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1. Why is there such a difference in price for the same size tents from different companies?

2. Is there a difference in vinyl?

3. What is the difference between a pole, frame, clear span and tensile tent?

4. What does the fire marshal mean when they ask about vinyl being fire retardant?

5. How far in advance should I place an order?

6. What colors are available?

7. What is the advantage or disadvantage of one piece or sectional tents?

8. What is your payment policy?

9. How much should I charge for my tent rentals?

10. Do I have to have a permit every time I put up a tent?

11. Can a tent be custom-made to have the clients name written on it?

12. How do I determine the tent size needed for a certain number of people?

13. What’s the deal on side walls?

1. Why is there such a difference in price for the same size tents from different companies?

There are many factors that can be involved in the price of a tent, most important is the kind of vinyl used (see question #2). Stress lines, weight of the vinyl and the actual craftsmanship of the tent itself play a big part. A well made tent, taken care of properly, should last many years, which means profits to you!

2. Is there a difference in vinyl?

There are unlimited number of vinyl companies. Most of the cheaper vinyl (beware of overseas products) will lose its color after several seasons. A good vinyl will be have a high plasticized content which will prevent the brittleness and sun bleach that will occur after years of use. Vinyl is basically two sides of plastic laminate covering a woven yarn mesh (scrim). A good vinyl should be at least 1000 x 1000 denier (the width of the yarn). This affects stretching and tearing of the vinyl. Make sure that your tent has a fire retardant tag attached to the tent and that your vinyl meets the California Fire Code (see #4). There are two basic types of vinyl, translucent (the sun can penetrate through the material) and block out (an extra layer of dark laminate is added thus eliminating any outside effects such as sunlight). Patches are very visible on translucent material as opposed to being invisible on block out.

3. What is the difference between a pole, frame, clear span and tensile tent?

A pole tent utilizes an arrangement of vertical poles around the perimeter of the tent held in place by guy lines (ropes) attached to stakes placed 5 to 8 feet outside of the tent perimeter. The middle of the tent is supported by one or more center poles. A frame tent utilizes a pipe frame construction with the tent top stretched over it. There are no center poles and the tent is held to the ground via stakes or weights. A clear span structure is a frame tent that utilizes much heavier framework making these tents better for year round use. They range in widths up to 164 ft. A tensile (tension) tent is like a pole tent except greater amounts of load tension is applied to the top giving it a frame tent look and more structural integrity.

4. What does the fire marshal mean when they ask about vinyl being fire retardant?

Flame retardant is the ability for the fabric to extinguish itself after the flame has been removed. There are several testing procedures but the California State test is the most widely accepted. Flame retardant does NOT mean flame proof. Fire and tent safety became an issue after a fire killed 168 and injured more than 400 in Hartford, CT in 1944. Tents at that time were cleaned with turpentine and sealed with paraffin to prevent leakage. Today, most tents are made from vinyl rather than canvas eliminating both of these disastrous processes.

5. How far in advance should I place an order?

All tent companies differ. GOFF/Southeast Tents is a custom order company. This means that we don’t keep an inventory on hand. We make each order in turn. There is sometimes a one to two month wait for product, depending on size and amount. Tents, 20 wide and smaller, can normally be delivered within one to two weeks.

6. What colors are available?

The most common colors for tents are white, blue, red, yellow, and green.
For the real adventurous, there are pastels, tan, brown, black, purple and teal. The majority of tents made will be one solid color or a combination of two.

7. What is the advantage or disadvantage of one piece or sectional tents?

The main advantage of a sectional tent is that you get more tents for your money. For example, a 20 x 40 can become a 20 x 20 or a 20 x 30. A 20 x 40 cannot make two 20 x 20’s because there is one set of ends and two mid sections. The disadvantage is the possibility of leaks in the lace lines and keeping up with all of the mid sections. If you get into longer festival tents, such as 30 x 300 or 20 x 200, sectional tents will be a must.

8. What is your payment policy?

We require 50% down and balance due before shipping. Client is responsible for shipping costs.

9. How much should I charge for my tent rentals?

Unfortunately, the most important rule of thumb is how much is your competition charging. You can set your price at any amount you want, but if the customer is used to paying a lower price to your competition you might be sitting on a warehouse full of unused inventory.

10. Do I have to have a permit every time I put up a tent?

Cities have different requirements and codes. The most common permits are for fire and building safety. It is usually the responsibility of the client to obtain these permits, which is good because time spent chasing these things down takes away time spent making money for the company. It is not uncommon for the client to ask you to give them a copy of flame resistance for the tents being used. Your tent manufacturer can supply you with these.

11. Can a tent be custom-made to have the clients name written on it?

Absolutely. We make tents for colleges, corporations, car lots, and you name it. There are additional charges for this service depending on signage.

12. How do I determine the tent size needed for a certain number of people?

The size of the tent should be calculated by multiplying the number of people sheltered by an average sq. ft. of their activity. For example, a buffet dinner requires 10 sq. ft. per person, formal dinner/15 sq. ft. per person, dancing/8 sq. ft. per person, seated auditorium style/6 sq. ft. per person.

13. What’s the deal on side walls?

The deal on side walls is simple. They are the hardest working items in show business. They get wadded up and thrown in a pile, they get drug on the ground, in short they get abused. For most companies, a life expectancy of two years for walls is about normal. Some replace every year in order to keep a grade A look to their presentation. Clear walls are the hardest to maintain. Folding of the vinyl creates a milky crease (remember the back of your old convertible?). One year of use for clear walls is lucky. This is one of the reasons why we make our cathedral windows with removable, clear or tinted panes. We also make a festival grade wall for half the price of 10 and 13 oz. walls.

152 Commerce Drive Nicholasville, KY 40356
Toll Free 1-800-827-TENT
Local 859-887-5272
Fax 859-887-4232