Mountain Hardwear Haven 3

I loved the tent. Bought it in 2005. In 2008 one seam next to the zipper on the file delaminated. Looked to see if the tent was still made, and it wasn't. Intact there was nothing like it. I remember even trying out another tent that year and not liking it.

So we sewed the seam and sealed it. Haven't used that tent that much. This spring we used it once and 2 buckles came off (delaminated), the other seam next to the other door delaminated. I had, had enough, so i returned it to REI and now i am stuck looking for a tent with similar demensions and weight. Which is impossible to find because all of the stupid mesh that manufactures are putting in tents now.

This is the conversation i had with Mountain Hardware in 2008:

Daniel,

No there weren’t any problems known regarding this model or the particular issue you are having and at this point replacements are not available however; we would like to extend a credit for product to you via warranty @ retail value/ $375.

Return complete tent (body, fly sheet, pole set etc) to MHW-Warranty 1414 Harbour Way South-suit 1005 Richmond CA 94804 and include Ra# 907270 on the outside of the box. Also be sure to include your return address and a phone number as we would like to call you as soon as we received the item and process the assessment.

Regards, R

MHW has been at the cutting edge of technology developing outdoor products for over 15 years. Seam welding technology is something that has been at the forth front of these technologies we have developed and is later used by many companies, you see this in ski wear, mountain wear and lately in tents. Welding technology allows for the production of garment and equipment with less bulk so we can deliver light weight high performance products.

Unfortunately while Kent suggestion was a bit misleading at the moment he was not aware of our lack of stock for the requested part as I was out of town. We honestly believe your case is a very isolated situation and regret not to be able to assist you with a repair or replacement however; upon receiving your forward e-mail as a customer service resolution I immediately offer the credit no questions ask.

MHW is known to have the best customer service record in the industry for several years now; this is something we not only take pride on but take very seriously as we stand 100% behind the products we make. I was CC on Kent’s last e-mail to you and in your case it will best to return the item to REI for refund; this will allow you to exercise your product choice right away. Let me know.

Daniel,

Every year we put out a few new tents and some pass season models get drop out of the line. In most cases those models get dropped as they don’t make our forth cast sales to met the demand for production. The Haven 3 even thou was a great model is one of them. Regarding the problem itself in this particular welded spot there are many variants; from too much heat to not enough heat applied while in production and that may be very well the case but since we have not seen any of this yet it will be hard to determine right away. In the mine time we are still working on many other ways to improve welding technology for future models.

While I see that you took the time to look into our new superlight line model Skyledge 3 and the tent may seem the same as the Haven 3 they are not. They have different dimensions and are very different in cut, materials and design.

4 week turn around time is standard for any repairs or replacements in the industry but again in your case we can’t accommodate a replacement even whiting that time as they won’t be available anymore. Your points are well taken and valid and this is why as far as expedite and saving you S&H cost etc returning the tent to REI is the best way to quickly resolve the problem. We can not refund the $ amount reason why we can only do credit for product but they will and that again this will give you immediate purchase and choice power.

Haven 3/ floor area = 44 sq. ft.- front vestibule 14sq. ft.- rear vestibule 6 sq. ft – height/47” exterior- 44.5 interior

R

It fell apart. I'm writing the same report about two Mountain Hardwear tents because they both fell apart this year.

In defense of the Haven 3, I really enjoyed it for almost three years, then it just disassembled. Pieces I hadn't even used came apart. It was cold but I had used it in much colder and it was raining but not hard.

Until this month, I loved M.H. products and till this year owned four M.H. tents. My Airjet 2 fell apart at the seams during its third use. It wasn't even raining. It was my second M.H. tent to come apart at the seams this year and I treat them like children.

My other was the Haven 3. I really liked that tent and used it about three years, a lot. Then, in July, during a light rain, it just came apart. Pieces that weren't even wet or weight bearing just came apart. It was freaky.

I assumed it was a tent defect and REI took it back as a return, amazed at how it had literally fallen apart. Woke up wet that night. The Airjet 2 did the same thing but had only used it two previous times during an almost three year period. And it wasn't raining. It just fell apart.

The next morning, the stuff in the tent pocket had fallen through the seam, the seam by the zipper, one in the tent and one on the fly had all done the same thing. I've done some looking and others have had the same experience. I'll no longer trust my M.H. tents and go back to my old standby. I still have a Skyledge 2 and an Atrium 4 but won't trust them for anything but car camping, certainly not high milage CO hiking.

I've written M.H. and am waiting for a response. I think the ultra light glued seams are flawed.
Beware.
Jim R

PS: I still use all their other gear, clothes and bags.

Rain fly never fit correctly and the zipper seams eventually fell apart. Except for that I really liked the design of the tent

We used the heck out of this tent for several years and many long trips. The rain fly never fit correctly. This was clearly a design and engineering flaw. After a few years the zipper adhesive and stitching on the rain fly came apart completely, despite my efforts at repair.

I contacted Mountain Hardwear about this and eventually sent the tent back to them. They gave me a new tent which so far I am happy with. They acknowledged design flaws and that others had the same problem. They were making efforts to improve on design and manufacturing quality.

The new tent has better constructed seams and fit together well. We lived in it for three weeks this summer and it preformed well.

I have nothing but good things to say about Mountain Hardwear.

If some one has an old Haven 3 they want to get rid of I'd love to buy it and fix it myself for local overnight bike packing trips.

Had a lot of trouble with this tent. As someone else mentioned: the tent finally fell apart.

From the beginning the canopy didn't seem to fit very well. I mentioned this to Mountain Hardwear and they suggested me to continue using the tent.

Finally, during a cycling trip in California, a seam in the canopy ripped because of the bad fit (one of the poles pushed on the seam).

Luckily Mountain Hardwear customer service is excellent: they sent me a Skyledge 3 tent as a replacement. I used that tent once: it wasn't as long as the Haven3, too short for me and made an awful lot of noise even with a little wind (tent canopy sliding over the plastic tent hooks).

So finally I sold the Skyledge and got a Black Diamond Vista instead: not as light but plenty of space and a lot sturdier. Maybe I was just unlucky, but no more Mountain Hardwear tents for me: I prefer products that last instead of an excellent customer service to send me replacements.

I used this tent last September on the CDT in the Weminuche Wilderness at 12-13k feet elevation. We had very nice weather for the most part, allowing us to stargaze a couple of nights without the fly. But our last night at altitude saw temps in the teens and strong winds. We used the fly and all of the lines to stake it out.

The tent barely shuddered, and we felt very secure with all lines staked out tight. The ventilation is great, the vestibule size was excellent, and pitching this tent is a breeze. For such a lightweight tent, this thing is a rock.

I opted for the three-man version knowing I would appreciate the extra space when camping with a friend, but also knowing my sons will easily fit in it with me for years to come. The weight differential is minimal for the benefit.

I will enjoy this tent for years to come.

http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Product.aspx?top=3&prod=1344&cat=48&viewAll=False

I took my Haven 3 out to use it this fall and set it up before the trip and the fly was deteriorating and the zipper delaminated. The tent itself was in excellent condition, but the fly sealer was depolymerizing.

I have only used this tent on 2 occasions since I bought it around 4 years ago. I have 2 tents from the 1970's that are still in very good condition. This degradation of the fly seems to be a problem with this tent.

Like most other reviews.  Nice tent, but the rain fly delaminates at the seams. Weird that all went at the same time.

I took it out of the storage bag this late winter. All the seams had shrunk. Not just here and there, but every inch. Mountain Hardwear should call this a manufacturing defect. They clearly are using an inferior material to seal the seams. I question purchasing another.

My wife and I bought this tent in 2006 for a cross-country bicycle trip. We lived out of this tent for three months and it worked flawlessly. Light enough to carry on the bikes over numerous mountain ranges, bone dry during heavy rainstorms, stood up well against high winds and was very easy and quick to set up and take down. Best tent I've ever owned.

I've had the Haven 3 for about four years now and still love it. It's great in the rain, has plenty of room for three people, and has withstood a decent amount of beating while still looking nice! The fly definitely needs to be staked away from the tent walls to maintain dryness, but otherwise it seems to work quite well.