Roof top tent alternative Version 2.0

[craigwanderer]

Hi guys,

I'm in the planning phase for setting up my trailer as a camping trailer. When I'm out bush alone, I don't bother with a tent, but when the is along, two people in a one man Hennessy Hammock, whilst fun for a little while is impractical when sleepytime comes and I usually end up on the ground .

With this in mind, I'm thinking I'll need a roof top tent. I currently use a 4 man dome tent pitched out on the ground in the normal way and I guess it could work for the RTT base I'm designing. However, I'm not a tall bloke and pitching a dome 5 feet off the ground would definitely be a pain in the arse, especially when it's windy.

Enter the 2 second pop up tent... 2 Seconds Air II - Instant tents - Quechua

I notice from the instructional video that these are basically a memory wire frame which is folded in half and then folded in half again, then folded into a figure-8 so it fits in the bag.

If you forego the figure 8 fold, then it is my opinion that the tent can be secured to the planned RTT base by the use of a loose-ish bolt in the centre of the tent floor which would allow the tent to swivel enough to fold in half, and then in half again. To pop up the tent, it should do it automatically when the RTT base is unfolded.

Clear as mud?

Check out the videos in the link and let me know what you think. These things are cheap as chips and the model in the link has enough ventilation potential to suit my needs in an Australian summer.

Cheers.

 

[Ozdunc]

Reckon it could work.
You might want to bond some tarp to the top and bottom of the floor where you attach the tent to the base, to help prevent it ripping.
And some clips on the base to act as pegs.

Will they send to Oz?

I might get one of these when my Oztent Micro finally dies (which its showing no signs of doing so)

 

[craigwanderer]

There's a seller on ebay who's peddling the exact tent in the photo for A$149 plus A$34 shipping. States that it's located in Australia, but that's bull**** unless he also has "offices" in the US, Canada and the UK. These will be coming direct from China.

Quechua 2" Double Linings 2-3 Person Tent Air XL II - eBay Tents Canopies, Camping Hiking, Outdoor Sports, Sporting Goods. (end time 29-Sep-10 03:18:10 AEST)

Definitely cheap enough and having had long experience with outdoor equipment (mainly hiking gear) I trust the waterproofness rating on this tent.

For use with a folding RTT base, I'm thinking sandwich the floor material at the "pivot point" between two 6 inch squares of rubber matting secured with a large brass tarp grommet. Bolt the tent to the RTT base using a round head bolt and a nut which is loose enough to allow the tent to spin around on the RTT base when erected.

I haven't decided how the corners would be pegged out - clips would work as would some micro karabiners. Attaching a piece of tarp to the RTT base would work, but I was thinking of using those modular rubber matting thingys.

Still in the planning phase, but I'll pick one of these tents up and see if it's suitable in real life.

 

[patrickfinley]

It would seem to me that if you're not going to get a dedicated RTT, then you are better off getting a traditional tried and true freestanding backpacking tent. Check out brands like The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, Big Agnes, Sierra Designs, Black Diamond, etc. They will run you about $300 ish dollars but they are excellent.

These companies have very light, very strong tents that set up quickly. It may not be 2 seconds but 2-3 minutes isn't bad. Get one that is freestanding so you can drop it anywhere. These tents are tried and true so they will last years and have been tested in high winds and rain, even snow so you won't be doing the R&D yourself. These are the tents people are using on high altitude peaks in dangerous situations. These are also the company that make tents for expeditions on K2 and Everest.

 

[e9999]

don't believe these videos...


it takes 2 seconds to open up...

























and 2 hours to figure out how to fold it closed again...

 

[rusty_tlc]

I wonder how it does in a high wind, even a moderate wind usually collapses that type of tent.

 

[craigwanderer]

I wonder how it does in a high wind, even a moderate wind usually collapses that type of tent.

I've wondered that myself. Good news is that even if the wind collapsed it, it should pop right back up again .

Seriously though, the addition of some guy ropes should stop it from collapsing in heavy wind - it'll still flap and rattle though just like any nylon tent.

I have heard good things about the Quechua brand tents (specifically the one in my post above) when it comes to waterproofness.

A lot of kayakers use them too. Here's a link which discusses some pros and cons of pop up tents in general... Some of the posters think they are a toy and others who have used them in the boonies reckon they're the duckz gutz.

Pop Up tent question

dont get the cheap cheap ones. i bought 2 of the quechua ones from decathalon in manchester about 4 years back. for the kids when we went camping. the first time we used them we had a week of steady rain, neither leaked a drop, weve used themseveral times since with no bother, even a week in scotland last year didnt phase them, and, the ultimate test, i took one of them to glastonbury last year, i was there for a whole week as i went down working for greenpeace, and it rained pretty solidly. but despite it being a little cramped for my 6 foot 1 and 20 stone, it coped well, and again, didnt leak a drop. id thoroughly reccomend them, but the bigger ones look a bit too ungainly for my liking. get her the small one, easy to carry and pack, and wont blow away. theyre the only tent we have ever owned that has never leaked a drop.
sod work, im off for a paddle.

 

[morganism]

Yup, wind loading is the problem. And they don't have many tie downs. These are the best version of this type out there tho. You can also use the inflatable pole type, think Nebo picked them up, but they actually use air in the pole sleeves, instead of poles. Pretty solid, fairly rugged, but we always worried about overheating out here in the desert. would be pretty easy set up if you have a mounted compressor, or a onboard tank. check out the Flip-Pac, if you want some ventilation tho....