|
 Topic: Leaky groundsheet. New footprint needed?
|
  |
02/9/2018 at 5:04pm
Location:
Outfit:
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 29/6/2008 Diamond Member 
Forum Posts: 12116
Tent Reviews: 1
| Site Reviews Total: | 4 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 1 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 14 |
|
Yep if your tent has got a SiG or ZiG, it needs wrapping up in cotton wool!
To protect our ZiG, we put down a cheap £2 disposable footprint aka tarp, and on top of that goes a 1mm thick Butyl Rubber groundsheet aka pond liner!
Inside the tent we have wall to wall Outwell tent carpets, somewhat modified to fit, in both the bedroom pod and living area.
Needless to say the ZiG has remained as new for over 10 years, and we have never experienced any water ingress issues.
|
02/9/2018 at 9:37pm
Location: Yorkshire
Outfit: None Entered
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 24/8/2009 Diamond Member
Forum Posts: 4497
| Site Reviews Total: | 57 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 7 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 10 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 4 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 37 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 48 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 20 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 9 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 2 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
I suspect it's condensation which has just travelled to the lowest points inside your tent. The Instant Tourer is a single skin (no inner) tent, isn't it? It's really important to keep some vents open and, even then, you'll still get condensation in a synthetic tent. Check out the Cross Camping YouTube video and you'll see what I mean!
|
03/9/2018 at 11:26am
Location: Sheffield
Outfit: Cabanon Guadeloupe Zephyros3
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 06/5/2004 Diamond Member
Forum Posts: 3891
Tent Reviews: 12
| Site Reviews Total: | 22 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 2 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 4 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
duplicate post (no idea why!)
|
03/9/2018 at 11:27am
Location: Sheffield
Outfit: Cabanon Guadeloupe Zephyros3
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 06/5/2004 Diamond Member
Forum Posts: 3891
Tent Reviews: 12
| Site Reviews Total: | 22 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 2 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 4 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
If it was windy and rainy then the rain could have been blown in between the footprint and the tent groundsheet, especially as the ground was very uneven as you described it. I often find that when packing up our pyramid which has a sewn in groundsheet. But its far easier to wipe a bit of clean water off the SIG than scrubbing mud, leaves, wormcasts etc!
|
04/9/2018 at 8:47am
Location: Yorkshire
Outfit: None Entered
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 24/8/2009 Diamond Member
Forum Posts: 4497
| Site Reviews Total: | 57 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 7 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 10 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 4 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 37 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 48 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 20 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 9 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 2 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
Apologies if I misread the initial post, was the water inside the tent or underneath, trapped between the SIG and the footprint? If the latter, I totally agree with Foggers; driving rain and uneven or sloping ground can result in water being trapped between the two, even when the footprint isn't protruding.
|
04/9/2018 at 9:04pm
Location: London
Outfit: Vango Kalu Hypercamp Eldorado
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 11/8/2011 Platinum Member 
Forum Posts: 1318
Tent Reviews: 3
| Site Reviews Total: | 24 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 3 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 4 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 3 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 1 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 8 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 12 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 3 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 8 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 2 |
|
Condensation between the carpet bottom and the groundsheet? Gathering where the bed legs and wheels made a dip.
|
05/9/2018 at 7:09am
Location: London
Outfit: Vango Kalu Hypercamp Eldorado
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 11/8/2011 Platinum Member
Forum Posts: 1318
Tent Reviews: 3
| Site Reviews Total: | 24 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 3 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 4 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 3 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 1 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 8 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 12 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 3 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 8 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 2 |
|
I don’t think the water will have come from the ground underneath, through the groundsheet.
But either condensation formed between the groundsheet and carpet, and pooled, or else condensation from the walls of your tent made its way down the side, under your carpet and pooled in the dips.
Condensation in single skin tents does happen. It won’t be a leak.
|
05/9/2018 at 10:11am
Location:
Outfit:
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 23/8/2009 Diamond Member
Forum Posts: 10275
Tent Reviews: 4
| Site Reviews Total: | 28 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 2 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 4 |
|
Your tent groundsheet would normally be around 10,000mm HH which is pretty leak proof. Your footprint would probably be around the same if you bought a waterproof one.
My take on it is that water managed to get between the footprint and the groundsheet and pooled where the table legs were. Cold puddle below the groundsheet...warm moist air above the groundsheet = condensation inside.
A second possibility is that even at 10,000mm HH your tent is not a boat and if sat in water for any length of time it could eventually seep through where the groundsheet is stretched by the weight of the furniture.
How the water got between the footprint and the groundsheet is something you need to work out. Is the footprint not waterproof or could water have managed to get onto it from outside? Only you know the answer to that.
Post last edited on 05/09/2018 10:19:03
|
05/9/2018 at 10:34am
Location: London
Outfit: Vango Kalu Hypercamp Eldorado
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 11/8/2011 Platinum Member
Forum Posts: 1318
Tent Reviews: 3
| Site Reviews Total: | 24 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 3 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 4 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 3 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 1 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 8 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 12 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 3 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 8 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 2 |
|
Also water blown in through the door when opened in the rain could have got between SIG and carpet.
Was the water between SIG and carpet, or beteeen SIG and footprint?
|
06/9/2018 at 7:21pm
Location: Yorkshire
Outfit: None Entered
View Profile
Reply
Quote
|
Joined: 24/8/2009 Diamond Member
Forum Posts: 4497
| Site Reviews Total: | 57 |
|
| Site Reviews 2025: | 0 |
| Site Reviews 2024: | 7 |
| Site Reviews 2023: | 10 |
| Site Reviews 2022: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2021: | 4 |
| Site Reviews 2020: | 1 |
| Site Reviews 2019: | 0 |
|
| Site Nights 2025: | 0 |
| Site Nights 2024: | 37 |
| Site Nights 2023: | 48 |
| Site Nights 2022: | 20 |
| Site Nights 2021: | 9 |
| Site Nights 2020: | 2 |
| Site Nights 2019: | 0 |
|
If you've used a pvc-backed tent carpet, you can still get condensation underneath (not just from the sides and roof of your tent). Where warm air (inside the tent) hits cold surface (the ground) you can get condensation on whatever is in-between.
We once put a picnic rug on a solid pic groundsheet in a caravan awning, the kids say on it and we had a fan heater on to take the chiĺl off on a typical UK evening. The kids went to bed, I picked up the picnic rug and it was dripping wet underneath. I assume it was a combination of warm air and warm bodies meeting cold earth. I suspect you've experienced a similar thing.
|
|
