Hello campers! My first post on here, and after some advice please.
Took my new Gelert Chinook 3 tent away to Devon last weekend and managed to pitch it with 18 inches of a mouse nest. When packing up, found the mouse had chewed a small hole (3" x 1.5") in the ground sheet. The ground sheet is polyethylene according to Gelert's specs on their site. It's the thin plastic type sheet that rustles when you move it - as on this video, just after 3 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om3MmHGjG7M
I want to properly bond/glue some new material to the hole, not just use duct tape. Where can I get similar material and what glue should I use? I have contacted Gelert, but won't hold my breath.
... And sat right in between the above two posts, we went for gorilla tape to the underside, and tenacious Tape to the top side (inside, in our case, as it was a SIG.)
Worked to perfection, and never even hinted at peeling off and/or letting any wet through.
Both patches rounded off to oval shapes, of course!
From my, admittedly limited experience, I'd say there is absolutely no need for a bonded patch. Both of these tapes ARE bonded patches!
Sometimes peg bags and pole bags are made of the same material as the tent groundsheet so if you really need to use a patch for a large area you could sacrifice the peg bag. Then stick the patch with tenacious tape.
Many thanks for all your replies. I was tempted by tenacious or Gorilla tape. However, during further research, I discovered a special repair tape specifically for polyetelyne tarps and sheets. Apparently, polyeth. is difficult to stick or glue things to.
Anyway, it's a US made product, available in The UK called Tarp Tape, available from a company called Tarpaflex. I will give this a go and see how it hoes. I hope this tape may also be of use to others, and thanks again for your advice.
When I discovered a little hole in my groundsheet underneath the bedroom pod the only thing I had with me was an elastoplast. I stuck that on and forgot about it until I came to sell the tent some time later and examined it for any unknown faults. The elastoplast was still there doing a great job but I had to remove it and repair it properly with tenacious tape before selling it.
Got around to using the Tarp Tape at the weekend. The groundsheet is grey, and as they didn't have one in that colour, I used the clear version.
Very easy to use, put a piece of board under the hole to support the tape. Cleaned the area around hole with white spirit. Cut a piece off the role, rounded the corners with sharp scissors and applied it, rolling it down with one of those small wallpaper seam rollers. I then did the same on the other side of the hole to make a really strong repair.
They say to heat it in the sun or use a hair dryer, so as the sun was actually out, I left it warming for half an our.
The repair is virtually invisible and seems to have bonded itself firmly to the groundsheet. the edges are almost seamless. Very happy with result and hope it will last a few years, if not for the life of the tent.
Hope this helps anyone with holes in polyethelyne groundsheets, tarps, etc.
From your description, sounds to me like you've done a perfect job. Not used this particular tape, but I'll be amazed if it don't do the job, for as long as you hope, if my experience of the Gorilla tape/Tenacious tape is anything to go by.
Quote: Originally posted by Graham on 21/8/2016
Cant see the problem with Duct tape myself?
Had a small hole in one of my footprints and the DT sorted it just perfik.
If you should be lucky enough to get some very hot weather the glue on Duct tape starts to melt and the tape can come adrift leaving the most revolting sticky gunk on the fabric. This doesn't happen with Tenacious tape. Many years ago I fixed a small rip in the tent with duct tape and it saw out the life of the tent - this was before global warming though
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Repair Mousehole In New Ground Sheet?
