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Topic: Vango Force Ten Mk 3

MrsAlfie

via mobile 18/8/2021 at 8:45am
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Hi, I am new here and new to my lovely old tent. It has been stored in a garage for 20 years! It has an orange canvas inner and a green nylon type outer. I put it up yesterday to test it, it rained overnight and when I checked it this morning, I saw the orange inner had a large wet bit on one side (about 1/4 of the side of the tent) and a bit along the bottom. Please can someone advise me, which one is called the fly sheet/ fly tent (the orange inner or the green outer?)? Which bit should be waterproof and how do I go about re- waterproofing it? I shall try to add a couple of pics. Only just got this tent and I love it! I'm really grateful for any advice and help! Thank you very much all you tent folks 🌻😊

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MrsAlfie

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I think these are two pics - I hope

MrsAlfie

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Bernie47

18/8/2021 at 11:50am
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It is the green polyester flysheet that needs to be waterproof, but if the internal polyurethane coating has deteriorated you may have trouble reproofing it.
The inner tent is lightweight cotton, not canvas. Canvas is a thick heavy grade of cotton used for large frame tents etc.

I still have my original Force Ten Mark 4 from the days when the flysheet was also orange cotton.

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Bernie

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Ewen c

via mobile 18/8/2021 at 12:22pm
Location: County Kildare Ireland EU.
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I don't really post here much but as an owner of the same tent as you, I thought it may need a bit of input.

It is a MK3 cn. You can get replacement flysheets in either the orange canvas or the green nylon from Black's of Greenock and some other places. Either will fit.
If you want to reproof it, it is as Bernie advises.It also depends where it is leaking from. It could be from a seam. If so, it only needs seam seal. The inner may have been touching the fly as well. Best bit is to pitch the flysheet only and put a hose over it and observe where the water is coming through.

The MK3 cotton flysheet is 130 pounds... It is worth getting though. They don't seem to have any nylon ones in stock.

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Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
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Caligula

19/8/2021 at 5:45pm
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Very variable

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....what Ewen says!! Superb tents...........

spiritburner

19/8/2021 at 7:59pm
Location: NE England
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Quote: Originally posted by Ewen c on 18/8/2021
I don't really post here much but as an owner of the same tent as you, I thought it may need a bit of input.

Good to see you though Ewen.

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smalltent

01/9/2021 at 12:02am
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: French army F1 canvas tent

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I recently bought a quite old Vango Force Ten MK4 "canvas" tent, which is actually just a cotton material but a lot nicer than nylon. It even came with the rare, discontinued extension and all the poles etc. You won't see any of them around any more! It was a bit grubby and needed a couple of light repairs but in the end it came up pretty nice.

These tents are fairly expensive new but they do come up in "knackered by boy scouts" condition, but you can still get all the poles and connector bits for them which is great. They are vintage tent goodness.

I proofed the outer cloth flysheet of mine with "Wood Silk" spray-on furniture polish. Yes really. I've done that in the past with other canvas/cotton materials because whatever that stuff is made out of it doesn't rot vintage fabric.

It took five or six cans to do my Force Ten flysheet and Wood Silk is often on sale for like £1.40 a can so it's not that expensive to do, and it helps preserve the old canvas material.

What I do is book a couple of days or so at a camp grounds when I know it's going to be sunny and then put the tent up and lightly spray the outside of the flysheet with just a light general misting of Wood Silk. Be careful because if you use too much it will be yucky and take AGES to dry. But if you just lightly spray the flysheet and let it stand for a couple of days in the sun it will soak in and spread and really helps the flysheet.

It does dry out eventually so it doesn't feel waxy to the touch but it does need to stand out for at least a couple of days to dry properly, but since it doesn't stink of chemicals it's no bother to sleep in while you're camping. Once it's dry it doesn't smell like anything other than tent.

Since it's not silicone based it doesn't clog the natural weave of the canvas so the fabric can still breathe.

Of course people tell me "That will never work!" for a number of reasons but none of them have ever done it and I've been doing it for decades so I ignore them.

However, don't use Wood Silk on anything modern and nylon because it can't soak into the fibers and you'll just end up with a horrible mess. It only works on natural fabrics like vintage canvas/cotton tent material.

The only problem I have with this nice old Vango tent is the orange colour. On bright days it can be a bit much on the eyes when you're inside. For that reason alone I'll probably sell it when I can find a similar quality tent of a more eye-friendly hue.

Caligula

03/9/2021 at 4:39pm
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Very variable

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Robens Fairbanks? A BCT in cotton, not their "all season" polyester?

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