We have an Outwell Indiana 8 and are new to this camping lark. We opted for this tent because of the amount of space and the fact that you can stand up inside the whole of the tent.
We managed to pitch it (albeit a bit snug) in our garden and for first time tent errectors it only took us an HOUR..... Mind you once we had it up we realised that we may have saved a bit of time and energy had we pitched it from the back (sleeping area) first. On the Outwell site they have a video showing how to pitch an Indiana 6, maybe we should have watched this first!
We love our tent and are really glad we paid the extra money and bought this one instead of getting something cheaper! We bought ours from a store in Hemel Hempstead and they will pitch any tent they have in stock so you can see it before you buy, they were also the cheapest we could find at £349.00 with free delivery (not sure if this applied to the whole of the UK) the website is http://www.completeoutdoors.co.uk/
We are going away the weekend of 24th of June for a trial run before our main holiday and can't wait.
Yes, I think I'll be going to watch the outwell video before I start putting it up. We'll be garden camping this weekend if it'll fit in. If not, I might just have to book a night on a local site for one weekend soon.
I know the kid's will love that idea - not so sure about the hubby!
Funny thing is, I knew it was going to be big, but when i converted metres into feet i almost had a heart attack 26 feet long by 14 feet wide ...!! Ahhh the space, ahhh not having to stoop inside the tent any more, ahhh not having to struggle to squeeze airbeds into the pods.....bliss!! Can't wait to try it out this weekend!!
------------- Experience is something you get only AFTER you need it...
well we went at the indiana 8 today and now i'm not so sure i like it hubby wasn't bothed he still likes the Nebraska xl (they had them in stock and at £399). we are going to look at the montana 12 again thier is just something about the nebraka that i'm not sure about. oh well just have to keep looking
We've just put our Indiana 8 up - well yesterday. Kids camped in it last night and we've just taken it down again.
As regards the overnight visitors. The mudflaps have eyelets/loops (can't remember which now and I've only just taken it down - d'oh) so you can peg them down before you put the bathtub groundsheet in, so I think any nocturnal visitors would have a hard time getting in.
You can definitely get a double airbed in the little bedroom, and it's no tighter than what we were used to in our Gelert satellite 6, so that's not going to bother us. Me and hubby will be using the little bedroom for our 'big' holiday of the year cos my parents go with us and being a bit older we reckon they could do with the extra space to move around. The kids will share the 2nd big compartment - mainly so they'll be further away from us in the evening while we're still talking and they're (supposed to be) going to sleep.
We're really happy with it - it just about goes up in our garden, without the canapy on the front admittedly - so we'll be able to put it up to dry off if needs be.
We'll see how it really goes during the last week of July when we're away in it for 8 days.
I've put up a piccy in my gallery, or you can look at a few more here (you'll probably notice we didn't bother putting the bathtub groundsheet in)
Thanks for photos they are brill. hubby wasn't to sure when we went to look yesterday. he didn't like the bedroom lay out. We did look at the sun valley but in a camping magazine last year they bent the long pole on the side trying to put it up and it slops towards the back so my tall hubby didn't like. So looks like we are going back to the montana 12 we are going to look at that again before we buy, (they didn't have it in the shop yesterday),or it could be the nebrska xl. oh well it fun looking
monty 12 suits us fine, all five of us, just drop out a 4 bed pod and it gives oodles of space, a small porch to the rear for storage / portaloo, options of a canopy and head height to 6 feet 5 and more throughout.
We've just been away with our new Outwell Indiana 8 and oh my god are we over the moon with it!!It took the two of us an hour to erect it (this was the first time it had been out of the bag) but this will get considerably shorter after the next time, it has a heeowge living space (if its raining you could drive your car into it to pack up) and the bedrooms are also very big (and you can stand up in them!). As it's a tunnel tent you can stand up straight wherever you are in the tent (the stooping really got on my nerves in our old dome tent), a side door and a front door, a bathtub groundsheet, I could go on and on and on....Before we bought this tent i was always jealous of people with caravans (i was the one who wasn't that bothered about camping) but not any more...you could fit a caravan inside our tent!!!! I am one happy widget today I can't wait for our two weeks away with it at the end of August, there's so much space that you don't feel like you need to get out as soon as you've had breakfast!
------------- Experience is something you get only AFTER you need it...
Just a quick question on the indiana 8. Do you NEED to have a groundsheet to put under the two big bedrooms? And are the two big bedrooms completely separate or can you unzip a centre divide to create one big one?
Quote: Originally posted by WillowFae on 03/7/2006
Just a quick question on the indiana 8. Do you NEED to have a groundsheet to put under the two big bedrooms? And are the two big bedrooms completely separate or can you unzip a centre divide to create one big one?
Our Vango groundsheet doesn't go under the bedrooms and it has never occured to me to get an extra one. It would keep the bedroom clean, and it would add extra protection, but I don't think its really necessary.
It isn't necessary. It's an option, some people like to put one under to stop the bottom of the pod getting dirty.
As for the bedrooms, you can unzip the divider from between the two, but there is a very small lip left. You also have the option of removing one of the big bedrooms by unzipping it from the other.
dITTO Gilyan. We've bought a tarp from localbuilders merchanyts for around £10 to put under the bedroom pods. They do come with a sewn in groundsheet though, but it's good to put extra protection underneath so the rest of the tent doesn't get filthy when you put it all back in the bag!!
------------- Experience is something you get only AFTER you need it...
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: out well indianna 8
Can't wait to try it out this weekend!!
