We use a PE groundsheet on stony hard standings pitches and then a Carpetina ground sheet on top. It does make some marks on he PE groundsheet. Our last one was used for 3 years but they are not expensive to replace if they did get holes in them.
Hi Lassie - could you tell me which brand yopurs is please ? The one we bought had several rips after just one camp
It wasn't that expensive but it wouldn't last very long if we keep using it on that campsite, can see it working out pretty dear in the long run unless we get one that's a bit tougher.
Find a nice friendly haulage company that is replacing their sheets or tilts and ask if you can have a small piece. Simply cut it to size with a sharp Stanley knife. It is thick enough to stop stones etc, cleans easily and is cheap :) The only downside is that you will probably need to put a lightweight carpet or similar on top as it is slippery when wet and site owners hate it as it does not let light through to the grass. It will last for years!
------------- 'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'
Find a nice friendly haulage company that is replacing their sheets or tilts and ask if you can have a small piece. Simply cut it to size with a sharp Stanley knife. It is thick enough to stop stones etc, cleans easily and is cheap :) The only downside is that you will probably need to put a lightweight carpet or similar on top as it is slippery when wet and site owners hate it as it does not let light through to the grass. It will last for years!
Thanks - I'll lok into that too
My OH says the PE ones are probably really just tarps ... which is what he said we'd be better with in the 1st place than the `proper' waterproof g/sheet that I insisted on ordering....
I think he probably right .... oh well there's a first time for everything...
I was looking at various options for a tough but waterproof groundsheet for our frame tent, knowing that pretty much anything I go for will have to be adjusted/cut to size anyway. I think I'll be going for 0.5mm pond liner.
I was going down the tarp route, but a lot of the cheaper ones or ones listed as "camping" gear are either a really low GSM or don't list it at all.
Quote: Originally posted by DamonST on 10/6/2011
I was looking at various options for a tough but waterproof groundsheet for our frame tent, knowing that pretty much anything I go for will have to be adjusted/cut to size anyway. I think I'll be going for 0.5mm pond liner.
I was going down the tarp route, but a lot of the cheaper ones or ones listed as "camping" gear are either a really low GSM or don't list it at all.
Just read this out to OH ..... " AH - pond liner, good idea ! " said he.... we'l seriously consider that Damon thanks - but now pray tell me - what does `GSM' stand for ???? !
Quote: Originally posted by La-la on 10/6/2011Just read this out to OH ..... " AH - pond liner, good idea ! " said he.... we'l seriously consider that Damon thanks - but now pray tell me - what does `GSM' stand for ???? !
Grams per Square Metre. The higher the number, the greater the amount of material in the weave, which usually means it is tougher/more watertight.
As a guide, your average sewn in groundsheet is around 120GSM from what I can tell. A lot of the cheaper tarps and ebay specials are down around 80.
Glynnis is quite right though, some sites are insistent on breathable groundsheets in caravan awnings. Personally I see no reason why you guys should be subject to different rules to those of us under fabric, but that's just the way it is.
i buy mine from bradshaws tarpaulins.have to have a tough one otherwise the dogs claws go through them.with the normal groundsheets i was having to replace it everytime we went away.plus the tarpaulins come in 3 metre widths which is ideal for not having gaps.any surplus i just fold under.
------------- dogs in boot caravan on back off we go
Bought mine from Towsure , one of their cheaper green ones , heavy ,pvc and stands up well to use on shale or gravel hardstanding . I also use it on top of the van because I park under a big mucky tree .
As I've said elsewhere, we have found the Kampa Easitread an excellent groundsheet. We have used it on grass and hardstandings. I have to say if it's a hardstanding I won't use it if the hardcore contains very large stones. Hope this helps.
P.S. The Kampa Easitread is a closeweave breatheable groundsheet, but we've never had a problem with water/damp. We walk on it without shoes on. Perhaps we are over fussy about the sites we use - we only ever use sites that are about the same quality of the CC sites, so the ground tends to be fairly good. ??
Just my opinion, but personally I wouldn't put a goundsheet down to put yet another one on top. If the idea is to keep the top one clean, you still have the bottom one to clean. For some reason, we find that very little sticks to the bottom of our Easytread. Absolutely nothing like the stuff we used to get stuck to those brown non-breathable groundsheets we all used to use years ago - they killed the grass and were absolutely revolting to get up at the end of the stay on site. Now for an admission. We haven't cleaned our Easitread ground sheet since we bought it (2 years ago) and it virtually looks as good as new.
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Topic: Tough waterproof groundsheet
.... oh well there's a first time for everything... 
