Fabricating the Ultimate Galley Tent

[DWT77]

Are you going for something like these? I like the idea of a canopy tent and a secondary room. DIY seems like the way to go at those prices though.

http://www.oztent.us/products/tent-range/oztent-range

http://www.oztent.us/products/tent-range/jet-tent-range

[Dusty Mark]

Those OZ tents are definitely top flight, but mine will look a lot more like a tall screen house with smaller screened areas and a sleeve at the back to seal/close off the teardrop forward of the galley hinge.

[Dusty Mark]

KC,

Thanks! These clips will be plenty strong for their application. I'm using sewn sleeves to suspend the tent body from the frame and the clips only tighten up the sides. I'm working on a sketch now.

Mark

[Dusty Mark]

Here's the first draft profile sketch. I originally thought I might skip this step, but I'm glad that I'm taking the time since it is highlighting some areas of concern with my design.



The 10 degree angle on the legs is needed to keep the tent stable, but it sure robs usable space. I may need to increase my dimensions one foot each direction in order to yield enough usable square footage. This could cause me to run short on my tent poles, but I'll determine that in a little bit...

[tony.latham]

This is getting serious.

Tony

[Dusty Mark]

Here's my second draft profile sketch.



I made the tent taller to accommodate moving it further back and therefore wasting less floorspace. I also sketched it at 11' long. I messed up in my original planning and need to order more tent poles. I can't move forward without the poles since I'm draping the material over the poles and pinning out my design as I go.

[ZugZug]

Some interesting ideas in the Zempire Aerobase if you want to check it out online. I am currently waiting for them to release the larger model next year. For me, that is pretty much the ultimate galley tent, and the larger one will cover the camper doors as well if I need that.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dusty Mark]

Those near vertical walls and quick pitching are neat features on the Aerobase! It seems like there are more choices overseas for something that could serve as a galley tent. I'm going to start working on my pole frame now...

[Dusty Mark]

I began fitting the tent poles tonight. The first step was to set grommets into an old tarp that were spaced the same as the grommets in the final product. I then began to bend the aluminum tent poles with a conduit bender.



NOTE: Easton's anodized aluminum tent poles won't take these kind of bends. My first attempt snapped and one of the pieces flew past my face. It was one of those rare instances that I didn't have my safety glasses on.



Not to worry, I had 7/8" diameter softer aluminum pipe scraps from building three layout boats last year. I know that this material takes a bend well and is plenty tough. The duck boat blinds have two seasons of hard use and the aluminum has held up well. Thankfully, the 3/4" tent poles fit inside the 7/8" aluminum pipe with a perfect fit.



Finishing the prototype bend.



Here's the transition from leg to ceiling.



I need to bend the final corner pieces about 5 degrees less in order to put a bit more arch in the roof. I'm able to purchase the 7/8" aluminum pipe locally, so that won't be a show stopper. The rest of my poles arrive tomorrow afternoon, so I should complete the frame tomorrow night. That leaves the weekend to start sewing!

[ZugZug]

Wow that looks so professional! And a great height and clearance.

Re the Zempire - I do like it but wasn't thinking so much about the poles themselves in sharing it here as the way the walls/windows are attached and the fact that the walls also double as screened windows, all working with double end zippers. So you can have them or not have them on, depending on weather etc.

Which is no doubt a fair bit of extra work but may be worth considering for those days when it is not windy and you would like to enjoy a view

Choice of zippers will also be important I would imagine - by all reports YKK zippers are the go

(p.s. we have a jet-tent already from our pre-teardrop days. Great tent but it would block your view so we don't attach it to the camper, but may still use it now and then for friends/family to camp nearby)

[Dusty Mark]

I completed fitting and shock cording the tent poles today.



The poles are a lot easier to deal with now that they have shock cord installed.



Having reduced this angle, the roof has more of a rise. I played with this angle and the overall length of the cross pieces to get the desired rise. I plan to run and tighten small cords across both diagonal spans to increase tension in the frame while fitting the tent panels. This pretensioning will allow me to be a little loose as I pin the panels together and then the whole tent will tighten up around the frame after releasing the cords.



I'm pleased with the results so far. Tomorrow night I'll reassemble the frame and begin fitting and sewing the sleeves that connect the tent to the pole frame.

[Dusty Mark]

Fitting the roof is the most challenging part of the project. I'm not using a pattern, so I'm just test fitting panels and clipping them up one at a time.



A hot knife is a "must-have" tool to prevent fraying of cut edges.



The tent body is suspended from these sleeves.



The sleeves are continuous to make pole insertion easy. UPDATE: Do not sew the seams for the sleeves tight like this double row of stitches that you see in this photo, the poles will not come out once the tent is assembled. Sew a seam at the far end of the sleeves to hold them together during panel fitting. Once the roof is completed, the only thing holding the sleeves together are the seams from the roof panels. I finally left one seam continuous and split the other open to bridge the continuous sleeve.



The transition from leg to roof arch. I didn't bother making an angled sleeve. I'm okay with some puckers in the final product. UPDATE: Put darts in now and make your sleeve angled. Also sew a hem at the bottom of the pole sleeve that is even with the bottom of the angled piece of aluminum pole. This is also a good time to sew in your webbing and tie down rings for the guy lines.



Panel going up for a test fit.



Binder clips work great for my "trial and error" panel fitting method.



Two opposite panels pinned in place. A lot of the sag will come out when the adjacent panels are installed. I'll also tighten the whole assembly by sewing above the pins. UPDATE: You might run a line along the lower roof line between each pole to drape the roof panel across during fitting. This would make fitting easier and help to avoid puckers in the panel.



Pins visible from inside the tent.

I'll hopefully fit the remaining roof panels and sew the roof together tomorrow. It will be nice to transition to straighter walls!

[swoody126]

DM, i have not enjoyed having continuous sleeves for bungee'd tent poles in the past

your surmise that the poles would go in easier isn't wrong butt,,, snaking bungee'd poles out of sleeves sometimes gets sporty

when striking camp the poles tend to pull apart and snag inside the sleeves at the most inopportune times, like in foul weather or when i woud be in a rush for some reason

when i went to the segmented sleeves the situation got worse

finally homed in on clips from the fabric to the poles, sides & top alike

easier to erect & strike for this old fat man

just a point of personal preference based on experience...

sw

[Dusty Mark]

SW,

You make a good point about the segmented poles getting snagged when taking the tent down. Hopefully, I gave enough slack in the pole sleeves. I'll know soon enough...

Mark

[tony.latham]

finally homed in on clips from the fabric to the poles,

Sleeves could send me to the pen.

I'm a clip guy too but am certainly admiring this DIY thread.



Tony