Side Tent Poles

Tom Ruggles

Tom Ruggles

Novice
Has anyone had issue with the slider clamps on the aluminum side tent poles? We used them with no problem initially, cleaned some rust off of them and lubricated the insides, and now I'll be darned if I can get the locking mechanism to hold. Our way around that has been to add some blue painter's tape to increase friction, but it is not a very satisfactory solution. Any ideas out there?

Thamks
 
I'd be interested in hearing what Cary or Craig have to say. My guess would be to remove the lubrication and/or scuff up a section where you normally set the clamps with sand paper.
 
Same here (although I use wire wool) I always get them out after a trip if there has been any moisture. A quick rub spray with WD40 good as new.
 
We had an issue with one of our poles this weekend, not holding. We saw that the circular bracket the holds the slider clamps (unsure of terminology here) had slid down a few millimeters away from the end of the pole. We knocked it back up toward the end of that section and it held after that.
 
Remember there are two places you can adjust so if one section slips in a particular spot just move the pole to a place that holds then adjust with the other section. I hope that makes sence.

I notice sometimes I have to tighten them up,if the side tent has got. A bit slack but no real issues with slippage.
 
What LisaNKevin said about the clamp sliding - both of ours did the same thing and when I pushed the clamps back down they worked as intended. Ultimately we replaced both poles with REI poles.
 
You might try a hose clamp to replace the slipping ring in a pinch or even electrical tape. I noticed the tendency to slip last weekend and used a rat tail file to put a bit of an edge to the inside of the clamp link. Bob
 
Nobody has mentioned the fact that you lubricated the poles. That oil will get around and the sliders work by friction. You'll need to clean off the oil and then I don't think you will have a problem.
 
Exactly. No lube. Clean with Dawn and then scotch bright. I run into them sticking more than anything else and use the blue scotch bright pads to wipe them down. These poles were tricky the first couple of times, with blood shed, but i got the hang of them
 
I had the same problem until I discovered that the clamping ring had slid down from the end of the pole limiting the binding angle of the rotating tab. The problem is the rivet is not set (mashed down) enough to fix the clamp to the pole. So I used the anvil end of my bench vise to back up the rivet and hammered the opposite side until the clamp was firmly fixed to the pole.
My poles got very corroded after a couple of outings in the rain and not separating the poles afterwards. So, I used some sandpaper and a Scotch Bright to clean them and followed up with a wipe down with a silicon lube. They slip very easily going up and stay put when the compression force is applied. I just have to remember to disassemble the poles if they become wet so they don't corrode.
 
I had cleaned the corrosion from our poles several times, and also had the problem of the clamping ring slipping too, so started looking for an alternative pole. I ran across an idea for a DIY adjustable telescopic PVC pole, and made a pair for our side tent in the fall of 2014. So far I have been happy with their ease of use, and lack of problems through one season. They have not been tested in all situations yet, but so far so good.
Here is a link to a You Tube video showing the operation. I used some schedule 80 for the inner tube, and schedule 40 for the outer for a good fit, and the aluminum disc used for the adjustment stop ends up being football shaped, which is a common question on the You Tube posting:

 

These are the bees knees available on Amazon. Must remove the rubber end cap on base to fit into side tent floor pocket. Not the most economical solution but a real convenience and time saver.
 
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RShep said:

These are the bees knees available on Amazon. Must remove the rubber end cap on base to fit into side tent floor pocket. Not the most economical solution but a real convenience and time saver.
Click to expand...
Nice tarp poles! I've used Kelty adjustable tarp poles for the past several years. They are nice but did rust at the button after a weekend of salt exposure camping at the beach. I may have to get a pair (or 2) of these. Thanks!
 
Tom Ruggles said:
Has anyone had issue with the slider clamps on the aluminum side tent poles? We used them with no problem initially, cleaned some rust off of them and lubricated the insides, and now I'll be darned if I can get the locking mechanism to hold. Our way around that has been to add some blue painter's tape to increase friction, but it is not a very satisfactory solution. Any ideas out there?

Thamks
Click to expand...

We bought the REI poles too. Not sure if they are 6ft or 8ft...
REI Co-op Adjustable Tarp Pole - Single
Item #845322
REI Co-op Adjustable Tarp Pole - Single | REI Co-op
 
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+1 on the REI tent poles. Just used them this past week with 5 days straight of rain...The 8’ version is the one you need. Not only do they look great they are all aluminum and won’t rust. And they are way easier to extend and lock. No slippage whatsoever..My only “problem” is that the plastic foot fits very snugly in the side tent base pocket. Next time I’ll remove the plastic cap and it should fit better (and allow the any water to drain out). when I took them down and apart they had about 3” of water in the bottom of them that I just emptied. Since it’s all aluminum shouldn’t be an issue with rust or corrosion. My tent poles I got with the side tent were horribly rusted after using only one use. It was embarrassing to even think of using those again..
 
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