Message Forums

Hi all

I'm hoping some of you experts may have some knowledgable tips about errecting tunel tents.  Yesterday I bought an Attwoolls Fairford Deluxe tent, so that I can take my two children away on my own. 

This morning I decided to practice putting it up on my own before before taking it away next weekend.  It has the bendy poles to go across the top, and aluminium for the sides.  I colour coded everything, threaded, bendy ones through at the top, strectched pin webbing at bottom, but no matter how hard I tried I could not bend the poles enough to put mental pins into the holes in bottom of the alumin poles.  I phoned Attwoolls who were very helpful, they talked me through it, I was doing everything right, so went out and had another go and alas pushed so hard the the bendy pole split all the way down the side.  I phoned Attwoolls who have told me it the easiest tent in the world to put up and they will kindly supply me with another bendy pole.  Problem is I don't want to do the same again  So any advice as to what I am doing wrong?  I don't have any problems with my Harford XXL

Thank you

I camped with my kids and erected the tent alone in the summer.

Its a 4 birth tunnel tent. At the ends where the pins go into the poles,I have little straps that I can let out and insert the pins before tightening them them up again.

The first time I put it up I didnt realise this and it was a struggle to say the least.
Thankfully the fibreglass poles are very forgiving. Sorry I cant be much help but I'm sure there is plenty of advice on its way.

Good Luck!!!!!

Suz XXX

I don't know if this helps, but I had a look when I was thinking of getting a new tent. It looks like the method that everyone has recommended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_4vr8HYdKk

Hi

Thanks for the replies so far, I had not pegged it down because it said not to.  I had extended the webbing as far as it would go......I just don't know what I am doing wrong....feeling silly and annoyed at the same time.

Only good thing is that I have tried at home first otherwise it would have been "right kids in the car we are going home!!!"

Sorry of this is a dumb question, but are you sure you have the correct poles for that tent?? It might have been shipped with the wrong ones???

Otherwise, try watching the video:

http://www.outwell.dk/Administration/Images/Images/PitchingWayVideo/5.wmv

I know it's not the right tent but it might help.

We have had an ontario 6 for the last 4 years  and had always struggled to get the poles bent enough to get in the pins, but we watched this clip and this year we did it the way he did, it took 2 of us 10 mins to get the tent up all poles in place and pinned  - we had no shouting, no sore fingers and a tent that was probably up the best it has ever been - there appears to be less tension on the poles when you do it this way. Definately the way to do tunnel tents.

Liz

Hi thanks for your replies.  Checked all poles they are ok and correct.  thank you for the links to the clips, but they are different to ours in the fact that they are just the flexi poles and ours are flexi and aluminium.

My husband helped me to put it up today and it did go up but he even struggled with it (and he is a burly farmer!)  The problem is, is that the flexi poles slot in non flexi aluminium poles, and it is then a matter of brute force to bring them around to the right position to get the pins into the bottom of the aluminum poles.  I am just not sure how I am going to manage on my own, which is annoying because that was the purpose of buying a smaller tent!  Our outwell has the flexi poles and I have no problems with them at all, it is just too big for weekend camps!

Oh well onwards and upwards, I shall have another go on my own tomorrow...I refuse to be beaten!

Well done you

Can't give you any advice as we are new to camping in big tents and only just learning how to put ours up

However, if you were stuck I think you should be able to ask most women on the site for a helping hand - me and my tevor would be delighted to be asked

If you knew what you were doing in putting the tent up I would help and be an extra pair of hands

If not then I would send my hubby (he is also new to big tents) but better him than both of us!!! Then we would fall out!!!

We wish you luck

Janet, Trevor and Jennydog