 | Home > Expedition & Overland > Roof tents |
 
|
|
|
| JSG Member Since: 12 Jul 2007 Location: Berkshire Posts: 2412   
|
Oz Tents are the best ground tent in my opinion. Only downside is the length which usually means putting them on the roof for transporting. John
http://www.hampshire4x4response.co.uk 2011 Tdci 110 CSW XS |
||
17th Jul 2012 12:14pm |
|
| Go Beyond Member Since: 30 Jan 2012 Location: Headcorn, Kent Posts: 6678
|
Oz tents are fantastic bits of kit, my personal observations of an RV5 with awning sides and front:
Pros: Roomy, easy to put up quickly (although pegging out takes the same time as any other tent), lots of extras to personalise with, hold their value when reselling Cons: Very expensive, when packed up they are 2m long (that means they have to go on a roofrack realistically), not especially stable in high wind, no inner lining so can suffer from condensation |
||
|
17th Jul 2012 12:16pm |
|
| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
|
If pegged out correctly an Oztent is quite capable of withstanding 55mph winds. (Read Manby weekend, Oztents were withstanding the weather whereas lesser tents were being flattened)
All single skin tents can suffer from condensation. Lets face it a lot of normal house bedrooms will have condensation on the inside of the double glazed windows. One solution to condensation is to stop breathing, however that might give rise to other problems! The Oztent fabric is breathable and waterproof, however for it to breathe the relative humidity has to be higher on the inside of the tent then the outside. If the outside of the tent is covered in water from our recent British summer then the ability of the tent fabric to breathe is severely impaired. Put a flysheet on, use good camping practice and open the vents then there will not be any major issue with condensation. Brendan |
||
|
17th Jul 2012 12:51pm |
|
| Go Beyond Member Since: 30 Jan 2012 Location: Headcorn, Kent Posts: 6678
|
Brendan has reminded me that another 'Con' is that everything (including the flysheet) is an additional cost extra ....
 |
||
|
17th Jul 2012 12:55pm |
|
| tatra805 Member Since: 16 Aug 2011 Location: Dolany Posts: 436  
|
Throw in my experiences and opinion.
Ground or roof is not the question to me. It all depends on how quick and many times you need to break camp. The whole discussion about not being able to drive off and leave camp in place is to my opinion based on a wrong initial decision about which tent to use. It used to be very trendy having a RTT on your rig, up rated your status to “world explorer” in an instant and without the time or costs of reality involved. 
If you plan on moving every day a RTT or RV will not make all that much difference; you only have to plan your shopping ahead with the RTT and this works flawlessly. If you plan on staying at the same spot multiple days while using the car then a RTT is the wrong decision. You need a ground tent (or RTT on trailer but that is another discussion) As ground tents RV tents come close to being perfect but then I am put off by their pricing and pack size. For similar money I can get a 9x9ft army tent which will give even better wind resistance and much bigger footprint. Packing size will be a bit bigger again but as unpractical as a RV. Also for the footprint they offer there are to my opinon better options out there, decent quality family-size tents are made from better materials, lighter and easier to pack. (but wont fit the image for some) Setting up/breaking down wins the RV and I do like the looks of them but that’s again a different discussion. If size is not the point, I can setup my 2 person North Face 4 season tent in 2 minutes, which makes it as fast as the Eezi Awn. Sleeping comfort is equal and only dependent on side equipment as mats and sleeping bags. It is more storm proof than anything else and at 1.9kg doesn’t alter mpg that much. 
But I didn’t use the ground tent since owning the RTT; the reason is not that the RTT is so much better, but we are daily moving when travelling. In rainy conditions it is a benefit not having a damp tent laying in the car desperately trying to dry it out. Hard-shell vs foldable First of all I have to say that hard-shells were not that popular a couple of years ago as today. I do like the current look of them and they certainly are a good choice. But I would not go for one if I have to decide today. Although folding up the tent might be faster on the hard-shells, the main culprit with the folding types is the cover (which in any case does not last as long as the tent. This can be solved by boxing the tent in an enclosure, one of the things I have on my list and which makes the whole procedure as fast as, if not faster. There are also other reasons I would not go for a hardshell: Foldables: - provide a roof over the back door when open, no need to put up an awning to have a minimum of raincover. - the access ladder is not blocking any doors - roof space occupied is half, while not being double height. - I have my concerns about ventilation and condensation inside the closed box, but this is not based on facts. 2 cents only and it comes all down to personal choice. The moment we will have kids to take into account I will look into putting the RTT on a trailer and add a base tent to that. Not because 2 RTT's on the roof wont work but mainly because our camping style will change. Also one RTT + trailer are 2 punishments for consumption and doesn’t give a benefit if you have to break up the roof mounted RTT every day. |
||
|
17th Jul 2012 1:09pm |
|
| SteveS Member Since: 05 Oct 2010 Location: Devon & Berkshire Posts: 388  
|
APart from the ability to not end up with the tent underwater at your local 'summer' event, we like RTT because it keeps most of the creepy crawlies away and I can use it as a camera hide for my photography from an elevated position |
||
|
17th Jul 2012 7:56pm |
|
| TJ101 Member Since: 30 May 2007 Location: Taunton Somerset Posts: 3750  
|
I have yet to question my decision 5/6 years ago in buying a Maggi (hard shell pop up)
Rarely am i in one place more than 12 hours overnight, late arrival, early departure, can be up in less than 2 minutes, and down in 3 If i need the side awning, that take less than 30 seconds (Fiamma wind out) Its sat on a 110, so no need for a separate ladder, easy access from the rack's ladder, and have all the space on top i need, (Will be getting close to roof weight limits anyhow with any more up there !!) Never has any issues with ventilation and condensation Only down side it stuffing the canvas sides back into the shell, when closing hence the extra minute but some shockcord round the middle has improved that greatly It all suited me, for what i needed then, and still does now,, can not see me changing any time soon Besides, if i was staying looking than a few days, would take the camper instead   California F1, 75th 110 "Kermit", 50th Ann V8, 90 V8 Hybrid, 55 Series 1
Main Brian James Trailer Dealer for South West UK |
||
|
17th Jul 2012 9:21pm |
|
| T1G UP Member Since: 08 Dec 2009 Location: Bath Posts: 3101 
|
well i did notice the overnight stop in the camper last weekend |
||
|
17th Jul 2012 9:53pm |
|
| BigMike Member Since: 13 Jul 2010 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2253
|
I have to take issue with that Brendan. Tents suffer from ,condensation because the warm moist air from breathing hits the outer tent wall which, if colder than the inside the water droplets condense on the inner skin and voia. Single skin tents are worst affected by this in english weather - inner tents can help by effctively letting the outside skin stay cooler therefore less condensation. ventilation can help, but in certain conditions nothing helps I cant fathom though why people say "oztent is the best ground tent", they're a long long way away from that. Definitely useful for some things, but despite whats said about their ability to withstand weather, there are not enough guy points and the walls are vertical - all a recipe for problems in high winds. I had a maggiolina, and sold it because I couldnt be arsed to keep taking it on and off the roof. Also I found I can put up a decent ground tent in exactly the same time it takes to put up the maggiolina with its ladder and sort the bedding out etc. Also found the tucking in thing when putting away a royal pain in the arse. Definitely comfortable, but talller/bigger people need a medium/long, a small is just not big enough. They have their uses but they are not the be all and end all and are expensive for what they are. |
||
|
17th Jul 2012 9:55pm |
|
| TJ101 Member Since: 30 May 2007 Location: Taunton Somerset Posts: 3750
|
And i noticed it was a tad wet !!!!  camping it that lot, plus it was British GP
Mike , yet to see a ground tent to be set up properly in 2 minutes, plus i don't need a ladder, and the bedding already made up !! Will agree, they are too expensive for what they are,, but if you buy a decent used one, keep it and look after it, chances are you get your money back when you come to sell it,, Bar for the initial outlay, that's cheaper than a tent , that will probably go in the bin after a few tears!! California F1, 75th 110 "Kermit", 50th Ann V8, 90 V8 Hybrid, 55 Series 1 Main Brian James Trailer Dealer for South West UK |
||
|
17th Jul 2012 10:17pm |
|
| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8582
|
ALL tents can suffer from condensation if the conditions are right ( or wrong depending which way you want to look at it)
How people use tents be it ground or roof tents can severely effect how much condensation is created in a tent. I have heard of people complaining about condensation and cold in a roof tent then using a gas stove to warm up and 'dry out' the tent   They obviously were not aware of the little know fact that a byproduct of burning gas is errrrr water vapour!
I have know people fasten all the vents of an Oztent up and be surprised that there was condensation!!! We recommend that people sleep with their heads towards the big mosquito net window and have its cover open. OK on a public campsite peg the window cover so that you still have privacy whilst allowing the tent to breathe. In extremely wet conditions use a fly sheet and keep the vents open and there will be minimal condensation. I for one have never pretended that Oztents are the 'best ground tent' as there is IMO no such thing. Oztents are a good quality but like all tents have their limitations. Oztents are no good as a back packing tent nor as a Everest base camp tent, however it was not designed for those purposes. As for stability our experience shows that they are capable of with standing 55 mph winds. As an Oztent is a vehicle based tent you could always use your vehicle as a wind break. We suggest people take a variety of tent pegs with them for different ground conditions. Also tree sliders makes for good guy ropes anchors so does spare wheels. If conditions dictate use what is available to you! Some of the Autohome range of roof tents now have bungees which help with keeping the fabric nside when you close them up. We can get a roof tent off in about 10-15 minutes if fitted to roofbars. Yes you need the head room and an electric hoist! Brendan |
||
|
18th Jul 2012 10:17pm |
|
| Pam W Member Since: 25 Oct 2011 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1169 
|
Now I finally have my tent, I can say that I am seriously impressed!
When we looked at all the different tents on show at Billing last year (a very wet Billing!), the Howling Moon seemed to be the best of the fold-outs by a long way. Certainly not disappointed - the quality is superb. Got it up on drive now and keep smiling when I catch a glimpse ! 
 Click image to enlarge[/img] Our blog - http://landytravels.com/ Yorkshire Off Road Club - http://www.yorkshireoffroadclub.net |
||
|
28th Jul 2012 4:03pm |
|
| walfy Member Since: 29 Aug 2007 Location: Frome Posts: 2661 
|
I have the Howling Moon 1.4m tourer. It's perfect for me and the Mrs. I can put it up on my own in less than 10 mins and down in 15 mins, when the mood takes me.
I did look at Magggi tents, after seeing Tj101's in Morocco and it's ease of erection. But he always, well 99% of the time camps alone, so Mrs TJ doesn't camp with him. So has the space inside to move around. Whereas my Mrs regularly comes camping so we needed the dry room downstairs and the room to move about inside.. For us this is the perfect solution. We now have the side awning and after a 18 month wait the sides finally arrived, so can set up a small room on the side with the table and cooking gear. The only downside is that I am a hot person and there is always a damp person shape on the underside of the mattress. But turning it over for 15 mins whilst I'm doing something ese in the morning before packing up sees it dry as a bone. Would I change??? No. As TJ says it does exactly what I want it to do. And I'm off on another Euro tour in Oct, going back down to Croatia with it on top the D3. What a perfect combo. So you need to look at the user needs and then decide what to buy. We went to Eastnor before we purchased ours and sat/climbed in and out of almost every RTT that was on show. THe HM suited us so that is what we went for. 110 D250 SE HT 110 USW SOLD RRE HSE Dynamic Gone, wife killed it VOLVO XC60 R Dynamic with some toys Polaris RZR 900XP SOLD |
||
|
28th Jul 2012 5:51pm |
|
| Ninetenths Member Since: 26 Mar 2009 Location: Sarf Lundun Posts: 161 
|
How easy is it to mount an Overland tent to a Patriot rack? Pimped black '07 Puma
Equally Pimped Black Pick up Truck Rollin deep |
||
|
2nd Aug 2012 8:01pm |
|
|
|
| All times are GMT |
< Previous Topic | Next Topic > |
Posting Rules
|
Site Copyright © 2006-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
