11 problems with an awning... and the solutions!

4 minute reading time
11 problemen bij een voortent… en de oplossingen!
Leaks, condensation, stains, rust... problems with your awning that you can solve or prevent yourself.

You really won't be the first to have to deal with a leaking awning. Also annoying stains in the tent can certainly not only be found with you. It is true that many of these and other problems can be prevented.

Another truth is that most awning problems can be solved just fine. Make your profit with my tips. See if your problem is mentioned below, read the tips, follow them and there is a very good chance that everything will be solved in no time.

No. 1: Small holes in the roof or in the canvas

Do you discover small holes in the canvas of your tent? Do not be too alarmed, because this is one of the problems that you can solve very quickly and easily. Wear and tear is often the main cause of the holes in the cloth. What's the best thing to do?

  • Choose repair paint.
  • Use adhesive strips.
  • Use a liquid repair agent.

How do the adhesive strips work?

  • First you cut the corners round.
  • Stick the strips on both sides of the cloth.
  • Overlap the hole with at least 2 centimeters by means of the adhesive strips.

How does a liquid repair agent work?

  • Use a few drops and let it dry for at least 24 hours. The product is waterproof, airtight and remains flexible after drying.

No. 2: Condensation

You have probably also experienced that the top of the tent was wet and that maybe even the drops fell down. Preventing condensation from forming completely is difficult, but taking the following measures will significantly reduce the chance of condensation forming:

  • Good ventilation.
  • Ventilation grilles or ventilation windows.
  • Leave the ventilation windows open at night.
  • Leg plastic Folie onder tenttapijt.
  • Leave the wheel arch seal open overnight.
  • Leave the door open when cooking in the tent.
condens binnenkant tentdoek voortent

No. 3: Rust on the frame

When you discover rust on the frame of your tent, it can be caused by moisture. Perhaps you stored the tent wet once? Poor maintenance can also cause rust. What can you do?

  • Remove the dirt and moisture.
  • Treat the surface with car wash.
  • Make sure the frame is perfectly dry before storing.

No. 4: A broken zipper

A broken zipper in your tent is very annoying. Still, this is a fairly common problem that most campers have to deal with at some point. Does the zipper no longer close completely? In that case, it could be related to a broken slider. This can be easily replaced. If this does not help enough, you can have the entire zipper replaced. Sometimes a zipper problem can also have another cause. Please note the following:

  • Is the tent set up correctly?
  • If not, moving the pegs can help.

No. 5: Weather Spots

Unfortunately, campers sometimes have to contend with wet weather. If you do want to leave and you clean up the tent wet, there is a high chance of weather stains. Packing an awning wet is asking for trouble. But I understand that sometimes it just isn't possible. With weather stains it is always very important that you remove them. If you leave the stains, it means the beginning of the end of your tent. If you have a protective layer on the cloth and it has not yet been affected, the stains can be easily removed. Impregnation of your awning helps to prevent weather stains.

schimmel binnenkant dak voortent

No. 6: Folding in the windows of your tent

You may not be bothered by the creases in the windows at all. Still, I can imagine that you would prefer it to look sleek. There can be several causes of this problem:

  • You have not stored the tent properly.
  • There is a bad voltage.

When you are dealing with the latter problem, the solution is simple. Provide proper tension and the window will pull smooth. Unfortunately, folds in the foil can never be prevented 100%.

No. 7: The walls of the tent are not tight

This problem can have several causes:

  • Badly stretched. In that case, you can try again and re-tension all rods and re-install all pegs.
  • The caravan is lower than the tent. In this case, it is better to move to another spot with an even surface.

No. 8: The walls don't touch the bottom

I can point to two different causes for this problem:

  1. The tent is too small in relation to the caravan.
  2. The caravan is too high. You can solve this problem by placing the caravan on a flatter surface.

No. 9: Leakage

This is a very annoying problem. Especially when you are camping with children. What should you do when you find the children on a wet air mattress in the middle of the night? The best advice I can give you is to impregnate your tent. Then you don't have to worry about leakage.

No. 10: Green attack on the canvas

It depends somewhat on the color of your tent, but in general green spots are very disturbing. Usually they are caused by mosses and algae. Fortunately, these stains are fairly easy to remove. Usually lukewarm water and a soft brush is enough.

No. 11: Dirt that cannot be removed

Have you already tried everything and the tent remains dirty? Then try the following:

  • First of all, clean the awning with lukewarm water and a soft brush.
  • Use a special spray and let it act for about 20 minutes.
  • Finally, use a power cleaner and let it work for about 8 hours.

There is a very good chance that after this treatment all the dirt will have disappeared.

The most important tip to keep your tent tidy is above all: keep the awning dry!