What is happening to the inside seam on tent of pup?

[brucesmith]

Does this look serious or normal for 8.5 year camper? Canvas is in great shape on the outside?

 

[brucesmith]

It seems like the sealant the is sandwiched between the canvas is coming off.

 

[Dusty82]

That's known as seam tape, and it will all eventually come off. Some of the people who sew canvases together use seam tape to help keep long pieces aligned together as they run it through the sewing machine. It's not something that's required by the manufacturer, or something every canvas has on it. It's there strictly to make the person's job easier when they sew it together. Over time that tape degrades and starts to fall apart. It'll sometimes look like it's snowing inside when someone closes the screen door a bit too hard.

It's fine. The seam tape coming out of the seam might make a bit of a mess while it's coming out, but it hasn't anything to do with the integrity of the tentage or weather sealing. If you want to, you can pull off any loose tape and take a shop vac to the seam to help get rid of any loose stuff. Leave any tape that's still firmly attached on the tent. It'll come off when it's ready to.

 

[armstrk3]

Thanks Dusty! I had the same question but was waiting for a response!

 

[Wildwoodflower77]

Thanks Dusty! I had the same question but was waiting for a response!

Me too!

 

[brucesmith]

Thanks Dusty, I did take a shop vac to it the other day and it started pulling more off. I got a little nervous but before it was making a huge mess inside the camper. Now that I know that it is no big deal I will just vacuum it little by little. I have a 6 year old and he is always complaining that his bed is dirty when that tape falls on it. Ha.

 

[Bjune]

Thanks Dusty, was not sure if I was going to have a big problem or just inconvenient. Glad it is the latter. I just vacuum real frequent with the dust buster. Cleans right up. Glad it is nothing serious.

 

[TerryEarp]

Depending on your tenting, canvas..removing the seam tape can make your seam wick moister when raining and cause you bunkends to get wet. I know because I had to use a product called "seam grip" on my 05 niagra for this very reason.

 

[Dusty82]

I'd like to hear more about that, TerryEarp. I've never heard of a seam leaking due to vacuuming up disintegrating seam tape before. I suppose digging it out from in between the layers of fabric could cause leaks, and I've always recommended leaving any tape that's still attached tot he canvas alone, but the tape hanging down from the seam, or "snowing" on you while you sleep isn't sealing anything. It's already fallen apart. It's fine to remove.

Seam tape is nothing more than a weak adhesive used to hold 2 pieced of fabric together while it's being sewn. It isn't made to seal anything.

I'd really like to hear more about the seam failure on your canvas. I'm willing to bet that there was another factor involved - probably just a poor sewing job on the canvas, or just a bad canvas itself. It happens on occasion.

 

[TerryEarp]

You are probably right.