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Several people have said our new tent (Sun Valley 8) will not be fully waterproof until it has been rained on.  I can believe this of a canvas tent, but is it also true of the modern non-canvas tents?  It doesn't mention anything in the instructions so I'm inclined to think the tent will be fine without being watered first.

Any thoughts?

the ripstop nylon tents dont need getting wet before use to shrink a little (dont panick) as the fibres need to swell to close all the little tiny gaps between them to make it waterproof, obviously this dosent happen with nylon. what you do need to do however, is to get some fabric sealant and where ever the fabric has a seam seal that as the stiching is where the water can get through, most companies have already done this for you but i would advise that you go and do it again, or put your tent up in the garden and turn the hosepipe on. its  better to check now rather than find out later on holiday that water is getting in.

if you do find that water is penetrating the seam put some sealant on after the tent has dried from the inside as it can be a bit messy and leave the tent up for about 24 hrs to dry so the fabric doesnt stick together.

hope that helps.