Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 12:03:28 -0330
Reply-To: Tom Rowsell <nfld_exile@WARP.NFLD.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tom Rowsell <nfld_exile@WARP.NFLD.NET>
Organization: Exploits Image Communications
Subject: Re: Side Tent on EBay/personal experience
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Since it's Friday, I'll weigh in :)
My wife and I can get a full erection from that Bus Depot tent in question in about 10 minutes or so :)
Yes, the seams were sewn a bit cheaply, and we had to re-sew/strengthen it in a few spots.
Yes, it's important to stake it out securely, especially in windy conditions.
Yes, it's a pain to roll back up, especially if you want to put it back in the bag that it came in.
If I recall Ron's announcement of this tent to the list, he claimed that it was suitable for someone looking for a cheaper alternative to the big guns, and for someone who was only going to use it a few trips a season etc. That info struck a chord with me, and I don't regret buying one from Bus Depot for $199 U.S.
You get what you pay for...
Here's mine in action:
http://home.tomrowsell.com/aug2002
Tom
>Subject: Re: Side Tent on EBay/personal experience
> From: Fredrich Hesterberg <FredsVW@WEBTV.NET>
> Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2003 08:39:46 -0500
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>Funny thing is people think old style Campmobile tent is overpriced.
>It is heavy duty, sounds easier to put it up than this item, and holds
>it's value good.
>It does not take an hour to put up, I know that, and doesn't blow away
>in wind.
>Why buy cheap ?
>Get cheap,and aggravated.
>
>Good Morning,
>
>Fred
>
>
>Hey all-
>Well, I really hate to admit this but... I was one of the suckers that
>bought one of these tents. I contacted the guy after the auction was
>over and asked him if he would negotiate his price. (But of course he
>would!!) So
>he sold it to me for $300 plus shipping. I suppose my judgement was
>clouded
>with dilusions of grandeur, but having just sold my beloved Westy I was
>a little weak. I thought this would be the perfect solution to camping
>in my
>Carat with 2 basset hounds.
>WRONG!
>This tent has been a bit of a disappointment (for $300, anyway.) First
>of all, it is not very well made. Secondly, it takes like an hour to
>assemble the thing by yourself. It's just all over the place, and really
>clumsy. If my neighbors were watching me try to put it up, they probably
>got a good laugh! The seams tear very easily if your not super careful.
>It's probably a
>good concept if you are going to be somewhere for two weeks, but if
>you're just going for a couple nights, it is a large PITA to put up.
>Once it's up you have to secure six or eight points or it will blow
>over. Very hard to re-pack.
>I don't know what I was thinking, but I really don't see us getting alot
>of
>use out of this thing. I don't mean to dis a product that Ron carries,
>but I
>just have to pass on my $.02.
>ch-chinggggg
>Scott
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "The Bus Depot" <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 7:52 PM
>Subject: Re: Side Tent on EBay
>There's a "brand new" side tent up on E-bay, no bids yet and the buy it
>now price is $350
>it looks identical to this one: http://199.217.241.240/tent.JPG that
>Ron sells at
>the Bus Depot for $199.99 --- presumably also "Brand New". No wonder
>there are no bids ---- (and no wonder I don't think much of ebay).
>Pretty funny. Yes, it's the same tent I sell, but for almost twice my
>price. Lots of questionable stuff in his listing, too. For example, he
>claims to have bought two but only needed one, so it's "brand new -
>except that he assembled it to take the pictures." Why, if he already
>has another one just like it that he is using, did he have to open up
>and assemble this "brand new" one to take pictures of it? Also he claims
>it fit Eurovans, which it does not without a drip rail adapter.
>You're right about ebay. Buyer beware. There are good deals there
>sometimes, but also plenty of ripoffs. I often see parts there selling
>for more (sometimes much more) there than I and other retailers sell
>them for everyday (and without the safety net of dealing with an
>established business) . Used parts are a mixed bag - sometimes cheap,
>other times more than a new one would have cost! The problem is, of
>course, that some people go nuts bidding. I once put a CD burner on Ebay
>privately and mentioned right in the description that it sold for $100
>brand new. Would you believe it bid up to $125? Good thing there's no IQ
>test required to get an Ebay user account. :-)
>- Ron Salmon
> The Bus Depot, Inc.
> www.busdepot.com
> (215) 234-VWVW
>_____________________________________________
>Toll-Free for Orders by PART # : 1-866-BUS-DEPOT
>
>
>Fred
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