Saw the 600xl at the weekend looks a really nice tent as an entry level into airbeams as its only 70 denier fabric
Earlier airbeams did suffer with faulty beams but that was back in 2012 had were quickly resolved but like all mass produced items there will always be the odd one of two that will slip through the quality control and end up in the market place
The fabric
Most polyester tents are 75 denier fabric this is the thickness
The majority of vangos airbeams are 150 denier fabric meaning they should last at least twice as long
I'm not sure of the price of 500 xl I'd guess at it being around £600 which is a lot of money for an entry level fabric
Could I ask why your going down the airbeam route and what drew you to the 500 xl
Did you go to the nec camping show
------------- April Peak District Beech Croft Farm
May Peak District Duke of York
May Holland Delfse Hout
June Cotton Arms Nantwich
july/aug Cornwall Pentewan Sands
And quite a few local weekenders
Just by looking at the pic the thing that concerns me is the size of the front porch. It looks very shallow in depth and I wonder what real use it would serve. Can you get an extension canopy for it? As its angled the way it is I would doubt it.
I'd agree, Geoff.
At a guess, (as it's unspecified) something like 1.1 to 1.2 at the peak, but only 0.98 at the base.
We had a parallel 1.45m at the front of our Filey, and still considered it "not deep enough" for a kitchen, (or even just sat mooching!) hence my subsequent love affair with tarps!
Even an optional extra of an additional open fronted canopy (As you had with your Corado, Geoff) would be a welcome option for all tent's of this ilk, in my opinion. Make's the world of difference.
Just realised...
Welcome to the forum, Billdouglas.
On the inflatable subject, I'd agree with P & K... those earlier niggles do seem to be getting less and less as time goes by... if these forums are anything to go by.
My first summer in these forums, (2012) there were a ruck of posts regarding various little problems. A little better in 2013, and much less so last summer.
I guess the bods in the labs are finally getting their acts together... or more likely, the money men aren't sending their new versions out too early, and are actually getting them tested a bit more, before they go on the shelves!
They're now fast becoming popular, and it seems, folk are now starting to show some faith in them, so don't let those earlier reviews influence you too much!
The problem with most inflatable tents is that a good chunk of the price is still paying for the inflatable technology
Regarding pitching time when it says pitched in say 7minutes that's probably only the inflation time as pegging the tent out takes the same amount of time as a poled version there are some people on here who could pitch a poled tent just as quick
The major benefit of inflatables is that you can have a big family tent and pitch it single handed
I'd say the porch on the Capri tents would not be sufficient for cooking in as they're not that big and think they're there more to keep the rain off the front door
------------- April Peak District Beech Croft Farm
May Peak District Duke of York
May Holland Delfse Hout
June Cotton Arms Nantwich
july/aug Cornwall Pentewan Sands
And quite a few local weekenders
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Topic: VAngo airbeam capri 500xl
