Will new canvas & flys need waterproofing ?
Submitted: Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 16:00
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Old Nick
Purchased a new Jayco Hawk Outback campervan last July- sat in the shed since, but off to Tassie last week in May for a month. Could strike some wet weather and a mate reckons the canvas, flys etc.will need a water proofing treatment,being new. Who would you listen to (all due respects to Slippery!!)
The salesman (seemed OK ), reckoned all the rag work did not require any further treatment, just make sure when it was packed away for a while to make sure it was thouroughly dry (commonsense). I am
well aware salesmen have the gift of the gab programmed into them (sorry salesmen!) to promote and sell there product,So should I believe him?
If anyone can give me some advice on what to do it would be most appreciated.
Also can anyone tell me by experience are there any problems to be wary of with the Jayco model I have bought, it will not be doing any severe off road stuff, just an odd corrugated dirt track etc.
For hard going I just use the traytop with canopy ie.
Simpson Desert and trips as such.
Hoping you campervan blokes can help me out Regards Nick
Reply By: Member - Phillip S (WA) - Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 16:20
Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 16:20
Hi Nick...I have purchased a few cotton canvas tents in my time and they all come with specific instructions to first erect the tent and hose it down so that whatever is in the canvas will set (some sort of waterproofing agent).
Then you let it dry thoroughly and pack it up as it is ready for use and hopefully waterproof and so far it has worked for me...regards Phil.
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Follow Up By: Old Nick - Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 17:57
Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 17:57
Thanks Phil
Nick
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Reply By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 16:26
Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 16:26
Young Nick ,
You definitely need to thoroughly soak the canvas ( especially the seams ). This makes it expand around the sewing thread holes made during manufacture of the canvas top .
I was told this , but of course did nothing about it . The first time I was out in my camper and it rained , the canvas leaked along all the seams .
Does not happen any more - just the first time it got rained on . Perhaps you should take out mattresses etc when you hose it for the first time .
Cheers ,
Willie .
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Old Nick - Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 18:02
Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 18:02
You can keep the
young bit up, may have been more appropriate 50 years or more
ago !!
Thanks Wiilie, both you and Phil sound like your on the money, as good advice goes
Regards Nick
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Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 18:56
Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 18:56
Agree with Willie. Those were the instructions with my swag and, in fact, I soaked it again about two months ago because it hasn't seen rain for so long - no doubt some pious person will take me to task for wasting water - such is the nature of this
forum.
Mike Harding
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Reply By: Dave & Shelley (NT) - Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 17:21
Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 17:21
Hi Nick,
Your canvas work should be from treated from manufacture. As others have suggested I would hose it down before heading off for a trip. This will allow you to find any problems in the canvas and help the joints expand (seems). If you do it before you head off, you can sleep at night knowing that everything should be fine if the heavens open up.
My Kimberly is 10 years old and we just had the canvas repaired and retreated in Dec last year. I did the hose down technique on some of the repairs (new seems) before we went camping this week. Yesterday in Lichfield NP the rain just bounced off the canvas work, no leaks. Hopefully you have the same luck!! Happy camping.
Dave
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Follow Up By: Old Nick - Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 18:15
Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 18:15
Thank you also Dave,
The advice from you all will be heeded, will get it out of the shed, remove the mattresses as soon as the next thunder storm looks threatening.and hopefully she'll get a good dose. If not it will get a good soaking on the lawn with the sprinkler sitting on the roof.
Don't panic you folks on water restrictions, I live in the country, the house soley on rainwater and have my own
bore which is used sparing to grow a few vegies and fire protection.
Many thanks Nick.
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Reply By: skipp - Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 19:36
Saturday, Jan 27, 2007 at 19:36
I spent xmas in my new camper trailer at
coffs harbour and it rained for the first week, got about four leaks at the seams....one of them I couldnt help but touch while it was raining and the water went from a drip to a drip drip drip drip....me been the bigger drip..when the sun came out I bought a candle stick and rubbed it into the seams..but by then the rain had stopped and havent been out since.. i was told when i bought the trailer to hose down ,which i did but with the water restrictions it was a little hard without the neighbours seeing me using the hose......and if it did leak to use the candle.
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Follow Up By: brian - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 01:43
Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 01:43
as most others have said , give it a good soaking and then let it dry for a couple of days. I also got 2 cans of spray-on ScotchGuard and sprayed all seams and Zip areas and then sprayed the area directly above our bed with the left overs. Havent had a leak in 3 years. best of luck with the camper
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Reply By: Member - Bucky (VIC) - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 07:56
Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 07:56
The best thing you can do is to never wash the canvas also, as this will upset the waterproofing, just let mother nature ( rain ) do the job,,
You could give it a light swipe with a soft hair broom, to remove excess dust, and thats it .
Cheers Bucky
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Follow Up By: Member - Julie P (VIC) - Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 18:42
Sunday, Jan 28, 2007 at 18:42
RAIN????? whats that???? - We have found from experience to throroughly soak the canvas - throoughly - unless it is a torrential downpour may not be enough to just trust rain - let it dry and you will never have a wet bed - friends wet their canvas camper (same as ours) but sparingly - and he had leaks every time it rained - ended up having to wax the seams and do the soaking job properly. Also agree with Bucky re cleaning - ours has the ingrained dust(which could be removed by washing - but that would upset the waterproof nature of canvas) of a couple of hundred trips all around and through this country - lots of red in some spots - but so what - it doesn't leak - and it reminds us of some great times and
places we have visited.
jules
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