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Sorry if you've already read this I am new to this forum and posted in the wrong place. DOH

We have pitched our vermont three times now and have the same problem each time. We can't seem to get the tent canvas in the middle (or evenly) along the roof poles. This means that we end up with one side being too far off the ground - or tight and this is particularly bad in the porch so much so that we can't get the bottom flaps pinned down in the porch and on windy days the wind (and wet) comes straight through.

We've tried doing different sides first without success. What are we doing wrong- any ideas or do we just need to play and gain experience. Any help greatly received.

Hello Catie and welcome,

If I've understood your description correctly, it sounds as if the adjustable straps need (wait for it...) adjusting.

Before removing the pins when striking camp, slacken these off as much as you can. When setting up next time this makes it easier to ensure the sleeves are correctly aligned (pull fabric in direction required). Once happy, tighten the straps.

Each time you set up, it get's easier. Honest!

Hi CatieB I have replied on the other post as follows:

We can't get the flysheet exactly even on the roof poles. Looking at the tent from the front the right hand side, the non adjustable strap side, sits with the end of the roof sleeve just about on the shoulder of the roof bar. The left hand side, adjustable strap side sits 1 to two inches higher along the roof pole. No matter what we do - starting with fully slackened srtraps etc - we cannot get it to sit evenly. The length of the pole on the non adjustable strap side will simply not let it move any higher along the roof pole so it sits exactly even on each side, it is fully taught from the pin to the roof, either the roof pole is slightly too long or the leg poles are too long (maybe the flysheet is not right).

Last year we had a very slight dog leg which I put down to the cause of pooling water on the roof which I posted on last year (which got no replies ).

This year it sat a lot straighter with no water pooling.

We have never had any problems with getting the mud flaps to the floor in the porch however and have never had problems with wet or excessive wind getting in. There is allways some breeze getting in to the porch as it is not a SIG.

I suspect it is a matter of the more pitches you do the better, this year we were more relaxed, it went up quicker, seemed to be pitched better.

Both years we jave managed fairly taught roof sections especiall compared to a lot we see on site who seem to have excessively loose roofs.

Out of interest what year model is your Vermont? We find it a brilliant family tent with tons of room, sorry I can't be much help.

Cheers

PS just thought have you pegged the mudflaps down on the outside of the porch area. We do and I think that they should be plenty long enough to keep out the weather.

Apologies if you have pegged them down but as I said just a thought.

Cheers

Hello we bought it last year so I assume its a 2009.

We were unable to get the pegs in the mud flaps properly as they were so far from the ground (I did try to peg them inside the porch maybe thats where I went wrong) We did peg them as best we could although the pegs were far out of the ground to reach.

Its interesting that it is the same side we have difficulty with. No amount of playing and fiddling seems to alter the way it is. So its not us, that makes me feel better.

We too manage a taught roof and haven't had any problems with pools of water - apart from the bucket full we had to remove this weekend as I forgot I'd left the window open! Thank god we were pitched on a slant so it all went into one pool in the corner.

 Thanks

Hi,

The pool of water was on the roof not inside the tent. We are completly waterproof inside.

Another thought is to check that the 'leg' poles are fully inserted into the roof poles, some of ours will look correctly put together but can push further in, this would have the effect of lifting the tent higher.

Cheers and good luck with the next pitch

No you're not alone! We were away last week and noticed that the flysheet was too far over on one side - so that the other side was up 'in the air'. Unfortunately it did nothing but rain all week and because of the gap between the SIG and the footprint it allowed water to get in underneath the tent.

When we got home we sort of pitched it again (not enough room to fully pitch) but just couldn't get the flysheet even on both sides. Our tension straps were fully loosened. If we put the flysheet even then it was impossible to get the pin in on the second side!

We've had our Vermont M 3 years and have just resigned ourselves to the fact that the left hand side is always further off the ground than the right hand side. Never been so bad that we can't peg the flaps down in the porch though. 

Other than that it's a fantastic tent, so we just accept it as part of Vera's personality!!!