Important use and care information

Most of what you need to know about using your AAA wall tent is common sense, but some things bear special mention. Below you will find a few hints about how to care for your AAA wall tent to keep it in good condition for years to come.

Setting up your tent

We recommend that you set up your stock or custom AAA canvas wall tent at least once before you take it out on your first trip, to familiarize yourself with the procedure and to make sure you have all the necessary components.

Most of our customers purchase a "cabin-style" frame for their tent. You can download a copy of our "cabin frame setup instructions" here (PDF file).

Once you have your tent set up, give it a good soaking with a hose to "shock" the fabric. You will notice the tent is oversize for the frame when new. It is cut to allow for some shrinkage upon the first wetting; this will tighten up the fabric and seams, making it even more water resistant. Let it dry completely while on the frame.

Cleaning your tent

We recommend cleaning dirt and debris from your tent using just plain water and a brush. This is especially important for Sunforger fabrics which have a silicone-based treatment applied to them. Using any soap or detergent on Sunforger canvas can remove the water-resistant finish.

If you do have a stubborn spot that requires using soap or detergent to remove, be aware that you will need to retreat the spot to restore the water resistance of the fabric. Customer service can advise you further about cleaning stubborn spots and how to retreat the affected areas.

Storage

The number one thing that will kill a tent, canvas or otherwise, is storing it damp. All tents can suffer mold or mildew damage if not allowed to thoroughly dry before rolling them up for long-term storage. This applies to natural cotton duck, Sunforger, poly/cotton blends, nylon … whatever. The Sunforger fabrics we offer (12.5 oz Boat Duck and 10.1 oz Army Duck) will dry faster than our untreated 14.7 oz #10 Duck, but they all need to be allowed to dry completely. Paying attention to this requirement after returning home from your trip is the best way to protect your investment.

Mold/Mildew damage

So despite your best intentions, what if you left your tent rolled up damp in the garage after your last use and it has some mildew damage … what to do?

If the damage is not extensive, you may be able to clean it. The recipe for a mild cleaning solution that will kill and remove minor mold/mildew damage is the following:

  • 5 quarts water
  • 1 quart white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon laundry detergent

Use a soft bristle brush with this solution on the affected areas. Rinse thoroughly with copious amounts of plain water. Allow to dry completely in the sunshine.

The above solution is mild enough that it can normally be used on Sunforger fabrics without need for retreating. If you find that the affected area is leaking, you will need to retreat it as mentioned above.

In the event that your tent has more severe mold/mildew damage, we may be able to replace the affected panel(s) by sewing in new fabric. Contact customer service for a repair quote.

Fire Safety

With the exception of our 10.1 oz Fire-retardant Army Duck, our other wall tent fabrics have no special fire-retardant treatment. However, in over 60 years of building canvas wall tents, we have found that, for most customers, our heavy duty untreated canvas fabrics pose no substantial fire risk, as long common sense is observed.

The issues to consider when determining whether special fire-retardant fabrics are necessary in your particular circumstances include the following:

  • cost of fire-retardant treatment (approx. 15% greater)
  • odor (some find FR fabric odors objectionable)
  • longevity (FR treatments degrade with sun exposure)
  • State regulations (7 States require these treatments)

Read more about canvas fabrics and fire retardancy here.

When setting up a wood-burning stove in a wall tent, be sure the ground area around the stove is clear of combustible materials. We recommend enough stove pipe on your flue to reach at least 2-3 feet above the ridgeline of your tent. Always employ a spark arrestor on the stove pipe. And be sure your tent is adequately guyed out in severe weather to eliminate the risk of the stove pipe separating from too much tent movement in the wind.