Leaking lower AFT seal - fixed

[g8dhe]

Just thought I'd report on a problem whilst we were away in Scotland - during one (of several) wet and windy night we noticed that water was penetrating under the lower seal with the top of the roof. Turns out that the seal is only a thin foam layer the same as used for preventing window drafts, in several areas it had become rather squashed and you could actually see daylight creeping under. So this afternoon we picked up a 10m reel of more modern sealing tape from B&Q (3 ribs of dense foam) and after releasing all the screvits that hold down the bottom aluminium seal it was a simple, if tedious, process to peel off the old foam strip stuck to the underside of the aluminium. I then chose to stick the new seal to the roof top itself using the fixing holes as guides - on the basis that it would be easier to remove and replace in a few years time if it fails. It has definitely improved the seal as there is now no light getting thru! Pretty confident that it will be a good fix, but will try to remember to report back after the next windy & wet night !

Old foam strip on underside of aluminium strip compresssed


Bongo having a mid-afternoon snack (well actually peeling off the old foam from the front section)

[missfixit70]

Good heads up there Geoff That second pic is almost the defintion of Bongo Fury - the Bongo's revenge

[alectroll]

Hi, can i ask if you had any difficulties/problems getting the screws out on the bottom of the tent? i need to araldite the screws at the top of the tent and cant manage it without releasing the tension, been suggested that i just unzip the sides and netting but that i tried all that and it doesn't work.
Many thanks, Alec.

[bigdaddycain]

Nice one Geoff! I'll file that away in the old memory banks in case mine fails too...

[g8dhe]

Hi, can i ask if you had any difficulties/problems getting the screws out on the bottom of the tent? i need to araldite the screws at the top of the tent and cant manage it without releasing the tension, been suggested that i just unzip the sides and netting but that i tried all that and it doesn't work.

Nope there Screvits, just unscrew the inner bit and then pull both the screw and surround out, to reinsert just put the surround in then press the screw bit in no need for a screw driver.
However you shouldn't need to release the bottom just lower the AFT an inch or two, and then turn the Ignition off to stop the bleeps You will find to release the front most screvits you will need to do this anyway as the tent material slopes back over the screws and even with a stumpy screwdriver its difficult to reach the the front corner ones.

I had the same top screw problem earlier in the year, and the screws can be a a bit difficult to release as they have some locking compound on them, its just needs a screwdriver with the correct bit (make sure it really is a snug fit) and then using a twist bar exert some force to start them moving once the seal is broken then they come out OK, I used a ratchet adaptor from the main toolkit rather than a screwdriver as it allows you to exert some more force and push up at the same time as you only have a half-turn available the ratchet makes it a lot easier! Incidentally its worth undoing ALL the upper screws to make sure that no more of the inserts are going to come loose a few weeks after you have done the obvious ones!

[alectroll]

Thanks for the tips, will get myself out there and try and sort it.

[g8dhe]

Reading this thread Post thaw dampness in AFT - check yours! reminded me

... but will try to remember to report back after the next windy & wet night !

Well its been fine since and we have had a few wet & windy nights, including the Snow before Xmas and over the New Year when we had about 9" on the top, We had also cleaned the material with Oil of Cloves and there hasn't been a trace of mildew since then, but to be fair if its stays dry in the AFT then its unlikely that the mildew will appear, so that might need another check after its been slept in for a few days in the cool weather!

[dandywarhol]

Tell me more about the oil of cloves, apart from being good for toothache............

[haydn callow]

Oil of cloves....Idea from Oz.....been mentioned many times on here if you want to search...
Buy a small bottle of Oil... sprinkle a few drops in a liter of warm water and wipe over the canvas and wherever....No more mould.....
In the Oz big floods last year the country totally sold out of the stuff.

And...as you say...good for toothache

[dandywarhol]

Thanks - never come across that before - and I thought I spent far too much time on here.........................

Does it actually remove the mould or is it to prevent it recurring?

[haydn callow]

Both...and you do...sad isn't it ???

[g8dhe]

Yup its supposed to actually kill the spores rather than just wash them away. I think we used 12 drops to a litre of water and put it in a spray bottle. It does stink when you do it but the smell fairly rapidly fades away if you leave it open for a few hours.

[Terri & colin]

I'm gonna give the cloves ago.. Along with redoing the foam... I got wet bedding last weekend