James Baroud or Autohome roof top tent

[rino]

I did get the space evo edition which has a lot more head room than the other models. In fact, i can stand up on my knees and my head just barely touches the ceiling of the tent. So it's great for changing clothes.

Another interesting tid-bit of info is that when i first purchased it and went to close it, i had all the doors zipped closed. I couldn't close it! It was like a giant balloon full of air. So i learned when you close it you just leave the doors halfway unzipped to allow the air to escape as you close it. To me that proved just how air tight and well built this tent is. I slept in a snow storm in Colorado and woke to 4 inches of snow on it, and then slept through a terrible thunderstorm in Missouri somewhere where it was hailing and pouring down rain all night. Woke up dry as a bone the next morning.

Awesome first hand experiences, we had a good taste of wind at Overland Expo East this year and were very happy with the sturdiness of the JB tents. Overall I have used a JB Grand Raid XXL in various climates and conditions from Arizona, Moab, Vermont, North Carolina and New Jersey with nothing but excellent results. The addition of the Cold Weather Kit really made a nice improvement in sleeping comfortably in <20* temperatures.

 

[joelbert]

Cold Weather Kit Installation on the James Baroud?

Is this something that you can add/remove at will or is it an option that once ordered with the tent, it's installed/on there for good?

Thanks

 

[James Baroud USA]

Is this something that you can add/remove at will or is it an option that once ordered with the tent, it's installed/on there for good?

Thanks

The insulation kit comes by itself. It is attached with velcro inside the tent. It can be left in the tent when closing, and can be removed easily.

 

[concretejungle]

ahhhh so that's what the velcro strip is for inside the tent! I was wondering what that was for.

 

[concretejungle]

James Baroud, if you are watching these threads, which obviously you are, please, please let the manufacturer know that they need to extend the tents just a few more inches. Make them 80 inches at least, not 78. American's on average are a little taller and they are just little short. Fix that and you have a 100% winner.

 

[spressomon]

^ This! Then I might be tempted to switch camps...based upon your input Alex.

 

[James Baroud USA]

James Baroud, if you are watching these threads, which obviously you are, please, please let the manufacturer know that they need to extend the tents just a few more inches. Make them 80 inches at least, not 78. American's on average are a little taller and they are just little short. Fix that and you have a 100% winner.

Yes i am on here,new at it just trying to keep up. We have actually given a few recommendations to the manufacturer that we have gotten and the length of the tent is one of them.

 

[Likeethimp1967]

Check this long term owner & user review.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/james-baroud-tent-failure.840771/

 

[James Baroud USA]

Check this long term owner & user review.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/james-baroud-tent-failure.840771/

Likeethimp 1967,
We have seen this thread and we did not respond. We here at James Baroud are very concerned with our customers and we want the best for them. I will say that there is always two sides to a story, and we are working on the said mentioned tent.

Thank you for taking the time to read my response.

 

[dariusz]

This is a little old thread but, I'm in the process to buy a hard top tent, and James Baround is in that moment my first option. What is the reason? I tell you my story.

I leave in Venezuela (Sur America), but have a office in Miami, FL. In my country we don't have dealer for Maggiolina or James Baround, and tis is the reason I buy all my things in USA and send it to Venezuela by ship with others items we import.

I write to autohome USA and autohome Italy May 14, I receive a answer from Italy, but from USA NEVER! The person from Italy (Clizia) is very helpful with my questions and additionally contact more that 3 times the person in autohome USA before it take time to write my some lines. I receive a e-mail from autohome USA June 01, write a answer the same day, and again NEWER receive a simple line. If this is the pre sale service, what I can expect in a post sale?

I know the Maggiolina for many years and its reputation is excellent, but I think that it no longer care about the customers, which for very expensive and luxury product is a blunder. This is the reason that I search for other options and find James Baround.

This Monday I go to contact the people of James Baround USA to sea if my experience is better that with autohome USA.

Dariusz W.

 

[Lemsteraak]

Dariusz

I wouldn't be too hard on AutoHome USA, what you are asking is very cumbersome and needlessly expensive. It would be much better to ship direct from Europe.

If shipped from the US, you would be paying double duties. I used to be in shipping and remember that tents carry something like a 10% US import duty and then you would have to pay your Venezuela import duties in addition.

The main reason why you don't want to do this with a hard shelled tent is damages. Here in the US we handle just about everything with forklifts. Unless the tent is crated then you can expect damages from US carriers. So, you will need to pay to have your tent crated, shipped to Miami so a customs house broker can uncrate to reduce weight and size and forward to Venezuela. You will receive a damaged hard shelled tent so nobody will be happy.

I have a couple suggestions, first to contact Baraud or AutoHome direct and not even think of forwarding through the US for the reasons stated above. Second, go with a fabric folding tent, they are much easier to repair and ship much better. Third, if you really want a hard shelled tent, skip the fiberglass shelled tent, too fragile and go with a carbon fiber shelled tent. They are truly indestructible and much lighter to ship. You will save a lot in shipping and it may offset some of the expense of buying a more expensive and better product.

This is only opinion and my information that I base these opinions on may be out of date.

 

[dariusz]

Dariusz

I wouldn't be too hard on AutoHome USA, what you are asking is very cumbersome and needlessly expensive. It would be much better to ship direct from Europe.

If shipped from the US, you would be paying double duties. I used to be in shipping and remember that tents carry something like a 10% US import duty and then you would have to pay your Venezuela import duties in addition.

sorry to disagree, but for as are the conditions in my country, it is much better to send from USA than from Europe, even it is considerably more economical in the total bill

The main reason why you don't want to do this with a hard shelled tent is damages. Here in the US we handle just about everything with forklifts. Unless the tent is crated then you can expect damages from US carriers. So, you will need to pay to have your tent crated, shipped to Miami so a customs house broker can uncrate to reduce weight and size and forward to Venezuela. You will receive a damaged hard shelled tent so nobody will be happy.

I have a couple suggestions, first to contact Baraud or AutoHome direct and not even think of forwarding through the US for the reasons stated above. Second, go with a fabric folding tent, they are much easier to repair and ship much better. Third, if you really want a hard shelled tent, skip the fiberglass shelled tent, too fragile and go with a carbon fiber shelled tent. They are truly indestructible and much lighter to ship. You will save a lot in shipping and it may offset some of the expense of buying a more expensive and better product.

the crated option is a must! the last thing that I need to receive the tent beaten, damage or scratch. I like the fiberglass tent, the soft ones I have a lot and I like to change, but a carbon fiber is out in price...

As note, the lack of good customer service is not a excuse by prices or other maters

 

[foeix]

Likeethimp 1967,
We have seen this thread and we did not respond. We here at James Baroud are very concerned with our customers and we want the best for them. I will say that there is always two sides to a story, and we are working on the said mentioned tent.

Thank you for taking the time to read my response.

Theron has a million (literally) followers on Instagram and his pictures are published the world over. If it were me (and my business) I would have overnighted him a tent for free even if we purposely hit it with a sledgehammer. Surely $3000 is nothing compared to the possible favorable exposure.

 

[mezmochill]

How do you keep from thrashing the inside of these when it's raining outside?

In fair weather they seem like an excellent concept, but otherwise they would become a dank mess. Do you use some type of awning.

It seems a regular tent would be easier as they have an vestibule AND can be used for backpacking.

 

[Septu]

How do you keep from thrashing the inside of these when it's raining outside?

In fair weather they seem like an excellent concept, but otherwise they would become a dank mess. Do you use some type of awning.

It seems a regular tent would be easier as they have an vestibule AND can be used for backpacking.

I'm not sure what you mean with this. I assume you mean it smelling bad or being a mess? I've been lucky so far and other than a bit of rain, it's rarely really really poored on me. But I've always been dry. And with the built in fan I haven't had any issues with it smelling "dank". To be honest, that's really the only thing I miss about my old Kukenam tent. It at least had a little bit of a rain cover over the door. But in almost every other way the James Baroud is superior, and I still have no regrets. Even considering the 5K I paid for mine (expensive shipping and import fee's) I wouldn't go with a ground tent. I love being off the ground. And seeing how I don't backpack (knee issues), that's not really a concern.