 | Home > Camping, Caravanning and Holidays > Question about hard shell roof tent |
 
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| dantastic Member Since: 04 May 2010 Location: London Posts: 367  
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I've a JB Evasion and this is the only problem with the hard shell tents. JB have just released an awning jobby and Autohome have their own system. I'm not sure I love either. This was the main thing that was putting me off buying a hard shell tent myself but after owning one for a while I've changed my mind.
The key is speed. The less time you are out in the rain the better. You get dressed in the tent and then just bolt out. Just minimise the damage if you will. Which brings us to the next point. I can fully set up the tent in less than 1 min. It takes less than 2 mins to close the tent and actually be off. You just can't compare that to the fold out tents, they can take 15 min or so to close. It's a good question, one I had as well. I just found that the speed makes up for the lack of cover. |
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8th Aug 2017 11:07am |
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| JOW240725 Member Since: 04 May 2015 Location: Suffolk Posts: 7873 
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I've been looking at a new Kickstart project the Skycamp by iKamper, which is a hard top tent for a family of 4 or 3 men but has a bit of a canopy for access. However, as a new product, it is not yet in the country to actually look at and again it is quite an investment!
 Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge James MY2012 110 2.2TDCi XS SW Orkney Grey - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic43410.html MY1990 110 200TDi SW beautifully faded Portofino Red - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post743641.html#743641 MY1984 90 V8 Slate Grey - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post744557.html#744557 Instagram @suffolk_rovers |
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8th Aug 2017 1:03pm |
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| ChrisCM Member Since: 10 Jun 2013 Location: Cornwall uk Posts: 572 
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Hmm, that's interesting JOW but there is still no covered access to the tent as there is in a lot of the soft top roof tents such as the Howling Moon Stargazer or Tuff Trek TT-02. The problem I see is if you want to access the hard top and it's p****g down where do you take off and put your wet gear boots etc before getting into the tent without going back out into the rain. I take your point Dantastic, but getting out of sopping wet weather gear can be a bit of a faf and, I find, never a quick process. I feel a soft top coming on! 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.
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8th Aug 2017 1:35pm |
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| JOW240725 Member Since: 04 May 2015 Location: Suffolk Posts: 7873
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You could add the awning or annex room with a shoe rack. But obviously, all adds setup/dismantle time. Honestly, nothing to do with Skycamp!
Click image to enlarge James
MY2012 110 2.2TDCi XS SW Orkney Grey - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic43410.html MY1990 110 200TDi SW beautifully faded Portofino Red - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post743641.html#743641 MY1984 90 V8 Slate Grey - https://www.defender2.net/forum/post744557.html#744557 Instagram @suffolk_rovers |
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8th Aug 2017 2:29pm |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11240 
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To meet those requirements you're going to be hard pressed to beat a standalone Oztent. Whilst you can get larger roof tents that provide the cover you've described, they're long way from the set up time of a simple hard shell version. My wife and I have done 'move every day' type trips with an RV4 and found it very easy to live with. We obviously didn't set up the front annex room every day but the tent on its' own only takes a few minutes and provides ample space and a decent sized front awning. Stashing it on the roof in a purpose-made carrier makes loading and unloading easy, too. I'd suggest trying it with your 110 instead of the 90! Darren 110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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8th Aug 2017 3:31pm |
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| ChrisCM Member Since: 10 Jun 2013 Location: Cornwall uk Posts: 572
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Hi James
The shoe rack has sold it for me! So you can add a full annex! but then layouts as extensive as these won't be quick to put up/away. Always a compromise! Darren, yes I know what you mean, the use of the 90 was not a good move but SWMBO had bought the truck with a view to taking it to the sun so it had to be done 🙄 And we do love the RV4. Seriously though, a benefit we can see with a roof tent is that you don't have to pitch it on the ground ( apart from the awning if you have one) so your footprint is not much bigger than the vehicle, useful for surreptitious wild camping. In another thread I see that somebody carries both on their 110, perhaps that's the way we should go, plenty of options then! 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black. |
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8th Aug 2017 5:32pm |
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| Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971 
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How about something completely different...
Awning on the side of the 110, sleep inside it. It doesn't work for everyone, works very well for me. I'm the annoying person that's set up and broken camp first and has always had a good night's sleep whatever the weather. |
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8th Aug 2017 9:02pm |
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| ChrisCM Member Since: 10 Jun 2013 Location: Cornwall uk Posts: 572
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I've often thought about that, it's the implementation, I think it would probably mean some serious carpentry, unless you know different?😀 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.
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8th Aug 2017 10:00pm |
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| jst Member Since: 14 Jan 2008 Location: Taunton Posts: 7682 
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I run an Oz tent signature edition with Fox wing on 110 for family trips. Sleeping in awning works well for me, rest in Oz tent. For overlanding I run Maggi and leave Oz tent at home. Change the way you work to are the wet in/out issue. I change into flip flops, take water proof trs off before going up ladder, then just coat to take off in door way of tent. Coat is stashed down side or in ortlieb bag. Leave flip flops on roof rack. In a hard shell some nights you don't even know it's raining! Cheers
James 110 XS Utility 130 Puma Station wagon/camper (in the making) 90 Puma Hardtop |
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8th Aug 2017 10:14pm |
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| ChrisCM Member Since: 10 Jun 2013 Location: Cornwall uk Posts: 572
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I've already got a side awning so perhaps I should just man up and make the dash from awning to tent if it's raining, otherwise I think it's an insoluble problem if I decide to go the hard route. (And I can always take the RV4 as well!) 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.
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9th Aug 2017 7:13am |
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5765  
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^^ I think you've answered your own question. Meanwhile SWMBO has been on another website also asking how she can improve her camping kit set up by upgrading for a more manly husband
 Monsieur Le Grenadier
I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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9th Aug 2017 7:16am |
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| ChrisCM Member Since: 10 Jun 2013 Location: Cornwall uk Posts: 572
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Well, you know how it is, one doesn't like getting ones hair all messed up in the rain 😱 2010 Defender 110 Station Wagon, Santorini Black.
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9th Aug 2017 7:19am |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11240
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I think the person on here recently with both roof tent and RV4 were using both for their family. Taking both for just two people on the off chance of rain seems like overkill!
In this context, everything is a compromise to some degree. All types of tents have their advantages and disadvantages - it's just a case of which best suits your needs and accepting that it might not be absolutely perfect in every setting. Personally, I like a tent that you can stand up in so an RV4 is great, but in doing so I accept that it's pretty bulky and not ultimately as quick to set up as a hard shell. If speed of set up is your no.1 priority then you must accept the limitations of a tent that will fulfil it. Darren 110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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9th Aug 2017 8:30am |
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