Replacement parts for old Coleman American Heritage tent

[jkuenzer]

Hey, everyone

My first post here and I hope I get it right. :-)

I have a "vintage" Coleman American Heritage tent from the early to mid 1970s. Still in great shape and could be used if it weren't for a couple of plastic tips on the ends of some of the poles.

Just curious if anyone had any leads on replacement parts or workarounds/repairs for the tips. I've attached a couple of images to give you an idea of what I'm working with.

Sure, I could probably go out and get a cheap replacement tent, but this is the tent I camped in as a child and I'd love to be able to share the experience with my kids, too.

Thanks in advance for your help!


Jim

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Replacement parts for old Coleman American Heritage tent

Well, this isn't a very elegant solution, but you could just get some metal (or whatever material is convenient) rods and some epoxy putty. Make a plug of the putty a couple of inches deep in the tent pole and sick a short length of the metal rod into it. You could take a file and round off the protruding end of the rod if you wish.

[jkuenzer]

Re: Replacement parts for old Coleman American Heritage tent

If you could see the tent, you'd know "elegant" isn't at the top of my list.

It sounds like a great idea, though. I'll give it a shot.

Thanks!

[Fred]

Re: Replacement parts for old Coleman American Heritage tent

One place to checkout is Tentpole Technologies: http://tentpoletechnologies.com/

Another is Quest Outfitters: http://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm

You should be able to fix those poles, or as a last resort replace them. Good luck.

[MacGyver]

Re: Replacement parts for old Coleman American Heritage tent

One place to checkout is Tentpole Technologies: http://tentpoletechnologies.com/

Another is Quest Outfitters: http://www.questoutfitters.com/tent_poles.htm

You should be able to fix those poles, or as a last resort replace them. Good luck.

I love those sites but, for a change, I couldn't recommend either one. Their parts are geared more to dome style tents and the closest size pin they offer isn't going to be thick enough. If the nylon tips on jkuenzer's poles are anything like the ones that were on my Oasis Coleman from years ago, the diameter of the pins are pretty critical to maintaining structural integrity. By that I mean if the pin is too small for the hole it goes into, they'd be subject to snapping over time from rattling around when the wind blows or people bumping into the tent. I'd be more inclined to go with Irate's suggestion to MacGyver one up from a metal rod.

On the other hand, and for the long shot suggestion of the year, there is a surplus store here in Maryland that has all kinds of old gear, including poles and pole sets for vintage tents. I'd be willing to bet they'd have a pole with the correct tip, if not the exact pole itself. The store is called H&H Outdoors located at 424 N Eutaw Street in Baltimore City. Yeah - I did say long shot :p

[Happy Joe]

Re: Replacement parts for old Coleman American Heritage tent

Many extendable replacement aluminum poles come with one end swaged to a smaller size to fit into grommets or poles.


From the pic my first thought would be to ask around and see if you know anyone with a lathe. Replacement tips could be turned pretty easily from many metals, high density polyethylene, Delrin, nylon or even wood.

In the absence of a lathe (you might try looking for plastic/brass hose barbs at the local hardware store; depending on the pole's internal diameter you may find something that can be wedged in; some file work, or wrapping with tape to get a good wedge fit, may be necessary.


Another thought would be to drill a hole in the broken plastic end, tap (thread) it to a size consistent with the diameter of one of the unbroken ends, cut the head end off of a partially threaded bolt (with the same shank diameter as the broken plastic peg) and turn it in an electric drill and file or simply file it to remove the sharp edges then screw it into the plastic.
Note for those unfamiliar with taping threads the drilled hole needs to be less than the bolt size; i.e. a the hole for a 1/4 inch bolt needs to be drilled undersized (13/64 or a #7 drill for a 1/4-20 tap).


If all else fails get out the pocket knife and whittle some...(though I fear that pocketknives and whittling are becoming extinct), be careful though it is easy to cut one's self.


Enjoy!

[jkuenzer]

Re: Replacement parts for old Coleman American Heritage tent

Thanks for the help, everyone. I think I'm going to start simple (whittling) and make my way up the list until I reach "petition the Coleman company to manufacture the American Heritage."

I'll be sure to let everyone know where I land.

Hopefully on my feet.