Roof Tents ~

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ozlandy said:
OK, I have to ask....these tents look really good, and I love the idea.....but what is the reasoning/fascination with having a tent on the roof of your truck? Why not buy a $100 dome tent and throw it out on the ground next to your truck rather than sleep on the roof?

(If there are lions or bears where you live, I get it....but what about the rest of the world?)
Click to expand...

Many of us are in the process of planning Africa trips, so Lions, Scorpions, and The Tokoloshe are all considerations.

But the main reason for me is I have done loads of camping, and nothing sucks more than setting up a tent in a muddy place, except maybe trying to pack it up and put it all back in the landy when it is full of mud... (bearing in mind you aren't going home for 3 months, so washing it off in the drive is not an option)

Then there is ease of use, roof tents can be set up and put away by one person in a couple of minutes.

Then there is the cool view you have out the window when the sun comes up over the Kalahari.

O and race car man's reason is also valid here, say you need to crash in a tarred carpark or truckstop and there is no soft ground to wack in the pegs (also some pretty hard ground in parts of Africa)...

and that's all I can think of right now...

Just thought of another, when in a roof tent short Pikeys can't rob you :D
 
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[

Johnny, I think Howling Moon tents are made in China now, so make sure you actually see them before you buy, cause there is a fine line between paying for quality and getting ripped off ;)


cheers, ill def keep that in mind,
ill only be buying now early next year soo i think ill come over that side and spend some serious time looking around first,
im still in a dilema to sell the 110 and get a 130 lhd? so got to decide before i plug more money into her.
cheers john:(
 
johnnyafrica said:
130 is a lot of land rover, are you travelling with many woman ?

If you ever come down London way let us know, we can show you some lanes and demo you the Wang Chung tent. which I will probably buy next week, assuming I don't break the land rover again this weekend :D
Click to expand...
 
Booger said:
130 is a lot of land rover, are you travelling with many woman ?

If you ever come down London way let us know, we can show you some lanes and demo you the Wang Chung tent. which I will probably buy next week, assuming I don't break the land rover again this weekend :D
Click to expand...
130 has the turning circle of saturn.A 110 only has the turning circle of a locomotive:eek:
 
Booger said:
130 is a lot of land rover, are you travelling with many woman ?

If you ever come down London way let us know, we can show you some lanes and demo you the Wang Chung tent. which I will probably buy next week, assuming I don't break the land rover again this weekend :D
Click to expand...
cheers for the invite for a drive ill def take you up on the offer soon,it will proberly only be in the new year though.
cheers
 
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Hey Brett
My worry with this one is that the suppliers say it's only good up to 2.03m high & my Landy + rack is 7 ft (2.14m) - will it touch the floor? I bought a Khyam awning which never touched the ground & left plenty of room for the pooches to wander at leisure raiding BBQ's & bins. What height is yours mounted at?
Does it have a flysheet or is it single skin over the sleeping area? Any photos of it?
Sorry for the barrage of questions - I've got some holiday coming up & we wanted to get one soon,
I know the suppliers photo shows a rr but I was a d*ck & never even thought about the height difference
 

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Hi

The height of my landy is 202cm with the rack and there is still slack which can be adjusted, Yours is 203cm (7ft) which is fine. On the max but ok.
The good thing with these tents is that they are totally adjustable.
They single skin but very heavy duty tested mine with a jet wash 100% waterproof.
 
Brett,
Sorry didn't make myself very clear - my Landy is 2.14m (7') to the base of the roofrack. It's not got a lift, just double springs at the rear and 265/75 tyres so can't figure how it appears 4 (and a bit) inches higher than the norm. Do you think the Kanga would cope with the extra or would it not reach the floor at all?
Thanks, Mark
 
Mark, you could fit spacers between the ladder m ount and the RTT base, this would extend the ladder.

With regards to the safari-equip tent, it is the same as the primetec model and many many others knocking around. composite bseboard makes them much lighter than the SA designed models. mine weighed in at ~35kg with mattress. Yes the mattress is good, yes the tent is light, plenty of room inside and overall a sound tent.

BUT I did not get on with it in driving rain and high winds. Probably most likely down to my paranoia but the light fabric rain cover/flysheet flaps like mad in the wind and if your poles have lost tension over time can come lose. Wet canvas is also a nightmare when it comes to putting it away, the mattress gets wet, your sleeping bags gets wet. dont get me started on condensation. I did just not get on with these tents. Im not sure how an eezi awn or hannibal, howling moon as i have not looked, but i would be more inclined to buy the tourer models which have sides along the flysheet, this should prevent water ingress further and stabilise the tent in high winds.

Maggiolina has not been mentioned much over traditional style tents. Been using one for a few months now and am very very impressed.

advantages over the traditional RTT:

much quicker to set-up/fold down
canvas sheds water due to it being taught
fibreglass shell does not rip/leak allowing water ingress
zero condensation due to lined roofing

Disadvantages:

ladder is a not attached, fits in tent but a PITA to secure to side of vehicle
its quite short, im 5'9 and its OK but i wouldnt want to be any taller

thats about it. All these tents are expensive new, but the 2nd hand market is good for tents and they hold their price should you wish to re-sell a few years on. just make sure that the canvas is not aged, obvious rips etc. the base is in good condition, the outer cover is good etc etc.

HTH

G
 
Griffdowg said:
Mark, you could fit spacers between the ladder m ount and the RTT base, this would extend the ladder.

With regards to the safari-equip tent, it is the same as the primetec model and many many others knocking around. composite bseboard makes them much lighter than the SA designed models. mine weighed in at ~35kg with mattress. Yes the mattress is good, yes the tent is light, plenty of room inside and overall a sound tent.

BUT I did not get on with it in driving rain and high winds. Probably most likely down to my paranoia but the light fabric rain cover/flysheet flaps like mad in the wind and if your poles have lost tension over time can come lose. Wet canvas is also a nightmare when it comes to putting it away, the mattress gets wet, your sleeping bags gets wet. dont get me started on condensation. I did just not get on with these tents. Im not sure how an eezi awn or hannibal, howling moon as i have not looked, but i would be more inclined to buy the tourer models which have sides along the flysheet, this should prevent water ingress further and stabilise the tent in high winds.

Maggiolina has not been mentioned much over traditional style tents. Been using one for a few months now and am very very impressed.

advantages over the traditional RTT:

much quicker to set-up/fold down
canvas sheds water due to it being taught
fibreglass shell does not rip/leak allowing water ingress
zero condensation due to lined roofing

Disadvantages:

ladder is a not attached, fits in tent but a PITA to secure to side of vehicle
its quite short, im 5'9 and its OK but i wouldnt want to be any taller

thats about it. All these tents are expensive new, but the 2nd hand market is good for tents and they hold their price should you wish to re-sell a few years on. just make sure that the canvas is not aged, obvious rips etc. the base is in good condition, the outer cover is good etc etc.

HTH

G
Click to expand...

good point my primatech flaps like fook! has kept me awake in high winds! Although had no problem with water ingress, even in driving heavy rain. Yes it does get a lot of condensation under the mattress, so i just lift it up for an hour in the day and let the wind blow through it, surely you get condenstation in all tents though??
 
Brettb1 said:
Hi everybody

I purchased a Kanga tent and must say very delighted with quality.
I actually picked it up so was able to check the qulality before handing over the cash.
I got Eclipse model which has a built in awning section which is great, After doing my home work this is far the biggest tent around at £750...

:)

got this model Kanga Roof Tent Land Rover Discovery Defender 4x4 Tent on eBay (end time 12-Sep-09 09:59:17 BST)

from www.kangacamping.com
Click to expand...

If I call Kanga Camping and ask for Brett will I get hold of you :rolleyes:
 
Markwilliamson37 said:
Hey Brett
My worry with this one is that the suppliers say it's only good up to 2.03m high & my Landy + rack is 7 ft (2.14m) - will it touch the floor? I bought a Khyam awning which never touched the ground & left plenty of room for the pooches to wander at leisure raiding BBQ's & bins. What height is yours mounted at?
Does it have a flysheet or is it single skin over the sleeping area? Any photos of it?
Sorry for the barrage of questions - I've got some holiday coming up & we wanted to get one soon,
I know the suppliers photo shows a rr but I was a d*ck & never even thought about the height difference
Click to expand...
Wjhats the point of (or advantage of) atent like this over a normal tent?Seeing as its not actually on the roof.Might be sounding a bit thick here......
 
Griffdowg said:
Mark, you could fit spacers between the ladder m ount and the RTT base, this would extend the ladder.


G
Click to expand...

The Kanga has a bottom bit, so even if the ladder reached the floor the rest of it would not.... and unless it has an integrated groundsheet the pooches would be off !

!BY(LLFg!Wk~$(KGrHgoOKiMEjlLmV6SyBKhGmoNQ9w~~_35.JPG


I look at that tent and the warning bells just go off, where did it come from, who designed it, where has it been used ??

Even the Chinese tents have more heritage, having come from the factory that has made ARB tents for the last 4 years :)

I forgot about the Maggiolina tents, the shell type obviously must be more durable, but don't they take up the entire roof rack ? Not sure if that would really be an issue, but I think I might like to use to roof for picture taking on occasion.
 
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