You adore camping, so the tent pop-up camper unaffectedly implored you. You get all the serenity of camping in a vehicle, yet all the space of a tent with the immense pop-out sides. Do pop-up truck campers leak? Let’s see!
What when it begins to rain? You’re not one to be averted by a tiny rain, but you have to accept, that you have your problems. Mostly, you’re nosy if your pop-up camper will leak if revealed to a persistent drizzle.
That’s a fantastic question! In this guide, you will find out the answer and delve into everything else you ought to know about weatherproofing your pop-up.
Newer pop-ups utilize different kinds of synthetic fabrics for their soft walls which don’t leak or soak water. Try to expose your camper to some good wind-driven showers and never leaked a drop. and the zippers don’t leak in our experience as well.
Table of Contents
Do Pop-up Campers Leak When It Rains?
The majority of pop-up campers don’t leak when it rains, but it definitely swings. If yours has a void in any of the tent flanks or even the roof, then, sure, leaks can happen.
Likewise, a badly developed or older camper could be more inclined to leakage than one that’s airtight and more contemporary. Today, most camper tents and trailers consist of one of many extra materials.
These contain canvas, vinyl, as well as Hypalon. Canvas is malleable, and soft, and delivers you that original cramping sensation when you sleep beneath the stars in your pop-up. It is inclined to ripping, pulling, and getting voids, though. If this occurs, then your pop-up will leak when the rain starts flowing.
There is often a delusion, mainly among those who don’t hold pop-ups, that these are leaky vehicles that are not worth holding. The majority of pop-up owners cringe at this because leaks are really unique.
Tip: There are many ways to make your pop-up camper more secure. It is vitally important to understand this!
10 Tips to Ensure A Pop-Up Camper Remains Waterproof
- Aways Cover The Camper When Not In Use
- Buy a Travel Cover
- Clean the Top
- Repair the Top
- Put Water Proof Spray on The Canvas
- Use SeamTape on The Canvas
- Always Patch Holes ASAP
- Use Caulk Around Your Air Conditioning Units
- Be Careful When Opening Your Camper
- Don’t Shut Your Pop-up While The Canvas Is Frozen
Aways Cover The Camper When Not In Use
A pop-up camper roof is usually from fiberglass and as such is permanently waterproof. When small cracks appear, if they are not repaired immediately, they will become large.
So we will get a leak from our pop-up camper. Freezing water can also damage the top. That is why you should always cover the camper when not in use.
Tip: If you are preparing to camp in the wild, then you may want to know how to attach a tarp to a camp trailer.
Buy a Travel Cover
Some people buy covers for their pop-up camper and they use them during travel. This can be good protection against stray stones and other debris that can damage the fiberglass roof.
Clean the Top
Always wash the canvas after every use. If you keep it clean, you will extend its life and water resistance.
Repair the Top
Now, think about repairing the top for a moment. This is vitally important. If there is damage to the top, it is advisable that you repair it or at least cover it as soon as possible.
Put Water Proof Spray on The Canvas
Before applying the waterproof spray, clean the canvas well and remove all dirt from it. Repeat this procedure once a year or better yet before each use of your pop-up camper.
Use SeamTape on The Canvas
Seam tape, you should apply every year or even better before every trip in the season. Use it frequently because it loses its effectiveness over time.
Always Patch Holes ASAP
Use a patch kit to patch Holes and tears in the canvas or vinyl top. If the damage is larger, replace it with totally new panels. Replacing entire panels can be very expensive, so it is essential to patch any holes as soon as they appear.
Use Caulk Around Your Air Conditioning Units
Use silicone caulk which is more resistant and lasts longer and also use an outdoor caulk. Just in case, replace it every season.
Tip: You may be wondering if it is possible to use a pop-up camper at Walmart, per se. Perhaps it is!
Be Careful When Opening Your Camper
Try to use proper opening and closing procedures. Always be sure to pull the tent away from the opening mechanism. This will prevent creating a tear or even a hole.
When you park your pop-up camper, do not do it near the tree. Tree branches can do a lot of harm. We all know that prevention is better than cure.
Don’t Shut Your Pop-up While The Canvas Is Frozen
In freezing temperatures, a canvas or vinyl pop-up camper will freeze and become stiff. When this happens use the heater inside of your pop-up camper.
Also, when you get home, always open your camper and let it dry inside. This truly goes without saying!
Tip: Did you know that a camping candle is easy to make and absolutely essential for your camping trip.
What to Do If the Pop-Up Does Leak
With that in mind, pop-up campers are not indestructible. If your camper is 20 years old, then ancient structure measures could force the vehicle to leak when the rains start getting in. Not treated holes and rips in the tent material could also induce an undesirable mist in the trailer.
What to do if you encounter a pop-up camper leakage? The first and most crucial thing is to uncover where the leak is arriving from. You can’t seal it up without knowing that. After you analyze the origin of the leak, you can decide what the following steps are.
There are many ways to go about repairing a pop-up camper leak. If the tent canvas or other fabric has a spot or rip in it, you’ll need to fix this up. You can order extra material from the factory or purchase it at any home advancement store. If you go with the latter, the new material may not correspond, but that’s okay.
There Is More to This
If the rip or slit is tiny enough, you can sew the tent flanks or awning with sewing rope and a needle. If that’s not viable for you, then you can always acquire RV canopy repair tape on Amazon.
Maybe it’s not the roof or tent sides that are impaired but other cracks and holes in which the rain arrives in. On that occasion, fixing the camper sealing can make a big distinction. Flex Seal is an amazing product on Amazon, and you can obtain two 14-ounce cans jointly.
The adhesive spreads out and has a stretchable layer that will stop leaks. You can also utilize it around the house for primary wear, ductwork, vents, and drains.
If, after you put all that hard work in, you’re still seeing leaks, and you own an older camper, it may be time to place it out to pasture. That goes without saying!
Long-term wear can get so pricey to repair that you’re better off purchasing a more recent pop-up, even if it’s a used one.
Tip: If you are camping in a tent, make sure you check if snakes have crawled in your sleeping bag.
Awning and Tent Upkeep for Wet Weather
After you get your tent walls fixed, you still have to fret about the climate, just in a separate way. Now, your goal is to keep the top and tents as dry as feasible.
That doesn’t suggest you have to sprint away in your pop-up at the first indication of rain. Hopefully, though, you bought a camper with waterproof tent siding. Waterproofing is not the same as water resistance.
The latter has a layer that can come off with time, while the waterproof fabric has special weaving to maintain water rolling right off. It will rarely get drenched.
This is good for you because rolling up your awning or retracting your tents too soon if moist can induce mold and decay issues. The bacteria prefer moist surroundings, after all. If you can witness a chance of mold or mildew fast enough, you can cleanse it away by hand.
Once the mildew reproduces, you will have to employ heavy-duty cleaners. More often than not, you need to replace the awning or tents completely. If you do get stuck in a storm, be sure you can dry out your camper someplace before you abandon all the tops and tents.
Tip: There is a number of bugs you should worry about when camping. Some of them can be pretty dangerous!
Final Words
Pop-up campers, even those with tent flanks rather than stiff walls, should never leak. If yours does leak, it’s either because it was faultily invented, it’s gone through everything, or it’s quite old.
Fixing up awning holes or packing up holes is a temporary fix. For long-term care of your top or tents, always allow them to fully dry after they get wet. This way, they’ll never hold any decay or mildew.
