Finally given up on finding an extension to fit our old but perfectly functioning Outwell Iowa L tent, but with 2 dogs and a 5 year old, the need for some additional space for muddy boots, cooking and generally sheltering the door on rainy days, remains!
So I bought a Vango tunnel tarp, on a whim! Attempted to set it up, but it wouldn't reach over the tent to fasten adequately, resulting in pools of water collecting on a usual rainy english summer day!
Could anyone suggest how best to fit it please? I'm guessing the original idea to sling and fasten it over the tent is out, so I may need to be a little more inventive. Should I purchase any additional poles etc to make it a secure fit? Any advice is gratefully received - I'm determined to put the tarp to use!! Thanks x
Don't know the shape of said tarp or where you want to position it....
But if it's rectangle and going on the front try clipping the tarp to the pole over the door with Clingons leaving the end loops free for some paracord to peg it down along both sides of the tent....Loop the free end over some king poles (As many/few as you think you need)and secure each king pole with a guyrope pegged to the ground paying attention to angles of said guyropes and wind direction etc...
Jelboy.
------------- Campers of the storm,Into this world are born
Jelboy (and anyone else interested),
This is the Vango Tunnel Tarp... which is pretty much like a stretched Vango Adventure Tarp, and appears to be designed to go over the curved roof, then shelter to a side door.
Clazzers,
There's confusion on my part, as when I google "Outwell Iowa L tent", it brings up two designs (presumably a newer and older version, unless Google is the guilty culprit!?). Even the pics that go with the UKCS reviews are showing conflicting owner photo's.
Can you confirm if either of those matches the tent you have?
Crucially, the latter has a small but fixed canopy over the side door, which would make things so much easier for a tarp, as it wouldn't need to go over the tent's roof.
With that fixed side canopy, you could easily achieve something like this, using pretty much any tarp...
Without that fixed canopy, we need to sort out why your tarp seems to be struggling.
Am I right in thinking your tent is full standing height, and around 2.5m wide?
I'm just wondering whether the tarp is long enough to go over the top and still offer enough sheltered area. At 3.25 total length (tarp), I'm guessing 40% of that needs to go over the tent (Never set a tarp up over the top, so literally guessing!) I wonder, therefore, if this tarp is designed to go over a tent, but only on a smaller tent?
The lack of detail on the Vango page doesn't help much, to be fair.
Can you get the narrower end of the tarp over the tent roof?
Do the guys reach the ground at that end?
Does it leave enough tarp over your head, as usable cover?
...Or couldn't you even get that far, and why?
Hello, thanks for replying. Our tent is the one without the canopy sadly!
I think the issue is the tent is a larger tunnel tent & as a result, the tarp isn't big enough for the narrow side to go over the top of the tent, so that the guys can reach the ground at the other side! So I need an alternative way of using - or just admitting it's a bad buy & selling it on.
The narrower edge (the end you don't stand under) only needs to be beyond the centre of the roof tent (so any rain runs down that side, and not back under the tarp to your open door. Maybe a foot to 18" to be on the safe side?
If that can be done, and still leave you with enough usable space, then all you need to do is get some longer guys, which are easily found on t'web.
The one pole is fine, but if you want more headroom below the tarp, you could add another pole to each of the two additional points, to spread the tarp "roof" out more. Again, poles are easily available.
I do suspect though, that overall, the tarp may prove a tad too small for your tent, to be of any useful service, other than an actual rain shelter over your door.
I guess you need to look for a larger tarp. If you want a bit of a kitchen under there, I reckon something around 4.5 to 5m long x 3 to 4m wide... and poles, of course, if not supplied with the tarp.
Check out DD Hammocks for tarps... very highly rated on these forums.
Extendable poles from G.O.
Thanks very much for your posts.
Shopping on a whim, without proper research makes for a too small tarp!!! I'll look at our options, thanks for your advice x
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Topic: Tarp on a large tunnel tent advice pls.
