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8x8 foot British Army closed command canvas shelter fv2219143, HELP!!!


Meatslicer

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I've searched everywhere online for details of how these go together but they don't seem to have made it into anyone's list of supported equipment. This is kind of a last ditch attempt to get advice from anyone who might know about them before I have a complete mental breakdown holding aluminium tubes and connectors!

 

i put what I thought was an unsuccessful bid in on the Witham MOD Sales auction site, my bid didn't reach the reserve price so I forgot about it. Then the auctioneer dropped the reserve to my bid and I ended up having to pay for them. I am now the proud owner of 4 unissued closed command 8x8 foot canvas shelters with no frames, and a stillage containing 72 tent poles, two large water containers and an issued and "complete" tent and frame set that has so far defied my attempts to assemble into a useable shelter.

 

I'm usually pretty good at puzzles but the bits of frame I've got will not go together in any recognisable way that I can decipher. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I've only actually got part of the set that I would need.

 

So, would anyone on here have a clue where I can get a instruction book or assembly instructions for a frame tent that seems to have three of everything and is sending me Bat-**** crazy?

 

I'm going for a lie down in a darkened room!

 

Eric

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So, would anyone on here have a clue where I can get a instruction book or assembly instructions for a frame tent that seems to have three of everything and is sending me Bat-**** crazy?

 

it might help and then again it might not but there are manuals for shelters on the UK Government web site , might be that your shelter is similar plus or minus a few poles but you never know they may give you a few pointers.

 

Go to Google and search for ' shelter general purpose operating instructions ' which will give you the links , top two results are for a 12x12 general purpose shelter and a 9x9 command post shelter , there may be others if you look further in to it. How you craft your Google query determines the search results and if you just type ' shelter operating instructions ' you'll not get the command post link on the first page.

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Yes, I've tried this link several times but even the bit near the end doesn't really help coz the frame I have doesn't really match any of these either.

 

I don't have enough 3 way or one way connectors to follow these plans.

 

but thanks for the reply anyway.

 

Eric

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I bought one of these from Withams too ... beguiled by the title 'sleeping tent'. I made a similar query on the FV432 forum and described my tent as follows -

 

Briefly there are 2 triangular A frames which form the two ends of the roof, then 2 long poles with a hinged section which I assume links to the vehicle. These are pushed through the A frames and the roof is rounded off with a single ridge pole and 6 extending roof supports. These run from the ridge to the long side pole and are held in place by the weight of the canvas. This structure then rests on an extendable vertical pole at each corner.

 

So far so good. You then have sufficient poles and supports to hold three of the four portico doors rigid. For each door there are 2 vertical poles that link to the main long poles in the roof, two extendable poles that stand at the outer edge of the door, 2 supports that link these inner and outer poles and a cross member to top the 2 outer poles! (7 items for each door!)

 

The main tent appears to be an 8' square with a door in the centre of each wall. You could link three vehicles and have one exit, but I can't see why you'd want to.

 

In essence it isn't a sleeping tent - it has no door closures! But with the judicious use of some spare canvases it'll serve it's purpose. I've also bought a couple of storm straps to hold it down - there are no guys.

 

Nic

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The main tent appears to be an 8' square with a door in the centre of each wall. You could link three vehicles and have one exit, but I can't see why you'd want to.

 

Nic

 

The purpose of having tents which link several FV432 armoured command vehicles (ACV) is to provide working accommodation for formation headquarters staff. At brigade or divisional level a number of command variants of FV432 would be parked up in parallel lines, perhaps 3 or 4 on each side, and with perhaps 2 more at each end with their rear doors open and the ensuing gap in the middle covered by canvas. Each FV432 would provide a particular function: Commander, Chief of Staff, Operations, Intelligence, Artillery, Engineers, Aviation and so on and then each staff cell would work off 6 foot tables and folding canvas chairs in the central area while all the comms would be remoted from the ACVs. Map boards would be hung over the horizontal tent poles. If the HQ came under threat then the staff would move into the back of the vehicles and continue to function, under armour, without loss of capability, but, obviously somewhat more cramped than before. Further away there would be similar groupings of ACVs providing the logistic HQ - various support functions - controlling convoy routes and deployment areas, ensuring supplies of ammunition, POL, rations, spares and repair, medical support and so on. Both HQ might be duplicated (main and step-up) so command would be able to switch between them when it was required for one set to move, thus maintaining continuity of command. Not all HQ would be armoured, similar HQ could be provided using box bodies on the back of 4 tonners (BBVs). Each of these HQ complexes would then be supported by various forms of comms provided by R Signals from their own specialist variants of FV430 (FV436, I seem to remember) or, in unarmoured HQ, specialist BBVs. Beyond that there would be the necessary facilities for eating, washing and sleeping provided by the HQ signal regiment or squadron. In effect a small mobile village which could appear at the drop of a hat in the middle of nowhere and be gone the next day with nothing to show for it but old vehicle tracks. All very clever and, of course very mobile and capable of being moved every 24 hours or so as the tactical situation demanded.

 

10 68

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Briefly there are 2 triangular A frames which form the two ends of the roof, then 2 long poles with a hinged section which I assume links to the vehicle. These are pushed through the A frames and the roof is rounded off with a single ridge pole and 6 extending roof supports. These run from the ridge to the long side pole and are held in place by the weight of the canvas. This structure then rests on an extendable vertical pole at each corner.

 

Nic

 

Could I trouble you for a list of poles and their measurements, and connectors you have in your package?

I might have more chance of getting these together to make a complete shelter if I actually knew what I should have. A photo of the poles would be really great if you can manage it.

 

I didn't get any straight connectors at all, and I seem to have three of everything including the long poles which should be in a set of 4 I think.

 

Cheers

Eric

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It's all packed away in a trailer with my 12 x 12 at the moment, but (mechanical gods willing) I'm going to Croft next weekend, so I'll see what I can do for you then. Like a lot of things once you've got your head round it it's not too bad, but horrendously complicated and far from intuitive! It took 3 of us 2 hours to work it out.

 

Come and visit if you're out that way. http://www.croftnostalgia.co.uk/

 

Nic

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I've unpacked one of the canvases from its plastic bag. There are no instructions included which seems a bit mean. There are two canvas window sheets that clip onto the two side windows as blackouts. They both have fv436 printed on them, which as far as I can find out is an APC vehicle which was used as a command and control truck, the shelter would have attached to the rear of the vehicle.

 

Im going to try draping the whole thing over a 3metre by 3metre gazebo frame to see what it's like assembled. If I have to trim the gazebo poles to fit it, that's easy enough with a pipe cutter. This will give me a rough idea what dimensions I need for the frame.

 

watch this space:red:

 

Eric

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12x12 poles1.jpg

 

This is my best effort so far on assembling the frame parts I have. The canvas these came packed with is a FV693240, I think thats a 12x12 foot canvas shelter. I have the roof, long side extension canvas and 3 end sections, 2 of which will clip together and form a door flap at one end of the shelter, the other one is older and much used and will only form one side of the tent flap.

12x12 poles2.jpg

12x12 poles12.jpg

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I think I've cracked it. Found an old classified ad for a Bedford truck side canvas shelter from about 3 years ago. It has exactly the same frame sections and connectors as I have, including the multiples of three tubing supports, and the lashing wires are the same. Only difference is I've also got all the canvases to go with it, including the side and end door flap sections.

 

Result.

 

Now I know how to describe it.

 

This is is the picture of the assembled frame from the old ad.

 

Ericimage.jpg

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As promised a primer on ‘Putting up a 432 command tent’.

The tent is essentially an 8’ square with doors in each face. It comes with sufficient poles to support three entrances and assumes the fourth will be connected to a vehicle. In practice several doors may have been connected to other vehicles or tents so I assume not all poles will have been used on every occasion.

Recognise your parts. First there are two triangular end pieces and two long side pole with hinged end sections. I assume the end sections are intended to mount onto the vehicle giving the tent some stability. Not pictured here is an extendable top ridge pole.IMG_0005.jpg

IMG_0004.jpg

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