Drying tent when on the road for extended time.

For the first time since doing art shows we are considering doing a circuit rather than coming home between each event.  Surely (knocking on wood) I really don't have to worry about this (yeah right) but how do you handle drying or taking care of a tent that got wet when you are staying in hotels between shows? TIA.

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  • Sounds good to me!  I'll let you test it out.  Let me know how it goes.  ;-)

  • maybe I should try this at a car wash.  Throw the tent over the van and wash it with the carwash suds and wand.  Hmmm.  Anyone ever do this? 

  • I can just see you driving down the interstate highway with tent flapping in the breeze. LOL

    Sorry you had to pack wet tent.  Hope you had a good sale.

  • I just packed up with a wet tent last night.  I was thinking of what to do and realized I could just throw the different parts of the tent on top of my cargo van.  It is sunny today, so I put the canopy over the van for 20 minutes (bricks in a few spots so it wouldn't blow off and my tool box in the middle of roof under the tent so it would breath).  Then it was all dry.    I did the walls next all over the van.  It was really easy and quick. 

  • When I'm on the road, I go to the laundermat. I put a quarter in 4 dryers. That gives me a few minutes each. I put one side into one dryer. Turn it on hot. I put in side 2 into the second dryer. Turn it on. Then do the same for side 3 and 4. By the time I've finished putting in all 4 sides, the first one is ready to take out. It takes 4-6 min.

    Be careful taking them out. The metal parts are hot, and the vinyl is fragile. It feels like wet onion skin. I take it out carefully, and drop it on the floor to cool. I don't want to pull to hard while they're still hot. Anyway, then I take out side 2. Drop it on the floor. Then take out 3-4. By the time you've taken out side 4, side 1 is ready to fold up. It only takes a moment,

    I've done this dozens of times and each time they come out perfect, and smell good.

    Only one time did I put my canopy in the dryer. I was terrified, but desperate. It worked perfect except for one thing. I have my name painted on the front with vinyl paint. Some of that black paint softened and rubbed off. Not bad enough to be a problem, but it did happen. The seams were fine. Oh yes, the canopy was so large, I had to really shove hard to get it in. It was easy to take out because it aw soft. When I pulled it out, I tried to carefully lay it all the way out as far as I could. If I had a 2nd pair of hands, it would have been easy
  • I didn't know they sold gallon drums of Febreeze! LOL

  • I once put my tent away in the rain in November and forgot to dry it out afterwards.  The next show in January I realized my error.  Fabreze and Lysol did the trick and luckily the show in January was sunny.

  • Good to know Rich.  Thank you.

  • I primarily do 4 - 5 week tours and I have had to set my canopy up in the parking lot at my motel to dry it on more than one occasion... I have never had an issue with them.

  • Good idea using a park.  Maybe our hotel will allow us to set it up on their lawn?  Hmmmm. Reception area? We also use plastic crates.  I am worried about the tent getting musty or moldy.  It was purchased new just last spring to replace our easy-down.  Thanks for the reply and suggestions.

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