I have a tent purchased in late 90's don't have the instructions. It doesn't have a label in it. It is green plastic with tan mesh. It doesn't have sleeves but black plastic hooks

Hello -

I have found some instructions online with directions on assembling a Wenzel tent. However, none of them are clear is they are for the Swiss Gear tent style 36288.

See these instructions:
http://campingexpertguides.blogspot.com/2016/06/classic-wenzel-camping-tents-assembly.html

If you have not already done so, I suggest you contact the Wenzel Tent & Gear Co. directly and ask a Customer Service representative about the availability of assembly instructions for your Wenzel tent style. The company may hold instructions in the corporate archives which can be copied (for a fee) for you.

This is the link to the Wenzel Tent & Gear Co. Contact Us page:
https://wenzelco.com/contact-us/

If you choose to make a telephone call, I suggest you do so during weekday business hours (Mountain Time).

Best wishes.

I believe I have the same Ridgeway tent - over 20 years old. Red-, Blue- and Green-labeled poles. Best setup will require at least 2 persons. Here is a quick guide to setup:

1. First, stake the tent floor down making sure it is taut.

2. Center poles are labeled with Blue dots. There are 3 separate poles that fit through the center channel - 1 straight pole with 'male' connectors on each end (this will be in the middle), and 2 poles with curved 'female' ends. The curved ends need to slip through the center loops (there's a 'hook' to hold the loop). The center upright poles consist of a bottom pole (which should have a cap on one end and an adjustable ring on the other) and a 2-piece snap pole (with grooves on one end). Make sure to slip the pole with the grooves through the adjust ring (this will allow adjusting the height of the center of the tent). There are also 2 strings at the center of the tent about a foot above the ground. Tie these strings around the upright center pole to ensure that the center upright pole doesn't separate too far from the tent.

3. Poles with Red dots are for the ends of the tent. There is a curved 2-piece snap pole that slips through the end channel. Then, you have a 3-piece straight snap pole that attaches to each side of the curved pole. The bottom end of the straight pole should be placed about a 1.5 feet from the bottom of the center pole (at about a 45-degree angle). The door ends are essentially 'leaning' outward from the center.

4. Poles with Green dots are for the extended door cover on the large door side. These are 2 snap poles with ends that fit through the grommet holes of the cover.

Photos of erected tent are attached.





We don't use our tent very often, but my son just took it camping and it was a breeze to set up. If you still have the plastic stakes, I would recommend replacing those with metal stakes, as the plastic stakes break easily. Also, you may need to find a rain fly that fits the tent.

Finally figured it out through trial and error. This right here is the only correct explanation given anywhere on the net.

First, make sure you have all of your poles. There will be 4 straight green ones, 4 straight blue, 4 straight burgundy with plastic feet, 4 curved yellow, 2 small orange arches, a straight pink and a straight white.

Before you start putting the poles together, stake the tent down at every loop point around the base of the tent. There should be 10 of them. Make sure they're fairly tight and the floor of the tent is taught and flat but not so tight that you tear the tent at the seam. Stake 1 corner first. Then put the second stake through the second loop in order and using a firm pressure, pull away from the first stake, along the line of the tent base, make taught and push the second stake into the ground. Repeat until finished.

The first pole assembly uses in this order, going out from the yellow arch, which is in the center. From one side of that arch, add one green, then a curved yellow, then another green and a burgundy at the bottom. Do the same from the other side of the center arch piece.

This arch outlines the door and goes through the 3 loops on the front of the tent, around the door, so the poles hold the tent up. the loops at the bottom are not for the poles. Every loop around the bottom are where the stakes go to hold it down. For now point the feet towards the back of the tent wherever they will stand on their own. You can fine tune it and firm it up once you get the second arch in place.

All green ones should now be used up.

For the second arch, do the same thing but use the blue instead of the green. So from the one side of the yellow arch, 1 blue, 1 curved yellow, one blue and one burgundy. Same order from the other side of the arch.

Now all the poles should be used up except for the straight pink one and the straight white one. These two go together to make a straight pole that goes through the metal loops attached to the yellow arch pieces and locks the two arch assemblies apart at the top.

Now this takes some maneuvering and some word smithery to describe but what you want to do is make sure the feet of the front arch assembly, are pointed towards the back of the tent and stop at the side. The back arch feet will point towards the front of the tent. They both stop about 6 inches BEFORE the center tie down loop on the SIDES of the tent, on either side of the center loop. The front arch will actually lean forward, with the feet pointed behind it and wedged into the ground, right up against the tent at the bottom, move it around until you have a nice firm feel to it. Same with the back arch but this one will lean away from the back of the tent and the feet pointed towards the front. Once you get the back arch into place, it will really firm up and won't budge.

Another way to describe it would be that the two arch assemblies feet will point towards each other at the side of the tent, about 6 inches before they reach the center loop on either side.

Hope this helped. =)
Posted on Jul 04, 2015

90 Ford Aerostar Colby Stereo System
Wiring color code:
Speaker Power Ground
Left Front Orange/light green Light Blue/white
Right front White/light green Dark green/orange
Right Rear Tan/light green Brown/black
Left Rear Tan/white Tan/yellow
Other Wires:
Yellow/black = Hot - Key On
Light green/yellow = Hot - Direct to Battery
Light blue/Red = Radio lights
Black = Ground
Black/light green = Ground
This is what I found for you,hope it helps. Good luck.

Is it the tent with the plastic staves? If so, just put them together and insert the rounded end into the equivalent hole on the bottom of the tent. Sit the tent upright with the doors open. Reach into the top of the tent and push/pull the chrome lever at the top until it locks into position. Sometimes you have to wiggle it around a little to get it to lock. When it does lock, you will know it because the tent is rigid. This is a great tent. We have used one for over 40 years! When you want to disassemble it, just pull down on the chrome lever at the top of the tent and reverse the procedure.

dont remember how to fold up a thomas and friends mesh pop-up tent.

Wenzel does. They e-mailed me one for a different model that I bought on eBay. They're website doesn't offer any help but they were very helpful when I called!
1-800-325-8368