Pop up tent pole repair! Help!!

[Rich83]

I have a pop up tent which uses plastic wire type stuff to give it rigidity.

The plastic wire has snapped. I is about 3mm diameter so I am after a piece of steel pipe perhaps, about 40mm long to sleeve the break.

Anyone know where I could get the tube to make the sleeve? Or are there better ways to fix this?

 

[Gray]

I had this problem with a Vango dart, i tried repairing the pole with a bit of tubing and epoxy resin but i found that when you put the tent away, the pole twists and breaks the glue. I tried putting a self tapper through each end of the tube but it just snapped the pole again when i put the tent away.

Vango have very kindly offered to replace the tent, great service from them.

 

[birchwood]

A few months ago I wombled a 4 man pop-up tent that had a broken pole, the thinner of the 2. I trimmed the ends and sleeved it with a metal tube. getting both ends of the fibreglass pole in the tube was a struggle as it was a very tight fit to get the poles far enough apart to get the sleeve on.
You need to put a stop point in the middle of the metal sleeve (they usually have a punched mark) to avoid the thing just sliding along the poles.I glued mine aswell.
I have used the tent since and 3 of us sat on it to fold it up with no problems.
Metal (alloy?) poles can be found in B&Q in the same rack as solid rods and angle edge stuff. Or pinch one off old fibreglass tent poles, get them off with a heat gun to soften the glue.
Good luck

 

[rik_uk3]

https://tentspares.gostorego.com/universal-tent-spares/tent-poles-ends See if they stock what you need.

 

[Rich83]

Thanks for the link but there is nothing small enough

I will have a go at the sheath idea - thanks for B&Q suggestion. I am concerned however that when I sleeve the pole it will make it too rigid so then when I fold the tent up it will just snap again at either end of the sleeve...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD3cQ77Sg5U

That's the tent - take a look at the short film and you will see why I am concerned as it has to be massive bendy!!

 

[tartanferret]

Can you get the plastic wire out of the tent?

I'm thinking rather than sleeving the break, use a splint from a similar material.

Poundland etc sell pop up laundry baskets which have a highly flexible sprung steel frame.

http://www.dunelm-mill.com/shop/regular-pop-up-laundry-hamper-179509

You could just tape it on or get some heat-shrink stuff meant for wiring looms etc and melt in on, sealing the sharp edges of the steel out of harms way.

You can buy heat-shrink from Maplins or just take it to an auto electrician.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/heat-shrinkable-sleeving-301



Might be worth a go ?

Good luck

 

[Rich83]

Cheapo baskets! I will totally check out poundland as the splint sounds like the best idea! I think I will have to use some sort of nylon cord to secure it and then cover it in the electrical shrink stuff you suggested to hold it all together but totally a good idea

Thanks very much to all who have helped! Catoma in the US have said it'll be $18 for a new pole which isn't the end of the world but then it's like another $26 to post it!

 

[Rich83]

I popped into the village yesterday and went to the local fishing shop and asked if they had any old broken rods - the lovely lady there gave me the hook end of a rod which looks to be the perfect size and flexibility to cut a bit off and fix it I'll let you know if it works as this could work for other people too! And it was free!