Hi there have just returned from our second trip away with our new trailer (lifestyle explorer +) and once again encountered rain. This time we seem to have more leaks than last time.
The leaks are all coming from where the main frames inside bend and touch the corner of the canvas, also the annex leaks through the zip in several places as the cover strip does not seem to cover the zip area.
Should the canvas be treated with something? Has anyone else had issues like this?
It may be the following
1/.The canvas is new and may need to be watered in and need to be dried out ( bloody hard at the moment) this allows the stitching to shrink around the seams etc. This soaking and drying cycle may take up to 5 times before eventually the canvas will get aged better and become water proof.
But and there is always a but..no canvas in high rainfall conditions will pooling effect will be water proof...see 3
2/. Then annex height is at a higher angle than the tent body and is causing the water to run back towards the tent proper...drop the annex pole at couple of cm's this will drain the water down and away from the tent proper.
3/. The main frame at the tent end may also need to be dropped a few cm's as well, for it may be causing a pooling effect at the ends of tent end, also dropping the end poles will make the water fall away from the tent end and will stop it from pooling near the end bar. A couple of spreaders in the tent body between the second overhead bar and the end tent bar will create a flatter top and help with run off.(Hope you follow).
4/. In respect to the zipper, googled a hell of a lot of forums,about 3 hours of home work... now, the best effect to limit the amount of sepage of water through the zip, is natural bees wax, or natural parafin wax. Stay away from candle wax, for there may be additives that will effect the stitching or the zipper proper.
The only problem with using the bees wax, is that you will have to re apply every time you use the zip, for the bees wax is harder and will fall off the zip when the zip is used. The adding of commercial stuff will attract particles to the zipper and the grit will stuff up the zip.(probably start WW3 in the forum on this point)
Then, there is a fall back position, big tarp over the camper... there would be a forum on that idea.
Good Luck
