Hi all

Just a quick note for those considering buying a Hilleberg tent: ours leaks from the corner seams. There are five seams in our "bath tub floor", one across the middle which is taped and four corner seams that are not taped. We recently camped in heavy rain and a puddle built up near the corner seam. Water then entered the tent floor through the corner stitching.

I contacted Hilleberg and their response was "we'll send you a tube of glue and you can seal it yourself". I explained that I was on a motorcycle trip around the world and it would not be easy to provide an address to send the seam sealer to. I received no response to that email. So I sent further emails. The position I now understand is this:

The Hilleberg seam taping machine can't do corners, so they don't seal them. If you want these sealed you have to do it yourself, but they will send a tube of seam sealer; if you ask.

Completely unsatisfactory for a tent costing this much money!!!!

In my experience Hilleberg's standard of customer service has also been poor.

Something to bear in mind before you spend about twice the price of any comparable tent.

Surprised to hear this. I'd be irritated too. I've been buying Hillebergs in part because they don't need sealing and don't leak (plus they're high quality, ready for winter, lightweight, strong, etc.). I've also had very good customer service, but I deal with the distributor in the USA, run by the daughter. Each tent has come with a tube of seam sealer but I've never had to use it.

I'm confused about which seams leak. A "bathtub floor" would normally have no ground-level seams, i.e., in corners. That's the whole point. On a dual wall tent like the Hilleberg, above-ground seams should be covered by the fly, giving two layers of protection. Maybe I misunderstand your problem.

If it's any help, the seam sealer appeared to be high-grade silicone caulk, as you'd find in a gasket sealer or ATV sealer--I presume regular seam sealer doesn't stick to the siliconized fabric used by Hilleberg. Standard advice is to clean the seams with alcohol, then apply the seam sealer.

Hope this is helpful, and best luck to you on your trip.

Mark

Thanks Mark, but yes the leak is through stitching in the "bath tub" floor. There are five seams, one through the middle which is taped and four corners which are not. I contacted Hilleberg by email, and these are extracts of the replies by Mr Kenneth Westman Drake.

Kenneth Westman Drake<tentmaker@hilleberg.se> 19 October 2011 11:54 "Production wise it´s not possible to tape the corners as the machine is unable to fit in there."

"Kenneth Westman Drake
<tentmaker@hilleberg.se> 28 November 2011 16:14 Hi,

The only seam possible for us to tape on the groundsheet is the straight seam on the floor area itself. We have never used taped seams in the corners on any tent because it can´t be done properly in such a narrow space where both seams meet and tape loops are sewn in. It could be a good idea to apply McNett Seam-Grip in the corners if you feel it´s needed.

The answer to your thought if this might be a manufacturing defect is no, as it´s up to production standard."

If the photos have attached properly, one is the inside of the seam on the corner of the tent floor, the light spot is the sunshine through the hole. The other photo is the outside.

On the Hilleberg website they claim that one of their "Principles" is to make tents that meet the following criteria: "comfort – its livability, including the obvious, such as fully waterproof outer tents and floors"

It's a joke that they build a tent that leaks, that they apparently know can leak, and that they claim this meets their production standards. Really poor effort.

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Damn!!! That sucks!

I'll be traveling back through the USA soon and am looking for a replacement for my MSR hubba Hubba HP.

U'd pretty much decided on making the most of the (MUCH) lower prices in the US to invest in a Hilleberg Allak but now you've got me re-thinking...

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Jedimaster

I wouldn't let this stop you buying a Hilleberg. I agree the tent should have come with a tube of sealant but selling tents with seams which you seal yourself is pretty common (although getting less so). Hilleberg are pretty much the best tents on the market.

Having said that, they are expensive and I'd go with something quality, but cheaper, if your use is exclusively motorcycle touring.

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

I haven't encountered 'seal-it-yourself' before. It seems something of a cop-out for a tent costing so much money.

I have a few friends with Hilleberg tents and I've met plenty of other travelers with them. They all swear by them.
However, this incident just made me wonder if this is going to lead to the increasingly common product reviews that say 'the old ones were good but the new ones...'.

In Australia back in '08 I bought a used Snowgum tent (which was very good). When I went to buy a groundsheet for it the guy asked about my tent and then what colour it was. When I told him his reply was "Ah... you got the last of the good ones made in Vietnam. They're made in China now".

I'm also looking to replace my stove but many reviews (certainly Optimus and MSR) tell the same story..."The old ones (brass pumps) were good but the new ones with plastic pumps are unreliable".
It seems the drive for increased profit leads many manufacturers to change materials/design/manufacturers.

Perhaps I'm being overly pessimistic regarding the Hilleberg fault mentioned, but its a LOT of money to invest in a tent so I want to be sure I'm making the right decision.

I took a look at your blog by the way and have added 'Skis Against the Atom' to my reading list. Nice one. I rode through Iran, Pakistan (where I spent 2 months) in 2006. Shame you missed it...next time eh...?

Adam

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