Kermit said:
Finally part of the WN club.
Welcome!
Any info on replacing the tent itself. I really don't know how old mine is. It already has a bunch of patches. I figured it will make it this season. Then this winter, I am going to redo the whole thing.
Would like to find someone to sew me a new tent with modern material. Maybe put another large screen in too.
There isn't a source (yet) for replacement canvas. My best lead is to take the old one to a boat canvas shop, the ones who sew covers for them. Also there are a few places that still make circus and big event tents, that is another option. In most cases they wanted the old one as a pattern and it's likely that they'd have to at least rip out all the seams. Yours sounds pretty tired, so that's probably not much of a problem. People don't realize that the fabric is more than just heavy nylon, but has a urethane coating on the inside that keeps it waterproof. That coating doesn't take a lot of abuse to ruin (see below).
The fibeglaas is in good shape, but the rear of the shell is spread a bit, so much the latch wont catch the side extrusion. I want to pop out the screens then tie a ratching tie down between the pillars to pull the sides in, then bolt the shell to the bed of the truck. I fear I will damge the fiberglass.
That's probably mostly because of the installation. When the 'Nest is closed, there are two big springs that are loaded, one in front and one in back. There is structural reinforcement moulded into the shell, but since the top flips over, there's not much to keep the sides solidly connected. Oh, those springs are there to sort of help you open it, but mostly to keep the top from slamming shut when you close it. They are important. The back one is particularly bad because there's a huge void in the shell where the back window is. So as a result you need to make sure to pull the sides in a bit when you locate and drill (you did drill and use bolts to mount it right?) your holes. It will spread the sides of your box a little, so there's something of an art and balancing act to get it right, close enough that the gap on the 'Nest is even and seals, not so snug that the box walls are spread. There is a visibly widen from bottom to top (like a wedge) gap when you look at my passenger's side box-to-tailgate. My guess is you need to bring in the sides a bit. I do that when I mount a 'Nest by popping out the screens and using either a long bar clamp or a ratcheting strap, just like I think you are describing. It helps to undo the two latches and let the top prop up a little, this takes most of the tension off the springs and then you don't need much force to get the gap right. Then drill and bolt 'er down!
The left side pillar was broken at the base of the shell, but, the old owner fabbed up a some angle iron and bolted it through the pillar then along the length of the shell...very srong fix, but, it is interfering with bolting it to the bed of my Tacoma. I have clamps, but would like to use bolts. I may redo this with either flat steel or aluminum.
I'll take some detailed pictures in the morning.
If I understand it, that is actually probably not uncommon. There is a lot of steel moulded in the shell and when water finds its way inside, that steel (and wood for that matter) rot and rust. He probably had a break and that fixed it. I would have cut back the fiberglass, but with the steel parts that is much harder to do than with the wood sections.
Oh yeah...the tent smells like an old boat...and the best way to rid this smell? We already tried bleach water.
That is VERY common with 'Nests. They get closed when wet and mold starts. Replacement is the best way... This is incidently the #1 thing that ruins 'Nests. That mold starts in the nylon, which stains it and makes it smell. But worse, the mold causes the urethane coating to crack and peel from the nylon, which quite effectively ruins the fabric. Generally once you seam seal the fabric, it is very waterproof. You'll get condensation, but the tent itself will not leak. You hear it all the time where people throw a tarp over their leaking 'Nest and 92% of the time their coating has gone to the great RV heaven and the other 8% is because their seam need to be resealed (or maybe even sealed, my current 'Nest never got its original seam seal, it was almost pristine when I bought it).
