Rooftop Tent Care Guide

So you've bought your Rooftop Tent and now you're wanting to know the best care practices. Well, New Zealand comes with its own environment issues and there are some basic things to improve your tent life.

New Zealand climate

NZ has some seriously diverse climate challenges. The North is hot and humid with many winter months exceeding a constant 70-80% humidity with heavy rainfall while the South Island has a freezing cold winter and killer bug problem in the summer. This climate presents special care requirements with any tents but especially with an investment in an Explorey tent where you want many years of heroic adventures.

Packdown 

When packing down your tent make sure all the fabric is inside the tent shell and there is nothing between the rubber seal. Be extra careful with bedding. This will ensure the best seal possible. If heavy rain is around and you have the choice, the best practice is not to park your vehicle on any extreme angle so that water will correctly run down the channels.

Humidity, Rain and Water care

First and foremost - Always dry your tent out bone dry. That includes awning, shell and everything inside the tent. Check bedding, under the bed, corners and any moisture created from condensation and humidity. If its wet outside you can wait until the sun shows up but never leave a tent packed away wet for extended period of time. 

If you have fine weather still air your tent out regularly ideally in a sunny spot. The sun will kill bacteria in the fabric. It is not a feasible option to run ventilation and breathers on a packed down aluminium tent due to the compression and potential failure.

After a big dumping of rain it is good to open the tent to check for any wet spots. When packing down the tent if you do not put all the fabric inside the shell this can create a water entrance. 

Bolts, Hardware & Struts

It's good pratice to check these occasionally. Water and metal contact can cause mild effects. A good solution for anything exterior is spray some LanoCote when you see corrosion. If you are running electronics to your tent (interior charging/lighting, solar pannels etc) make sure they are all properly earthed. Poor earthing can cause electrolysis damage to the aluminium.

Mounting Check

Be sure to regularly check your tent mounts. These are the mounts from your tent to roof racks. They should be tight and free from movement. For good luck, check your vehicle roof rack mounts thoroughly. Roof tents add constant weight to your vehicle at a high centre of gravity. We recommend checking these before every expedition trip and at the east monthly. 

 

And thats it!

Enjoy the adventure