Somewhat related question — anyone have a good source for how Otter recommends folding these up? Being new to a flip over, it seems I just kinda pack and stuff the tent between the poles while folding it down but I’ve seen some have had issues with holes wearing in the tent fabric. Most often from the bolt heads that attach the bench to the sled. Would prefer to maximize the life of this rather expensive piece of equipment and prevent the simple things. TIA.
I’ve never had any issues with wearing holes in the canvas because the canvas was between the poles. Specific to the bench seat models, when folding the canvas material in make sure the canvas isn’t laying on top of the seat hinges and NEVER, EVER, put anything on top of the canvas when the canvas is laying in the bottom of the sled. If you put a 20# propane tank on top of the canvas and take a 30 mile rip across Lake of the Woods… you’re going to get wear spots. Instead lift the canvas up off the bottom of the tub, place the heavy item in direct contact with the tub, and tuck the canvas on the side of the heavy item. Auger flighting is another item that could cause damage if left in contact with the canvas. My advise is to use an auger tube or mount the auger to your ATV / sled. Simple stuff. Mostly just use common sense and you’ll be fine. At the end of the season, after many miles on the ice, my canvases typically look brand new.
