If you're going back to the "good old days" of canvas (and some of us are still in those days ) all canvas tents will leak the first time they get wet as the cotton fibres need to swell to fill the gaps.
It's not the same logic for synthetic tents.
------------- Piglet
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Hmm ..... not covinced guys, a tent should keep you DRY I reckon, odd concept for some maybe but hey, were all different!
If I spent a shed load of cash ( yes I think the' good' makes that charge over £300 for a tent should make sure they are watertight! ) then I'd be pretty narked if it leaked! Especially if it went on and on like some poor people on here who have had up to three tents replaced but still had probs. am even more horrified to hear of some who buy and it leaks badly who simply given a tube of seam sealer, no replacment or backup offered whatsoever.
If I bought a cheapy I'd expect probs, but not with a pricey one, it aint rocket science after all, just needs to keep water out!
ab x
Absolutely, 100% correct!
A tent is DESIGNED to keep you sheltered from the great outdoors. If the weather is not extreme (and continous rain is not extreme), and it fails to do it's job of keeping the elements out, it's not fit for the purpose for which it was sold.
A couple more thoughts to keep this going....
Firstly, do manufacturers guarantee 100% watertight?
Rain comes in all sizes from a bit of a shower to monsoon. Who is to say what is the right amount of rain.
I've said this before, but I think tents are dirt cheap for the sheer amount of gear you get when you buy one. If I paid Cabanon money for something virtually hand made, I would expect perfection, but for a couple of hundred quid for something made by the thousand in a chinese factory and designed down to a price, it is a case of you get what you pay for. If I pay Ford money, I don't expect Bentley quality.
Alan
Well ...has been very interesting reading all this and has been a good thread I think!
For me... have FINALLY take the plunge and bought.......a Cabanon! EEEEKKKK, had'nt planned on it so quickly but one came up locally so I went for it! It will be here thursday !!!!!!!!!!Paid £100 ? ( is this good / bad !??? )
Oooohhhh.. am hugely excited now and cant wait to get it, will of course let u all know asap how it is and take some pics.
ab xx
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Quote: Originally posted by Angu2you on 09/9/2007
A tent is DESIGNED to keep you sheltered from the great outdoors. If the weather is not extreme (and continous rain is not extreme), and it fails to do it's job of keeping the elements out, it's not fit for the purpose for which it was sold.
This is exactly right. Whatever kind of tent you buy (cheap or expensive), it should be capable of doing the job it was designed to do. If it doesn't then you are entitled to a refund/exchange, by law.
Someone, quite rightly, said that you can't expect a Bentley for Ford prices. However, you would still expect your Ford to get you from A to B even if if it didn't do it in as much comfort or lasted as long as the Bentley would.
Yep its a canvas one! Cant wait to get it, its a 6 berth one, and looks ok from pics, decided that canvas was the way to go for us, would rather a sturdier one that a modern, and have my coleman still for festies and short weekends etc, so thats me happy ( got a Cabanon ! ) and OH happy ( hes still got the coleman ! )
fingers crossed its all Ok.................
ab xx
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Brilliant, fingers crossed it's all o.k. put it up in the garden and give it a good soaking to check it out and leave it pegged out until it's dry, you will love the cosy feeling of canvas and the Cabanon is real quality, don't forget the piccies
Hi piglet, i have no idea! Only seen a pic, itIs a 6 berth but side on as it were, the apex of the roof runs left to right ( or right to left ! ) not front to back like the others I saw, and it comes out at the 'front' in a half 50p shape with three windows at the front and the middle one rolls up for a door, there is a kitchen section and bedrooms along the back, gawd hope its OK!
I think I know the one you mean but I can't remember what it's called - someone will know, I'm sure. It might be a Palace or it's a Rotunde or something similar.
Enjoy you're new baby anyway!
------------- Piglet
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Quote: Originally posted by alan29 on 09/9/2007
A couple more thoughts to keep this going....
Firstly, do manufacturers guarantee 100% watertight?
Rain comes in all sizes from a bit of a shower to monsoon. Who is to say what is the right amount of rain.
I've said this before, but I think tents are dirt cheap for the sheer amount of gear you get when you buy one. If I paid Cabanon money for something virtually hand made, I would expect perfection, but for a couple of hundred quid for something made by the thousand in a chinese factory and designed down to a price, it is a case of you get what you pay for. If I pay Ford money, I don't expect Bentley quality.
Alan
Not 100% watertight, but as measured and certified to a HH figure. That tells a prospective tent buyer exactly how waterproof it is (or claims to be!)
Just the same for seams - if they are sealed, it means they can't leak, that's what sealed means.
The manufacturers could never guarantee 100% waterproof. But they are specifying that the tent can withstand a certain amount of pressure from the water being put on it. If it fails before this limit then the tent, in my eyes, is faulty. If 3000HH is specified then they should be guaranteeing that it will be leak free at anything under that value.
Considering that tents now days are mass produced, there is always going to be a faulty tent somewhere from any manufacturer no matter how many or how few they sell, sometimes even a batch of faulty tents since if there is a mistake at the factory it could happen to a whole line.
The most important thing for me is not only that the tent does its job but that the dealer and manufacturer live up to their promises and admit their mistakes when a fault does occur.
As far as I am concerned, if a tent leaks in its warranty period and it has been treated as per the manufacturers recommendations then there should be no arguments when it has to be returned.
I treat HH figures like mpg ones for cars. A steady 3000 of pressure is not what happens in the real world, where gusting wind etc come into play. But I absolutely agree that dealers etc should play fair.
Alan
Just back from camping in our minnesota 4 at Troutbeck.We arrived Friday afternoon along with friends .They had their Coleman and after having something to eat we spent the evening in our tent chatting and having a drink.It was pretty cold so we put on both ours and our friends Blackcat Heaters.As we could not get an EHU we used a gas lantern.In the morning I woke up with drips coming down on my head and it was not raining.The water was coming from the fly sheet and dripping through the ventilation material..Last night we also spent the evening in our tent but as it was windy but not chilly we only had the gas lamp on.Woke up this morning and was as dry as a bone even though the rain was pelting down.On Friday also forgot to open up the vents.In this instance the water must have been condensation.My only criticism of the minnesota is the placement of the vents on the top of the pods if they were repositioned then possibly no water would have got in but I've learned a few lessons from this and will be using our friends tent when the Blackcats have to come out.
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Topic: TENTS that LEAK! Lets see now..
) all canvas tents will leak the first time they get wet as the cotton fibres need to swell to fill the gaps. 
