Unfortunately, we too have had problems with a Sprayway Valley 6 (Polyester).
Firstly, there are many positive things to say about this tent, for such a big tent it was straightforward to pitch, withstood a heavy downpour with no leaks, the space inside was fantastic, seemed solid in some pretty strong winds and has some really excellent touches inside.
However, the negatives outweigh the positives in our experience of this tent.
The main issue we had was that the inner tent didn't fit properly - after hooking it into the flysheet the sig ended up about about 4 inches off the ground on the external edges of the middle of the tent. This was putting a lot of pressure on the fasteners which hook the SIG to base of the flysheet (to the point where a small tear actually appeared on the SIG where the fastener is sewn on to it). Also, it meant that the wind was able to blow under the groundsheet itself which obviously isn’t good.
We also ordered the footprint groundsheet - Initially I thought we had the same problem others had reported where it was out of sync with the tent but then realised I had it upside down (the fasteners should be on the underside of the footprint). The problem I then found with the footprint was that it didn't have the corresponding eyelets in the porch where the main entrance to the tent is and also where the storage area is pegged down. This meant that all the strain for the whole front half of the SIG was on the 2 corner eyelets in the porch and as a result both of which ended up ripping (which also makes me question the quality of the groundsheet).
Lastly, we also found the vents in the sleeping pods to be a big problem - it was quite windy at the weekend and the wind was blowing under the skirts of the flysheet and straight into the sleeping pods through the vents – its really quite strange that every single air vent and window in the main tent can be closed off to prevent draughts except the 4 in the sleeping pods - this seems a huge oversight from Sprayway. It would be fine if you only go camping abroad or in the warm weather but as we only camp in the UK from late spring to early autumn, this is a big problem for us.
I am so disappointed - Sprayway could have had a fantastic tent on their hands but for the problems I listed above. I’ve no doubts that Sprayway will rectify these problems after the feedback they get this year but that’s not a lot of use to us at the moment. I have spoken to Outdoor world who have offered a replacement or refund so I have no complaints with the service they offer - We've decided swap for an Outwell but haven’t yet made my mind up to go for the Montana 6 (with extension) or the Vermont M.
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Post last edited on 27/05/2008 12:42:18
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