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Subject Topic: Reasonable expectations of new airbeam t Post Reply Post New Topic
25/8/2020 at 10:13am
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Just wondered if I could get some opinions, please.

Camped in brand new c£900 Outwell airbeam tent last week. Fairly experienced campers, but first airbeam tent. Wednesday night storm left us with airbeams constantly around our ears, so we slept in the car. Met Office suggested max gusts were 50mph.

On getting tent back up at home, one of the beams is trashed, bulged through the sleeve, stretched totally out of shape. Three more are in better shape, but still have noticeable bulges. Everything else in the tent survived without harm.

At we entitled to expect better from such a tent? Should we be pushing for free replacement airbeams? Or was it unrealistic to leave it pitched in such conditions - though we did check all was in good order, when the wind started getting up. TIA.


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25/8/2020 at 10:37am
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Precisly why I would never buy an Airbeam awning for my caravan.

Take it back and get a traditional tent with poles.

Others will be along no doubt who dissagree.



via mobile 25/8/2020 at 12:18pm
 Location: Glasgow
 Outfit: Airgo horizon 4 tent
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Our Airgo survived 50mpph gusts in the Outer Hebrides last September. The noise inside the tent was the biggest problem.


25/8/2020 at 12:28pm
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Its not about whether you have an airbeam or not, a tent needs to perform to its value regardless of the construction. A good airbeam is better than a rubbish poled tent and a good poled tent is better than a rubbish airbeam.


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via mobile 25/8/2020 at 12:40pm
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Sure. Does it seem as though the tent performed acceptably in this case?


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25/8/2020 at 1:15pm
 Location: Suffolk
 Outfit: Very variable
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Quote: Originally posted by woodman2 on 25/8/2020
Precisly why I would never buy an Airbeam awning for my caravan.

Take it back and get a traditional tent with poles.

Others will be along no doubt who dissagree.




I'm with Woodman on this............



25/8/2020 at 2:41pm
 Location: Derby.
 Outfit: Karsten 350+Awnings
View Mucker1884's Profile View Profile   Reply to Mucker1884 Reply   Quote Mucker1884 Quote  
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My expectations of an tent air beam would be...

1/ To survive high winds better than fibreglass poles, as the air tube may well bend in half*, but spring back again, undamaged. That pole would/could potentially snap. Even steel/Alloy may bend (and not spring back, of course).

2/ Not to explode, blister, bulge, or lose it's shape, form, or air pressure, unless subjected to conditions beyond what would be acceptable to camp in... I'm thinking Tornadoes and the like, or being in the Sahara desert for at least two complete and continuous months!

3/ Not to leak air, or to form condensation puddles inside the tent/awning.

4/ Not to emulate the sounds of gurgling babies, gargling gin guzzlers, or farting grandfathers at any point during a camp, except when deliberately deflating.


*I wouldn't expect an air beam to be "constantly around our ears" during a night that experiences max gusts at no more than 50mph. If it happened just once, a quick re-jig of the guylines/pegs/air pressure should ensure it doesn't happen again on that particular night!

-------------
2024: 38 nights thus far...
2023: 47 nights
2022: 40 nights
2021: 30 nights
2020: Just 24 nights
2019: A personal best 50 nights
2018: Just the 30 nights
2017: 34 nights
2016: 32 nights
2015: 38 nights
2014: 34 nights
2013: 36 nights
From July 2012: 23 nights


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via mobile 25/8/2020 at 3:22pm
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Thanks Mucker, that’s helpful. I suspect the gusts were more than the forecast said they would be, but we had 2 beams constantly dropping on in the sleeping pods, so we moved to the centre of the tent before the 3rd and 4th beams started caving too. Would it be about reducing the pressure? If so, hard to do without a slow release...


25/8/2020 at 9:50pm
 Location: Derby.
 Outfit: Karsten 350+Awnings
View Mucker1884's Profile View Profile   Reply to Mucker1884 Reply   Quote Mucker1884 Quote  
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No. I'd be increasing the air pressure... but only if I had confidence that the beam could take it.

I'd take mine to 5 bar (72psi) in this weather, but please, please, please... don't try that on yours!    

-------------
2024: 38 nights thus far...
2023: 47 nights
2022: 40 nights
2021: 30 nights
2020: Just 24 nights
2019: A personal best 50 nights
2018: Just the 30 nights
2017: 34 nights
2016: 32 nights
2015: 38 nights
2014: 34 nights
2013: 36 nights
From July 2012: 23 nights


26/8/2020 at 2:45pm
 Location: Kent
 Outfit: 5m Bell Tent & Olpro Pop Tent.
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When you say "our new Outwell" Is it this years model or was it perhaps a last years model which had some problems leading to a recall.click here


Statement from Outwell that was posted on here when problem was identified


Thank you for your comments and we would like to take the opportunity to confirm that we have recently identified an issue with air tubes that affects a number of 2019 Outwell inflatable tents and motorhome awnings.
For more than 25 years we have worked hard to achieve and maintain high levels of product quality, service and trust so we are truly embarrassed to report this failure. Thankfully, these incidents are rare. But errors do occur, and we would like to assure you that we take these issues very seriously.
We would like to stress that this only affects 2019 models and apologise profusely to anyone who has already purchased one of these tents or motorhome awnings. We are currently implementing an action plan with our retail network and you will soon be contacted by either your supplying retailer or our team in order to rectify the problem.   
We expect to start delivering back to the market in early May.
Please contact Outwell direct if you have any questions info at outwell.com

Post last edited on 26/08/2020 14:53:36


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via mobile 26/8/2020 at 5:33pm
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It is this year’s model, but many thanks for the suggestion/info all the same.


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30/8/2020 at 10:04pm
 Location: Sussex
 Outfit: Outwell Up & Away
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Hi Saint Maybe

We camped this week in the 40+ mph (gusts) in an Outwell (air) Up & Away - at times I thought it might actually up and away ;) anyway wind and rain hammered it for hours, properly scary but it stood its ground solid - our tent is about 3 years old and cost around £550 - so your experience sound to me like there was a fault or if not it did not meet the satisfactory level of quality that was expected (as my tent proved from the same manufacture) -.


30/8/2020 at 10:06pm
 Location: Sussex
 Outfit: Outwell Up & Away
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BTW - I was at about 6 PSI (sure that is what the instructions said) - in fact put up in garden today to dry out and really windy - could see it folding in - so put more air in to bring it up to 6 PSI - made sure guys were tight (ish) and back to normal.

Might we worth checking what your beam pressure should be - also if pump measuring correctly (especially as it think mine was PSI nor BAR).


Had no stretching, bulging or other issues (apart from pump not very good) - touch wood.

Post last edited on 30/08/2020 22:17:44

Post last edited on 30/08/2020 22:25:16

Post last edited on 30/08/2020 22:27:16


via mobile 30/8/2020 at 10:40pm
 Location: Derby.
 Outfit: Karsten 350+Awnings
View Mucker1884's Profile View Profile   Reply to Mucker1884 Reply   Quote Mucker1884 Quote  
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Deleted.

-------------
2024: 38 nights thus far...
2023: 47 nights
2022: 40 nights
2021: 30 nights
2020: Just 24 nights
2019: A personal best 50 nights
2018: Just the 30 nights
2017: 34 nights
2016: 32 nights
2015: 38 nights
2014: 34 nights
2013: 36 nights
From July 2012: 23 nights



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