Covering a tent frame

[keithert]

I have a truck bed tent camper called a Frogi. It has an aluminum click together frame covered by a material cover. I bought it from http://www.tentsontrucks.com/frogi The tent is designed to be left on while driving. I've driven the truck on expressways with no issues. The seller says he has driven his for hundreds of miles with no issue.

It is a nice setup with one glaring flaw. The tent material is not at all waterproof. Each of the many stitch holes lets in water and the material gets soaked as well. I've put seam sealer on all of the seams but it still leaks. I've put a tarp over it when parked which has worked well enough to keep water out but I can't drive with a tarp flapping. I'd like to make some sort of cover for the tent. A custom sized tarp is an option. The setup has such a nice frame I think it would be nice to make an aluminum or fiberglass shell. I have no experience with aluminum and a little with fiberglass. I've patched a rust hole in a SUV bed using glass cloth and resin.

I could use some ideas on how to make a cover for this tent to make it water resistant. Also the idea of covering the frame in fiberglass is intriguing.

 

[The Artisan]

You stated the fabric is not waterproof if thats the case seamsealer wont help ya. If it were mine, I use the tent material but add spacers on the tubing then come back and have a cover made out of 12 oz Vinyl Coated Polyester Fabric. Same material that nice semis use for their vinyl siding.
This way your tint fabric still breaths but protects you from the inclement weather and will help with wind. Really cool inexpensive truck enclosure for sure.
Kevin

 

[keithert]

I've seen a semi with a vinyl cover on the load and thought that might work. I'll have to see if I can find someone that works with it or if I could just order the vinyl and put some grommets in it for attachment. The Frogi tent has attachments on each corner for stakes if it were used on the ground. Those could work for attachment point for a cover.. A pool noodle might work to create some space between the cover and the tent.

I did find a good video on how to make a fiberglass cover. It looks a bit more involved than I want to tackle. But I do have a long winter ahead of me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nprD_-8ENTc

 

[The Artisan]

You will be adding weight that way with all the resin glass etc. I would use pipe insulation since the diam of your poles are small. Maybe just 4" sections placed evenly. If you were closer I could sew up a cover, just hard to do without the unknown product.
Kevin

 

[keithert]

Is this the material you would recommend?

http://www.mytarp.com/18-oz-vinyl-coated-polyester-fabric-61-inch-by-the-yard-roll.aspx

 

[The Artisan]

Thats funny yes, that is where I got my last vinyl from as they are 30min North of me. I could not remember the name to tell you the site.
Kevin

 

[keithert]

Found a supplier near me. I'll have to visit them.

http://www.chicagocanvas.com/shop/tarps/

 

[The Artisan]

That mytarps is pretty cheap, guess compare...
Kevin