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Just back from 10 days in Wales and our second outing with our new Diablo 600. It was a wet week and we had a real problem with water coming in through the groundsheet seams. There is one seam down the middle of the central area and less obvious seams in the bedroom areas.

The water was coming up through the stitching holes and I don't mean a bit of dampness, there was enough to form puddles and soak a sleeping bag. It was probably made worse by the fact that we have the footprint groundsheet so water was trapped between the two.

I've spoken to Vango to see why the seams weren't tape sealed. They were on our previous Vango tent - a Proxima - and that is definitely water tight. The person at Vango said that the Diablo groundsheet is a different material and can't be tape sealed due to the heat needed. He told me the stitching thread should swell up when wet and seal the holes.

Our options are either to seal the seams ourselves with seam sealer or take the tent back to the retailer for return to Vango. Either will be a hassle.

Any one else experienced this?

Quote: Originally posted by PigletandTigger on 02/9/2006

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then pitch the tent so that no water runs between the groundsheets.

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I`m not disputing  this theory as I`ve never owned a SIG tent, but how exactly do you do the above? Surely if any part of the perimeter of the tent has a dip in the ground then the footprint groundsheet will mould into it and water seep in, despite all the care in the world when pitching the tent over it?

Quote: Originally posted by Valk_scot on 03/9/2006

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Quote: Originally posted by PigletandTigger on 02/9/2006

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then pitch the tent so that no water runs between the groundsheets.

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I`m not disputing  this theory as I`ve never owned a SIG tent, but how exactly do you do the above? Surely if any part of the perimeter of the tent has a dip in the ground then the footprint groundsheet will mould into it and water seep in, despite all the care in the world when pitching the tent over it?

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Quote: Originally posted by PigletandTigger on 02/9/2006

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this is the problem with putting an extra groundsheet under your SIG. You trap water between the groundsheets, then you walk on the SIG! I can't see why it's surprising that water is forced through the seams.

If you reallly want to use an additional gs you need to fit it so it is fully under the SIG and then pitch the tent so that no water runs between the groundsheets.

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Undoubtedly this was the problem, compounded by the fact that there was torrential rain while we were pitching the tent and therefore water was collecting on the footprint groundsheet as fast as we could clear  it off. And yes, the footprint is made by Vango.

As I have said. our Proxima had taped seams. Camping in the New Forest our pitch flooded. The seams did NOT leak, the groundsheet just billowed up like a water bed!

Quote: Originally posted by CathW2 on 03/9/2006

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Well if the problem is caused by a footprint, why do Vango sell them?

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Probably because they read this site regularly trawling for ideas? Last year lots of people here talked about using a piece of tarp or thick plastic cut to shape under their SIGs to keep them clean of mud. It     would come as no surprise to me that Vango thought "They want this? We`ll sell them one, then!".

Quote: Originally posted by Valk_scot on 03/9/2006

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Quote: Originally posted by CathW2 on 03/9/2006

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Well if the problem is caused by a footprint, why do Vango sell them?

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Probably because they read this site regularly trawling for ideas? Last year lots of people here talked about using a piece of tarp or thick plastic cut to shape under their SIGs to keep them clean of mud. It     would come as no surprise to me that Vango thought "They want this? We`ll sell them one, then!".

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Quote: Originally posted by CathW2 on 03/9/2006

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Ok.

But do you think the tent should go back? If the ground
sheet is leaking surely it should?

We've had 600 and 900 neither have leaked, but not used a footprint would that really make a difference?

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If the groundsheet is leaking on the first trip out then my feeling is that it should go back. Sounds a bit iffy to me...I wouldn`t be happy with it. Most Diabolos don`t leak through the groundsheet, whether they`re sitting on a footprint groundsheet or in a bog. Sounds like a bloomin stupid design to have a seam running across a well trafficed area anyway, especially if it can`t be sealed.