Hi, we're considering upgrading to a polycotton tent but due to the pack sizes I'm thinking we would need a trailer. So I was costing the tent, trailer and towbar and it is quite a bit.
My partner's folks have an old trailer tent but the last time they used it was about 10 years ago. It has always been stored undercover in a garage or barn.
If we were to borrow this our outlay would be just the towbar so quite appealing!
If we were to give the trailer tent a once over what sort of things should we look for? I'm imagining we need to check the tyres are roadworthy still, that the undercarriage isn't covered in rust and the lights still function. Would it be a case of just erecting it, maybe putting some Fabsil on it and then a good hosepiping to check for leaks. Then giving things like the kitchenette a good clean.
I would not use any mattress etc but use our airbed as I have asthma and any damp that got in them would play havoc on my chest!
Is that all that would need doing or am I overlooking something?
Canvas first,if this is duff,not much point carrying on. Check it and test it before proofing,it may be fine. However,if it smells musty on first opening,I would sack the idea. Tyres at that age are a must,not an option,and wheel bearings may need attention. Make sure the hitch is 25mm and not imperial. Even if it's a no go,second hand trailer tents in good nick can be had for less than a new tent and trailer. Hope it works out,but don't throw money at it,it's rarely worth it imho.
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hahahah, speaking from 40 hours of a rebuild check the floor for damp or a saggy/spongy feel to it....
ifs its a musty smell it might just be that it hasnt had any decent amount of air circulating if its been folded up for ten years......damp is another thing entirely.
if the electrics are not working, its only about a tenner to get a trailer board......
minor tears in canvas, mud skirts etc can all be fixed easily enough.
if its for free it would have to be really horrible to not have a go tarting it up enough to use.
Cheers for the advice - I reckon we'll give it a miss then as sounds like a bit of money involved with wheels etc and as we'll only be borrowing it for a couple of weeks a yr then prob not worth it for us. Either way, we'll get it out and have a look at it next time we go down out of interest.
Facing the same problem I removed the wheels and took them to a local tire distributor for an opinion. As MOT inspectors do year by year with our tow vehicle.
------------- If if it aren't totally broken its probably best left alone.
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Topic: What to check in old trailer tent
