, and yes i found one, Thompsons Water Seal, I know everyone will think its for putting on brick work, but if you read the lable it is suitable for canvas as well, at at a quarter of the price, i payed £15, but you can get it for about £12 from screwfix. This was for a 5lt tin, and was more than enough to cover the whole of our tent. Like any water proofing product they do smell a bit, but after two day of being up in the garden the smell was gone.

This did not darken the colour of our canvas, and did nor mark it either.

Quote: Originally posted by montysmum on 02/7/2009

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Well, as I mentioned above, I dont see the point in waterprooofing if the canvas doesn't need it, but I did get some rain coming into the living area when I had the camper up a couple of weeks ago and we had a bit of a heavy shower so I reckon it does.

The canvas is not in the best condition - 25yrs old and getting a bit thin - so if I can get it waterproofed and make it last me through the Summer,

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Well if it's 25 years old and getting thin I would say that it does probably need waterproofing. However if you just want it to last a few camps and it's only leaking in one patch then I personally would just spot-treat it rather than do the whole hog. Give it a brush down with a soft brush, sponge off any dust and loose grot, let it dry and spray it inside and out with Fabsil or Thompsons Water Seal (this is a very popular cheaper method) with a hand held spray, like the one you would use for misting house plants. If you do that first thing in the morning then it will be dry by the evening....you can always sleep in the awning if it's too smelly.