Date:         Tue, 27 Jun 1995 19:39:03 -0400 (EDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Janello <mjanello@umich.edu>
Subject:      help! my new tent

Well I love my new tent but I can't figure out how to 
put it together.  Tim Smith of this list described his
tent to me and it seems totally different.  

Here's what I have:  it has a tag inside that says
"Volkswagen Campertent.  Part No. ZVW 199-101.  No. 2232".
It is square, with a green rubberized floor, brown/orange canvas sides and top.
There are a whole lot of alumininum poles which come in
groups of 4:  
   -> big ones with a peg on the end (peg goes through
big grommet at corner of tent?); 

   ->big ones that fit into them (these have a spring inside 
the other end, so a smaller pole stuck in here will give) 

   ->small diameter straight poles (a flared end fits other small poles)

   ->small diameter bent poles (no flares) ASCII drawing of bent pole:

          _________
                   \
                    \

other parts:  a star connector made of six short pipes welded together
(small pipes fit into) like this:

        \|
       -- --
         |\


plus two solid rods that fit together (these fit into the rain gutter, 
I think) plus two straight small pipes (I think these to into the star
diagonal and hold up the awning.

Anyway, the tent has grommets at all four corners on a little strap
on the ground, a little strap with a snap to
hold a pole on the outside of each corner at about 3ft off the ground,
and then four long canvas sleeves lead from above this to the center.

The problem is that the one bent tube doesn't seem to bend enough--the
star connector is flat and no matter which way I assemble the tubes
they still seem to be pointing up.

Does anyone have a tent that is like this?  Am I missing pieces?

Thanks in advance,
Mark
mjanello@umich.edu