I have had my James Baroud Evasion Evo RTT for a little over a year now, and I am very happy with it. I have slept through desert windstorms and torrential downpours and stayed cozy and dry. The aluminized fabric does not absorb water like canvas soft tents, so a quick shake before stowage is all it takes to get the water off. No mildew or mold issues. Ventilation is superb, almost 360º if you like, and afternoon naps with a cool breeze flowing through are sublime. All this good comes at a cost, and here are my main issues:
-Expensive... a little over $3,000
-Unsheltered entrance... The available JB awning and annex does not incorporate the tent entrance. In fact, it is on the opposite side of the vehicle. The annex is still very useful, but I would like to have some kind of sheltered entrance to the tent. I am experimenting with building one myself, however the JB tents come with a 5-year warranty, so I am very reluctant to drill or otherwise permanently attach any kind of fastening system to the upper shell just yet. Once the warranty is up, it's open season, but until then I am playing with alternate means of attachment.
-Size... The Evasion Evo is plenty big enough for my wife and I, however it is a bit cramped when we add my 8-year old daughter. I almost went with the JB Grand Raid, but it was just a bit too big for my rig as a daily driver. I am working on creating a sleeping space in the truck bed of my vehicle ('02 Tundra AC w/ A.R.E. Z-series canopy) for 2 kids using an air mattress or roll-up bed. This should work just fine as I use a tub system for all my gear. I like tubs because I can load/unload easily and it gives me the use of my truck bed for hauling other stuff when needed.
Looking at the new iKamper, it seems to address all the above issues, however... I was able to thoroughly check out the JB tents before buying one, so I knew the seams and construction were top-notch. I'd love to be able to gamble on the new iKamper at the kickstarter price, but I just can't bring myself to yet because of the lack of user feedback. I sent an email detailing my concerns to Mr. Park, the iKamper founder, and am awaiting a response. I will share it here if/when I get one.
In the meantime, if anyone has questions about the JB Evasion Evo, I'd be happy to answer them from my personal experience.
Good luck!
Paul
-Expensive... a little over $3,000
-Unsheltered entrance... The available JB awning and annex does not incorporate the tent entrance. In fact, it is on the opposite side of the vehicle. The annex is still very useful, but I would like to have some kind of sheltered entrance to the tent. I am experimenting with building one myself, however the JB tents come with a 5-year warranty, so I am very reluctant to drill or otherwise permanently attach any kind of fastening system to the upper shell just yet. Once the warranty is up, it's open season, but until then I am playing with alternate means of attachment.
-Size... The Evasion Evo is plenty big enough for my wife and I, however it is a bit cramped when we add my 8-year old daughter. I almost went with the JB Grand Raid, but it was just a bit too big for my rig as a daily driver. I am working on creating a sleeping space in the truck bed of my vehicle ('02 Tundra AC w/ A.R.E. Z-series canopy) for 2 kids using an air mattress or roll-up bed. This should work just fine as I use a tub system for all my gear. I like tubs because I can load/unload easily and it gives me the use of my truck bed for hauling other stuff when needed.
Looking at the new iKamper, it seems to address all the above issues, however... I was able to thoroughly check out the JB tents before buying one, so I knew the seams and construction were top-notch. I'd love to be able to gamble on the new iKamper at the kickstarter price, but I just can't bring myself to yet because of the lack of user feedback. I sent an email detailing my concerns to Mr. Park, the iKamper founder, and am awaiting a response. I will share it here if/when I get one.
In the meantime, if anyone has questions about the JB Evasion Evo, I'd be happy to answer them from my personal experience.
Good luck!
Paul
