First long road trip and other adventures.

[Archev]

That's an ideal van camping set up @Archev

Thanks, the inner tent can be on the left or right and the doors arranged to suit. Each door has mesh screens as well as the “canvas” door. I have a fitted groundsheet in the inner tent and a loose tarpaulin that I use as the main area groundsheet. And of course there’s a carpet covering all that. Central heating and / or air conditioning courtesy of Citroen. The en-suite is a remodel of the roof tent unit

 

[Rolfe]

Very professional!

 

[Archev]

The idea is to carry the tentage in the roof box and it works quite well. If the awning were ever to be dismantled wet it’ll be up there and can drip away happily. A slight snag there is that even when dry the awning is close to my personal safe working load
The whole thing, poles and all, is one “ pop up” type unit. I can keep the pegs and inner tent separate but it’s still a bit awkward to dead lift it into the box, it’s quite a height

 

[Caramaddy]

A great thread to read!

 

[Rolfe]

I have a six-feet-square groundsheet, but not one that would fit the changing tent. I could plonk it on the groundsheet of course but then I wouldn't be able to peg it down. As far as I can see you're just supposed to peg it at the corners. Here's what it looks like.

The floor area is four feet square but I'm not sure of the dimensions higher up at working height.

---- As I was typing that, the doorbell rang and it had arrived, although it was originally supposed to have come tomorrow or Saturday. (I could have guaranteed tomorrow for about £25. For an item that cost £12.99!) I'll unpack it shortly. ----

I'm not sure if it will only do for changing or if it might be possible to get the table inside so I could wash or cook in shelter if need be. I'd need an extension lead, obviously, to get the kettle boiling from the VtL.

 

[Archev]

I have a six-feet-square groundsheet, but not one that would fit the changing tent. I could plonk it on the groundsheet of course but then I wouldn't be able to peg it down. As far as I can see you're just supposed to peg it at the corners. Here's what it looks like.

View attachment 38739

The floor area is four feet square but I'm not sure of the dimensions higher up at working height.

---- As I was typing that, the doorbell rang and it had arrived, although it was originally supposed to have come tomorrow or Saturday. (I could have guaranteed tomorrow for about £25. For an item that cost £12.99!) I'll unpack it shortly. ----

I'm not sure if it will only do for changing or if it might be possible to get the table inside so I could wash or cook in shelter if need be. I'd need an extension lead, obviously, to get the kettle boiling from the VtL.

Very similar to the one the couple had in Applecross except theirs was camouflage colours. I think it was their dressing space.

 

[Archev]

Very similar to the one the couple had in Applecross except theirs was camouflage colours. I think it was their dressing space.

Just a thought - your six foot square groundsheet could be folded into sort of tray to fit within the tent such that the vertical up stands are within the walls of the tent. That’s roughly what I do in my awning with the inner tent with its ground sheet sitting on top.

 

[Rolfe]

It came in a choice of blue, green or camouflage. I'd be interested to know how the couple in Applecross got on with it.

Mixed results here. It's not heavy and comes in a neat bag. It practically erects itself when you take it out of the bag. As well as the main door opening it has a zipped semicircular opening high up in the back wall and another in the ceiling, I think to allow a shower head to go in. (I saw more expensive ones boasting hooks inside where you could hang a shower head.) I took it out into the garden, where it's a bit breezy, and it promptly blew over. OK, get the tent pegs. These went into the lawn quite easily, but (with the door flap open at least) they weren't enough. As I went to get the table to see if it would fit it was over again. I persevered, stamping the pegs in with my heel this time, got it all up again and the table inside, and while I was framing the shot it blew over again. This time one tent peg came out and bent, although the problem was mainly the fabric loops slipping out of the pegs.

But we got there. If it would stay up in the sort of breeze we welcome because it keeps the midgies away, it would be fine.

The issue is obviously the small footprint compared to the height, and the pegs just letting the loops slide out. Better pegs needed I think. But they were also inclined to pull out of the lawn, and the breeze wasn't that excessive. There are also four lengths of braided nylon string supplied, varying in length from 6' 7" to 7' 1", and some loops on the sides of the tent quite high up. It is however not clear what one is supposed to do with these, as there is no clue in any of the pictures on the web site. (I suspect it may be to say to people who complain it's blowing over, well you need to use the strings and the shoulder-level loops, so they have a get-out!) You would need to knot the string into the loop then create another loop at the other end to take the peg, because the string isn't long enough to make a continuous loop linking the fabric loops and a peg in the ground.

Another issue is that if you're in a car park with a hard-standing surface it might be difficult to get the pegs in at all, depending on how compacted it is. So all in all I wouldn't trust it in any more than a gentle zephyr, and I wouldn't leave it unattended at all. Maybe a visit to the outdoor shop to see about more and stronger tent pegs and proper guy ropes would be the thing. Maybe not having these was why it was so cheap.

The instructions say "Please do not use this tent in strong winds as it may be susceptible to being carried away easily." You can say that again! Also,"We recommend that customers refrain from leaving this tent open overnight. Responsibility for any damage caused by bad weather should be assumed by the customer." I can see that it would be more stable if the wind wasn't getting inside, but really, leaving it up overnight doesn't seem terribly wise in any case.

There's a knack to getting it back in its bag and the instructions weren't all that helpful, but in fact it's not difficult once you see how it folds.

It might be of some use in certain circumstances, but this afternoon was too windy and it didn't seem that out of the ordinary too me. The BBC is estimating 17 mph. And yet people managed it at Applecross? They must be getting some use out of it or they wouldn't carry it. Did they leave it up for long? Overnight?

ETA: I checked a more expensive model and it didn't seem any different, a couple of minor design variations, that's all. They did go into the guy rope thing but the pegs illustrated were the same as I have, and the string was just tied round the end of the peg. I don't see how that can be secure enough.

 

[Rolfe]

Just a thought - your six foot square groundsheet could be folded into sort of tray to fit within the tent such that the vertical up stands are within the walls of the tent. That’s roughly what I do in my awning with the inner tent with its ground sheet sitting on top.

That's actually a good idea. If the thing would stay up long enough for this to be done!

 

[Archev]

It came in a choice of blue, green or camouflage. I'd be interested to know how the couple in Applecross got on with it.

Mixed results here. It's not heavy and comes in a neat bag. It practically erects itself when you take it out of the bag. As well as the main door opening it has a zipped semicircular opening high up in the back wall and another in the ceiling, I think to allow a shower head to go in. (I saw more expensive ones boasting hooks inside where you could hang a shower head.) I took it out into the garden, where it's a bit breezy, and it promptly blew over. OK, get the tent pegs. These went into the lawn quite easily, but (with the door flap open at least) they weren't enough. As I went to get the table to see if it would fit it was over again. I persevered, stamping the pegs in with my heel this time, got it all up again and the table inside, and while I was framing the shot it blew over again. This time one tent peg came out and bent, although the problem was mainly the fabric loops slipping out of the pegs.

But we got there. If it would stay up in the sort of breeze we welcome because it keeps the midgies away, it would be fine.

View attachment 38753

The issue is obviously the small footprint compared to the height, and the pegs just letting the loops slide out. Better pegs needed I think. But they were also inclined to pull out of the lawn, and the breeze wasn't that excessive. There are also four lengths of braided nylon string supplied, varying in length from 6' 7" to 7' 1", and some loops on the sides of the tent quite high up. It is however not clear what one is supposed to do with these, as there is no clue in any of the pictures on the web site. (I suspect it may be to say to people who complain it's blowing over, well you need to use the strings and the shoulder-level loops, so they have a get-out!) You would need to knot the string into the loop then create another loop at the other end to take the peg, because the string isn't long enough to make a continuous loop linking the fabric loops and a peg in the ground.

Another issue is that if you're in a car park with a hard-standing surface it might be difficult to get the pegs in at all, depending on how compacted it is. So all in all I wouldn't trust it in any more than a gentle zephyr, and I wouldn't leave it unattended at all. Maybe a visit to the outdoor shop to see about more and stronger tent pegs and proper guy ropes would be the thing. Maybe not having these was why it was so cheap.

The instructions say "Please do not use this tent in strong winds as it may be susceptible to being carried away easily." You can say that again! Also,"We recommend that customers refrain from leaving this tent open overnight. Responsibility for any damage caused by bad weather should be assumed by the customer."

I can see that it would be more stable if the wind wasn't getting inside, but really, leaving it up overnight doesn't seem terribly wise in any case.

There's a knack to getting it back in its bag and the instructions weren't all that helpful, but in fact it's not difficult once you see how it folds.

It might be of some use in certain circumstances, but this afternoon was too windy and it didn't seem that out of the ordinary too me. The BBC is estimating 17 mph. And yet people managed it at Applecross? They must be getting some use out of it or they wouldn't carry it. Did they leave it up for long? Overnight?

I can’t see their tent in any of my pictures. It was pitched at the far side of their Berlingo van. They did have it in use for the couple of days I was there and it stayed in place continually. I’m sure it had guy lines on the four corners but my memory chip overheats and smokes a bit at that juncture sadly. I was never over near It.
I’m thinking heftier pegs and the guy lines should do the trick. My fairly tall awning has chunky pegs and guy lines and appears quite secure but I’ve not encountered much in the way of winds >20mph I’m guessing and very secure and confidence inspiring at that. The bloke I bought it from had used it in the outer Hebridean isles and said it had been very wet and windy sometimes during a few visits without problems.

 

[Rolfe]

You can see the peg in that photo, pretty much a 45 degree angle. The fabric loops on the corners of the tent were simply slipping off. And how a simple knot like that would hold the guy rope I have no idea. Only four were supplied, but I would have thought four on the bottom loops and four on guy ropes would be better. The more expensive one does have eight supplied with it, but they're just the same as the ones I've got. I'll see what I can get at Cairndon. It's getting pegs to go into the ground and stay there that I'm concerned about.

 

[Archev]

I recall a young lad camping some sixty years ago on Raasay island on the old fishers net drying green below Brochel castle. He was with a Group of about thirty five or so from around London and the Home Counties with the Schools Hebridean Society. The only Scot attempting to decipher and understand these strange southern accents. The marquee to my left was nailed to the ground with big wooden spikes some 15 or 18 inches long. It was our store tent for the two week camp. Disaster struck when it blew up a hoolie one night and flattened a couple of tents. One of those was of course the store tent. The worst of the consequences was the complete annihilation of the store of toilet paper. What a jolly camp that was and that is why there are now no bitter dock or docken leaves now growing on Raasay

Sadly that plant species went extinct on Raasay within two days. It was blamed on the canned Fray Bentos pies and canned gooseberries cooked up in a stew but never proven to this day.

Anyway to get back on track, double pegging fixed the tent. The boys never recovered.