Pole Repairs

Please use caution when doing these repairs.

• There is a risk of burning oneself or getting fiberglass slivers.
• Campers Village is not responsible for any injury incurred as a result of performing your own pole repairs (whether you use our instructions or not).

There is always the option of purchasing a new set (or part of a set) of poles if it’s warranted! Sometimes the cost of repairing your poles will be greater than replacing them. Come down to the store and we can let you know how you can save the most money.

Three things can happen to fiberglass tent pole that necessitate repairs.

1. The fiberglass section breaks (either right in two or lengthwise), or the section cracks and bends near the end.
2. The metal piece (the ferrule) breaks or bends.
3. The shock-cord that holds the sections together breaks, frays, or loses its elasticity.

Replacing Broken Pole Sections – it’s easier than you think!

Required Materials

• Knife or scissors
• One or two clamps (spring loaded or vice-grips): two makes things easier, but only one is necessary
• Hack saw
• File
• Table vice (optional)

Step-By-Step Procedure    

1. Prepare a pole section of the same thickness and length. Measure length from the middle of the ferrule to the end of the pole and measure the diameter with a micrometer (usually in millimetres but sometimes also in calibre (fraction of an inch in thousandths)).
   1. To cut a pole down to size (this is where the table vice may come in handy) 
   2. Score around the circumference of the section using a hack saw. 
      1. This prevents the pole from splitting as there is a shell surrounding the softer core. 
   3. Cut the remainder of the way through the pole
   4. Use the file to round the edge of the pole and remove all burrs and splinters 
      1. This prevents the poles from snagging and catching your tent and shock cord, and makes working with the poles much more pleasant
2. Next you’ll disassemble the pole to get at the broken sections. Look at the sections on either end of the pole. The section with fewer open-ended ferrules is the one you will remove.
   1. Pull as much shock-cord as possible from the end of the pole that you won’t be disassembling into the end that you will be disassembling and put the clamp between the broken section and the last good section.
      1. You also have the option of buying new shock-cord. New cord is stiffer, and is often easier to push through the poles. Campers Village can help you determine how much you need for your repairs.
   2. Undo the knot at the end of the pole that you’re going to disassemble. 
      1. If the knot is inside an open-ended ferrule you can use tiny pliers to get it out or you can force the knot out by pushing the shock-cord from the other end
      2. If the knot is inside a pointed steel cap (or a rounded rubber one) that is held by hot glue,) you can just cut the cord next to the knot, that way you’ll get a clean end to feed through later.
   3. Next pull on all the sections up to and including the broken one off of the shock-cord.
3. Now reassemble the pole by threading the good sections on to the shock-cord
   1. We chose that end of the pole to disassemble earlier so that we wouldn’t have to thread it into the ferrule now 
4. About every two sections or so you’ll have to stretch the shock-cord in the sections you just put on and clamp it so you’ll have enough to comfortably get to the end
5. When you get to the end, re-tie the knot and re-attach the end cap if there was one.