Side Tent Side Tent - How To Secure On Pavement

[ddgraven]

It's a bit late, but I'll throw my 2 cents worth in on the side tent question.

We set up two tents most every night...takes less than 10 minutes. We've encountered high winds throughout our last three trips and have had no problem with tents staying put on all kinds of surfaces.

The tents are laid out on a canvas base and erected. Two 19 ½“ by 47” 3/4” plywood sheets are then laid on the floor and covered with a very light in/out carpet. Gear is then placed inside. In very high winds we guy wire the top of the poles to the bumper and hitch. We've never lost a tent.

The plywood is double coated with marine varnish. They fit perfectly inside the tear for travel.

We double coated the tents with silicon waterproofing...haven't seen a need for rain flies.

 

[fpoole]

Porch light:
Maybe one of those LED lights, attach with straps or Velcro or that Earthquake Putty Sarah was talking about? Never tried it, but? I just have about 400 Pezel led head lamps all over the place (one on each door hook, kitchen bags... heheh, heck, I look like a walking Pezel Catalog and use those if I have to go out. Red filter helps.. and I have a strong flashlight inside for peering out if need be for Racoons, just see the glowing eyes, Happy Halloween.

Tent floor weights:
Being a diver, I have old "Shot Weight bags and long tube ankle weights" that run from 2lbs + each. Small, easy to use, just throw'em down.
Me things the next purchase will be a rubber mat for under the tent floor (protect it from ground sharpies) and one inside to spread it out, add a little weight and protect the inside floor. Will probably have to cut to size, but hey, it's rubber eh? and maybe one for the outside door? Mud etc??

Now that I'll be getting out there a little more and in viewing the campsites in other states, I believe I'll be using it more and more... UP here, we seem to have a little more privacy in more spots, trees, bushes etc.

Just a thought..

 

[Monica]

Thanks for the PVC directions. I bought the pipe and 4 elbows for about $5 and Lowes cut the pipe for me. Made for a very easy project!
And I put a folded tarp under the floor for protection and floor mat inside. Works for me.

Wishing everyone safety during Sandy this week. Temps here fell today when the front arrived....

 

[Betsey]

It should not take a nuclear engineer to hook up the side tent.

No, it shouldn't...but apparently it does take a plumber!

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[Duke]

Gary, there are some who use PVC Pipe Frame for the Side Tent. We use it and have found it to be pretty helpful when the stakes can't be used. Putting a couple of heavy objects on the frame helps to keep things fairly stable.

Anyone tried sealing the ends of the pipe frame tubes and filling them with sand, etc. ?

 

[rushthecat]

Duke, I thought about that and may do it sometime. But for now I put a small cooler and the bags we take to the shower in the corners. This has helped hold down the tent so far. We had a really windy night at the Cape last week and finally decided to take the tent down as a precaution but it was holding up pretty well.
AJ and Michelle use a heavy rubber mat to go under the side tent floor to protect the floor from punctures. We got one and it's pretty heavy so I may try to put it inside the tent when it's windy. I think it's called elephant rubber at rubbercal.com or something like that.
Mike

 

[fpoole]

Mike, Yah, that was my thought and game plan too..

Actually two heavy rubber mats.
One on the ground to help prevent the ground from puncturing/rubbing the tent floor away and another one inside to keep it spread out, add some weight and protect the same tent floor on the inside too. Also, helps catch dirt/feels more comfortable and depending upon what you get look prettier. heheh, more user friendly...

I haven't use the tent much, but plan on doing so and that, 2 mats, would be the game plan for now.

Will be interested in hearing how it works or I will report soon.

I found this one, not sure it's the one referenced above
Rubber-Cal

Looks like they do cusomt cutting for about $10 to $18 per Ft, depending on thickness.

Might find something that works at the Hardware chains, Eagle, Olys, whatevers...

 

[ghaynes]

I bought the Rubber Cal mats. They have a webstore through Amazon. Bought two of the 4x4 size, 1/4 inch thick. The one 4x4 is perfect for putting on the ground without needing to trim it down. The side tent when using stakes is the perfect width. The mat could be trimmed a bit shorter front to back but haven't bothered to do that.

Was going to trim the second one to fit inside but these mats at 4x4x 1/4 are HEAVY. So I am going to hold off on the second one and continue to use a small piece of rug from Walmart or where ever I got it. A bit more use will help be determine whether to cut up the Elephant or get a bit larger piece of carpet.

I did make the PVC frame. Wouldn't suggest putting sand inside it and permanently gluing it all together. Easier to be able to take it apart.

If you get the SUV package you don't need the short extensions since the added 3 inches of height precludes using the back stake loops.

And how do you trim an Elephant mat? One small bite at a time....

 

[fpoole]

Kewl Gary,
Thanks for the info...
They have this "New?" shower mat, that lets water go right through it, but probably any mat would do... will check out the 4x4.. and go from there.. thanks..

Just found it on Amazon... thinking of the 3/8 4x6 a little longer to allow a "Front Porch" to the entrance? or I can slide under the Trailer...
Link on Amazon Link on Amazon

and then maybe something like this Indoor mat

Something along those lines... fun...
and dry.. heheh well sorta..

 

[Duke]

I did make the PVC frame. Wouldn't suggest putting sand inside it and permanently gluing it all together. Easier to be able to take it apart

.

Just thinking the long tubes could be filled with sand, lead shot, etc and sealed. Could still be disassembled. Got some PVC, gonna start experimenting.

Luckily, I still have a good size chunk of paper maker's felt. Going to cut it into pieces for an inner and outer liner for the side tent and a "welcome" mat for the other side. Darn near indestructable and made to wick water away.

 

[Deb]

When we put in new livingroom carpet last year, we cut some of the extra into a 4X4 piece for the side tent. It is wonderful. Easy to maintain and feels good on the toes.

 

[fpoole]

Without taking it out, setting it up in the limited space in the garage and measuring,is 4x4 the inside (and I guess outside too?heheh) the measurement?

 

[ghaynes]

So the tent floor is about 40.5 wide and then either about 45.5 front to back or 35.5 depending on whether you have the suv upgrade which doesn't allow the tent floor to be staked down full length due to the additional height of the SUV model.

I don't have the outside dimensions but when I got my elephant mat I setup the tent in the garage and the loops for the ground stakes were just outside the edge of the 48" mat.

See the post athttp://www.campinnforum.com/ubbthre...age=1&Main=357&Words=PVC&Search=true#Post2083 for the PVC frame.

 

[Jim and Sue L.]

I never use a side tent. I prefer a large, electric blue silk Mogul parasol with long side panels heavily fringed and jeweled. Of course, I'd insist on two...or maybe three tall, athletic and painfully handsome young men to support the parasol... you know, like shift it's position in accordance with the sun or weather changes and stuff like that there. Until they come up with that, I'll stick with the plain old 550.

Such a shame.

Sue