Dome tents, where the bedrooms are inside the domes are also tall tents with excellent inner height - I do find the bedrooms a bit small however with this design; but there is 3 of them.
Have a look at the Wynnster Condor 9 and/or, if you can find and end of line bargain, on the Royal Andorra (not sure they still make it, but someone will be selling a new 2005 model cheap).
------------- Big Bunny
Robens Valley Lodge & Cabanon Pyramide 6 "... kids you distract the bear, while I run to the car...."
If you`re considering the SunnCamp Festiva, look at the Vango Colorado 1200DLX instead. It was discontinued at the end of last year but there are still plenty around, and at bargain prices. It has a higher HH than the Festiva but the design is almost identical, except the Colorado has more air vents and bigger windows. And Vango tents are usually regarded as superior quality to Sunncamp.
I have a Colorado 1200 dlx and it stood up to some very bad weather last year, including very high winds. The central dome is vast and about seven feet high, so no problems with head height there. The bedrooms do slope of course as in most dome tents, but they`re very roomy for either two adults on a double airbed or two or three kids on singles. We used the third pod for storage. Useful pole-out sun canopy at the front and a door in the rear pod...strangely no door in the inner pod, so you have to leave the back pod out if you want it for access! Great for airing the tent out, though.
Last year, during one of the very rainy evenings, we had eleven kids sitting on picnic rugs at the dome end watching a DVD on the tiny car player while we four adults sat in the porch section with the door polled up, watching the storm. Plenty of room!
PS> Just another thought...the Colorado 1200dlx pitches out at just under 7m x 7m...it`s one of the smaller twelve-man domes. Very compact design, and fits on most pitches.
Quote: Originally posted by Deb_P on 26/8/2006
thanks Big Bunny .. I am looking forward to shopping with a bit more info behind me.
Pitty you are in surrey, a bit far to come shopping with me :(
...best offer I have had in years!
But you don't, I can't stop buying the darn things - witness my purchse of a Cabanon Pyramide only 2 days ago! - if I came with you, you would end up buyng more than one!
Back to your shortlist, with an OH being 6'5" you also need to check the length of the bedrooms, some can be quite short at around 2m, which means his feet would stick out the compartment! Just a note on something to look at.
------------- Big Bunny
Robens Valley Lodge & Cabanon Pyramide 6 "... kids you distract the bear, while I run to the car...."
That Hubby of mine needs his legs amputating at the knees. I did think about the bedrooms, hence google for dimensions every time I get a tent to look at.
We have the rest of this season to look and I'm hoping that there will be a few end of lines/ end of season sales so that we may even get a real bargain :D
Another question though.. Brand wise.. what are the best/ most popular brands? If I find the right tent I'm sure I cant talk my husband into increasing the budget .. So A bit more cash for a quality tent would be ok. hehehe
Quote: Originally posted by Deb_P on 26/8/2006
Another question though.. Brand wise.. what are the best/ most popular brands?
(from a previous posting).
Commonly available (UK) tents, with established reputations are:
Cabanon
Easycamp
Coleman
Gelert
Kyham/Campus
Outwell
Relum
Sunncamp
Vango
Wynnster
Less common and specialist brands, but still with established reputations:
Aztec
Basecamp
Eureka
Force Ten
Heidelberg
Jack Wolfskin
Jamet
Karsten
Lichfield
Blue Diamond/Outdoor Revolution
Messager
Marechal
Quechua
Quest
Robens
Royal
Vaude
Wild Country
Then there are some established shop brands, including:
Blacks (Blacks)
Eurohike (Millets)
Peakland (Yeomans)
ProAction (Argos)
.. and then finally there are the famed too-good-to-be true, direct from China Ebay "specials", which are to be avoid like an unexploaded bomb in a fireworks factory.
------------- Big Bunny
Robens Valley Lodge & Cabanon Pyramide 6 "... kids you distract the bear, while I run to the car...."
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.