Having your own Roof Top Tent provides unmatched opportunities for exploring and experiencing the beauty of Canada and beyond. When compared to ground tents or RVs/trailers, our Roof Top Tents can be set up anywhere the road takes you. Booking a spot in a crowded campground is no longer a necessity, and unlike backcountry camping, camping in your roof top tent doesn’t mean sacrificing all of the amenities and comfort of home – something especially important for families with young children. Based in Nanaimo, we offer a wide range of roof top tents, auto awnings and camping accessories for those looking to explore the outdoors across Vancouver Island and British Columbia.
It’s important to properly maintain your roof top tent in order to get the most out of it for many years to come. We’ve created a list of easy and quick ways to make sure your roof top tent keeps performing the way it should for many trips to come.
Cleaning the Tent
- Open the tent fully and brush with a stiff bristled brush to loosen any debris. Once you’ve done this, vacuum all of the dirt and debris from the inside of tent.
- Use a mild detergent (1 cup of Lysol all-purpose cleaner to 1 gallon of hot water) with warm water and a soft to medium brush to clean the fabric as needed.
- Rinse fabric with warm or cool water of 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 mold may occur. This is especially necessary after camping in rain or wet conditions.
- Using a small brush, remove any dirt lodged in the zippers. We also recommend using a silicon spray to keep the zippers lubricated and to help prevent them form getting stuck.
Preventing Mold and Mildew
If there is moisture trapped in the canvas material for a length of time, mold and mildew may start to form. If mold starts to form it can stain the canvas and produce foul odors – definitely not something you’ll want to be surprised by after driving several hours to your campsite! In order to handle mold properly, follow these steps:
1. Open the tent up and brush the affected area with a hard bristled brush to get and loose dirt off.
2. Using the same Lysol solution discussed above (1 cup Lysol to 1 gallon water), wash the canvas using a sponge and the bristled brush.
3. Rinse the tent off with a solution (1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup sea salt, 1 gallon hot water).
4. Once the Lysol solution has been properly washed out, let the tent air dry for several hours in order to prevent future mold from forming.
If you’re planning on camping for a long trip in rainy or wet weather you may wish to consider the following:
After initial set-up, spray the tent with water 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 as many times as you would like.
Zipper Care
As zippers are subjugated to the elements (sand, mud, rain, snow) 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 Bee’s Wax is a great way to protect the longevity of your zipper. Just buy a small block and rub 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. Therefor, after washing the material, we suggest re-applying some waterproofing agents. Some waterproofing solutions will also add UV protection as well. A silicone based water repellent such as 303 Fabric Guard or Atsko Silicone Water-Guard work great. These solutions can be found in your local camping store.
An Indigenous-owned and operated company, at Roof Top Tents we are dedicated to helping our clients get out in the outdoors and enjoy the beautiful scenery and landscapes of British Columbia and beyond. Our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable outdoor products so that everyone can experience the joy of exploring and camping wherever the road takes them.
We ship our products across British Columbia, and we can arrange out of province delivery as well. Take the first step towards experiencing the convenience and comfort of rooftop camping yourself by visiting our website or emailing us at info@rooftoptents.ca today!
