Purchased an Outdoor Revolution Kalahari PC 9.0 from eBay. Was told the tent was only used once and packed away dry. Pitched it today to have a look and surprise surprise there was mould. Ran the hosepipe over to check waterproof and water leaked in through one of the panels.
I’m trying to resolve through eBay but was wondering if the tent is salvageable. Will a clean and some Nikwax resolve?
Also due to the size of the tent we were unable to pitch with all guide ropes and so was not taught. Not sure if this contributed to the water ingress but the area where the water came in was a darker colour and not beading like the rest of the tent.
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Generally you can never fully recover from mould, it'll likely leave staining at best, but it's most important to deal with it to stop the spores, which can be injurious to health if inhaled, and will spread mould growth to other areas of tent and susceptible items in the tent. Mould isn't just a surface blemish, it can damage the very materials (which is often why the staining cannot be removed!).
As to the leaking. This is a PolyCotton tent and doesn't have a waterproof layer like Polyester/Nylon tents, it becomes waterproof by swelling of the fabric fibres when wetted, and needs 'weathering' to achieve good waterproof qualities.
If sold as in perfect condition, mould is not within that definition, I'd be trying to return to seller and get a refund. It'll likely always be trouble and you'll have to be near paranoid about ensuring TOTALLY dry before long term storage, otherwise risk of more mouldy spots - it only takes one microscopic spore to start a new colony!
If you want to or are forced to keep it, here's a couple of tips:
Getting tents (and awnings) truly dry after use is a real task. Seams, corners, guy ropes, anchor points of multiple fabric layers etc. all retain dampness long after main panels appear dry, and that's all it takes to get mould going, and because the whole thing is folded/rolled/scrunched into a holdall those damp patches contact other places that were dry but then become targets for mould too!
If the Ebay ad didn't mention the mould, you should be entitled to a full refund under Ebay rules. As the tent is clearly damaged and if the seller failed to inform potential buyers, just start the returns process and get your money back. Let us know how you get on.
------------- What? Me Worry ?
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Quote: Originally posted by Thomasnaylor84 on 03/5/2025
Update- EBay sorting out refund. Learned my lesson and ordered a brand new one
Pleased to hear it. I`ve bought a couple of tents on Ebay where I`ve had to take the sellers word regarding their condition. Fortunately, they turned out to be really good but I never buy anything used that uses stock photographs or those copied from this site even. It`s easy to get shafted on Ebay.
Update:
Refunded for the tent and sellers did not collect so would like help in what to do with this which is no longer required. Do we clean and try to sell and be upfront with what has happened or do we just bin the tent?
It’s a shame because the tent has hardly been used and would be in decent condition if it could be cleaned up.
Tried looking for companies who would do the work but cannot find one. We have looked at how to clean the tent ourselves but we do not have the space at home to erect and clean it.
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Could you not remove the air beams and sell them on more than likely a lot of other campers with the same tent that would be willing to buy a spare air beam in case of an emergency!I
I wouldn't magine that the canvas is no good anyone.
Last ditch notice to seller that if they don't reclaim it will be disposed of ASAP. Covers your backside that the onus is firmly on them if they want it back.
Then just sell intact (you want rid of the whole thing one way or another!), making ABSOLUTELY clear you are selling because of excessing mould damage and requires decontamination before safe use or for salvageable parts - then it's someone else's responsibility to clean (as much as you can!) or dismantle for parts.
Thanks. I’ve already had the all clear from eBay that I can do what I please with the tent. I’m going to list with as many photos as possible and clear description of the condition
If the owner does not want the tent back then I would try to remove the mould with whatever you can find. Chances are you will be left with some staining as mould is very difficult to remove. That said, it`s got to be worth trying. As for waterproofing the polycotton, I have always used Nikwax Cotton Proofing, mainly on an old Outwell Trout Lake 4 that is extremely faded by the French summer sun. I have removed bird lime from it with neutral Ph soap using a soft nail brush and warm water in a spray bottle. applying diluted Nikwax when dry. If you get to keep the tent, I`d try anything to shift the stains as you`d have nothing to lose and possibly a useable tent to gain, even if it is stained.
Thanks. We ended up purchasing a new Kalahari 9.0. We did look at cleaning the tent and researched it but we don’t have the space to erect, clean and dry the tent so going to list on eBay as is with a detailed description of the condition and pictures. End of the day we got our money back and the sellers didn’t want the tent back so whatever we get for it can go towards the new tent.
The pictures I posted make the tent look worse than it is, hopefully someone can clean it up or use for spares.
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Topic: 2nd hand tent mould
via mobile 28/4/2025 at 5:37pm
