I've just bought a Robens Fairbanks. The plan view is like this:
They don't make a specific footprint for it (and I'm too tight to buy one if it did exist). Do people reckon that a 2.3x2.3ish square would do the job or is it really worth making an irregular octagon to fit under the sleeping area?
The outer lines represent the 'skirts' of the tent and he porch area has no groundsheet but we'll probably go with a seperate mat for that bit.
------------- Sean
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
You don't really need a specific footprint for it, a simple tarp or bargain footprint from another tent will suffice.
Always ensure though that the edges are completely tucked under and that rain can't land on any part of the groundsheet.... you'll suffer water ingress otherwise from water settling between the footprint and the S.I.G (which is the reason footprints are usually shaped for specific tents).
Hope this helps
Agree with the above... apart from the use of the scary word "ingress". The water will get between footprint and SIG though, if the footprint sticks out anywhere, and it can't dissipate as both footprint and SIG will be (should be!) waterproof, so any puddles there will remain until you go home. It still shouldn't seep through the SIG to the inside of the tent though... although I can't comment on the quality of the SIG for this tent.
Easy enough to fold back under, and tape with Gorilla tape*. Even add eyelets for pegging with mushroom pegs, if desired. Half an hour in a dry sunny garden should sort it!
Second option is to cut the tarp to shape.
*If folding and taping, fold underneath, and tape all laps fully, so water can't get between the folds.
I prefer to get a bargain tent footprint myself, but many are happy to get a bog-standard builders Tarp from a DIY warehouse or similar.
With a 2.3m square, at those widest points of your tent, you'll have about 350mm/14" of SIG exposed (each side) to the cold/wet/muddy ground, so a little more SIG to wipe dry/clean before you bag it up, but no biggy. If you can get something a little bigger/too big, and fold/cut to size and shape (2" to 3" inside the base size/skirt of the tent), all the better, I'd say. The less wiping/drying of the underside of the SIG, the better.
Thanks. I reckon I'll go for something 2.5m square and trim/fold it. We made footprints for the Colemans successfully enough, I just got slightly panicked by the funny shape.
Really need to get the tent up and have a look but no chance of that at the moment.
------------- Sean
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
As stated the footprint needs to be totally underneath the tent or water running off the flysheet will land on it and run back underneath the tent.
With regards to cutting a tarp to fit the shape of the tent, I think you might find difficulty placing the tent on top of it at exactly the right angle, so I would go for a square or rectangular tarp where it won't matter too much if the tent is exactly square on top or not.
Bearing in mind that nobody usually walks right up to the walls of a tent, especially if they slope, so the edges of the tent groundsheet shouldn't get too wet or dirty if the tarp doesn't fit wall to wall.
Incidentally, I bought a dedicated footprint for a tent once and it was too big!! I had to cut it down so it didn't stick out. I have cut it down again since then to fit my present tent. I haven't bothered hemming it or putting in eyelets. Being polypropylene it hasn't frayed where I cut it and I simply made holes with a sharp tent peg instead of eyelets and they haven't torn or worn either. It was money well spent at the end of the day but didn't fit the original tent it was made for.
Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 18/3/2018
...Bearing in mind that nobody usually walks right up to the walls of a tent, especially if they slope, so the edges of the tent groundsheet shouldn't get too wet or dirty if the tarp doesn't fit wall to wall...
It may not get dirty (for the reasons you state), but it'll likely get just as wet as any other sheet of material laid on wet grass, and certainly wet enough to ruin a bagged tent if it doesn't get wiped dry!
It (The underside of the SIG) all needs to be dry (We take old towels) before it goes in the bag, whether that be a 2" strip all round, or a 10" strip all round, that needs wiping. (That's presuming the rest of the tent is dry, and there are no plans to re-pitch it when you get home!)
The rain itself may not get under there, but more often than not, when conditions dictate, it'll still be wet grass/ground under there.
As you say...it means wiping the edge off as you roll the tent up...but...if you have folded all the flysheet inside, as one would normally do, then the bottom edge of the groundsheet isn't going to touch the flysheet and cause a problem. In the event the bottom of the groundsheet remains damp and gets mildew (and I have never had that happen in all my million years) it is not an issue because it will always be in touch with the dirty ground anyway. The only way round that is to have the footprint sticking out beyond the groundsheet which, as discussed, isn't going to help matters much. It is impossible to keep a tent pristine...it is for use outdoors and on dirty wet grass quite often under dirty dripping trees and a target for dirty pooping birds...live with it!
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
Quote: Originally posted by Caligula on 18/3/2018
Aha! I think you ae the party who outbid me.....I hope the tent is as wonderful as I think it may be
Not I, this was pre-ordered from World of Camping so it's the first of the 2018 stock. So far I'm impressed with the quality of the bag it comes in. I'll post a review and pics etc when I get a chance to pitch it. I have high hopes.
Quote: Originally posted by Mucker1884 on 18/3/2018
Agree with the above... apart from the use of the scary word "ingress". The water will get between footprint and SIG though, if the footprint sticks out anywhere, and it can't dissipate as both footprint and SIG will be (should be!) waterproof, so any puddles there will remain until you go home. It still shouldn't seep through the SIG to the inside of the tent though.
Beg to differ Mucker.
It happened to me as a newbie camper, it's happened to many other people.
S.I.G's have Seams. Water sat underneath a seam between the footprint and S.I.G will eventually seep through said seams (even if only a small amount).
I'm sure there's some fancy scientific explanation behind it but I'm just giving a heads-up that this is a thing.
Oops... Then I stand corrected. Apologies. (Glad I added the "Should be" now! LOL!)
I've only had a puddle between them (on a previous tent) the once (obviously my footprint wasn't aligned properly!), and although you could feel the coldness and squishyness of the trapped puddle, there was no ingress.
Honestly can't remember whether that SIG had a seam or not.
I've also had a stream of diluted mud trickling under my tent, which also got between SIG and footprint, but that was a heavy-duty seamless SIG, and I would have been very disappointed for that to let the wet through... although it did make for some messy pics, when we struck camp...
Mucker! Is that your Karsten?
I’d have a flippin heart attack if that was my tent! Lol
Just goes to show that a footprint is worth it’s weight in gold.
I learned the hard way after aforementioned leak on S.I.G, I decided to go sans footprint and ended up throwing my first tent in a skip! (It was one of those ‘inner first’ jobbies and the mud had oozed all over the mesh and inner fly sheet!) Sad times 😪
I know a lot of people have an aversion to them but I’m quite a fan of all weather pitches for exactly the reasons shown in your photo....
Quote: Originally posted by Caligula on 18/3/2018
Aha! I think you ae the party who outbid me.....I hope the tent is as wonderful as I think it may be
Not I, this was pre-ordered from World of Camping so it's the first of the 2018 stock. So far I'm impressed with the quality of the bag it comes in. I'll post a review and pics etc when I get a chance to pitch it. I have high hopes.
My apologies, I thought I recognised the handle...still a bloody nice tent, congratulations!
A nice detailed review and pictures would sit will on the Tent review section here? Pretty please......lol!
Quote: Originally posted by 3madboyz on 19/3/2018
Mucker! Is that your Karsten?
I’d have a flippin heart attack if that was my tent! Lol
Sure was, 3madboyz!
We set up the awnings for our party to sit sheltered, but made the mistake of facing uphill on a sloping pitch... on a wet weekend... in March... In Welsh Wales!!! Doh!
No heart attack... but lesson learned, that's for sure!!
And as for Bob's reference to mole hills, whilst a few did appear in our canopy...
Below the footprint (See how I've brought this right back on topic!!), it was more tunnels, than hills!
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: Robens Fairbanks Footprint Question
