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I know what you mean about sitting in a tent with no windows. We have a 3 bed dome tent, but it's a bit grim in bad weather. We did some research and checked out the tunnel type tents with lots of space and windows. Even though we had bad weather, it still felt like a break and we were in the 'outdoors'...

Try this link

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Khyam-Montreal/643

Can't advise on which tent but we went from a caravan to a tent too.

We also had the Khyam you mention but agree with the lack of  light. Some of the new tents are really bright and airy and nothing like the older ones. With the right kit you can make a tent very comfy and homely.

We certainly don't miss the storage, towing and upkeep of our van, not to mention the money tied up in it. We also don't feel guilty if we don't camp for our main holiday which we did when we'd paid thousands for a van. You can get a really good tent for less than the cost of an awning.

We can travel so much further for a weekend with just the car and when we get home it just pops on a shelf in the garage intil the next time.

For us, we found sitting in a wet muddy field to be just as depressing in a caravan as in a tent.

If you liked old XL, how about something like the Khyam Chatsworth? windows on the 3 sides of the living area and a SIG. selling for under £300 now.

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I now seem to be veering towards a Cabanon Biscaya but still a way off a final decision.

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If you've got a reasonably efficient tent setting up system, it need not take much longer than sorting out a caravan. Don't forget that you have to add in extra travel time for towing the caravan plus setting up and putting away the beds everyday.

We started out with a caravan and I only changed over to a tent very reluctantly but now when I think about a caravan I think about the running/maintenance/storage cost, all that bed making, no separate bedroom pods, having to walk sideways because internal space is so limited.... The longer season would be nice, but not nice enough to make me want to change back to a caravan until I'm a lot older.

It all obviously depends on the type of camper you are.  We started off with a tt but within a few month's we had a caravan.  We loved the whole camping ideal but didn't really get on with setting it all up.  The awning doesn't have to go up immediately or at all.  So setting up a caravan really doesn't take very long.  With practice putting up the awning doesn't take much longer. 

It is a bother having to make up the double bed every night but that is just part of it and doesn't take too long and it's nice to sit in the bed in the morning with my coffee and watch the world go by in my lovely cosy warm 'van.

The best bit about having a caravan is getting near your site in the pouring rain and knowing that within minute's you will be sat inside relaxing in a warm and dry 'van.

We are very lucky in being able to store our 'van at home and if we couldn't then i might feel differently.  I can put most of the stuff in the 'van at home and it's only the heavy stuff that needs to be put away once on site.

The Cabanon Biscaya is a lovely tent, i like the porch area as you could sit outside in the evening and not get wet. 

We have a tv and dvd in the 'van but we prefer to sit outside and only put it on in the evening when we want the kids to settle down to sleep. 

Good luck in whatever you decide to do