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Hi all, just got back from a great 2 weeks in Cornwall. First week, wall to wall sunshine and generally fantastic weather. Second week, the turn around. Lashing winds and gales. Used our brand new Royal Bordeaux 6 XL ZG. It leaked in all four corners and the 2 sides where the partition is from kitchen area to lounge is. Really spoilt the second week as I spent a fair bit of each night ensuring that we did not get wet bedding and lost the use of my shower towels. The rain also got into the high elevated pockets where I stored my mobile phone and car keys!! Phone was a write off though keys salvageable.

Anyone else here had this problem or am I the unlucky one that got the Friday afternoon tent? Would like to know before I take it back to the retailer, as I will no doubt have a choice between a replacement, choosing another tent or my money back.

Ideally I would like to think that it was a one off manufacturing error and a replacement would solve my misery, however if I discover that it is a common problem and it is a design fault, then money back it will have to be, shame!

Blimey Mandy, that is the exact description of all the faults with ours!! Ripped front canopy, leaks in the kitchen area & the seam between the kitchen and living area and when we packed away we found pools of water under the bedroom area and to the right hand side of the tent! We had no bother with PJ Camping, they simply took ours back & they exchanged it, no quibbles. We erected the replacement in the back garden for a few days, just to check, as I did not want to go away again and find any nasty suprises. Guess what? It leaked in the kitchen area and the seam between the the kitchen & living area!! Have taken this one back and got a credit note for my £430 from PJ Camping. To their credit they have given me  options:

1) Take another one from the next manufacturing batch in case it was a build error from a certain period.

2) Offered to give me a Vango "Nile" which is similar in spec, but for me not an option. The Royal had the seperate kitchen & Storage area which is why it won our vote in the first place, (two kids 9 & 3 and a cooker in the same area of a tent at the same time is a catastrophe waiting to happen).

3) Wait until the end of September, when they will have been to the tent trade exhibition, (1st week or two of September, in Warwickshire I think), where they believe "SprayWay" will be exhibiting for the first time. PJ Camping think that "Sprayway" will be bringing out a very similar tent. Flysheet first and a complete inner lining as well? If they can't manufacter a waterproof tent then who can? After all they have been making waterproof jackets for years! This is their first year at tents I am led to believe, though I may be mistaken.

We stayed in Cornwall on two sites, both small & friendly, Heath Farm near Coverack and Little Treginses in St Keverne on the other side of the Coverack Bay. Only 2.9 miles apart from each other. Both great but for different reasons.

Hi Mandy, yes we bought ours at the end of June, but didn't use it untill the end of July on our 2 week holiday in Cornwall. We did put it up in our garden first, just to check that it was complete and we knew what we were doing. Unfortunately the first real test was the middle of our 2nd week, when the rains came in  with the gusting winds. Mostly overnight and came in in a way that only the Cornish peninsular can produce. In light showers the tent appeared fine! As you say, "this tent is not designed for rain"

How about replacing with one of these? Outwell_Vermont_XL

This one is the same price, and has the 3 bedrooms.

Emma

sorry to hear about your royals, we have been looking at this tent recently and yesterday  went to local tent display and  it was  covered in big puddles of rain and  not 1 leak. This tent  has been up  for a while in all weathers and was dry inside.

Oh dear everytime  i make my mind up about a tent  i then hear bad about it!

hope you all get your problems sorted.

We have a Royal Avignon 4 Select SG tent and have been in some heavy rain but not experienced any problems.

I think all manufacturers have some dodgy batches you only have to look on this forum to see the number of people who have had leaky Outwells but they are still considered one of the best makes.

I have read a lot of good reviews about Royal tents and have heard their customer service is very good so I would contact them and see what they say. Looks like you may have unfortunately got that Friday afternoon tent.

Hi everyone just thought i would update you on our outcome from our broken Bordeaux..... DW Camping in West sussex has just called me, they have had the tent for approx 3 weeks now. He told me he has been to the tent shows and spoken to Royal about the tent.  Apparently they are changing the poles as they dont feel that the exisitng poles where suitable for that tent. so are upgrading them.  he has offered us a brand new one when they come out in March he is also changing our carpet for us as also got teared through being damp...  When we go and have a look at it in March if we feel that it is not sturdy enough then we can go for a different make..      He has been very helpfull and also told us that tents are going up by 30% next year.!!!!!

So be aware that the poles on this tent are not suffient for this tent!!!!

Mandy