Rockwood Tenting Material
Leland
started the hunt for a replacement pop-up. Now the Cedar was a great little
camper but a bit small with an 8 foot box and a usual group of five of us.
It was my first experience with A/C and a front storage area on a pop-up,
both amenities I think will be mandatory on my next pop-up.
It was also my first experience with Sunbrella. I loved the stuff. No leaks
and light and airy.
Naturally I started my search for a new camper at the Coleman dealer. Yes, I
have followed all the posts regarding Coleman roofs and a new Coleman with a
warranty does not worry me. A used one certainly would. Unfortunately they
still want a premium price for the leftover 99's. I may be shopping too
early.
Now there are a lot of you out there happy with other brands and I have also
owned older Starcraft and Rockwood pop-ups with no problems. So I walked
into the Rockwood dealer and was impressed with the trailers and prices,
but.... the tenting used is vinyl covered cloth. Appears to be easy to clean
but no "breathability" and not as translucent. Linda has commented on their
earlier Palomino with vinyl tenting as being tough to deal with regarding
moisture trapped inside the pop-up. Miniature rain storms, mildew, etc.
Should I run away from this kind of tenting material as fast as I can? In
trying to rationalize this, I figure I could always open a window and gosh,
hard shell TTs don't have breathable walls. I am nervous about nothing?
Comments from Rockwood owners? Any others that think the Sunbrella material
is superior? The Rockwood salesman commented that Sunbrella would "bleed".
By touching it when the exterior was wet, it would wick water to the inside.
I never had that happen. I did no maintenance to the tenting material. We
always cooked outside. The little Coleman would puddle on the water on the
outside of the vinyl covered area above the beds. During heavy rainstorms
you could look up from your bed and see the bottom of a miniature swimming
pool over your head. Just reach up and push and the water would cascade off
the trailer. Not a problem, just a nuisance. No matter how taught the
material was adjusted by the bed
poles (sorry, I don't know the correct term), the water would collect.
The purchase of used pop-ups thread has been really interesting. I usually
shop hard, buy low and use the camper for free. This time I want to buy new
and get it "just the way I want it". Nice used units are out there but as
someone else said you must search hard, be the first on the scene and have
your money ready. It's kinda fun, almost like treasure hunting.
My bumper stickers left with my Cedar XL so I hope to soon order some new
bumper stickers to put on a new pop-up. Thanks for all the great tips. I
imagine there are a lot of us that quietly absorb all the collective wisdom
of the group.
Leland Ferris
Lubbock, Tx
temporarily pop-upless
Kevin Schlomas
The canvas looks good as new. Never had a problem with moisture, et all. In fact
I like the vinyl covered canvas better. Why? Fits like a glove, instead of like
drapes. Water runs off it, doesn't pool up. Dries way fast after a storm. It's
attached at the bunk ends - further preventing moisture on the beds/inside when
packing up during a shower. My Rockwood doesn't have that musty canvas stank
inside. It cleans easily. Breathability/translucent? Don't be swayed by
marketing hype. You have nothing to worry about.
--
Kevin Schlomas
k...@interaccess.com
Mark J Strawcutter
>marketing hype.
You mean like "Sunbrella will bleed"? :-)
Mark J Strawcutter
Indiana PA
'97 Coleman Key West
PS - I believe Jayco marketing claims their boltaflex (?) is "breathable
vinyl".
Jeff Neese
kind of moisture problem inside the popup. It is 100% waterproof, very
tough (resistant to tears and holes), easy to clean, and still looks like
brand new after 8 years.
Leland <lf...@juno.com> wrote in message
news:%S5G3.8696$%4.25...@news6.giganews.com...
dballagh
moisture or leaks. Personally I prefer vinyl because it
does not breath. I live in Florida where the temperatures
this summer reached 99 degrees with a heat index of about
110 on one of our trips and if I had tent fabric there is no
way the air conditioner would have kept up. The Vinyl keeps
the air conditioned air inside better than tent material and
I assume the same would be true for heated air in the winter
up north.
I have heard some people say to stay away from vinyl because
of moisture getting trapped inside but I have not seen this
so far and I think your comparison to a TT was right.
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
David Brooks
I wanted the roof mounted air conditioner, and canvas would
have made it harder to cool.
The moisture problem is a function of water in the air and dewpoint.
When humidity and temperature are right , you can get rained on inside a tent.
Been there-done that. Particularly if you heat with Propane.
One of the by products of burning propane is water.
Air conditioning will de-humidify, hence, no moisture buildup.
If it is hot enough, the moisture will not condense on the cooler surface of
the
canvas.
You will have to analyze your camping conditions to judge whether
you will have a problem. I plan to camp where it is very hot
and run the ac. I will never camp in the cold with the heat on and the windows
shut.
If you camp in the cold , I would get a heater that is vented
or better yet , has a heat exchanger , so water would be
exhausted to outside.
People make a lot of water. They breathe it out by the quart. And sweat it out.
Canvas would allow for more fresh air than plastic.
Hard side campers have insulation in the walls.
That would stop the cool outside air from lowering the temperature of the
inside surface below the temperature where the water in the air condenses on
the wall.
I think a lot of hardsides have ac as well.
The ac on the popup was $600 installed.
You could get one and just run it when the conditions were icky.
Mine has electric heat as well.
The best thing is, it makes enough noise to cover up the dogs and
people talking so I sleep better.
Paul Flynn
tenting material. I also like the sunbrella material Coleman uses also.
I think an argument for both materials can be made, with neither being
greatly superior over the other. What I looked at though, was the fact
that both manufacturers, warranty their tenting material for 5 years.
This leads me to believe that both feel their material will hold up at
least this length of time. I do not recall anyone ever posting that they
had to have their tent material replaced under warranty on this NG. I
also like that both manufacturers use sectionalized tenting. This
enables the owner to replace only the faulty section rather than the
whole tent. Again though, I am sure one piece tent manufacturers can
make an argument against this.
PAUL
1998 ROCKWOOD 1901
1998 MAZDA B4000
mrw...@my-deja.com
Perhaps they have redesigned the shape of the bunk end canvass so that
this is eliminated.
Personally I think sunbrella is a miracle of engineering. Once while
the camper was set up in the driveway I sprayed my garden hose on it
full force to see if it would leak, and to my delight the water rolled
right off it. We have been in some heavy rains here in Florida and
have never noted any leaks, or bleeding through, yet. The material is
also very light and airy. The camper is never dark or gloomy inside.
I would believe half of what you hear from any salesman, after all they
are in the business of selling you "their" brand of camper. Do the
homework yourself and work from your experience and the experiences of
of others who have owned these things.
Happy camping.
Don C.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Freakband
>but.... the tenting used is vinyl covered cloth...<snip>
>Should I run away from this kind of tenting material as fast as I can?
I have a small Rockwood ('98 Freedom) and
haven't noticed any problems with excess moisture
inside. During the summer we use the A/C and I'm
sure that reduces the humidity inside. But, in the winter, with the furnace on
all night, we got a barely-noticable "dew" on the roof portions of the ends but
it was, like I said, barely noticable- not enough to drip orget the bed damp
(by a long shot.)
This is our first pop-up so I don't have any first-hand
experience with other brands but ours is fine.
By the way, we're on the Texas Gulf Coast so we
routinely deal with 90%+ humidity.
Dave Watson
Mark J Strawcutter
>of moisture getting trapped inside but I have not seen this
>so far and I think your comparison to a TT was right.
Except that a TT has a more insulated wall/roof. Inside surface
(where the moist air is) stays warmer - less trouble with condensation.
Jim and Linda King
>earlier Palomino with vinyl tenting as being tough to deal with regarding
>moisture trapped inside the pop-up. Miniature rain storms, mildew, etc.
>Should I run away from this kind of tenting material as fast as I can? In
>trying to rationalize this, I figure I could always open a window and gosh,
>hard shell TTs don't have breathable walls.
May I say that condensation will always form on the coldest available surface.
That is why there will be moisture on the outside of your soda glass, and not
on the outside of the salt shaker, for example.
The inside of our popup walls (similar to the inside of a travel trailer)
never did get condensation on them, just on the inside of the tenting, which of
course, was the coldest available surface.
We would not get another popup with vinyl covered cloth/canvas for tenting. We
camped in Hurricane Floyd a week and a half ago; 7 inches of rain, and
incredible winds. Chased us home in the car to sleep for one night. But not
one drop of rain inside our Bayside. The Sunbrella (IMNO) is the best
available material for the tenting.
We have also camped in some very cold nights recently, and nope, no droplets of
condensation dropping on our heads in the morning. The breathability of the
Sunbrella allows more of the moisture inside to ventilate itself to the
outside/more air circulation.
Linda King
'94 Chevy Astro
'99 Coleman Bayside