Investing in Lotus Belle brings with it the peace of mind that help
and support are only ever a phone call away. We love hearing from
customers and learning about ways to improve. All faults are rectified
and we stock a complete range of spare parts. Here are some of the
most common questions.
Our tents are made from 360gsm (380gsm after coating) waterproof / fire / UV / rot resistant canvas - it's seriously good stuff. This is one of the main reasons our tents cost more than other Bell Tents (and of course there is much more canvas in a Lotus Belle). The groundsheet is made from 540gsm PVC- this is the same stuff that boat covers and lorry curtains are made of, again seriously heavy duty. Your tent will come with everything you need to put it up, including the groundsheet, pegs, poles, guy ropes, and even a mallet!
Yes.
Please call 07723 504642 to arrange a viewing in Bristol or Penzance.
Or come and see us on tour!... This year we're going to be at The Glamping Show in September, which is at Stoneleigh in Birmingham.
Ideally you'll need about 7m diameter space to put up the 4m tent, 8m to put up the 5m tent and 9m for a 6m tent. The pitching footprint can be greatly reduced using rigid upright posts around the outside.
The Air Bud with included porch requires 5m x 7m. The Mahal needs at least 12m x 12m and the Mela approximately 11m x 11m.
Please contact us for more info.
Yes! Obviously it depends on which tent you're after, but finally we have a ‘yurt’ that you can take camping. Most of our tents fold up and fit into a large hold-all which should fit into your car boot - so there's even room for your sleeping bag (and perhaps some clothes too if you're lucky). If using a banana bag you may need to sacrifice one of your back seats. For specific information on the packaged sizes of each tent, please see the product pages or get in touch and we'd be happy to help!
No, they're heavy. Our 4m tents weigh 56kg, and our 5m tents weigh 72kg. You'll need to get one of those lovely people with a golf cart to drive it to your campsite, although you might be able to manage a 4m tent using a sack truck if you're feeling fit. If you are looking for something that you can carry on your own across a festival site then we would recommend our revolutionary Lotus Air Bud, which is much more manageable.
Yes you can fit a burner, it’s easy to fit one yourself with the addition of the flashing kit provided with the burners we offer, (sold separately if you don't opt for the full kit) please check HERE to see the Anevay Stove range that we sell - for permanent / extended use we recommend the Frontier plus or Traveller stove, or for short camping trips we suggest the Frontier.
The first time you set up the tent you’ll need to tie on the guy ropes and insert the curved steel poles into the canvas wall. The whole process takes about an hour. Thereafter pitching the tent is a one-man job that only takes around thirty minutes - we know a guy who does it in 12!
Here you can see our 8-year-old son putting up a 4m tent on his own in around 25 minutes.
NB: Your tent will come with pictorial instructions, but in case you lose them, here's a reminder of the order in which to do things...View PDF Instructions
We also have a video tutorial on YouTube which can be viewed here:
We recommend a banana bag for rapid pitching and take down. They are shaped like a large banana which enables you to store the canvas wall part of your tent without having to remove the steel poles from the canvas. This shaves your pitching time down to around 20-25 minutes, and packing down time down to around 10 minutes.
This video shows our current best practice for how to fold and pack away your tent using a banana bag.
By hand:
Mud splatter - once the canvas is completely dry, most soiling can be easily brushed off. Any remaining marks can be removed. We have found that the best stuff to use is Ecover laundry liquid as it doesn't damage the proofing in the canvas. With a micro fibre cloth work away at stains and smears until they are gone.
Tree sap or Algae - There is no eco friendly answer that we have found, so our current best practise is to use a reputable weed killer, (Pathclear) spray over the affected canvas. Wait ten minutes then rinse this off with a light hosing (do not pressure wash as this will blast the proofing from the canvas).
For professional cleaning we recommend:
The Canvas Cleaning Company, based in Bridgwater, Somerset. Specialising in Lotus Belles, they commercially clean and waterproof canvas tents and can also offer a repairs service, as well as arranging collection and delivery.
The Canvas Cleaning Company are a subsidiary of Wild Hare Events, who hold a massive stock of our tents in the UK and supply boutique camping to some of the best known festivals in the country. They have perfected the system on their own stock and have also cleaned a number of my own tents, and for this reason, I can absolutely recommend them.
Please feel free to contact them to discuss cleaning of your Lotus Belles. Call Polly on (07855) 229568 or email polly@wildhareevents.com
Your canvas is treated to be waterproof, flame retardant, and rot proof. If you wash your tent thoroughly and regularly, you will wash off some of the treatment, and as such you will need to re-proof it with waterproofing solutions. You don’t need to do this every time you wash the tent, just one coat at the end of the season will be fine. Fabsil Grangers for cotton is our recommended waterproofing solution.
You can pitch your lotus belle on your land for 28 days in a year without planning permission. If you want to pitch it for a longer period then you will need planning permission. We have an expert who can help you get planning for your Lotus Belle(s). The flat fee initial consultation to include OS land checks is £200 + VAT,
Call Jodie 01823 421630