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I have a Vango Aspen 700 and its having a few issues main zip is going, some straps have broken.

I have repaired were I can but the zip is beyond me. How long should I get out of it?

can I get it repaired or should I get another tent?

thanks all

A synthetic tent should last a good 4-5 years but of course it depends on usage. The sun is more degenerative than wind and rain. The longer exposed to the sun the less it will last. The zip could be repaired by a good machinist.

jans

Man made tents are vulnerable to UV degradation; it causes the bonded waterproof layer to eventually peel off and once that happens there is no remedy. So with average annual usage you should get 4-5 years life out of it.

Cotton canvas is much more robust and can last 20+ years  as long as it is looked after properly - that is why frame tents last so long. Poly cotton tents will be similarly robust, I woud imagine, but as they have not been around for very long it may be difficult to judge the effects of the elements on this kind of fabric.

So with your Aspen (man made, not poly cotton)  it depends on how old it is and how much it has been used (i.e. how many weeks worth of exposure to the elements). If it is still fairly new and you have only had a few weeks worth out of it then it is worth finding a canvas reapir place(or a good machinist) to replace the zip.

Synthetic tents are generally regarded as having about seven years of "normal usage" in them, before the dreaded UV degradation gets to them. A cotton canvas tent should give 20-30 years if treated right.

I didn`t know polycotton tents only lasted 4-5 years! Wow...the price you pay for them , you`d think they`d last as least as long as a synthetic one.

As to repairs, well, you don`t say how much use you`ve got out your Aspen, Jonellis, but if it`s only two or three years old then it`s probably cost effective to get it repaired, assuming you`re happy with it otherwise.

In our case it's usually down to how long it can withstand the assault of my 14 year old.

My synthetic Campari (30 quidish in the mid 70s) is still ok despite many nights camping in glorious weather - but he's only tried putting that up once, with my help.

I bought him a Pro-Action last year and he wrecked it first time out putting his camp bed up - the leg of the bed ripped a slit 4 feet long in the door. He used his sister's Pro-Action (bought last year and only used 3 times before) on hols this year and lost one of the ring & pins between sites.

His previous two pup tents lasted about 2 seasons each before he broke something that made them unuseable again.

jonellis,

I have a Vango Aspen 700dlx, so far it's going good. As per the other threads there are ways of getting it fixed, but what I would point out is that all Vango's come with a lifetime garuntee so get on that phone to Vango.