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DOME TENT
INSTALLATION
INSTRUCTIONS
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and paste below information.
Section 1. ASSEMBLY INFORMATION
DOME TENTS. Please read this carefully. This is not for Gable Tent
Instaallations. See no. 53/99on
www.PartyTentCity.com .
I am not able to remember every tip and tell it to every customer over the
phone. I have a lot of photos on many different steps and styles
of dome tents so you o you can get an easy
idea on how to put your tent up.
Click
here to e-mail me with any questions.
Photos About DOME Tent
Installations.
Gable tent photos
http://www.surpluscitysales.com/party-tents-canopies-awnings/tent-photos.html
Golf Driving Range
Shade Shelter Photos
http://www.surpluscitysales.com/golf-driving-range/shelter.html
Dome Tent Boat Storage
Portable Shelter
Photos
http://www.surpluscitysales.com/boatstoragetent/photos.html
Connectors and
Fittings. You can order by part number.
http://www.partytentcity.com/dura/fittings.html
Customers Tents
http://www.SurplusCitySales.com/partytentcitycustomers/photos.html
1. TARPS:
Tarps are sold as a cut size.
The printed
finished size 'foot print' is always about 1 to 3% smaller than the cut
size.
Allow for tarp frame width
reduction when using peak hardware .
2. TOOLS
NEEDED:
Screw driver or big nail, hammer, hack saw, step ladder or chair,
patience, logical thinking, a good friend and a cell phone to call
Brian 713-467-3025 when you reach the end of your rope.
3. INVENTORY:
Check to see that all of the boxes in the shipment have arrived
including the tarp, the hardware,
and the bungees. The boxes will be marked 2 of 3 etc. Some cushioning will be
provided in the box to prevent the parts from poking through the sides
of the box. If you are short a connector it will be shipped by the same
carrier that was used on the order. It will not be sent by air. Order
your tent
well in advance and inspect it completely immediately on arrival. Check
your diagram to be sure how many fittings are being shipped in your
order. Many parts look almost the same. All fittings have a identifying
sticker tag which will match a point on the diagram that will come with
your tent. If you have lost your diagram you should be able to find one
on the Party Tent City. COM
web page.
Locate the model you ordered below section 6 of the 99 sections on
the big website
www.PartyTentCity.com . Click on that model you purchased and
print out the diagram if you have lost the one that came in the shipping
order.
4. TARP
SIZE: Open
the tarp in a large clean flat area. Measure the tarp exactly. This
does NOT mean to read what is on the label. Use a big tape measure. With
a felt pen write the exact size on all the corners of the tarp with arrows
pointing the direction of the size. Even If it is a square
tarp use a felt pen to make an arrow and a size so you will use it
correctly in building your tent. The cut or ordered size can be about
1-3% larger that the finished size that you receive. Even a
square tarp will
not be exactly square. Tarps made overseas are not priced as you
would for surgical steel.
Measure it even if it has a printed finished size. 99.9% of the time the finished
size printed is NOT what you get. Use your tape measure.
The manufacturer will
only be in the ballpark. Your frame needs to be exactly built to the
size of your tarp. That is why we can not tell you exactly what size to
cut each metal pipe section of your tent.
Your hardware is adjustable down to an fraction of an inch by cutting
the pipe and using the expandable space within the connector fitting to
increase or decrease you tent size. . The
tarp is not adjustable unless you buy a grommet kit for $9.00.
We do NOT open new tarps
and measure
them prior to shipping. They would look used. We can custom cut
your tarp to a smaller size with new gromments on an unhemed seam
about a foot apart . The custom price with new grommets is
about $ 1 a foot.
5.
PIPE:
Cutting the pipe is
basically a matter of mathematics but can be done by trial and error
or with a calculator.
Cut the pipe to fit the tarp with your tent.
Usually you will be cutting
most pieces of the pipe.
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Pipe Cutter &
Pipe Vise Set
When it is sent with your order shipping does not cost as much as
when ship it alone. It is so handy most everyone just keeps it. |
Click on photos for larger view. |
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Pipe cutter and pipe vise set is
a bargain at only $30.00. You
get a nice clean cut and not super sharp edges like you would get
when you use a saw. You can use this and send it back for a full
refund if you don't mind paying the shipping.
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It will
give you a clean
cut that takes very little
filing. If you return pipe cutter and pipe
vise for a full refund no questions asked. IT seldom happens because
most people just love having a pipe cutter. This no risk buy back plan
is for the pipe cutter and vise does not apply to the tent. We
want you to be a most satisfied customer. The pipe cutter and pipe vise
kit for $ 40 is a real bargain. The
pipe cutter makes a smooth clean cut. There are no shavings to clean up.
The edge
usually
does not need to be filed.
6.
BUILDING THE TRUSSES: The
arches are built around the size of the tarp and NOT the other way.
Build
the roof arch using the shortest distance of your tarp. D: You must plan for
significant wind.
Tarps can be come kites
unless they are secured immediately. The dome tent is the best tent we
have for high winds and for not ponding or puddling of water. .Secure the
entire system to the ground with weights on each horizontal foot bar. You can use concrete
blocks ( at Home Depot ) placed on top of the lowest pipe and or ropes to the frame and
secured to stakes driven
diagonally into the ground.
If you are using weights
also try to secure the frame to a tree, pole, fence, building
or
other firm structure at least on one corner to keep the tent from being
an unstable structure. Once the tarp is put on the metal frame the dome
tent becomes much stronger.
7
PANCAKING PROBLEMS WITH DOME TENTS. Once you decide exactly
how wide your dome tent will be you want to drive short pieces of pipe
in the ground so the dome frame can not squash down or pancake and
becoming wider. Then nothing will fit and you won't have any idea why it
is happening. If you started with a height of 30 ft wide and
15 ft. high and did not have stakes or some kind of stopping
effect the dome would squash down and the one end might be 30 ft wide
but the other end might be 32 ft wide and only 13 ft high.
Then things are are to fix so you really have to prevent that from
happening.
8.
TRUSS SIZES:
\The
tarp should just touch the edge of the pipe so the 6" ball bungees
should be long enough. If not you can sometimes use 9" ball
bungees or hook 2 smaller ball bungees together.
The last truss most likely will be a different distance from
the 2nd to the last truss than the first truss is from the 2nd
truss. You would cut the pipe to fit your tarp. The size is
determine by trial and error as you lay it out on the ground. Your dome
tent may have 6 sections using 8 parts per truss or a total
of 8 sections using connectors per truss. One of these will be the
last fitting and one will be used as a tarp tightening bar that will
slide up and down on the pipe sections no. 1 and 8 or no. 1 and 6 if it
is just the less expensive model
9.
Assemble all of your trusses doesn't have to be done at one time
like in a gable section but you may want to assemble more than two
trusses at t time and then maneuver those into place as a unit next to
the previous one.. A
Keep several step ladders
handy to rest the frame if you are short of help.
10 .FITTINGS:
All
fittings allow the pipe to be seated at different positions.
Some fittings do
not allow the pipe to go to the end.
The fitting pipe
may be welded over another pipe.
Double check your
measurements after you cut your pipe and adjust the pipe with the
locking bolts.
A little shorter pipe
allows you to move the pipe either way inside the fitting so it lines up
identically. An exact full cut pipe does not allow you any adjustment room
to make it smaller. .
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11.The ball bungees are 6" and
9". The elastic band goes through the tarp grommet hole and is
pulled around the pipe and then slipped back over the ball. This
is a great invention and allows you to take your tarp off
quickly when you need to do so. |
12..THE FIRST 2 TRUSSES.
After all trusses
(roof arches) are built exactly the same, assemble the frame.
Be sure your locking bolt
is unscrewed so the pipe will seat against the end of the connector and
not against the bolt hanging down. Lock the pipe down by tightening the
eye
bolt so the pipe doesn't fall out when you raise up the frame.
Lock these pipes by
tightening the eye bolt When you finish each section so you don't
forget to tighten it later. If some bolts are loose when you get all
done it cause you big problems which are not pleasant to deal with
because they could have been prevented.
13.. TRUSSES
3, 4, ETC.:
When you have several trusses connected and up
it may be able to stand by itself depending on the size structure
you are creating. .
14.
Be sure the
first two have weight on the pipe to counter balance weight of the
horizontal pipe in the next truss being built. When you are ready to
attach the last truss you will have to be cut the pipe so that
the final edge of the tarp just touches the pipe. It is best to
actually pull part of the tarp over the structure temporarily to be sure
you have done your calculations right. You can do this with a tape
measure if you know the exact length of the tarp.
15. WHEN TO
ATTACH THE TARP.
Bolts should be snug.
Do NOT exert extra pressure on the bolts . IF it strips the bolts and
then they won't be able to lock the frame down at that point .
Once you have the whole frame assembled it is very difficult to
pull a fitting loose and change it out for another one. If you do strip
a bolt then you may want to drill it through and insert a standard bolt
to keep the portion of the tent secure.
The
tarp should be snug touching the frame and not stretched.
The larger tents
should be assembled with one section at a time placing the tarp over
the frame only when
the frame is completely
built and re-measured to be sure that it will meet the pipe exactly.
16. WIND:
You want
plenty of help so the wind doesn't grab the tent as a kite until you can
get it locked down securely.
Ropes can be used
to pull the tarp over the frame. Extra ladders of different sizes on
the work site are always helpful.
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17.Click on photo for larger view.
Water ponding potential.
Keep your tarp tight or
buy extra trusses. This is not as important on a dome tent as
it is on a gable tent. |

Click on photo for larger view.
This accumulated
water gets
heavy and can
collapse your tent.
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Click on photo for
larger view.
Sign Holder Used to make End cap eaves on a dome tent. |
18. NO FOOT PADS.
Dome tents usually do not use foot pads. The bottom pipe acts as a skid.
You can drag a dome tent along the ground to another position.
Watch that you frame does not pancake when moved away from the
width stabilizers.
If
you want your
tarps to go all the way to the ground you can attached the ball bungees
on the tarp to the bottom horrizontal pipe. The final side will
have a slide fitting which is used as a tightening bar. You
will decide when you cut your pipe about where you want the tightening
bar to be located. You could order the dome with to be without the
tightening bar but it is very hard to measure the frame and make
it fit the tarp exactly . Sometimes Square Tarps and not even square.
19. COLOR
CODING YOUR TENT:
Once
you have finished putting your tarp canopy together mark or color code
all your pipe and
fittings with tape or a
felt pen so you can quickly reassemble the tarp the next time you use
it.
Ex. A goes with A. and BB
goes with BB, 1 with 1, etc. Red with Red, Blue with Blue,
Green with Green. etc. We sell 7 rolls of different
colored electrical tape for $10. each 3/4" roll is 60 ft.
long. It is a very good grade of electrical tape.
20.ATTACHING THE TARP TO THE FRAME:
When your frame is rock solid you can tie ropes to the tarp and slide
it over the frame or hand
it over using stepladders.
If you have cut your pipe correctly you should use mostly 6" ball
bungees .
Use the 9” ball bungees
when the tarp does not touch the pipe. Some times you may have to tie
two ball bungees together and sometimes you may have to wrap the cord
around the pipe several times to get it snug.
21.TAKING THE TENT DOWN.
When you are
taking the frame down it can be just as dangerous when you install it.
Remove the tarp
first and roll it up dry and clean. Anticipate
anything that may occur when you remove support leg from a support
pole when you are disassembling the tent. Keep children away while
you dismantle your tent.
22.
PIPE LENGTH.
When a customer first gets
his tent the question always comes up on how many of the 10 ft
pipe have to be cut. In general most of them have to be cut. On
the dome tent usually you will have to cut most of the pipe. You have
tremendous latitude because with the same size tarp you can create
the dome to be higher and then narrow or lower and than wider.
Each truss should be the same. Because no 2 tarps are
exactly the same I will NOT be able to tell you how long to cut
the pipe. You have to decide which is most important as far as
determining the width and height of your dome tent.
23. Tarps and angles.
A. Tarps are seldom as big as they say they are.
Even if they give you a printed cut size you can not believe that. The
only real way you will know the size is by using a tape measure.
Write the size down on the tarp on each corner with directional arrows
for quick future reference.
B. The initial angles are usually 12 degrees but when you put two of
these together in one connector the angle becomes 24 degrees.
24. SAME SIZE PIPE.
If you want the
distance between your trusses to be all the same you can just cut the
first truss to truss sections shorter and the last section longer making
them all the same for easier reassembly.
Color code and mark all pipe and connectors as soon as you have
finished.
24. THE TIGHTENING BAR. V
When you have 10 fittings per truss with 8 sections or 8
fittings/ truss with 6 sections one fitting will be a thru
fitting used to slide up and down on sections either 1 and 6
or sections 1 and 8 to draw your tarp super tight. The frame will be
come stronger as you do this. IT will also look nicer and help you to
keep the roof tarp adjusted taut to prevent water from ponding on your
tarp. .If your tarp is NOT taut
and has a loose area where rain water may pocket it could bend the pipe
and collapse the tent. This is more likely to happen on a gable roof tent
then on a dome tent. When laying our your arch truss you
should allow some room to pull the tarp further down the last vertical
pipe section so you can get the tarp maximum taut. Once you
start you don't want to have to re-dot the trusses to fit your
tarp. Good planning will save you a lot of headaches and a lot of
time.
25. PONDING.
:One
of the problems you should really watch out for is a loose roof tarp. If the tarp is not tight it will pocket, pond water, collect and store
water. If your tarp will be unattended and up for a long time we suggest
It is recommended that as soon as you are almost finished with the
roof tarp that you take the garden hose to the top of the tent and let
water run down over the tarp. If it starts to collect and does not run
off then you need to adjust the tent so the water does not collect on
the roof of the tarp.
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