hi we are looking into buying a trailer tent the oh is concerned about the beds and our weight does anyone have any idea on the weight they hold also what goes in the trailer whilst travelling where does the awning go whilst travelling
I'm no sylph-like skinny boy, and (dare I say it) neither is the wife. Together we weigh around 30 stone (Defo not telling you the ratio!) and we have never had the remotest problem.
They are designed to deal with a=way more than that as well. If you are worried, go for camplair, raclet, trigano, jamet rather than cabanon, sunncamp as the beds are stronger plywood rather than mdf. But either way you will be fine.
The awning stores in the main body of the trailer, normally. There should also be room for kitchen stuff, chairs, tables and maybe even a little clothing as well. Basically, you shouldn't need to have anything in your car which is going to be stored in the tent during your holiday apart from clothes. Well, that's the idea, anyway....
If you can, buy new. Not that there aren't fabulous bargains from absolute straight up campers out there - most of them on here - but as a nuwbie it's more difficult to spot the dogs, of which there are some.
If you need a budget new brand, I can absolutely recommend Camplair
thanks for that I have seen a jamet Montana 2001 model for £600 with all the under beds and everything but after looking at the camplair xl and looking on blackcountrycaravans and can get a new one for just under 3000 so do I go for the 600 quid one to see if we like it or try and save hard for the new one for next year
------------- callow top june 3 nights
thornwick holiday park august 6 nights
porth beach tourist park august6 nights
Whether to buy new or second hand is a personal choice really. firstly, is camping completely new or have you used other tents/fc/s before?
If you are just starting out, Id be more inclined to buy second hand and see if you like it first. You dont want to spend £3k on a TT and not enjoy it.
BCC also sell off second hand units from time to time, so its worth contacting them to see what they have. They are also very good at showing you how to put them up/down and their after sales is very good as well.
I agree with Kareandsi, I bought second hand to see if we would like camping and after only having 2 outings I can safely say we love it. Good thing buying second hand is that if you keep for 12 months or so and decide to buy new/ newer you won't lose a lot of money if you lose at all.
Good luck and leave a post on what you decide as we're all pretty chatty (nosey) on here lol
------------- As soon as the legs are down, the bottle is open.
You can get a decent if basic old one for a lot less than £600 if you just wish to try it out. I would still be inclined to buy new, but look at the Jamet - it may be just what you need!
The Jamet Montana is an excellent tent, but is somewhat bonkers for a first trailer tent. In particular, the awning is different form the norm. That said, it's a bloody good tent, and well made.
If you are going to get a bargain basement tent, you will need to check the following:
Stitching. ALL of it if you can. Are there loose bit or bits coming unfrayed? They can be fixed by hand but are a pain
Mildew, or a smell of damp, or patches of canvas which are a markedly different colour. Walk away, it's not worth the hassle for a first time camper.
Bendy bed boards, or damp stains. Also walk away.
Chassis. You will need to get on your back underneath with a screwdriver. Firstly, poke the plywood base in as many places as you can. It should be solid and not spongy anywhere. Secondly, check the chassis itself for dodgy welds and/or repairs, and serious rust holes, although these are rare.
Plastic bits. Check all of the plastic clips you hook the cover onto, as well as any plastic mouldings like handles and bits of awning frame. If one bit is brittle, chances all of them will be.
Kitchen - if fitted. I would stear clear of kitchen models as a first timer, but only because they are replacable with cheap other-stuff, and on a cheapy TT there is lots to go wrong. On the other hand, it's jolly convenient to have a place to store everything.
Just to give you an idea, I would be inclined to try and look for something along these lines:
With Camperlands relocating soon,they seem to be having a sale. This could of course mean writing SALE on a poster,but they might have a bargain or two. Worth a look if your at the top end of Derbyshire.
------------- Silence is golden
Duct tape is silver
yeah weve been camping for 3 years now and sick of the cramped journey and kids moaning so its either a trailer or a trailer tent and I like the idea of being off the ground as my partner suffers with her back and mine aint too good thanks to a RTA we did look at caravans but as I passed after 97 im limited on what I can tow so I think the tt is the way to go
------------- callow top june 3 nights
thornwick holiday park august 6 nights
porth beach tourist park august6 nights
Hi, go for the Montana first, get used to camping with a tt, that way if you have issues or damGe it or don't Luke it you have only spent 600 as against 3k
We started off 7 years ago with a 750 chantilly gl buying a new Olympe this year.
Best in mind the kitchens weigh around 25kg and can be a pain in the backside when moving around
We bought a Campingaz unit as we already had akitchen table. Lot llighter and easier to move.
If the Janet is in very good condition it should last for years and give good service.
Hubby and I weigh 32 stone combined, he's 6'4" and no sylph, I'm 5'4" and no sylph either. Our old Conway has never shown the least bit sign of stress with us sharing on one side, though we do put a flat piece of wood under each bed leg to spread the load a little.
I'd get a decent second hand TT first to see if you ;like it, there's no necessity to buy new unless you want one of the fancier new designs. The vast majority of TTs are much of a muchness in design tbh, they take the same amount of effort to tow, pitch, dry out etc. You're looking at roughly one and a half hours to pitch and set up the interior of a TT btw, with a bit of practise.
If you and your OH struggle to lift heavy weights you might be better with a model that has a swing out kitchen, or no onboard kitchen at all. Most TT kitchens need two folk to manhandle them into position. Some folk fit castors or wheels to the legs, these help a bit on some surfaces.
I have my conway mirage for sale in the free ads. I am quite far away from you so you might not be interested but the pictures will give you a good idea about how much luggage you can put in the trailer
We were new to TTing this season and were amazed on the stuff that you can pack into the TT and leave in there. Basically all our camping gear (and we have lots) gets stored in the lockers within the TT (2 water carriers, waste carrier, electrics, lighting, pegs, mallets, BBQ prep table, TT carpet, all kitchen stuff, torches, solar lights, bunting, bike stuff, plus loads more!) in the centre part we have the poles for awning and sun canopy, canvas for awing and sun canopy, chairs, coleman 6 in 1 table, 2 wardrobes, stools, table tops for stools, ZIG, kitchen unit) and in the front storage locker we have 2 907s, beer fridge, step, blocks, nose weight gauge, wheel & hitch lock (in transit!), carabing and fishing stuff, balls & boules, blocks, cordless screwdriver and other bits. On top of the TT are the bikes
So as you see you can fit a lot in! The car is then mainly for clothes, food, food fridge.
The beauty is that it all stays packed up so packing time before going away and when we get back is reduced hugely!
Not going to tell you what to buy or new/second hand. We had been camping for several years and after much research (6 months) we did purchase our Raclet Safari new at the camping and caravan show at the NEC in Feb. We knew that camping was for us and the a TT was the next step and plan on keeping it for at least 15 years.
Good Luck!
------------- Nick
2017
April - New Forest(9)
May - Dorset (9)
August - Camping Le Pin Parasol, Vendee (18)
October - East Mersea (8)
and five nights in the one man tent!
Personally i would buy 2nd hand.We have just got into TT's by accident really. I had a raclet as it was cheap and it certainly served its purpose then i spotted the neptune going cheap and got that instead.
The raclet was £270 and came with loads of extras, it sold for £250 without the extras.
Basically it didnt cost anything to see if we liked using a TT.
Also now i have the cabanon i can sell a load of stuff we wont be using now thus helping to finance this upgrade.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: newbie maybe
