roof tents and awnings

[stumog]

Hi chapsneed a bit of advice as i am tring to figure out what is going to be the best set up for me. I have been looking at RTT for a while and kepp talking myself out of them then i do think it will be better for doing the kind of trips i want to do next year or sne of the things i am worried about is ones made in SA are they going to be any good for our climate? I do like the idea of the myway canvas one. I found today this company http://www.rooftentslimited.com/ which say they are more set up for our climate. they also do a very nice looking bat wing copy. now does any body have any of there products or even seen any of them ?I cant justify spending £800 on a fow wing when you can get theres for £300 and complete with sides for £500. What tents do people on here go for and why? please help me decide.stu

 

[AndyCook]

I decided on a Maggionlina tent in the end
looks more compact on the vehicle - like a roofbox
and more robust when going through tree branches than a conventional RTT cover

no flysheets etc to flap in wind

biggest benefit i find is it goes up in 1minute (winding up with a handle) and only a couple mins to put down - much quicker than a conventional RTT

and i had read about conventional SA tents leaking,

my magg hasnt leaked, but did get condensation under the matress when camping at cold high altitude. but so did friend with his conventional RTT

some say the area inside the magg is smaller (we have the Small model) but it has same space inside as the ground tents we also own and you can get larger models

downsides of the magg
1) takes up all roof space
2) it doesnt give you shelter when opened up - a conventional RTT folds out and gives you a sheltered area to stand under if awning isnt setup

 

[stumog]

thanks andy I would like a magg as i surf a fair bit so i could still carry my board. And i agree that they are alot stronger. i have heard you cant keep your bedding in them ? is this true. i would put a awning on the car anyway. do you get in the side or the back on yours ?
stu

 

[SpinDrift]

I have a Magg and as Andy said, it is quick to put up and down.

You can leave the bedding inside, but you need to spread it over the mattress and not leave it piled up at one end. We leave our sleeping clothes and clean undies up there, as well as the ladder.

The down side for me is that fact that it takes up all the rack space.

I havent had a problem with water getting in, but I left some bedding in over the winter and it had spots of mildew. It is quite good in strong wind.

You could try to find second hand kit. Thats how I bought both my magg and foxwing.

 

[Lorin]

When I come to replace the Howling Moon I will be looking at a Myway. They are light and appear well made with good materials, especially for our damp, wet conditions. My experience of cheap, is that it is more often than not a false economy.

 

[AndyCook]

i access the tent from the side door stumog
i think the ones (airtop?) with gasrams have a rear door too

but the ones like mine with winding mechanism have scissor arms in the way at each end

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

We've had a couple of mags (a medium wind up and a small gas struts) and now a folder (Hannibal family tourer). The mags were very convenient to put up/down and not worried by tree branches. You can fit an awning on the side of them that goes up quite easy, not closed at the sides but gives shelter from the worst of the elements if needed and we once used a motor home drive away awning that worked fairly well and meant we could leave a bunch of stuff set up in it. We found the mags a bit awkward for getting in and out with two/three of us in but when I used them as a one man tent on trips it was pretty good. The folder takes a bit longer and a bit more energy to put up and down but not as much in it as you'd think if you get the right method (we did 18 days on the trot last summer putting it up/down each day in 37-45 degree temps and wasn't a drag). I have to keep an eye on those tree branches as well but it does give a lot more space and comfort which keeps the family happy. We kept some bedding in the mag but we can keep a lot more in the folder. We don't have any flapping or water ingress problems with our folder, maybe it depends on design? We have some fancy fabric mesh designed for caravaning that can go under the mattress to prevent damp in colder conditions. For a solo trip I'd probably choose another mag but for more than one probably a folder but then again our 2m long folder makes a very nice one man tent with the mattress doubled over

 

[stumog]

i think i might see what comes up i am in no hurry at the min. I would like to sort out the awning first as i would use that more at the moment. I have a nice bell tent for when we are staying for a period of time. I would like a canvas made tent as they seem to be a better temp inside and as we are talking of moving to SA at some point its a good idea. I might go and see the fox wing copy as i really like the sides that go with that. It would make a very useful space when we are surfing.
Another question that i have thought about is does the bedding get damp if you put RTT away wet. As in is pissing down and you just shut the tent and drive off?

thanks for your information stu.

 

[yogi]

I have a Magg and as Andy said, it is quick to put up and down.

You can leave the bedding inside, but you need to spread it over the mattress and not leave it piled up at one end. We leave our sleeping clothes and clean undies up there, as well as the ladder.

The down side for me is that fact that it takes up all the rack space.

I havent had a problem with water getting in, but I left some bedding in over the winter and it had spots of mildew. It is quite good in strong wind.

You could try to find second hand kit. Thats how I bought both my magg and foxwing.

A few spots of mildew isn't too bad, that happens in my HOUSE over the winter!!!!!!

What supplier did you use?

 

[Scott]

I have two RTT's, a Howling Moon 1.4 Tourer with the optional skirt room, and a Autohome Columbus Variant medium XL.

We have used the Howling Moon a lot, all over UK, Europe and North Africa, due to its good construction and use of quality materials its still as good as the day we bought it.

Pro's:
Only takes up half the roof space.
When opened, half of the tent provides shelter from the elements (its amazing the difference having something overhead makes).
Covered windows that allow you to have good ventilation, even when its raining outside.
Can be closed with bedding inside - we close ours with a double duvet and four pillows inside.
Ripstop material - is very strong and dark in colour, this helps to keep the light and heat out of the tent. I have seen cheaper copies made with thin material, that allows more light transmission making the tent much lighter inside, which may make it harder to sleep after sunrise.
Lots of internal space.
Can add the optional skirt room when camped in poor weather, provides great shelter to eat, or for kids to sleep.
Aluminium floor (not wood)
Strong and durable - we've encountered a few storms on our travels, when ground tents have been damaged, but the Howling Moon coped no problem.
4 Elastic cords assist packing down.
Covered ladder - very welcome on a wet morning.

Con's:
Longer set up and pack down times compared to a hardshell tent, but still better than most ground tents, bearing in mind the once the tent is open your bedding is ready to use.
External weather cover can get grubby when on tour, meaning you get dirty when fitting it to the folded tent.
I find it easier for two people to close.
Closing a folding canvas (soft shell) tent means you need to clamber on or around the vehicle to tuck everything in and zip the cover in place. If you don't have a good system in place this can present some risk, picture closing the tent in a wet and windy storm, I have, first thing in the morning when your not fully awake the risk is much greater of slipping of falling from the vehicle. Just something to be aware of when far from assistance.
Additional set up and pack down time when using the skirt room.
Skirt room requires additional storage, it doesn't go inside the tent.
Not very aerodynamic.
When fitted to a tall vehicle (4x4) a ladder extension piece is needed to give the correct angle for the ladder. (Mine was spec'd with this, although its at an additional cost).
Flysheet can flap in the wind.

If a folding soft shell RTT is to be used with a 270 degree awning, the RTT would have to open over the side or front of the vehicle.

We travel regularly with friends who have the Autohome Columbus Variant Carbon Fibre small, and I got bored of seeing their tent operated in seconds, where as my Howling Moon taking a few minutes. Towards the end of a holiday I also found that reaching above my head to pack the Howling Moon away was causing me lower back pain (something I suffer with). These are the two main reasons that we bought a Columbus Variant.

Pro's:
Fastest RTT I've ever seen. Flip the catch, push and it goes up on two gas struts. Ladder lives inside the tent in a travel bag. Pack down time is 20-40 seconds, dependent on the time spent tucking any excess material in.
Can be closed with three pillows, a double duvet and the access ladder inside.
Large storage net inside.
Three access doors.
Looks like a roof box, attracts less unwanted attention.
Aerodynamic design.
Tough outer hard shell, handy when pushing the vehicle and tent through overgrown lanes.
No flapping in high winds.
4 Elastic cords to assist packing down.

Con's:
Expensive
Standard length is 2.1M, not long enough for me, I had to special order the XL (2.3M).
Ladder not covered.
Takes up the whole roof of the vehicle.
Not as spacious inside as the Howling Moon, but there's still plenty enough to get dressed in. This tent is a bed only, not really somewhere to ride out a storm during the day.
Can't have the windows open much in the rain, as they're not covered. (Tent does a vent at the top).

We have a plastic mesh under the mattress of the Autohome to provide air flow, thus preventing any mildew on the underside. I sourced this myself as the suppliers price was a bit steep.

Both tents have comfortable mattresses.
Both tents have been 100% weather tight.
When examining any tent, check for the quality of materials, easy of operation, test the set up and pack down procedure and see whether it meets your needs.

Conclusion: Since buying the Autohome Columbus the Howling Moon has not been used. We use a Fox wing awning with the Autohome, to provide shade and shelter during the day.

As a consequence the Howling Moon is looking for a new home, if anyone is interested, feel free to PM me.

 

[AndyCook]

Good summary Scott

Where did you source the mesh to go under the mattress?

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[Chas]

Good summary Scott

Where did you source the mesh to go under the mattress?

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You beat me to it Andy, I was going to ask the same thing.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Scott, same HM as I have - how did you solve the stowing of the extra length of the fly sheet? I find that the most awkward part to put away - it tends to billow all over the place. Tried tucking it inside the tent (door open) but you can't do that when it's wet or dirty (the fly sheet) :-(


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[Scott]

Good summary Scott

Where did you source the mesh to go under the mattress?

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I can't remember exactly as it was a couple of years ago, but a quick Google search brings up this site: http://www.marinebedding.co.uk/
That should get you started, and help narrow down the current best price. The DryMesh is easily cut to size to fit where ever it's required.

 

[Scott]

Scott, same HM as I have - how did you solve the stowing of the extra length of the fly sheet? I find that the most awkward part to put away - it tends to billow all over the place. Tried tucking it inside the tent (door open) but you can't do that when it's wet or dirty (the fly sheet) :-(


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Hi Gary, I guess your talking about the extra material that forms the covered area above the ladder on the Howling Moon Tourer?

If so, this is why I find it easier for two people to close the tent. I lift the ladder and close the tent till the two base boards are 90 degrees to each other, I then get Steph to hold the ladder whilst I climb up onto the roof rack (the roof rack has a ladder that slides out from the underside of the rack and hooks on anywhere). I then proceed to tuck the tent material between each of the tents pram hoops, I then take hold of the leading edge of the folding base board and Steph releases the ladder, it is at this point that I pull the extra tent material, that is currently lying over the base board and ladder, and tuck it all in by the closed tent door, between the last pram hoop and the base board.

I then kneel on the tent, release the ladder pins and closed the ladder, then fitting the two Velcro straps to the front corners of the tent, whilst still using my body weight to keep the tent closed and help squeeze the air out.

This is why I say it's important to know how you will safely get access to the tent when folding it away and tucking everything in. I find it easiest to do from standing up on the roof rack, but I know that not all people have an easy way if getting on to the roof rack on their vehicle.

I can shut the HM myself it's just a bit harder, as you have to completely close the tent before then climbing up onto the roof. Once up on the roof you find that the tent material is mostly lying on the rack, than nicely folded in between the tents pram hoops, so it means that there is more material to tuck in, but you have to support the full weight of the upper part of the tent whilst tucking all the material neatly away.

The technique that people develop for closing a soft shell RTT is dependent on many factors: design of RTT, full roof rack or roof bars, can you safely climb onto the roof?, do you have sides steps?, how high is the vehicles suspension lift?, oversize tyres, personal strength and dexterity.

Earlier the question was asked about shutting a tent when wet. I have shut both of my RTT's when wet or in the middle of a downpour. I do have a trick for this though, when the RTT is new I cut the mattresses protective plastic cover in such a way that I can reuse it to cover the matteress and bedding with the plastic, before closing the tent.

With the HM I usually remove the pillows and duvet then spread the plastic over the matteress before closing. I always open the tent to dry ASAP after closing down wet.

With the Columbus Variant, I just spread the plastic over all the bedding and matteress, then close the tent.

I have never had a wet bed using this method.

 

[Chas]

I can't remember exactly as it was a couple of years ago, but a quick Google search brings up this site: http://www.marinebedding.co.uk/
That should get you started, and help narrow down the current best price. The DryMesh is easily cut to size to fit where ever it's required.

How 'thick' is the under mattress mesh, is it just to reduce contact with the base of the tent, and what size is the mesh does it just trap a layer of air or does it allow air to actually circulate?

 

[Scott]

The DryMesh is about 10mm thick, it allows a layer of air to sit between the matteress and the tent base, thus allowing allowing the heat transfered from the sleeping human to mix with the cooler air closer to the tents underside. This warmed air can then dissipate through the DryMesh, and flow away.

Without the air flow, the warmed matteress touches the tents structure and moisture/dampness forms. The amount of air flow through the DryMesh is dependent on the tents design. I have always had the Dry Mesh in my Columbus, and have never suffered dampness on the matteress underside. I did this as my friends that already owned Columbus's advised me to.

 

[Duvs]

I'm looking at getting a RTT awning/annex, and found this one australia ebay for an really great price compared to anything available in the UK, but they wont ship internantional. Surely UPS or Fedex etc can just be used to send it anywhere, but the seller didn't seem interested. I have a mate in melbourne i could get it sent to and then forwarded. Anyone know it they're any good?

 

[stumog]

duvs i just got my rtt i have look at lots before i purchased one and one tging i will say is dont buy one until you have seen it in the flesh. there is alot of cheap c#%p out therethat isnt worth its cost. if you are on a budget buy second hand. my first night in our newtent the wind picked up to 50mph gusts and was shocking i would not have liked to be in one of the cheap rtt that i had looked at.
stu

 

[Duvs]

cheers Stu, yes that makes sense, I dont mind if my gear is old, but I do like it to be robust - that one from Australia looks as cheap as it costs doesn't it. There two 2nd hand ones listed on ebay at the moment for £250, but I know I dont quite need it enough to justify it at this point in time, especially given they're down south so hard see them first.
The sort of weight I'd ideally like is the sort of thing you get military tilts made out of. I'm mulling ideas of getting one made up as i'd like it..