So I just did a 2 week, 2500 mile trip. 6 nights were in the tent through Mojave and Death Valley. Night temps were ranging between 28 and 40 degrees. On the last night we got a light rain at Eureka Dunes. A couple nights were super windy, like 50-60 mph gusts. First the bad:
The zippers are a fail. The teeth keep separating behind the zipper. I have to run the zipper back and forth several times being super slow until they stay together. Once together they are fine. This happens on all the zippers that I used. I will be contacting JB and I am sure they will take care of me.
I am not sure if the base is strong enough. When I received the tent, it was a little bowed in places. Like maybe someone really heavy or multiple people were inside it. It was also slightly bent near one of the hinges, like maybe someone tried to close it with too much gear in it. Since I bought a scratch and dent, I decided to just accept it and see what happens on the trip. It did not bend further and it felt pretty solid when I used it. However, I am using it solo (I weigh 220lbs). I am not sure how it will do with 2 adults.
The aluminum leg supports are not the easiest. Its very difficult to press the pin and get the legs to move to the next hole. You have to wear gloves or you will pinch your fingers. Sometimes the pins get crooked and you have to slide the whole leg out to re-position it. There's nothing to fix, its just the way its designed.
The closing straps need to be longer. Its hard to get them started because you don't have much to work with. Since they are riveted on, I am not sure how I will be replacing them.
You cant fit much in the tent and still close it. I had two REI 20 degree bags, folded in half, and placed side by side. I could barely close it. I couldn't fit my pillow, had to leave that in the cab.
You cant mount the tent flush to a surface or you will not be able to loop the bungee for the cover around the pegs. I had to add 2" spacer to lift the tent a little so I could get to the pegs.
Overall I am happy. I still have not sold my Tepui as I want to do a few more trips before I decide if I am going to keep the JB. Here are the things I like about the JB:
I REALLY like the cover! The one thing I hated most about RTTs is the damn zipper for the cover. Its not any quicker, and you have to make sure its centered before you start looping the bungee, but after a few times doing it, I really started to like it.
The quality of the materials is really good. The fabric is tough and easy to clean. During the heavy winds, the tent was very quiet. No flapping. I could hear everybody else's tents flapping in the wind lol I started parking farther away so I wouldn't have to listen to them.
They added a thick cover to the top on the inside of the tent to keep light from shining through. This was a nice touch and kept me from waking up in a bright tent.
The tent is very light for the size. On my truck I really noticed the loss of over 100 lbs as compared to my old tent.
The interior size is not that much smaller than a traditional 6'x8' RTT; it's plenty big.
The mattress is comfortable and the tent does not get condensation inside, even when the temps were below freezing. Although, we were in the desert so I suppose the air was very dry. I guess I'll need a few more trips before I can say one way or the other about the condensation.
It was cold, so I didnt get a chance to open all the windows, but I am super excited to do some warm weather camping! I like the idea of windows all around and being able to see the sky. On a traditional RTT with awnings you can't look up.
If anybody has any questions for me feel free to ask. I'll keep you guys posted on the what JB says about the zippers. It the one issue that could potentially cause me to get rid of the tent. I'm also curious about how I can replace the closing straps. I suppose I'll have to drill out the rivets, but I will see what JB says first.
Also when the weather is fair you have 6 windows to maximize airflow and outside vision.
