Tepui Ladder wearing a hole in the floor. Options

[The Raven]

Hey Folks,
My Tepui RTT ladder with the new ladder has worn down through the powdercoat and has seriously reduced the thickness of the aluminum floor. I contacted Tepui and was advised to use floor tread to protect it. I did this and the first early spring wind storm ripped them off and sent them into the woods leaving back to stage one. I know these things have a warranty, but the customer service guy I dealt with didn't seemed to eager to help. Due to that I did not buy into their hard shell kick starter. It's a good tent, but this kind of bug me.

Also one of my side straps snap buckles broke, and cant find a matching buckle to fix.

Creative solutions to either

 

[SnoViking]

One side of my buckle cracked also. I ended up picking up a buckle set at REI where you done have to sew it on. You screw the pin into the buckle housings. It cost about $10 and took 5 mins. (https://www.rei.com/product/850233/sea-to-summit-2-pin-side-release-field-repair-buckle)


I noticed the feet started to marked the honey-comb base of my floor and ended up gluing down 2 3"x3" pieces of sheet aluminum where the feet of the ladder rest. It added a bit of base and extra protection. I also replaced my velcro strap with a ratchet down strap to make sure I compress it fully so I can get the cover on. I glued down a piece of aluminum where the bucket sits also. Next time I have the cover off I'll snap a few pictures. (I think I'm heading out for some camping this weekend)

From my experiences; Tepui customer service has been TOP notch. Check with BoxRocket here on the forums. He's a pretty good Tepui contact. I'm not making excuses for anyone but maybe you just got the Tepui guy on a bad day.

 

[Box Rocket]

Hey Folks,
My Tepui RTT ladder with the new ladder has worn down through the powdercoat and has seriously reduced the thickness of the aluminum floor. I contacted Tepui and was advised to use floor tread to protect it. I did this and the first early spring wind storm ripped them off and sent them into the woods leaving back to stage one. I know these things have a warranty, but the customer service guy I dealt with didn't seemed to eager to help. Due to that I did not buy into their hard shell kick starter. It's a good tent, but this kind of bug me.

Also one of my side straps snap buckles broke, and cant find a matching buckle to fix.

Creative solutions to either

What has been suggested by whoever you talked to at Tepui is really your best option. This isn't a Tepui exclusive concern as nearly all tent manufacturers are using the same or similar material for the floors on standard models. It's part of the trade off with the standard models vs a heavy duty model like a Tepui Ruggedized. Sure the HD floor could be used on all tents, but that affects cost and would make the tent more expensive. But adding some kind of wear protection under the ladder will help. Also, something that will help is to removed the plastic film (at least where you stick the rubber pads) and clean the floor with something that will removed grease and dirt so that the pads will adhere properly. The adhesive tread strips in the photo below can be found in the trailer supply sections at Walmart for pretty cheap. They have been a successful solution for many people.

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I have even seen one tent that the owner riveted some strips of actual aluminum treadplate under the ladder, so at least under the ladder was similar to a Ruggedized floor. Unfortunately, this typically isn't a warranty item since its not a manufacturer defect, but a wear item that can be affected for better or worse by how it's used.
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As for the buckles, Tepui has replacement buckles if you need them. It's not necessary to make the straps/buckles extremely tight so you can avoid issues there by not putting too much tension on those straps. Cold weather can also have an affect since cold temps can make the plastic more brittle. But as I said, you can contact Tepui directly for replacement buckles if you need them or you can source your own replacements like some people have if they have found some that they like better.
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I'm happy to answer any questions I can, and help with any issues so feel free to ask or PM anytime.

 

[proper4wd]

Carry a door mat, put it between the ladder and tent when you close up. When set up, use it at the base of the ladder as an entry mat.

 

[dman93]

Carry a door mat, put it between the ladder and tent when you close up. When set up, use it at the base of the ladder as an entry mat.

Or do like I do, carry a door mat and use it at the base of the ladder as an entry mat, then fold up your tent, zip the cover on, and realize you forgot to stick it between the ladder and the platform before packing up.

 

[The Raven]

Ill check for those mats you posted. I was out today doing some of the recommended mods, such as locktite the screws on the bow etc etc. I noticed my cover was actually discolored and what looked like burned where the ladder legs are. I almost wonder if the friction against the ladder is actually heating up the cover :Wow1:

 

[Box Rocket]

Ill check for those mats you posted. I was out today doing some of the recommended mods, such as locktite the screws on the bow etc etc. I noticed my cover was actually discolored and what looked like burned where the ladder legs are. I almost wonder if the friction against the ladder is actually heating up the cover :Wow1:

Post a photo of this. I highly doubt there is enough heat generated from friction to burn the cover. However, if you are leaving your tent outdoors in direct sun for long periods in hot weather with the cover on and not moving I suppose it could be possible that the sun could be heating up the aluminum of the ladder enough that the parts of the cover that are in constant contact could get a bit discolored. As with any soft goods, prolonged exposure to sun and elements will accelerate wear.

 

[Scoutman]

I'm not sure how wide your ladder is but what about a strip of self-adhesive rubber tread? It should do the trick and is only a few $$.

 

[The Raven]

At first I thought it was dirt...but it does appear to be early heat staining.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6bpxhulcq0sj8ip/AAAwWHPmBQyh2o_NDTvuaoeaa?dl=0

 

[Outside somewhere]

That looks like burn marks. Weird.

 

[Box Rocket]

At first I thought it was dirt...but it does appear to be early heat staining.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6bpxhulcq0sj8ip/AAAwWHPmBQyh2o_NDTvuaoeaa?dl=0

I think that could be a number of things, but I highly doubt it's burn marks. It looks like it's over the plastic feet of the ladder which I doubt would generate much heat. Just my opinion, but I'd keep an eye on it and if the cover starts to dry and crack at those spots, then bring it to the attention of Tepui's warranty peeps and see what they say.

 

[C5dad]

To me, that looks like an oxidation stain from pigment in the plastic. With warm soapy water, does it come out? What about a 2:1 vinegar water solution? Is the texture different in the stained area from the non stained area? Is there other hardware (nits, bolts, tread, etc) that is not aluminum in the area of staining? How is the tent stored? Yup, lots of questions from a chemical engineer.