Thompsons Waterseal

[Elton]

It's been suggested to me that Thompsons Waterseal is good to use on a bivvy, but which product do I actually need?

 

http://www.thompsonswaterseal.com/products/waterproofers.cfm

 

They do a fabric one, but I was told that the one to use was for bricks.

[chesters1]

both fabsil and thomsons are not recomended for nylon tents (or bivvies ) because they are made differently to canvas tents ,its nylon with a waterproof layer bonded to it so theoretically they cannot leak if the waterproof layer is good (leaking seems need a seam sealant usually silicone).

but i have use both on nylon tents with no visible harm it doesnt make them more waterproof but lets the water run off faster ,keep the stuff of your windows though it stains them.

thomsons original is what you want its a fifth the price of fabsil and contains more waterproofing agent but pongs a little until its aired

 

 

 

you can waterproof any material with it, coats or sleeping bags etc but use a fine spray on the latter to stop it soaking the filling ,spraying is the best way but you can use a brush keeping a wet edge on tents sorry bivvies.

i waterproofed our trailer tent when we first got it it drank 5 gallons

 

 

hmmm thomsons has cottened onto a market there by labelling a product a fabric waterproofer strangely the link goes nowhere but relax the pictured one probably contains no doubt the exact same stuff but at a higher price in the "new" one

 

when your spraying away watch the wind its a pig to get off cars and kills grass and dont let it get wet before it thoroughly dries

Edited April 17, 2009 by chesters1

[Alan Roe]

See Murph Told Ya So :P

[chesters1]

fabsils £50 a can! thomsons a tenner in B&Q youl see where most campers will shop (i have 6 tins they did a buy 2 get one free last year ) its just silicone with a white spirit dispersant

Edited April 17, 2009 by chesters1

[Elton]

Cheers

[Elton]

I bought 5l of this and have used it on a 20-year old brolly, which came up a treat. Also treated my brolly-bivvy to a coat and my beach shelter.

 

Everything is going to get it now

[chesters1]

AHHH the waterproof hand syndrome

[Janet]

I spent a wonderful Easter weekend washing down a trailer tent and reproofing it with Fabsil after the mice had got at it during the winter....oh bliss! Just what we needed - a tent full of holes, smelling of mouse wee!

 

We spent a whole afternoon washing it with soap free detergent before letting it dry and then another whole day patching up the bits they'd chewed through for nesting material...ever tried manoeuvering the cover from a six berth trailer tent under the arm of a domestic sewing machine? Thank God the little buggers didn't get at the awning too, as it's even larger!

 

We spent the next day painting the foul smelling gunk on and praying that we didn't get any rain!

 

Here's hoping that it's waterproofed enough for our next trip! I'm not sleeping under the leaky bits....

 

Janet

 

Janet

[chesters1]

I spent a wonderful Easter weekend washing down a trailer tent and reproofing it with Fabsil after the mice had got at it during the winter....oh bliss! Just what we needed - a tent full of holes, smelling of mouse wee!

 

We spent a whole afternoon washing it with soap free detergent before letting it dry and then another whole day patching up the bits they'd chewed through for nesting material...ever tried manoeuvering the cover from a six berth trailer tent under the arm of a domestic sewing machine? Thank God the little buggers didn't get at the awning too, as it's even larger!

 

We spent the next day painting the foul smelling gunk on and praying that we didn't get any rain!

 

Here's hoping that it's waterproofed enough for our next trip! I'm not sleeping under the leaky bits....

 

Janet

 

Janet

know exactly what you mean ,our trailer tent had spent a year up under a tree so one side was bleached one side green but for £200 for it we ignored that ,i (yup me) spent two days with a scrubbing brush cleaning it whilst it froze (just before christmas) mrs wouldnt allow it in the house until it was clean to dry out!

generally canvas doesnt need waterproofing unless its been cleaned or its cheap canvas.

we strip the trailer in autumn and its canvas and covers beds etc and the awning go up in the loft surrounded by mousetraps

at fabsil prices our tent would have cost £250 to reproof it drank 5 gallons of waterseal but cost £40 as one was free.

we always take a spare ground sheet so leaks are less of a worry you simply throw the groundsheet over and tie it down over the trailer the awning is less of a problem

Edited April 21, 2009 by chesters1

[Elton]

AHHH the waterproof hand syndrome

 

Too right. The kids should be okay in the rain now. That'll teach them to stand still too long

 

I'm going to spray it onto my chairs, too. They often get a shower.

 

I prefer brushing it onto the shelters, as it feels like you're working it in better, especially into the seams.