khyam motordome - pole and clamp leaking

[Vanda]

Hi - I bought a Khyam motordome classic after reading lots about them and love it, easy to put up and loads of space. Just got back from 4 weeks in Spain with it and the only problem is that it leaks through the pole and clamp bit where it joins the van and also the water pools in the roof bit that attaches to the van.

I've searched and re-read the entries, but can't find any reference to this problem. does anybody else with a motordome classic have this problem? We did think that perhaps we weren't pulling it away from the van enough once clamped, but still happened.

It wasn't such a big deal in Spain as it only rained a few times and we just detached it, but going away to Dorset next weekend and it would be nice to keep it attached so we can use it properly! Any ideas as to what i might be doing wrong or a photo of how taught it should be would be appreciated. was going to put a photo of mine up, but can't remember how to do it! will go and read the wiki and try again!

thanks.

[..lee..]

dont think the khyam is all its cracked up to be. we are both pretty disappointed with ours.

we`ve snapped one pole and bent the replacement, the inner tent quality is very poor and the customer service even worse.

saying that is an easy pitch and if pegged properly its pretty resiliant to the wind.

lee.

[ricicles]

did you use the pole in the gutter? i have an awning that uses the same . it leaks i think because the pole has filled and blocked the gutter,i have tried to use the figure8 stips to attach the awning but these leak where they join. i am going to fit a strip of fig8 to the body of the van above the gutter, that way if there is any leaks is will run into the gutter. hopefully

[kevtherev]

Do westy high tops have deep gutters for poles??

[windysurfer]

Mine does the same.
I think it is because the seam has not been sealed where the pole slides in.
I keep meaning to seal mine and see if that solves the problem.

I did think it might have been due to the gutter having the pole in it but it didn't happen on my last awning so my money is on the unsealed stiching around the pole tube.

[Vanda]

I think unsealed seam sounds like the answer thinking about how the water drips (pours!) through. Pooling is probably due to not having it taut enough I suppose. How are you thinking of sealing yours? I think I'll need to give it a go.

Having just spent about an hour trying to remember/find out how to post a photo so I could show how the awning looked, it doesn't seem necessary now. so instead, here's a photo of my van in the foothills of the Pyrenees in Aragon, Valle de Hecho. A fantastic place to go if you get the chance, rivers to swim in and loads of vultures and birds of prey!

[IMG:768:1024]http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m341 ... ain029.jpg[/img]

[windysurfer]

going to try something like this stuff

http://www.worldofcamping.co.uk/shop/De ... ductID=778

As for the pooling, its easy enough to get the connecting bit taut when you first set the awning up but not so easy once you have been out and try to park in exactly the same place.

Picture looks cool

[minke]

Between the awning and the gutter I had the problem of the material filling up with water & then leaking in.

I got 3 pieces of the Swish glide rail & cut em about 2 ft long & from the underside i jam it into the gutter area & then bend it up and slip it into the awning where the transverse pole runs. It keep the material held up like a dome & stops the leaks....

Kev

[Steve P]

Yep we've had exactly the same problem with the unsealed seam. We sealed it on ours with fabseal and it worked a treat.

Bev

[kevtherev]

got a picture of that Kev?

[Ian Hulley]

The whole point is that .... as it says in the FAQ stickie at the top of this forum .... the best way is to use a 'J' rail and the plastic clip-on figure 8 strips. The bellows need to be tight(ish), no normal tent material will hold water as if in a bag, sooner or later it becomes saturated. The shape of the bellows when correctly fitted prevents water from pooling in the first place.

No-one I know who use the 'J' rail and strip method have had a problem with a Khyam Motordome Classic ... the model designed for our size of van. Now if you don't want to drill and pop-rivet a rail on the side of your Westy ... well that's up to you.

Ian.

[windysurfer]

If you have a look at the stiching around the pole tube, its not been sealed.
All other seams are sealed.If you are connecting your awning via you awning rail fitted higher up on yuor high top this will allow the water to run off quicker so the water doesn't seap though the stiching.

If you connect at gutter hight then the top of the bellow are parallel to the ground and allow water to collect near the seam

[BigTam]

The whole point is that .... as it says in the FAQ stickie at the top of this forum .... the best way is to use a 'J' rail and the plastic clip-on figure 8 strips. The bellows need to be tight(ish), no normal tent material will hold water as if in a bag, sooner or later it becomes saturated. The shape of the bellows when correctly fitted prevents water from pooling in the first place.

No-one I know who use the 'J' rail and strip method have had a problem with a Khyam Motordome Classic ... the model designed for our size of van. Now if you don't want to drill and pop-rivet a rail on the side of your Westy ... well that's up to you.

Ian.

As usual Mr Hulley is right, , when I had the high top and J rail no problems with leaking on my gusset, , now I have a pop top, I use the clamp and pole as the gutter fitting is a pain, leaks at the seam,

[Ian Hulley]

when I had the high top and J rail no problems with leaking on my gusset,

Waaaaaay too much information there old chum Is this camper or age related ?

Ian.