We are going to upgrade this year but the Mrs. and I cannot agree which route to go down. I will not say who wants what because I know you girls you all stick together!
We have done the usual had a look at everything been to Camperlands to see the trailer tent and to a local place to see Pennine folding campers.
There are 5 of us so we are down to a new Trigano Olympe or a second hand Pennine Pathfinder or similar.
Any advice would be most welcome especially from anyone with experience of for mentioned models
------------- How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
New Trigano any day. The life of canvas depends on how it's been treated, so if you want long lasting, buy new.
Also, it's really unusual and pretty cool... And doesn't take 3 1/2 years to put up, unlike any trad folding camper awning (and I speak as an owner of one...)
I love the look of the Olympe and the Zig is great (if it's muddy that'll need mopping every 5 minutes ) but after having had an FC I know that I'd go for the Pathfinder and if the weather's great and you just go for the weekend you won't need to put the awning up anyway.
It depends really on what you are after, I think the Pennine would be more comfortable, and if you got a bedroom annex for the awning, then the 3rd bed would not have tobe used as a bed and could remain as seating. The Pennine has the kitchen built in, and the advantage of the loo,more cupboard space etc. etc.
It could also come down to price, the Olypme is classed as a 4 berth, therefore annex is def. needed, and the kitchen extra cost. The Pennine has room for 6,at a push, without awning and all inclusive price. Does the pennine already come with an awning, as if so, this saves approx £1000.
Just had to make that choice myself and having viewed many trailer tents and smaller folding campers we went for an older pathfinder. We pick it up tomorrow. At 7 years old it is still in wonderful condition. It will mainly be two of us going so won't use the awning all the time, but there is the room should our teenage sons join us at any point, with or without the awning. If you want to go for odd nights away then just take the camper at around 15 min to set up. If going for longer take the awning and you won't mind putting it up then. Having a toilet, full cooker and hot water is a bonus, especially as we have really struggled to find a campsite with good toilets, for Easter at this very late date and have ended up at one that has one female and one male toilet for up to 48 units!
Pennine would be better for a family I would say, lots more comfort and its in a different class and price range to a TT.
We nearly brought a pullman, which was lovely but in the end brought the camplet which was quite a bit cheaper, also probably a good thing as don't think the pullman would of fitted in our garage!
I would love to have a Pennine, and if you buy one I'm sure it will be wonderful and worthwhile.
But... Is it seriously worth all the extra money? For a lot of people I'm sure the answer will be "yes". But for me, all those extra features just add cost without adding value. For example, hot air heating, electric circuit and hot water. Very nice, and I wouldn't turn them down if they were free. But I find a jumper, lantern and kettle very nearly as convenient and they don't cost thousands.
Also, I am sad about the demise of the more elegant "connaumatic" erection system. Yes, I know, the new system is just as quick and less prone to breaking under abuse, but it's a really ugly engineering solution, and it just looks wrong. Sorry.
I really cannot stress highly enough how much the awning is a massive pain in the bum to put up. I'm sure hundreds of people will post saying how they find it a delight and a joy to put up and it goes up in 35 seconds, but seriously, it's a massive pain. And if you are short, it's nearly impossible to put up by yourself. This is true of all trad FCs, including my one, and there is simply no getting around it. And it's all very well saying you don't need to put it up, but then there's no need to go camping, either...
The last post said it all for me; it's in a different class and price range. That's perfectly true. So the relevant question is: is the lovely wood veneer, hot water, blown air and built in mains, along with a difficult awning and long erection time worth that £5000 price hike?
When we started looking we quickly came to the conclusion that we would invariably need to use an awning. That decided it wasn't worth the extra everything (price, weight, space..) for a folding camper, so we prioritised a quick erect awning instead.
I think somebody said the Olympe is heavy to put up? Or did I just make that up?
We like the C&CC, so we really wanted to stay within 5m, otherwise I would probably have an Olympe on order rather than a Jametic!
I love my pathfinder but if I had to put the awning up every time we wouldn't be going often. In the older ones the one seat is long enough to sleep a child on with out converting the settees and table to a third double. They do last well we use ours loads and it is in really good nick. I love the loo the hot water the hob.
------------- Good friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget.
Once you get to more than 5 years old the prices for pathfinders or crusaders come down quite a lot and compares well to new trailer tents. At secondhand these usually include extra bits that you would normally pay extra for on new units too so start being a bargin! rather than an expensive way to get a few extras. It is like cars, if you want top spec on a fiesta budget, get something a few years older as long and as long as they have been looked after you can still get a good few years out of it.
I would go for the fc but, have you had a look at a conway crusader with the connaumatic system so so easy to put up .But the end of the day you have to go for what's right for you, good luck
cheers Bruce
------------- Beer is the answer...
but i can't remember the question !!!
I can recommend the Trigano Olympe. Not sure where you are located but we have currently one for sale in Hampshire. It's from May 2009 with kitchen and is in excellent condition. It comes with an underbed inner tent as an extra sleeping berth (sleeps 2 children or one adult).
If you need more information let me know and I can send it to you.
Cheers, Isabel
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Topic: New Trigano Olympe or old Folding camper
) but after having had an FC I know that I'd go for the Pathfinder and if the weather's great and you just go for the weekend you won't need to put the awning up anyway.
