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Subject Topic: Outwell Air Tent Pump failed on 2nd use Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonConverse2020
via mobile 31/8/2020 at 7:19pm
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Hi,

I’ve got an Outwell air tent with Outwell High Performance tent pump.

The tent was new last summer but I just bought it as new (unused) from eBay and I’ve only used it this year since Aug. This weekend was the 2nd trip but the pump did not seem to work. We could not get the pressure high enough or to hold when we stopped pumping. It was as if the air was coming back out of the pump.

I managed to borrow an Outwell Cyclone pump from someone on the site that just worked fine so thankfully the trip was not a disaster.

Therefore The tent seems fine but I can’t figure out what went wrong with my pump. I’m wondering if I’ve lost an o ring from the flexible pipe where it fits on the pump handle. Also in one of the adaptors there was a small circle of rubber that looked like it could form a non return valve but there was no where for it to go.

I’ll have to buy a new pump but I’m concerned now that if the old pump failed so randomly perhaps this could happens again, so if any one has any advice on what to check that would be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.


Personpaul-jack
01/9/2020 at 9:32pm
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I have an Outwell air tent that came with a high pressure pump (big blue one) it’s always been rubbish - first the pipe kept coming off (now fixed with tape) - like you the air now leaks back into the pump and recently it has started to make a noise like a sea lion when you pump.

Think I will be looking for an alternative - need to work out if that comes with the correct adaptor.


PersonSpeaker12
01/9/2020 at 11:40pm
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Check the pipe doesn't have a hole in it. I had the same issue when I was camping last year, it'd get to a certain pressure and then air would blow back. I thought the pump had broken but there was a tiny hole in the pipe where it was bent to fit on the pump.


PersonConverse2020
02/9/2020 at 1:08pm
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Thanks both.

I have checked the hose under water and there are no leaks along the length but there is some small leak where the hose joins the connector at either end. These seem like they should be glued in place but one end pulls off (though that end was air tight)

The area I think I am losing most air is where the pipe fits to the pump handle. This fitting seems loose and when I look at the hose fitting it does look like perhaps it could take an o-ring.
- Can anyone with the blue high performance pump confirm if there is an o-ring on the hose fitting ?

Finally - shouldn't the air tube have a one way valve on it ? - seems odd for air to be able to leak back from the air tube and then escape from the pump ?



Personpaul-jack
via mobile 02/9/2020 at 10:42pm
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Thanks Speaker12 - I will check mine although think it might be the pipe joint as it leaked from almost day one (hence the tape to hold it on).

Last week was very very wet so perhaps the tape gave out - might try and glue this time.

Like Converse2020 I am no longer confident in the pump, if I rock up and it fails and no one on site to lend me one then bit of a problem so will order another.

Shame a good tent let down by a simple thing.


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PersonSpeaker12
03/9/2020 at 8:53am
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Quote:
Finally - shouldn't the air tube have a one way valve on it ? - seems odd for air to be able to leak back from the air tube and then escape from the pump ?


This is what I think happened with mine. The beams do have a valve in. I was able to pump each beam up to around 4psi, around 2/3rds full. At that point air was "blown back". I think the valve was opening on the downstroke of the pump but then the pressure of the air in the beam was too much for any more air to go in due to the weakness in the pipe, i.e. the small hole, so the air I was trying to pump in was coming back out through the hole. I'm not sure if that's scientifically correct but it fits with the pump requiring more effort as you reach the full beam pressure, there's more resistance from the air already in the beam.

I'd try fitting an O-ring. Unfortunately I don't have the same model of pump so I can't confirm if there should be one.


PersonConverse2020
03/9/2020 at 10:51am
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Thanks - that explanation does make sense as it describes exactly what I had. Started off OK, then just could not get the air in no matter how fast we pumped.

It could have been a real problem for us, thankfully there was another outwell air tent on the site who was happy to let us borrow their pump, but that was after we had tried two other pumps (kampa and vango) and of course there was zero compatibility or any way to use the Outwell adaptors on the other pumps.

That just feels deliberately awkward to me from the tent manufacturers. I get they have their own nozzle but no reason why they couldn't have a standard fitting to allow nozzles to fit on other pumps.

My worry now is thet if the pump failed after just one trip, then maybe the next pump will do no better, and I can't really test the pump until I get the tent out of the bag, so I suspect I'm always going to be wondering if it will fail again when I get to a site. Tent poles are so much simpler !


Personpaul-jack
via mobile 03/9/2020 at 8:49pm
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Hi

Taken the tape off mine now to see if there is an o-ring - unfortunately I glued it too when I repaired it - so cant say.


PersonBroadside
via mobile 06/9/2020 at 8:08am
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That’s annoying about the specific nozzle, I thought most pumps would do most tents.

Can you buy one of the red Decathlon pumps (£15) and then use the Outwell specific hose on it?


PersonConverse2020
via mobile 06/9/2020 at 9:03am
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I’ve got a decathlon kayak orange pump but I could not use that as the fittings on the hose are different. Eg some fittings are different diameter or some are male vs female.





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Personpaul-jack
via mobile 06/9/2020 at 9:45am
 Location: Sussex
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Just had delivered a Outwell Cyclone pump, compared to the blue Outwell pump looks much better quality (but not used it yet) - cost about £21


PersonConverse2020
via mobile 06/9/2020 at 5:11pm
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The cyclone pump was the model I was lucky enough to borrow and I agree it felt much more substantial, so I’ve also just bought one to replace the original blue high pressure pump.


PersonCrookedkat
via mobile 06/9/2020 at 5:17pm
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Exactly the same happened with our tent on Friday. Could only get a small amount of air in the beam and would deflate as soon as the pump disconnected. Happened with all 4 beams. We borrowed a Kampa pump from the warden and even though not a tight fit and could feel air escaping, we were still able to get sufficient air in to erect the tent. Our tent is a Rigid air system. Hoping the cyclone will fit ours too and will order later.


Personpaul-jack
06/9/2020 at 9:15pm
 Location: Sussex
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Converse2020 - that is why I bought that one (from your original post) - so good shout - thanks.

Crookedkat - although it comes with only one type of end that goes on the tent valve it did come with two washers to allow different depths.

Fingers crossed for everyone it works out.



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