PinnaclePete
Piney Woods Forester
I've got the ARB 2000x2500 awning and have been looking at the room with floor to use as a truck camper, don't want to go the RTT route at this time. Anybody have this and what do you think? Thanks.
ARB Awning Room Input?
- Thread starter PinnaclePete
- Start date
If it were me....
I'd go with something along the lines of the Oz tent with its own awning. The problems with RTTs, and the same problem you'd have with the awning/room, is every time you want to move you have to take it all down. You can bypass all that by mounting it all to a trailer, assuming you want to tote a trailer around.
I've done both of those, and the first gets old real freakin fast. The 2nd wasn't bad for me but unless you have a dedicated camping trailer, you're still tasked with removing all that stuff when you need to use the trailer for more mundane stuff like carting plywood or picking up a load of tires for your truck, I mean expedition vehicle, and other chores. That was the case for me.
I'm considering the oz tent with awning as a free standing outdoor "space", some place to hang out, more than a sleeping area. I could drive my van right up to the awning, just like pulling up to a drive through, and pull away the same.
Anyway, another viewpoint.
I'd go with something along the lines of the Oz tent with its own awning. The problems with RTTs, and the same problem you'd have with the awning/room, is every time you want to move you have to take it all down. You can bypass all that by mounting it all to a trailer, assuming you want to tote a trailer around.
I've done both of those, and the first gets old real freakin fast. The 2nd wasn't bad for me but unless you have a dedicated camping trailer, you're still tasked with removing all that stuff when you need to use the trailer for more mundane stuff like carting plywood or picking up a load of tires for your truck, I mean expedition vehicle, and other chores. That was the case for me.
I'm considering the oz tent with awning as a free standing outdoor "space", some place to hang out, more than a sleeping area. I could drive my van right up to the awning, just like pulling up to a drive through, and pull away the same.
Anyway, another viewpoint.
PinnaclePete
Piney Woods Forester
I've got a hammock and a stand alone tent also and love my ARB awning. I was looking for something to add to the awning to make a good base camp while biking, hiking or hunting. For $ 180 it seems versatile, cost effective and quick to set up/take down. I like the side flap truck side so I can access storage through my flip up side window on the cap. With cots and a small table it'll make a nice "room" and my wife might even go out with me more....hmmmm.
By all means, if you're good with your vehicle as part of your base camp, you'd probably be hard pressed to get a quality solution any cheaper.
I don't have one but I walked through plenty at Expo East a week or so ago. I doubt you'd be disappointed. A plus is the room has its own roof instead of being just walls and a floor. Probably keep the room a bit cooler in sunny weather.
I don't have one but I walked through plenty at Expo East a week or so ago. I doubt you'd be disappointed. A plus is the room has its own roof instead of being just walls and a floor. Probably keep the room a bit cooler in sunny weather.
concretejungle
Adventurer
good timing on this as i have the same awning and am trying to understand the difference between their full room with the floor and the other option they offer which appears to be three walls....
I don't want the floor. My use is for when i'm parked for a few days, such as at the beach, or at a music festival and want the privacy of the room, or to keep the wind down when trying to cook on the beach.
What is the biggest difference between the two?
I don't want the floor. My use is for when i'm parked for a few days, such as at the beach, or at a music festival and want the privacy of the room, or to keep the wind down when trying to cook on the beach.
What is the biggest difference between the two?
concretejungle
Adventurer
asking about this: http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-TOURING-AWNING-3-WALL-SET-2500MM-ARB4408A-P22806.aspx
vs.
This: http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-TOURING-AWNING-ROOM-WITH-FLOOR-2500-ARB4406A-P22803.aspx
One of my other questions if the room with the floor appears to have all 4 walls... so does that mean you can't access your truck from inside the awning room because it's walled off?
vs.
This: http://store.arbusa.com/ARB-TOURING-AWNING-ROOM-WITH-FLOOR-2500-ARB4406A-P22803.aspx
One of my other questions if the room with the floor appears to have all 4 walls... so does that mean you can't access your truck from inside the awning room because it's walled off?
cosmiccharlie
Explorer
Watch this. The 4 wall room has zippered access the inside of the vehicle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=987X_xT5snQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=987X_xT5snQ
PinnaclePete
Piney Woods Forester
Yea that video was one of the best that showed the most of the room. Also shows how fast and easy it can be put up. Like I said earlier, that truck side flap will allow me to access may Leer cap through the side window that raises. I like the 4 wall room over 3 walls because it will keep out bugs and critters, and the floor to help keep bedding, etc. clean. The only thing that wasn't answered is do the window screens roll up?
With some help, I convinced myself and ordered it for $ 180, not much diff than the 3 waller.
With some help, I convinced myself and ordered it for $ 180, not much diff than the 3 waller.
concretejungle
Adventurer
Thanks youtube is awesome!
I just clicked on Amazon... ordered the room.
I just clicked on Amazon... ordered the room.
gaap master
SE Expedition Society
I have the awning with full room. So far I've only used it on one trip (mid-January in freezing temps), but it was great. We slept in the RTT on the trailer, but used the ARB room for lounging, eating, changing clothes, etc. to stay out of the cold and wind. Heated it easily with a Buddy Heater. The direct access into the vehicle is a nice feature. This setup could be good for sleeping as well, but as mentioned previously there are downsides if you're moving camp daily or want to hit the trails.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Chris Boyd
Explorer
I have the room as well. I also have a Simpson RTT with the annex on my 100 series. For the same reasons mentioned here, I'm thinking to get rid of that setup and do the RV5 from oztent. Primarily because I'm tiring of having to put everything up when we want to go somewhere. Especially so if we are overlanding point to point on a route. After a few days, the Simpson is a bit of a struggle they way I have it setup.
If we Basecamp for a number of days, having the annex and the room is awesome, but I just find were doing more moving around.
We have a trailer with an RTT which we use on longer trips, so looking to use the RV5 to function as the annex for the trailer, or as a quick getaway with the truck.
I'll likely keep the awning and the side wind block panels... But I don't see using the full room much.
If we Basecamp for a number of days, having the annex and the room is awesome, but I just find were doing more moving around.
We have a trailer with an RTT which we use on longer trips, so looking to use the RV5 to function as the annex for the trailer, or as a quick getaway with the truck.
I'll likely keep the awning and the side wind block panels... But I don't see using the full room much.
Another vote for oztent. Up until recently I've been sleeping in my xterra and this weekend is the first trip with the new rig. Can't wait to have standing room space and canopy that I can drive away from when needed.
Here is the old setup. Kelty carport.
New setup
Here is the old setup. Kelty carport.
New setup
Last edited:
VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
I was thinking of doing the same thing. I picked up a used but really superb Camping Labs awning, but sadly none of the other manufacturers rooms fit. Doh. CVT is the closest, but it is spendy for me. I have a small 54" awning from CVT on the Jeep basket rack, and just picked up the mesh bug room for free from a buddy. It fits nice, and will be handy when in heavy Mozie areas, or worse...horse fly country.
I like the size of these rooms, great for a cot and a nice place to chill in the rain or to get changed. I think I am leaning towards getting an Oztent RV2/3/4/5 series tent? TBD next spring!
I like the size of these rooms, great for a cot and a nice place to chill in the rain or to get changed. I think I am leaning towards getting an Oztent RV2/3/4/5 series tent? TBD next spring!
Jeepinaaron
Adventurer
Awning Room
I have the ARB 2000x2000 with the full room. We just recently used it as a camping room on a 10 day trip to CO and Utah. I have an off-road camper that my dad and I slept in and my friend slept in the awning room.
After having first hand experience with it I intend to utilize the awning and room on short trips if it is just my daughter and I. It is fairly simple to put up and I can do it by myself in a few minutes. We didn't have any weather issues with it. I would recommend using a foot print even though the floor is very robust, after 10 days we did wear some slight holes in it where the cot rails contacted the floor. You can access your vehicle from the inside through a zip door. There is plenty of ventilation with large windows and a door.
The bad: This thing kind of acts like a kite. One night we had really bad (shook my off-road camper pretty bad) wind. The result with the wind blowing against the side of the awning room was some slightly bent awning support poles. We were able to straighten them out, but if I did this again and knew the wind would be blowing hard from a certain direction I would run some support guy lines from the awning poles (the horizontal ones).
Given a RTT or Oztent is about $1,000 or more, the awning and room would be a good choice for about half that price. Also with the vehicle mounted awning you could utilize it for other things such as just the awning, or screen room, etc....
I have the ARB 2000x2000 with the full room. We just recently used it as a camping room on a 10 day trip to CO and Utah. I have an off-road camper that my dad and I slept in and my friend slept in the awning room.
After having first hand experience with it I intend to utilize the awning and room on short trips if it is just my daughter and I. It is fairly simple to put up and I can do it by myself in a few minutes. We didn't have any weather issues with it. I would recommend using a foot print even though the floor is very robust, after 10 days we did wear some slight holes in it where the cot rails contacted the floor. You can access your vehicle from the inside through a zip door. There is plenty of ventilation with large windows and a door.
The bad: This thing kind of acts like a kite. One night we had really bad (shook my off-road camper pretty bad) wind. The result with the wind blowing against the side of the awning room was some slightly bent awning support poles. We were able to straighten them out, but if I did this again and knew the wind would be blowing hard from a certain direction I would run some support guy lines from the awning poles (the horizontal ones).
Given a RTT or Oztent is about $1,000 or more, the awning and room would be a good choice for about half that price. Also with the vehicle mounted awning you could utilize it for other things such as just the awning, or screen room, etc....
