Tent floor leaking

[Mutley]

My 6 year old tent floor is leaking. Not just in spots or seams, but the whole floor is seeping moisture. We are talking puddles under my sleeping mat.

I have owned it since 2011 and have used it probably for 10 nights a year on average, in addition to one 34 night trip. So lets say thats 100 nights. I have sometimes had to pack it up wet, but have always made sure it was dry and clean before storing away between trips. I dont use a footprint as the floor is 70 denyer pu coated nylon - the very reason i bought the tent is because of this robust floor.

The manufacturer has recommended recoating the floor with polyurethane and is doing this for a very reasonable price.

My question is, am i expecting too much by thinking the waterproofing should last longer ? Yes, 100 nights is a bit of use, but the tent is only 6 years old and there is absolutely no waterproofness left in the floor. It leaks like a sieve and the tent is basically unuseable.

I havent mentioned the brand as yet as i do respect their products. But should I get it recoated, ask for the floor to be replaced, or just cut my losses anf buy another tent ?

[Mark F]

If you are otherwise happy with the tent I would have it resealed. However, before doing that I would very carefully check the floor for small cuts and abrasions as these may remove the benefit of resealing. I had this experience with a 30d floor that I thought was ok. Had a careful look and found it was quite damaged.

[Franco]

You know the old saying :
look at this shovel, it's 30 years old , two heads and three handles later ,still looks like new.

There are several products designed to re-coat your floor, one is Tent Sure.
Should be on the shelf of your nearest outdoor shop.

[dunamis]

I have the same issue with my Eureka Moonshadow Duo. I'm thinking of painting the non PU side with silicone/turps method


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[Mutley]

If you are otherwise happy with the tent I would have it resealed. However, before doing that I would very carefully check the floor for small cuts and abrasions as these may remove the benefit of resealing. I had this experience with a 30d floor that I thought was ok. Had a careful look and found it was quite damaged.

Good point Mark. Will hold it up to the garage lights to check. But it seems to be letting water through across the whole floor. I sat on the floor while it was raining outside and I had a wet bum in a few minutes. It seems to soak through under any weight ie air mattress, so I think the PU coating is shot. Am pretty disappointed in the (lack of) longevity of the floor though.

[Mutley]

I have the same issue with my Eureka Moonshadow Duo. I'm thinking of painting the non PU side with silicone/turps method


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How old is your tent and do you know number of nights used ?

[Mark F]

PU coatings do age especially if packed a way slightly damp. When they age they tend to go opaque and slightly white and ultimately flake off.

[Moondog55]

Am pretty disappointed in the (lack of) longevity of the floor though.

But would you have been wiling to pay the dollar and weight penalty for a long lived floor?
Floors are cheap and easy to replace/reproof; the alternative is to pay for and carry something like my Plateau, 2+ kilos of the weight is in the reinforced PVC floor and why most newer tents have the option of the footprint. it is optimistic in the extreme to expect 60GSM fabric to wear as well as 150GSM fabric

[Mutley]

PU coatings do age especially if packed a way slightly damp. When they age they tend to go opaque and slightly white and ultimately flake off.

Thats the thing. Have been looking at photos of opaque and peeling PU coatings, but there is absolutely no evidence of this on my tent floor.

[Moondog55]

PU coatings do age especially if packed a way slightly damp. When they age they tend to go opaque and slightly white and ultimately flake off.

Thats the thing. Have been looking at photos of opaque and peeling PU coatings, but there is absolutely no evidence of this on my tent floor.

I was gifted a Macpac Minaret a while ago
Floor leaked like a sieve, when held up to the light it was ridden with tiny holes. I don't know if the holes were fron a miriad of tiny punctures, insuifficient proofing and being stetched past the failure point or simply a function of the UL fabric used and poor maintenance.
I suspect poor maintenance as the tent was full of sand when I got it and some sand is very sharp
It was a simple and easy fix. Wash off, rinse well and dry; then coat inside and out with silicon
When I use the tent now I add in a floor save of PE builders plastic or similar, if I use it on snow this season I'll use some of the 3mm PE foam underlay I just bought.
Also be aware that the PU coating on tent floors is not a vapour barrier and water vapour can be forced though the floor simply by the pressure exerted by body weight, the lighter the coating the less of a VB it is

[Mutley]

Thanks for the replies. I just don't think this level of durability is good enough but I suppose the alternative is a caravan !!

[dunamis]

I have the same issue with my Eureka Moonshadow Duo. I'm thinking of painting the non PU side with silicone/turps method


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How old is your tent and do you know number of nights used ?

Not sure how old. Maybe 8 years but really light use. Maybe 20 nights if that. Always dried before packing. No evidence of PU decay.


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[dunamis]

Painted one coat on. Went on very nicely with a foam brush. My little helper did the low bits. Ratio was 1:5 silicone to turps and the first coat used about 300ml. Second coat is going on this arvo.



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[Mutley]

Update. Returned the tent to the manufacturer, who resealed the tub floor at no charge. Great service and I appreciate the freebie. My original concern remains though.

[ribuck]

My original concern remains though.

I think 100 nights is a good lifetime for a PU floor coating. It's just the nature of the coating - it's not infinitely durable in flexible applications.

[Orion]

I think 100 nights is a good lifetime for a PU floor coating. It's just the nature of the coating - it's not infinitely durable in flexible applications.

Of course it depends on both the coating and the abuse. I have an 8 year old tent with ~140 nights of use and the floor is perfectly fine. But it is a higher quality coated fabric than found on your average tent. It isn't that heavy either (90g/m2).

Re-coating a floor is kind of a pain. Nice that you got them to do it for you. Replacing a floor is harder still, maybe too hard to even bother. One additional option is to do a hack replacement: Instead of the all the labor involved in removing the stitches that hold the floor to the rest of the tent, cut the floor out close to where the seams are. Then stitch in a newer, better fabric over top of it, along with a generous slather of sealant.