Joined: 19/6/2004 Diamond Member 
Forum Posts: 14547 Tent Reviews: 2
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You can get cleaners and reproofers for canvas and doing both is fairly simple, if time consuming. But it's a good idea for very old TT's, if the canvas is starting to wear thin. If it's a youthful canvas that's merely sun faded, I personally wouldn't bother apart from a hose down with plain water. But if it has been reproofed in the past, it needs redone every five years or so. Once you start reproofing canvas you have to keep it topped up.
But as to recolouring it? Well, I've seen a couple of pictures of TTs after dye jobs and IMHO it's NOT a good idea. Thing is, you don't know whether any of the canvas has been previously treated with proofing and dyes will not take on top of this, as it's a water repellent treatment, obviously! Plus people have a habit of respraying the odd area here and there when the waterproofing starting to wear off. and this means that the dye will not only be taken up badly, it will be patchy as well. So unless you know it's 100% virgin canvas, my advice is not to try dying it.
Anyway, sun faded canvas is nothing to be ashamed of. On a campsite a faded canvas tent just indicates that it's a well used and loved veteran, and a quality one to boot. Cheap tent canvas doesn't last long enough to get badly faded. Tell your kids it's retro/vintage/classic, rather than merely old. Or get them to contribute next years pocket money towards a new one, if they're that fussy!
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