High quality ground tents - the set up speed of the RV-5 but smaller packed dimensions? (1 Viewer)

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Bludozer

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Mar 11, 2016
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The Oztent RV-5 seems to be the perfect ground tent - high quality materials, decent footprint and almost instantaneous deployment. Only one problem...when packed its absolutely massive. I mean seriously, how does anyone deal with this? Seems like the only option would be strapping it down to your roof which to me is a dealbreaker for several reasons - that is a total pain in the a$$, potential theft issue, have to buy a roof rack as well.

So what is similar but in a smaller packed size? Goal is to be able to fit it in an 80 series with the second row still up and in place. I've listed the best options I've seen so far below, anything else I'm missing?

Jet Tent F25 - seems like the best option so far but I can't find anyone that has any stock...any leads?
Oztent Oxley 5 Lite - a solid option but is poly instead of canvas so that is a bummer
Springbar tents - most complicated set up, have to deal with poles etc.
Black Pine Turbo tent - has the coolest name but not crazy about the material, no canvas either
 
It's a bit small for most people. But I really like the Frontrunner Flip Pop Tent. It's my go-to tent when I car camp by myself or as a couple. It's packs down really small.

Overland Bound's Mike likes the Gazelle Tent which are very easy to set up.
 
The Oztent RV-5 seems to be the perfect ground tent - high quality materials, decent footprint and almost instantaneous deployment. Only one problem...when packed its absolutely massive. I mean seriously, how does anyone deal with this? Seems like the only option would be strapping it down to your roof which to me is a dealbreaker for several reasons - that is a total pain in the a$$, potential theft issue, have to buy a roof rack as well.

So what is similar but in a smaller packed size? Goal is to be able to fit it in an 80 series with the second row still up and in place. I've listed the best options I've seen so far below, anything else I'm missing?

Jet Tent F25 - seems like the best option so far but I can't find anyone that has any stock...any leads?
Oztent Oxley 5 Lite - a solid option but is poly instead of canvas so that is a bummer
Springbar tents - most complicated set up, have to deal with poles etc.
Black Pine Turbo tent - has the coolest name but not crazy about the material, no canvas either
I have an Oztent RV4, and a Gazelle T4, both pack up huge. The smaller Gazelle T3 is 55 inches long collapsed, so it fits sideways in the back of the 80 series. That one has a 76x76 footprint, but is only 68 inches tall when setup.
 
Spinbar is not hard setup. Downside for me is that it’s *heavy*.
No where as quick as the RV-5 but yes, not particularly hard either. The heaviness is a point worth considering though, also the fact that you have two bags instead of one.

Leaning back towards the RV-5 and just dealing with it on a roof rack. Just seems like the best combination of lowest set up time and highest quality materials. Every time I think I've found something better I keep circling back to it. Hmmm
 
Have been running a 10x14 kodiak canvas for 6 years or so. Biggest pain with setup is the fact that it has 14 stakes. It’s the flexbow style so you have to stake it no matter what. We are looking at the rv5 or one of those 2 pole teepee setups like this one.

 
Have been running a 10x14 kodiak canvas for 6 years or so. Biggest pain with setup is the fact that it has 14 stakes. It’s the flexbow style so you have to stake it no matter what. We are looking at the rv5 or one of those 2 pole teepee setups like this one.

I would've bought the RV-5 several times over if it didn't necessitate roof space since packed size is so large. I keep waffling back and forth honestly lol. Kodiak/Springbar tents do seem very nice just not quite as easy to set up.
 
I use the Kodiak Flexbow for a family of 4. Looked hard at the Rv-5, the downsides are packed size and total area. The flexbow is a great tent, but it is heavy. I have the 10x14 and can set it up and break it down solo quick enough. If I camp solo, I have a Big Agnes C-Bar that is very quick and lite. If I had to do it over again, I'd still take the Kodiak over the OZtent for family car camping...I'll never need to buy another family tent; that is for certain.
 
I have a gazelle t4 and it packs long as well. Not as long and big as the oztent but still. I think it is difficult to get ideas from others on how they transport ground tents on their roof or otherwise... because my combination of search terms usually produces "roof top tent" results.
 
I use the Kodiak Flexbow for a family of 4. Looked hard at the Rv-5, the downsides are packed size and total area. The flexbow is a great tent, but it is heavy. I have the 10x14 and can set it up and break it down solo quick enough. If I camp solo, I have a Big Agnes C-Bar that is very quick and lite. If I had to do it over again, I'd still take the Kodiak over the OZtent for family car camping...I'll never need to buy another family tent; that is for certain.
What do you as far as storage - do you have it up on a roofrack, or stowed in the vehicle somewhere?
 
What do you as far as storage - do you have it up on a roofrack, or stowed in the vehicle somewhere?
It comes with a super convenient and durable canvas tent carry bag with adjustable cinch...waay better than trying to stuff it into one of thosse regular tent bags. I have used my roof rack to trasport as well as the cargo area depending on how loaded down the trip demands me to be.
 
This is how I pack my Kodiak 10 x 10...in the cargo area with the tent poles/stakes on top.

EDIT: added 2 more pics...just now figured how to add text to my pictures. This is a test.🙉😱

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I have an Oztent RV3 for me, my gf, and dog. It's overkill and feels like a castle inside but it's my favorite setup I've had thus far. I've gone through 2 different roof top tents (soft shell and hard shell) and various ground tents. Yes it's long, it's sorta heavy but easy with two people, and you do have to load it on the roof rack. However we've kind of perfected a routine (at least we think we have) so it's not really that bad. Setup is dead simple which I like. Again the only thing that is a chore is loading/unloading and then lugging it around in the right position, that's a two man job. But once you get it into position it pops up quite easily and you got a quick shelter. Obviously staking it down, putting up the awning (if you want to), adjusting windows takes time but that goes with any other ground or roof top tent really. My biggest gripe is the size of the bag. Once you're ready to pack it away it does require a little effort to zip the thing up. Drifta does make a better bag for it but it'll have to come from australia and costs about $175. I've found the best and easiest way to strap it to the roof rack is through some eye rings and those " perfect bungee" cords. Easy to use and I don't have to deal with ratchets. Again, setup and take down are as easy as it gets. It's really the loading and unloading process that take a bit more time.

Quality has been great so far. The one thing I wish it did have was more pockets inside. As of now all it has is two smallish sized pockets on the lower portion on both sides. A hook to hang a light inside would be good too. I did consider the Gazelle T4 but it also packs large and I preferred the cotton canvas over nylon. As well I was not as keen on the pop-out sides as the walls will collapse down in wind so those must be staked down. The Springbar/Kodiak tents are nice and look like a great hunting style tent but it does seem like a more time consuming and involved setup process. We tend to move campsites day to day and not stay in one area too long so I'm not sure I'd want to deal with packing that up/down everyday. Also with the Oztent if you were setting up camp for a few days there's all sort of annexes and additions you can add to increase room and liveability, although we've stayed away from those additions since they only add more setup time.

So all in all, I like my Oztent RV3 quite a bit. It's not problem free like anything else but it has a whole lot of pro's going for it. We've used ours for 2 years now and don't see changing setups anytime soon. I think if you wanted something smaller and packable you can't go wrong with one of the REI Kingdom tents either.
 
We have been using the RV-5 for a couple years now to accommodate the ease of wheelchair access. I agree with the length being a con and and weight, but not too bad. I throw it up on to the roof rack. I can have the RV-5 off the rig and setup in ~5-10mins depending on whether or not we add the side panels. We love this tent. Lots of room for cots, the dog bed and gear. Quality is fantastic and never had any issues with the tent. And agree with others that it needs more pockets and loops to hang gadgets from. The biggest con for me too is the storage bag can be a PITA and you will fight to pack up the RV-5. The storage bag for the RV-5 should be 2 inches longer in length to make it easier to pack up.

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FWIW I ordered a Springbar Classic Jack 100. Should be here early next week.

I waffled back and forth considerably over the past couple of weeks between a few different options, but ultimately it made the most sense. The RV-5 has the quickest setup by a hair, but with its massive packed size requires roof storage which again is frustrating due to it necessitating the purchase of a roof rack along with it, security concerns while not on the trail and fact that it is a pain in the a$$ to be undoing it off the roof every time for set up.

The elimination of the RV-5 led me to considering a few other oztent/jet tent models as well as the turbo tent which were all either NLA, an inferior (non canvas) material or both. So that led me to either the kodiak flexbow or the Springbar, which both have the longest set up time of all the ones I was considering. Realistically, the difference of set up time is a couple of minutes, so once I wrapped my head around that it was a no-brainer. Deciding between the kodiak and the springbar wasn't easy at first as they both have their advantages - kodiak being cheaper, springbar having decades of longevity behind it. But after reading countless reviews, the Springbar seemed to come on top in terms of strength and quality plus the fact that it was made in America vs. the Kodiak being Chinese made. That sealed the deal for me.

Happy to post a few pics once it arrives if anyone is curious, very excited to get it!
 
As another option, Dave Ellis tents are really nice for anyone looking. Made in Colorado.

 
FWIW I ordered a Springbar Classic Jack 100. Should be here early next week.

I waffled back and forth considerably over the past couple of weeks between a few different options, but ultimately it made the most sense. The RV-5 has the quickest setup by a hair, but with its massive packed size requires roof storage which again is frustrating due to it necessitating the purchase of a roof rack along with it, security concerns while not on the trail and fact that it is a pain in the a$$ to be undoing it off the roof every time for set up.

The elimination of the RV-5 led me to considering a few other oztent/jet tent models as well as the turbo tent which were all either NLA, an inferior (non canvas) material or both. So that led me to either the kodiak flexbow or the Springbar, which both have the longest set up time of all the ones I was considering. Realistically, the difference of set up time is a couple of minutes, so once I wrapped my head around that it was a no-brainer. Deciding between the kodiak and the springbar wasn't easy at first as they both have their advantages - kodiak being cheaper, springbar having decades of longevity behind it. But after reading countless reviews, the Springbar seemed to come on top in terms of strength and quality plus the fact that it was made in America vs. the Kodiak being Chinese made. That sealed the deal for me.

Happy to post a few pics once it arrives if anyone is curious, very excited to get it!

The Springbar Classic Jack 100 is one of the models that Springbar has that is manufactured in China for Springbar according to their website. There’s an US flag next to the models which according to them
Made in the US .

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As another option, Dave Ellis tents are really nice for anyone looking. Made in Colorado.

Saw those! Look incredibly nice.
 
The Springbar Classic Jack 100 is one of the models that Springbar has that is manufactured in China for Springbar according to their website. There’s an US flag next to the models which according to them
Made in the US .

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Interesting, realized the "highline" series was but you may be correct. I'll see what the tag says when I get it. All materials are exactly the same so I'm not sure how much of a difference the exact country of assembly will make. If it feels flimsy or poorly constructed it will be going back, but frankly I would be surprised.
 
FWIW I ordered a Springbar Classic Jack 100. Should be here early next week.

I waffled back and forth considerably over the past couple of weeks between a few different options, but ultimately it made the most sense. The RV-5 has the quickest setup by a hair, but with its massive packed size requires roof storage which again is frustrating due to it necessitating the purchase of a roof rack along with it, security concerns while not on the trail and fact that it is a pain in the a$$ to be undoing it off the roof every time for set up.

The elimination of the RV-5 led me to considering a few other oztent/jet tent models as well as the turbo tent which were all either NLA, an inferior (non canvas) material or both. So that led me to either the kodiak flexbow or the Springbar, which both have the longest set up time of all the ones I was considering. Realistically, the difference of set up time is a couple of minutes, so once I wrapped my head around that it was a no-brainer. Deciding between the kodiak and the springbar wasn't easy at first as they both have their advantages - kodiak being cheaper, springbar having decades of longevity behind it. But after reading countless reviews, the Springbar seemed to come on top in terms of strength and quality plus the fact that it was made in America vs. the Kodiak being Chinese made. That sealed the deal for me.

Happy to post a few pics once it arrives if anyone is curious, very excited to get it!
Good choice! I would have bought the Springbar instead of the Kodiak too, but it's so damn hot where I live, I needed the extra windows on the Kodiak.
 

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