Help, please. How to fix a sticky tent???

[BIGEarl]

A while ago I sent the following to Customer Support at Johnson Tent (owners of the Eureka brand). Is there anyone here with an idea or suggestion?




Sent message.........


I own a Eureka Equinox 4-person tent that I purchased a number of years ago.

Last year I noticed the inside surface of the tent had become sticky. The outside surface was normal. Also, the surface of the fly toward the tent body was also sticky. The outside surface was normal.

This stickiness is not enough to cause problems at any time other than unpacking. This stickiness acts similar to contact cement. In other words if two sticky surfaces come in contact with each other they become stuck together, really stuck together. Unpacking the tent is a real pain.

The only things that have ever been inside the tent are people, clothes, and sleeping bags.

Can you suggest a treatment I can use to address this problem?

 

[Chip]

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?45894-Sticky-tent&highlight=sticky+tent

During that thread I found a quote from Eureka customer service, basically saying some materials are beyond repair. Sadly the tent may be toast.

 

[BIGEarl]

Thanks Chip.

Sorry for asking a question that has already been discussed.

 

[Chip]

and then there's this from their FAQS: (so maybe it can be treated)

What does it mean when my tent sticks together?
When your tent sticks together, it means that the waterproofing on your tent is getting older. When this happens, the natural portions of the waterproofing break down, and this is what causes the stickiness. If this happens, please follow instructions on how to re-waterproof your tent given in the next question.

How can my tent be re-waterproofed?
We recommend the use of Aquaseal® Polycoat for re-waterproofing your tent. Be sure to check directions on the side of the container for specifics before beginning the waterproofing process.

1.Apply in a well-ventilated area.
2.All surfaces to be coated must be clean & dry.
3.Use a medium bristle brush and spread evenly.
When applying to coated fabrics, always apply to the side opposite from that which is coated. This means that you should be applying Polycoat to the outside of your tent.

One application is all that is necessary for the majority of the tent. Heavy traffic areas (such as tent floors) may need two coats.

 

[BIGEarl]

..........
When applying to coated fabrics, always apply to the side opposite from that which is coated. This means that you should be applying Polycoat to the outside of your tent.

One application is all that is necessary for the majority of the tent. Heavy traffic areas (such as tent floors) may need two coats.

Thanks Chip,

This is quite interesting. The instructions will have me apply the waterproofing to the outside of the tent but the sticky condition is on the inside.

Hmmmm.....

 

[TCD]

If the tent is going to be unsalvageable, before tossing it, you might try washing it with TX Direct - maybe twice, once as is, and a second time turned inside out. That might restore "gloss" to the surfaces...

 

[BIGEarl]

Today, I received the following instructions in an email from the Consumer Customer Service department at Johnson Outdoors Gear (owner of, among others, the Eureka brand)....


"Thank you for your email. What you are experiencing is the chemical breakdown of the original water proofing on the tent/rain fly. As long as there are no signs of UV damage to the fabric and looks to still be in good condition you can try to re-waterproof it by following the procedure below:



Wash the tent/fly in a washing machine (top loader preferred to allow for more agitation) using mild detergent. If the fabric is very sticky you may use woo-lite as your detergent, this will help remove the stickiness easier.

Allow the tent/fly to air dry completely (do not put in a dryer or use heat on it).

Then apply the re-water proof product called Aquaseal (available at most camping locations or through Aquaseal.com) to the outside of the fabric. This is a poly-coat product that is applied as a brush on application.



Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions."


I guess before I go after the sticky side with talc I'll take a shot at the Woolite suggestion.


Here we go......

 

[BIGEarl]

Good news, I think.

Yesterday I washed the tent and fly in Woolite as recommended by Johnson Outdoors Gear (owners of the Eureka brand). I don't know what there is that's special about Woolite, and don't really care. It seemed to do the job.

There is a very slight stickiness left but the tent is much better than it was. Using it in its current state won't be a problem at all.

After washing and air drying, I had packed the tent in its bag last night. Today, I removed the tent and fly to erect it and finish the drying process. The tent opened perfectly without the need to separate stuck layers. The fly also opened well.

I may wash it once more to see if I can get rid of the last small amount of stickiness before re-waterproofing.

 

[John H Swanson]

Good news, I think.

Yesterday I washed the tent and fly in Woolite as recommended by Johnson Outdoors Gear (owners of the Eureka brand). I don't know what there is that's special about Woolite, and don't really care. It seemed to do the job.

There is a very slight stickiness left but the tent is much better than it was. Using it in its current state won't be a problem at all.

After washing and air drying, I had packed the tent in its bag last night. Today, I removed the tent and fly to erect it and finish the drying process. The tent opened perfectly without the need to separate stuck layers. The fly also opened well.

I may wash it once more to see if I can get rid of the last small amount of stickiness before re-waterproofing.

The stickiness will probably return

 

[BIGEarl]

The stickiness will probably return

You could be right.

I'm hoping to get a season's use from the tent before the problem returns. If that's the case, running it through a wash cycle once a year is no big deal at all.

We'll see....

 

[DougPaul]

I'm hoping to get a season's use from the tent before the problem returns. If that's the case, running it through a wash cycle once a year is no big deal at all.

From what I have read, putting a tent (or a pack or anything with coated fabrics) in a washing machine is likely to damage the coating. For the first washing this should not be a problem because you are planning on recoating the fabric. However, since you have only one free side to recoat, a second wash and coat is likely to work poorly.

I have read comments to the effect that home recoating is not generally very effective--I will be interested to hear how well it works for you.

Doug

 

[Dana]

Happened to my OR bivy sack, and they replaced it for free.

 

[spider solo]

I have had thermarest stuff bags do much the same, the inside of the bags sticky, both to itself and to the touch.
So we started using the bags inside out just to be able to use them.

Powder...that is how we solved the problem.
Perhaps your problem is different, but your idea of talc may not be that far off, perhaps it is that simple. (if you try powder, go for something with no odor)

Good luck with the tent.

 

[PamW]

I have an older Moss tent with the same issue (degraded PU waterproofing). After washing it was a bit better, although not gone completely. I've taken it on several big trips, including one in Olympic NP where it rained every day for 5 days, and another 3 week trip to CA, without it leaking or degrading further. But I would suggest storing your tent in a bg cotton bag or hanging it in the closet -- any trapped moisture will further degrade the coating. Long and short, it's likely to still have a lot of life left.

 

[BIGEarl]

I plan to follow the recommendations from the manufacturer and re-waterproof the tent and fly. This problem is evidently a common one and they seem to have experience in dealing with it.

I'll go after the sticky condition on the tent floor and fly with unscented talc.

Most likely this will take care of the issue, at least for a couple years. Who knows, the solution may outlast me.

 

[coldfeet]

Just got an email today from Sierra Designs, I had almostthe same problem and they are sending me a new tent to replace my Omega 2 convertible tent. They are sending me a Mountain Meteor 2 tent, thumbs up! I need to post that. Check with company again.