Well my wife and I thought it about time to give holidays under canvas a go as we are fed up of the ever increasing storage fees for our van over the years so we bought a ten year old Sunncamp Gites 5 for the grand sum of £40.00 after seeing the ad at our local Asda.
We got the tent up in our small back garden in about half an hour and it was exactly as described and in great condition, well we think so.
Just need to buy a couple of bits and then going to Hendre Mynach in Barmouth mid May.
Post last edited on 31/03/2011 17:39:35
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Bargain . As long as its been stored well and dry should be just fine might need reproofing and be warrie with old zips espcialy at the bottom where they can get damaged with dirt dust sand etc if you think there stiff try a small amount of WD 40 but dont get it on the canvas. Even if you replace a zip its still a bargain
In the old days we used to rub a candle on the zips to make them run smoother.
Enjoy it to the full
------------- Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Everything has been said before, but since nobody ever listens we have to keep going back and saying it all over again and again and again
I use solicon spray when i'm repairing zips on coats and dresses. if you do get on the fabric its not a problem so using it on the tent zips it would be fine .. personally i would not use wd40 ...
Congratulations on buying a good canvas frame tent, at a bargain price too Welcome to the forum Focus
If the tent has been stored away for a couple of years, you will need to soak it with a hose pipe while someone stands inside the tent to check whether any water comes through (there may be a fine mist of water), then leave it to dry out. If there was a fine mist getting through the canvas, give it another soaking & let it dry thoroughly. This will make the fibres swell up & it will be completely waterproof without using any kind of waterproofing agent on it.
------------- Jean
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Silicone spray is the stuff to use on zips, WD40 is oil based so will rot fabric. I find it good to spray some into a lid & paint it onto zip with small artist brush, saves getting it on the fabric.
Thanks for the tips, I've been trawling through the site for a couple of days now and found some great tips such as insulating under and on our airbed, something we had never considered, I guess we've been spoilt with our caravans in the past.
We had a trip to Caseys near Chester today and bought a Vango kitchen unit and a suitcase style burner and grill all we need now is a couple of sleeping bags and we're set to go.
Now you will be sipping wine under the stars, food cooked and eaten outdoors never tasted better, the sound of the rain on canvas when tucked up in bed etc. So much better than a caravan