Quote: Originally posted by Andy Pandy 666 on 30/5/2007
can you imagine the extra time and money it would take to pitch and check each tent individually, to sort out all these little things.
i think the wicking tabs is a bit of a design fault. Like minis that used to stop when it rained (which i am old enough to remember )
perhaps the manufacturers of tents think that campers don't mind a bit of diy
ironically the khyams are probably bought mostly by people like me who want an easy life.
i don't like flatpack either. Factories are for making things in.. not my front room
but i still my khyam
Post last edited on 01/06/2007 11:46:05
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...I don't like flatpack either. Factories are for making things in.. not my front room...
Can't disagree with that Sonja!... I've spent half my life making aircraft parts in factories. Now I develop and draw them at home!...
I sort of agree with you over the 'wicking' thing too, I'm sure it wouldn't take much to find/use a material that doesn't absorb water... Oh well, until then I guess we'll have to use the old seam sealant!...
I have to confess I didn't read the instructions...never do!
However, for a relatively expensive tent (£280) I wouldn't expect to have to do DIY on it as soon as its bought. Our 5 year old £80 vango and 2 year old £30 pop-up tent haven't leaked - ever!
We took ours back yesterday and are getting a replacement (When they get some new stock). The guy we spoke too said they had had an unusually high number of returns on the motordome since last (rainy bank holiday) weekend.
I also did a quick comparison check on the demonstation Khyams they had up on display. I noticed that my tent seemed to be missing some tape on the seams - the demo tents had tape inbetween the various layers - ours only had tape on the inside of the tent. This would explain why it leaked and has restored my confidence that a replacement won't leak. I was concerned that the same thing would happen with the replacement.
Just waiting for new stock to come in - come on Khyam!
Quote: Originally posted by Mike_w on 02/6/2007
I noticed that my tent seemed to be missing some tape on the seams - the demo tents had tape inbetween the various layers - ours only had tape on the inside of the tent. This would explain why it leaked and has restored my confidence that a replacement won't leak.
double dammned. A dodgy design and, by the look of it, some dodgy tents :(
oh dear.
and difficult for new tent owners to know which it is.
i did actually read all the destructions.. and andy's advice .. and watched the video .. before i went camping . I just didn't fancy being let loose on an unwieldy bundle of expensive polyester with what looks like a tube of glue.. so i didn't.
my husband used to like making airfix kits..i would have got him to do it.. but it would have led to a very serious domestic if he had damaged my new tent ...
Quote: Originally posted by Andy Pandy 666 on 30/5/2007
It's easier to 'dribble' the seam sealant around the inside join, than it is to try and clamber around outside your tent,
we got the tent back up yesterday, after our scary decamp, and it seems fine. I had a look at the seams and i am really hoping the front tabs will be ok under the annexe because they are on a whole long strip and i am still non the wiser about where to 'dab' it :(
or worse, 'dribble' it on the inside, when the tent is up
the back tabs are not very accessible for creaky people but we will give them a go... hopefully.
My hysband is quite tall and could probably reach the outside of the back tabs quite easily.
Is there any point in sealing from the outside (see sealing thread) ??
By coincidence, I've pitched the tent in the garden this morning... When I got home last week, I left the tent 'airing' in an outbuilding (damp & mouseproof!) and thought today (warm & sunny) would be a good time to clean it. It was pretty muddy around the draft flaps and elsewhere, but not too bad considering the weather we'd had!...
I did the 'hanging loops' when I got the tent (nearly three years ago), and have just had another look... The middle front ones (on the wide band) were just 'painted' with a line of sealant where they join the band. The outer ones (on little triangular gussets) also have a line of sealant around them (where they join the main tent material). As for the back hanging points, they've been done the same (a line around the join)... Please don't take the 'dribble' too literally, I was pretty careful, honest!... As regards sealing from the outside. Well if all else fails, it can be worthwhile to 'paint a line' along the outer sewn seam, where any leak is coming from. Having said that, I haven't done it with any of my 'Khyam' tents, but did it on a previous 'Vango' tent, which leaked on the inside of the guying gussets...
I don't know whether the hanging points would have 'wicked' anyway. Some do and some don't, but 'Khyam' used to recommend you do it, so I did it and haven't had any problems...
Right, I've had my lunch, back to the tent. The fluorescent yellow guylines are a sort of 'muddy khaki' colour at the bottoms and the webbing straps are covered in sh*t, so I'll give them a rinse too...
------------- "Essex Kingfisher"
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Is it necessary to pitch the tent at home to do the seam sealing thing? Can it not be done on the next camping trip? (Assuming it ever stops raining long enough!)
Having read quite a lot recently about all these high priced well known branded tents with high HH ratings which usually come highly recommended when newbies ask about which tent to get, and how they now, it appears, all seem to leak like sieves, I am rather pleased I bought an eighty quid (special offer) Eurohike Coniston 1500mm HH from Millets which has never leaked once (although I did seal the joins) and has withstood one or two gales without any problems whatsoever.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not gloating (well only a bit) but it just goes to prove that these big brand expensive tents are no better, and in many cases worse, than a Tescos or Millets special.
I was thinking of buying a Kyham quick erect tent actually...won't bother now.
Quote: Originally posted by Andy Pandy 666 on 08/7/2007 The middle front ones (on the wide band) were just 'painted' with a line of sealant where they join the band.
but .. looking at the pictures i took last year when we had the leak problem ... the drip wasn't actually from the hanging tab but from the end of the long strip :(
I'm not really sure what to say about a leak from the band... As I've never encountered any leaks from my 'Khyam' tents at all (I'm on the third one). I always did the inner tent 'hanging points' just because it was recommended, not out of necessity. The only thing I can suggest is, when you next pitch the tent, paint a line of sealant along both sides of the band joining with the tent. If you do this before you hang the inner tent, the band won't stick to the main tent because the inner tent will be pulling it down...
I've always had 'a thing' about checking over my tents when I've bought them and have always 'tinkered' to a certain extent, with all of them!... I do 'silly things' like retying the guylines, simply because I don't trust other peoples knots!... My brother used to 'paint' lines of sealant on all potentially stressed seams "when it's p*ssing down with rain, ain't the time to find a leak" was his reasoning!... So I guess you could say it's prevention rather than cure, from our point of view!... I know a lot of people will say "you shouldn't have to do it", but... After thirty years of camping there's one saying that is absolutely true "Look after your tent and it will look after you", because no tent comes maintenance free!... Andy...
------------- "Essex Kingfisher"
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Our old (7 years) Khyam Rigidome did wick from a few of it's hanging points - just painted a small amount of sealant at the top of each loop where it joined the main tent and this did the trick. Our new Rigipod came with the same recommendation, but it has put up with the current summer with no problems, so looks like it will be OK.
As has been said before, it is a simple 5 minute job.
We were having this wicking problem when I started this thread. Thanks everyone for your advice. Applying the sealant as suggested seems to have solved the problem as we are now drip free!!! We are camping in Weymouth in a couple of weeks and I can't wait!!
I supppose all tents have their probs, we have a 4 year old XXXL. Like the ultimate but without the big porch and never had any leaking and we've been in torrential rain on mountain campsites and in the UK. Glad to have read this thread because know what to do now if we get any probs.
Quote: Originally posted by B Chrystie on 15/7/2007
just painted a small amount of sealant at the top of each loop where it joined the main tent
As has been said before, it is a simple 5 minute job.
so you say!
i don't know about other ridgidomes but the tabs don't join to the tent on our classic.. they join to a long strip, which joins the tent, which was what was wicking...
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Topic: Calling Khyam Rigidome owners-help needed
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my khyam
back from my son and if all else fails i sleep in that, in the annexe!
