I was thinking of buying one of these tents.Can anyone tell me of any experience they have had of them,and also maybe a good place to get one from,price wise.One of the reasons i was considering them was because they are so easy to put up,which is what i need,as will be doing it on my own.
The 'Ultimate Classic' is a huge tent, but like all of the 'Ridgidome' tents is relatively easy to pitch single handed. Though, as it is the largest of the 'Ridgidome' range, will take a bit longer to pitch than the 'XL Classic' (which I have) or the 'XXL Classic'...
At the moment (until the end of July) they are on 'Special Offer' on the 'Khyam' website, for £475 (reduced from £600). So if you want one, now is the time to buy...
All of the 'Ridgidome' range of tents are very well designed and made. All of the poles (apart from the bedroom and porch sections) are ready fitted to the tent and only need 'folding out'... The poles are made from extremely strong 'aero aluminium' and no struggling with the dreaded 'ring & pin' system, used on many tents. The 'Ultimate Classic' is quite a heavy tent (37kg. about 80lbs.!) do you think you will be able to lift that out of your car!... You don't say how many people will be staying in the tent, but if the weight is a problem, you might think about the 'XXL Classic' which is lighter at 25kg...
The 'XXL Classic' has a 'special offer' price of £350 at the moment from 'Khyam'. Of course if the weight isn't a problem the 'Ultimate Classic' is a wonderful and very roomy tent...
If you have any more questions Mandy, I'll be 'on and off' this website most of the day, (while I'm supposed to be working!) and I will try to answer them. I've had 'Ridgidome' tents (XXL & XL Classics) for five years and can personally recommend them... Andy...
ok thanks for that.did not think about the weight,that could be a problem as am a light weight.I do need the space though as have 4 children and would like the space incase I take someone else sometimes to help.Thanks for that point though.
With five or sometimes six of you, I think the ideal tent would be the 'XXL Excelsior' which is larger than the standard 'XXL Classic' though not quite as large as the 'Ultimate Classic'... It's a very good tent, with only slightly less 'living space' than the 'Ultimate' but it is 10kg. lighter!... They too are on 'special offer' at the moment at £375.
You could also think about adding an 'Annexe' to your tent, if you really need the extra space. I bought the 'Classic Annexe' for my tent and it gives a huge 9 sq. metres of extra space, when I need it, I use mine as a kitchen/diner. They're very light, are really easy to pitch and like the main tent extremely weatherproof (see my profile, for a picture)...
Hi Mandy .. Andy is your man for all things Khyam and he always beats me to it when it comes to helping people out with "Khyam Kweries" I'll tell you what though Andy we were at Tatton Park for the Stars & Stripes weekend July 1st and 2nd with the PT Cruiser club the temperature was off the clock and the ol' XXL felt more like 50kgs when we dropped it and put it away in that bloomin' heat !
Buy a Khyam Mandy, you won't regret it, they're an absolute doddle to put up anf you even get a video/dvd showing you how to put it up ! Look on Khyam's website they show the video on there. Enjoy !
------------- You don't stop doing things because you get old, you get old because you stop doing things !
Hi thank you both for your help.Would it not just be the case of dragging the pack out of the car then unpacking it?
Also I have been looking at the site and catalogue and wonder what the advantages and disadvantages would be of buying the XXL Excelsior and the annex,over just buying the ultimate classic,size wise etc... as it would work out the same price with the offers on at Highbridge.
Oh the fun next I have to work out what things I need tht are essential as will then be on a budget.
You're absolutely right Mandy... Really the weight doesn't matter much, as all you do is 'drop it' out of the car!... You'll just have to make sure you can get someone to give you a hand getting it into the car (if it's far to carry, that is!)... There's no real advantage to having an 'Excelsior' and annexe, other than carrying seperate smaller weights, which you're not really bothered about anyway!... I'd go ahead and get that lovely big 'Ultimate' for you and your family, they really are a great tent...
Good luck, with buying your tent and all the other things, have a lovely time camping, whenever you go...
P.S. Let us know how you get on, buyin the tent and 'stuff'...
I often have to lug the tent around and pack it on my own and have always packed the poles separately. OK the main poles are ready attached to to the flysheet, but there are several other poles which are attached afterwards and the weight of these is quite significant.
So I usually just keep the main section of the tent in the tent bag, and pack the other bits (inners/poles/ etc) separately - each on its own is manageable.
Thanks everyone.Andy I just read what you said about the groundsheet you brought,do they do one that would fit the ultimate classic? as offf to the shop to buy the tent today.Dont suppose you have any tips on what to look out for when choosing something to cook on,oh so many choices.
Sorry for the late reply, been 'out & about' doing things!... With the 'Ultimate Classic' you really need the 'Khyam' footprint groundsheet!. It's such an awkward shape and size, that you wont be able to get one 'off the peg' anywhere else. The one I got, from 'Tarpaulins Direct' was for my 'Classic annexe' which was a simple square (3m.x 3m.)... Don't worry, the quality of the 'Khyam' one is OK and will do it's job, just fine. I have the 'Khyam' footprint for my tent, which I bought last Spring and it's still OK, after plenty of use... I also use a section of 'Softex' groundsheet (it's like 'camping carpet'!) for the living area, just to make things a bit more 'comfortable'. But that's something you can think about, in the future, once you've got all your other stuff sorted out!...
As for something to cook on... Well, I use a 'Sunncamp Grillmaster Deluxe" cooker. But all the 'two burner & grill' cookers are pretty similar and all do a good job, so choose the 'best deal' you can find... You will also need a 'Calor gas' bottle, hose and regulator. The regulator and hose will cost about £7 together. As for the gas bottle, if you know anyone who has an empty one... Grab it!... It doesn't matter what size or colour (blue or orange) you get. Take the 'empty' into your camping shop and exchange it for a full 4.5 kilo Butane bottle. This will last all Summer (and longer!) but is small enough to carry & pack easily. It will cost about £12 for a full bottle...
If money is a problem (isn't it always!), you could go for a couple of smaller 'cartridge' type cookers. They pack away like small 'suitcases' and just have a single burner, but they are very cheap and will do the job, until you get something else...
I hope you find everything you're looking for, it may take you time to get everything 'just right' but don't worry, you can use a lot of 'stuff' from home (pots & pans, bedding etc. etc.) until you have the time and money to get everything you need... Have a good time 'camping shopping'... Best Wishes... Andy...
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Topic: Khayam ridgi dome ultimate classic
I'll tell you what though Andy we were at Tatton Park for the Stars & Stripes weekend July 1st and 2nd with the PT Cruiser club the temperature was off the clock and the ol' XXL felt more like 50kgs when we dropped it and put it away in that bloomin' heat ! 
