Date:         Sat, 26 Aug 2000 00:34:08 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <ron@netcarrier.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <ron@netcarrier.com>
Subject:      Re: Side Tents for $399!
In-Reply-To:  <000101c00f0c$30787a00$e52bd5d1@8>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> Ron's tent sounds like what I have. I bought mine directly in
> Germany while on vacation there. You don't need a floor, use outdoor
carpeting. These
> tents are heavy, sturdy, and designed to withstand storms. Germans like to
> stay in one spot for a while when camping, so the tents are not
> designed for quick assembly. Ask Ron about their weight.These things are
heavy!!!!!!!


I currently have a couple of Vanagon tents that I've used myself.  One is a
genuine Westfalia one with a floor, one an aftermarket one without one.
Neither was ever sold in the U.S., and both cost me much more (purchased,
used, from listmembers) than I'm charging for these new ones.

From experience, I'll say this.  First of all, all things being equal, I'll
admit that I'd prefer to have a floor - although the Westfalia one with a
floor is quite cumbersome to assemble, which in my opinion outweighs its
advantage of having a floor.  On the other hand, the main benefit of using
such a tent (and I use mine often) is having more room.  You can move things
out of the van, allowing you more space to sleep and cook.  You can keep
your chairs and cooler in there, protected from the elements and away from
view. For these benefits, a floor is not neccessary. As Steve Lashley
mentioned, no currently-available Vanagon tents have floors, although he
sells floor/sleeping sections that can be purchased and used with my or his
tents.  Actually, I might just buy one of those sleeping sections for my own
tent!

Regarding the ease of assembly, I suppose it is indeed relative.  I concur
that it's more of a hassle than it's worth to set the tent up if you're only
staying overnight.  Probably about 15 minutes to assemble, about the same to
take down.  When Evon, Haley (age 2) and I camp overnight we don't bother
with the tent; when we camp for a weekend we do.  The tents are on the heavy
side, but not unreasonably so.  My wife, who is no amazon, can carry the
bagged tent, but not without difficulty. They do take up some space when
stored; the tent bag and pole bag are each nearly the size of a duffle bag.

All that said, I can't even imagine not having a tent now that we've used
one.  It's a playroom for Haley, a storage room for our junk, a place to get
out of the rain, and much more.  I've used side tents with my busses and
vans for years, and putting ours up when we are on a weekend trip or longer
has become as intrinsic a part of camping in our Westy as popping our top
is.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  http://www.busdepot.com
  (215) 234-VWVW