A problem is that due to a new European legislation in respect of anti-fungal and water-repellent agents for tent cloth (PCP, inter alia, is prohibited or will be so before long, while the cloth that is treated with heavy metals must be taken back by the manufacturer or supplier at the end of this service life), tent cloth from cotton or mixed fiber, such as cotton/polyester, becomes mildewed very quickly. As a consequence, under unfavorable conditions, a folding trailer tent cannot remain folded-in for more than 12 hours, which is an unacceptably short time. Also, with a folding trailer tent, it is no longer possible to camp for a longer time during rainy weather conditions, because the cloth will then be affected by fungi.
Because of these problems, the lifetime of tents manufactured from cotton cloth or cloth from mixed fiber becomes unacceptably short, especially in view of the relatively high purchase price. For environmental reasons, this is therefore an objectionable matter, since in spite of the fact that less toxic substances are used because of the new legislation, the substances remain toxic all the same, from an environmental viewpoint. In view of the (unduly) short lifetime, the tents have to be replaced more often than necessary.
The above problem of a short lifetime due to fungoid growth and fouling can be overcome by using cloth manufactured from synthetic material, such as waterproof polyester cloth or a cloth manufactured from other suitable synthetic fibers, or a plasticized cloth. However, a drawback of such type of cloth is that it does not breathe. As a consequence, condensation occurs on the inside of the tent construction. This also holds for a new type of cotton cloth which has recently become available and which is treated in such a manner that it does not become mildewed quickly and is fire-resistant, but which does not breathe sufficiently, if at all.
Another problem that presents itself in particular in roofs of tent constructions and in particular, but certainly not exclusively, in roofs of front tents of caravans, is that these tent roofs are fouled relatively quickly by sticky drops, such as resin, falling from trees, and by bird droppings. Cleaning of such tent roofs is hardly possible. In practice, it often turns out that front tents of caravans have to be replaced after two years already, due to the fouling of mainly the roof that has occurred in that period.