 another handy little number, silicone mixed with some white spirit to form a watery paste, paint it on areas affected or the whole groundsheet. doesnt look to clever though and might be a little heavy.
|
 |
 Cara, there is a morale to this story. Stick to the using the Crux and ebay the vaude!!
|
 |
 I had the same problem with my Vango and could not work out if it was condensation or the groundsheet letting in water whenever I put anything on it.
I tried testing it in the bath but the groundsheet appeared to be waterproof and didn’t let any water in or out. Finally I sent it back to Vango who tested it and replaced it due to a fault.
|
 |
 I've got the same problem with a 17 year old Wild Country Trisar. Almost a biblical flood seeping through the groundsheet this weekend, and when I rinsed off the groundsheet with a cold shower as I usually do, the rubbery coating just came off in clumps. I see this thread is more than two years old - anyone find aworkable DIY reproofing method in the meantime? Cheers,
|
 |
I am going to try the silcone/white spirit idea on an old quasar....once I get a clear dry afternoon.....
|
 |
 Keep me posted! 
|
 |
 Silicone and white spirit? Why does that ring alarm bells? I'm sure there is a diluent specific to silicone sealants. I seem to remember reading somewhere about a paint on dope made from silicone sealant whizzed up with plain water. Must go google.
|
| Edited: 19/07/09 21:03 |
 two parts white spirit to one part clear silicone sealant mixed with a paint stirrer attached to a drill for a nice smooth liquid.
|
 |
Parky, Once made up...if kept in an airtight bottle for instance...will it keep a few days?
|
 |
 Silicone and white spirit is fine for silnylon. If i was trying to 'revive' a worn groundsheet, i would probably mix it at a bigger ratio. Maybe 4 parts white spirit to 1 part silnett. The mixture starts to cure pretty quickly, around 20 minutes or so, with a full cure taking around 24 hours. I don't think it would work on a PU coated groundsheet.
|
 |
 What about a PU groundsheet where all the PU has peeled off?
|
 |
 I may be wrong here Gary but I think you will find that it is shagged, any solution to mend it / proof it will be nonsense. Use another waterproof textile underneath it as a groundsheet. Try not to pitch on very damp ground. Start a savings plan for a new tent. 
|
 |
 I did buy a replacement for this one... a Terra Nova Voyager, but (only third time I used it) a very strong gust of wind caught it while pitching, ripped the pegs out of the ground, and it flew off like a kite, landed in a Lakes lake and sank! My own fault for leaving the door open and not putting any weight inside. I agree it probably is shagged, but I think I'll give the silicone/white spirit a go anyway when I get a chance. Not really got much to lose.
|
 |
 The silicon treatment Gary is intended for silicon base products such as silnylon, I doubt if anyone making these recomendations has ever treated an entire pu groundsheet with the stuff.  I think you are being led up a very 'gummy tree'. The whole thing may end up a mess, why not just sit your tent in top of a seprate waterproof groundsheet?
|
 |
 simon. i understand it keeps well in a jar. put a layer of white spirit over the top to keep the air away from the mix. come to think of it, that recipe was for sealing seams. i think (?? i'm getting old) i read somewher that the additon of white spirit to silicone stuff actually weakens it - some chemical reaction thing as it's formulated corretly to start with - although i would suspect for our type of uses you'd be hard pressed to notice.
|
 |
I did the white spirit and silicone sealant thing on the bare nylon side of a leaky PU coated groundheet. Easy to do apart from the mixing. Achieved the desired results, haven't got wet since, doesn't look shit, added negligable weight. Not sure about long term durability... 4 weeks use so far I think. Easy to redo when needed though.
|
 |
I need to do the 4 yearly reproof on my Vaude Hogan too. Used some paint on stuff last time and it worked well, lasted about 4 years again. At least I think it did; this time the ruddy footprint has gone too, so I suppose the tent may have been leaking for a while without my knowing. Now I'll have to try and remember what the paint on stuff was that I used last time. Bought Nikwax too, forgetting it's not for groundsheets. Duh. Hopefully the shop will change it. Bought a new Vaude Mark too. So that's silicon is it? I've not used it yet because I thought it was so thin it'd get punctured first time and leak. Maybe I need more faith.
|
 |
Clear acrylic spray paint. Thin coat sprayed on the underside of the groundsheet. Makes it 100% waterproof again!
|
 |