How do I straighten my tent pole?

We have a trailer tent, one of the poles has become more bent than it ought to be and no longer slides over the other one it’s supposed to making erection more difficult (to the point where we damaged the pole it slides over last time we used it).

So, how do I slightly straighten the bottom metre of a 2.5m long, 30mm diameter, aluminium pole without kinking it?

(Been quoted £90 for a replacement and the (French) factory is now closed until mid-September and not accepting orders until then.)

Perfect!

How do I straighten my tent pole?

*waits for the innuendo police to get over their attack of the vapours*

🙂

It’s the black diagonal one in the on the right back of this image (behind the kitchen bit). Needs to slide down over the straight silver steel pole you can just see at the bottom of it.

wow, I love your trailer tent. What is it?

That is a tent?!

Awesomes!

EDIT: How about some pipe bending plumbing type kit? Like one of those springs which stops piping kinking?

Trigano Olympe franksinatra, we’re really pleased with it.

It’s bloody huge, tbh, but my son’s 17 now and my daughter’s 12 so we need a bit of space (we have a pup tent thing under one of the bed units for my son to sleep in and hide from us during daylight hours).

I want a tent called Frank Sinatra!

I have massive tent envy.

What a beaut! Is that carpet you have there?

Wish I could help ref. bent pole, but sorry I have no idea.

I want a tent called Frank Sinatra!

you can if you do it your way 😉

camo16 – it’s a groundsheet – sort of rubberised material – it’s non slip and quite comfortable on bare feet, very different to a standard tent one, anyway. We have a small carpet door mat for wiping our shoes on as we walk in 😳

Plumber’s pipe bending spring?

http://www.screwfix.com/p/plumbing-tools-by-rothenberger-internal-pipe-bending-spring-15mm/39016

Beige carpet for camping?

You must have a very strict “shoes off” policy.

I’ll measure the internal diameter geoff but I think it may be larger than 22mm so the springs won’t be effective?

You can get 28mm ones too.

https://www.toolandfix.com/monument-833e-copper-bending-spring-28mm.html

you can see the finish on the groundsheet better in this picture, it’s moppable 🙂

Matter of interest, how long does that bad boy take to assemble, wwaswas?

How do I straighten my tent pole?

Have you tried asking the nice lady in the T shirt adverts?

Camo, are you asking how long it takes to get it up?

Or more importantly how long to take down?

Internal diameter of the pole is 23mm – is it worth risking a 22mm spring in there?

Probably takes 20 minutes to the point that you’re just bashing pegs in to hold it down.

These two manage it in under 5 minutes (vicar).

Camo, are you asking how long it takes to get it up?

In a roundabout way, I guess I was. 😳

Probably takes 20 minutes to the point that you’re just bashing pegs in to hold it down.

I have the strangest…

Even with a kink in yer pole that’s a mighty impressive erection 🙂
When did camping get so posh?

cheers woppit – I *really* wanted to have my thread closed 🙄

The pipe spring was going to be my answer but as the diameters are different, filling the bent member with sand may give another option of stiffening things up so you can straighten your rod*

*
I do try to avoid innuendos but love to slip one in every now and again

love to slip one in every now and again

Ooh!

I do try to avoid innuendos but love to slip one in every now and again

It has to be said, you’re making a good fist of it.

I’m pitching a tent while reading this thread….

Is it one of those easy pop up ones, Jamie? The ones you can do with one hand?

Is it one of those easy pop up ones, Jamie? The ones you can do with one hand?

I hope not, you really need something that’ll take years of abuse and still be ready to use at a moments notice.

Is it one of those easy pop up ones, Jamie? The ones you can do with one hand?

Yup. Give it a shake, and all done in a few seconds.*

*Apologies to the OP and his original thread.

It’s ok, I’ve given up…

the sand thing sounds like a good idea.

or maybe see if I can hammer a broom handle up inside it to straighten it out without my eyes watering too much.

or maybe see if I can hammer a broom handle up inside it to straighten it out without my eyes watering too much.

😀

Is a bent pole that big a deal? As long as it can still be accommodated in the sheath of the tent it should be fine. Will look a bit funny but it should retain rigidity and you and the Mrs may get used to it and, eventually learn to like it. (assuming it doesn’t eventually snap)

[serious]

the problem is doing the up and over bit of putting it all up (see the video) with the pole extended as it won’t slide over the other one it puts a lot of strain on the rest of the assembly and makes gaining leverage difficult – this is what bent the silver pole last time (which has cost me £30 for a replacement) so I’m looking to avoid further damage to either pole during future use.

[/serious]

Will you ever get the wood out again after giving it such a hammering ?

I could ask my wife to pull the other end whilst I hang on tight?

Lube..

the problem is doing the up and over bit of putting it all up (see the video) with the pole extended as it won’t slide over the other one it puts a lot of strain on the rest of the assembly and makes gaining leverage difficult – this is what bent the silver pole last time (which has cost me £30 for a replacement) so I’m looking to avoid further damage to either pole during future use.

So there is too much strain on the pole in preparation, causing damage to it prior to its main use.

Clearly you need a Fluffer.

Wait a minute! The OP has got wood?

This changes everything, shirley.