Maintenance
Roof Top Tent/Awning Cleaning and Care
Aside from being incredibly easy to set up and take down, they’re also simple to keep clean. This rooftop tent guide will direct you through everything you need to do for regular care and maintenance.
Cleaning a tent after camping is essential, however keeping on top of maintenance is simple and if done correctly will maximise the life span of your tent.
Cleaning your Escapade Roof Top Tent
After a camping trip, open the tent fully and brush the sleep space with a stiff-bristled brush/vacuum all dirt from inside of the tent.
• Use a mild detergent with warm water and a soft to medium brush to clean the fabric as needed.
• Rinse fabric with warm or cool water. Ensure you remove all detergent prior to drying.
• Let it dry under the sun with all windows open. It is important that the tent is completely dry before storage or mildew and mould may form. This is especially necessary after camping in rain or wet conditions.
• Using a small brush, remove dirt from the zippers. Also, use a silicone spray to keep them lubricated.
• We also recommend using products like *WD40 Lanolin* to spray on gas struts, latches etc to prevent rust forming.
Caring for Mould and Mildew
Please Note Condensation/Mould is not covered under the Escapade Campers Warranty.
It is the customers sole responsibility to ensure any moisture trapped inside the tent is aired out fully prior to packing away. See tips below on how to manage moisture control.
Providing they are packed away correctly, Hard shell rooftop tents are sealed units. They keep the weather out however can also trap moisture inside causing it to ‘sweat’. If there is moisture trapped in the canvas for a length of time, mould and mildew may start to form.
It is crucial for the tents to keep well ventilated while in use and also be stored away completely dry.
If mould starts to form it can stain the canvas. This does not make for a pleasant camping experience! In order to clean mould properly, follow these steps:
Alternatively to make this task quicker, easier and more effective, check out our other listing for Canvas Magic Mould Remover. This product has an extremely good reputation and removes all mould in a matter of seconds.
1. OPEN
Open the tent up and brush the affected area with a hard-bristled brush to get loose dirt off.
2. WASH
Using a non-abrasive sponge, warm water and a mild detergent, wash the canvas using a sponge and the bristled brush.
3. RINSE
Rinse the tent off with a solution (1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sea salt, 2 litres of hot water)
4. DRY
Once the detergent has been washed out, let the tent air dry for several hours in the sun in order to prevent future mould from forming.
Seasoning the Canvas
After the initial set-up, spray the tent with water, hold the hose up in the air so the water falls like rain and allow it to dry completely. This “seasons” the canvas. The water causes the canvas to swell slightly, closing the needle holes where the canvas was stitched.
The most effective way to do this is to have the tent out in its first good rain. This process is only required once but can be repeated every few months or as many times as you would like.
It is also very common for tents to allow a small amount of water to enter the first time however this is completely normal and once dry will be completely sealed.
Zipper Care
As zippers are subjugated to the elements (sand, mud, rain, dust) they will need to be cared for in order to maintain a long life. It is hard to keep mud and dust away from the zippers, so the best thing to do is add some lubrication.
Using a lubricant such as silicone spray is a great way to protect the longevity of your zipper. Just buy a small spray can and spray it on the zipper both while open and closed. This should greatly improve the operation of the zipper, and dramatically increase its service life. If mud and dirt does get ground into the zipper, clean it with a damp cloth and then re-lubricate.
Waterproofing
The general cleaning of your tent over time can start to break down the waterproofing qualities of the material. Therefore, after washing the material, we suggest re-applying some waterproofing agents.
Some waterproofing solutions will also add UV protection as well. A water repellent re proofer such as ‘Dynaproofed’ works a treat and we have the smaller bottles designed for roof top tents in stock!
And that’s it! Once your tent is cleaned and cared for, you can store your tent for the next time that you want to get out on the road.
The same principals/techniques you see above can also be used on Escapade Campers Awning tent and 270 degree freestanding awning.
MOISTURE PREVENTION TIPS
- Every escapade tent comes with a small 12v rechargeable fan.. Sleep with the fan running all night if possible and have it aiming at an open window/vent to extract the hot air..
- Escapade Roof top tents come with a small moisture satchel These are to be left in the tent at all times and especially when not in use. The small window on the satchel will turn red once it has absorbed moisture, simply throw it in the microwave for approximately 40 seconds and keep reusing!
- Our tents are great at keeping the elements out however they also trap heat and moisture inside. We strongly recommend removing bedding in the morning and leaving all doors and windows open for at least 15 minutes to let all the heat escapade before closing.
- AIRING OUT THE TENT
- This is the most important step. Hard shell roof top tents must be aired out for a full day in the sun at least once every 4 weeks. If they are left on your vehicle permenantly, it is recommended that you air the tent out every 2 weeks especially During colder months and in humid climates.
