James Baroud or Autohome roof top tent
- Thread starter backpackbirk
- Start date
geordie4x4
Observer
Hi I am also just looking at purchasing a James Baroud Explore or the Espace in Australia.
I have had a cheap Chinese made copy of the older style Maggolina, with crank up type siscor lift. It has worked OK for a few trips but after looking at the ease of the James Baroud gas strut lift, as well as the quality of the material and finish, I am sold on the idea.
I am also wondering about fitting additional rain awnings to protect the door area when we climb down the ladder if it is raining. I will most likely just make something to suit, because unfortunately the Autohome and Baroud items are extremely expensive over here.
Have any one else had awnings made to fit or adapted things like the Autohome changeroom.
I have had a cheap Chinese made copy of the older style Maggolina, with crank up type siscor lift. It has worked OK for a few trips but after looking at the ease of the James Baroud gas strut lift, as well as the quality of the material and finish, I am sold on the idea.
I am also wondering about fitting additional rain awnings to protect the door area when we climb down the ladder if it is raining. I will most likely just make something to suit, because unfortunately the Autohome and Baroud items are extremely expensive over here.
Have any one else had awnings made to fit or adapted things like the Autohome changeroom.
geordie4x4
Observer
Well I finally put down a deposit yesterday on a new James Baroud Espace Evolution.
After having a good look and putting it up and down at the dealer's show room, it convinced me of the ease and convenience of this design. The lifting arms and gas strut has a soft covering so that nthing can pinch the canvas material as it is folded. The sides have a elastic shock chord built in to pull the canvas in as it is folded down. There is heaps of headroom in this thing as it sitts up higher at one end and nice big doors with fly mesh and velcro tape to hold the bottom of the screen shut.
After having a good look and putting it up and down at the dealer's show room, it convinced me of the ease and convenience of this design. The lifting arms and gas strut has a soft covering so that nthing can pinch the canvas material as it is folded. The sides have a elastic shock chord built in to pull the canvas in as it is folded down. There is heaps of headroom in this thing as it sitts up higher at one end and nice big doors with fly mesh and velcro tape to hold the bottom of the screen shut.
Thanks for this. I also put down a deposit last week. Although have to say trying to import this into Canada is killing me. Between the shipping and the duty fee's it's brutal - likely 50-60% of the cost of the tent itself. I'm just hoping that I don't regret it.
geordie4x4
Observer
Here in West Australia it is ending up costing me $4,575 Australian. So it is a pricey item but after having a cheap unit with the crank handle to lift it up, there is just no comparrison on how easy the James Baroud is to put up.
It is also a lot more stable in strong winds, which here on the West coast is very often 30 to 40 knot winds at night. The cheap Chinese one stood up to this but as I can see the stitching starting to give way, I am not sure it was going to last much longer. I looked at an older Maggolina and the owner had also needed to do some stitching repairs, he also had troubles with the wind up becomming progressively more loose and wobbly as he cranks it up. So from everything that I have seen, the James Baroud is the best made and despite the price, seems worth the effort to go with the best for long distance touring.
I will post some camping photos once I get it out in the bush for a test. Would love to see a bit of Canada too.
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There are two Canadian dealers of the tent, couldn't you get it through one of them and avoid some of the import fees? One is in Edmonton and one B.C.
I purchased on awhile back and have slowly been doing a writeup on it over on the Honda Element forum and planning on posting it here too once it is all done. I actually considered driving to Canada to buy one to avoid shipping costs.
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95433&highlight=
I purchased on awhile back and have slowly been doing a writeup on it over on the Honda Element forum and planning on posting it here too once it is all done. I actually considered driving to Canada to buy one to avoid shipping costs.
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95433&highlight=
geordie4x4
Observer
Hey John, I just had a look at your Honda element page. Cool little vehicle, I have never seen them here in Aus.
Must admit that makes me a bit jealous when I saw the price you guys can get this stuff for, even though our Ausie dollar is not that strong at the moment, you are still half the price. I might take a drive to Canada too. How far is that, or maybe I will need my boat.
You had some good points about the attention to detail, I am fussy as hell. I will be picking mine up from a dealer here in Perth so will be having a really good look. The Autohome brand did not even have a dealer on the West coast of Australia and wanted over $900 delivery from the east, so that was a deal breaker for me without being able to see the Airtop other than a few small photos. I went down to the James Baroud dealer three times having a good look at their own unit, got out my tape measure to check how well it was going to fit with my rack and lights. Even got to put it up and down a few times, just to be happy.
Must admit that makes me a bit jealous when I saw the price you guys can get this stuff for, even though our Ausie dollar is not that strong at the moment, you are still half the price. I might take a drive to Canada too. How far is that, or maybe I will need my boat.
You had some good points about the attention to detail, I am fussy as hell. I will be picking mine up from a dealer here in Perth so will be having a really good look. The Autohome brand did not even have a dealer on the West coast of Australia and wanted over $900 delivery from the east, so that was a deal breaker for me without being able to see the Airtop other than a few small photos. I went down to the James Baroud dealer three times having a good look at their own unit, got out my tape measure to check how well it was going to fit with my rack and lights. Even got to put it up and down a few times, just to be happy.
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Ace Brown
Retired Ol’ Fart
As a satisfied owner of the Auto-home Columbus I was curious to compare with the new James Baroud model displayed at Cruise Moab. I saw some improvements but not enough to make me consider switching. One shortcoming on the AH is less than robust zippers, but the JB's looked about the same.
2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.
2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.
geordie4x4
Observer
Hi Ace, I also had a good look at any other hard-shell roof top tents that I have seen being used when I have been travelling during the last few years.
I talked to two happy owners of the Columbus. The Auto Home and Maggolina seemed to be much the same and quite good quality I did not work out if they are from the same manufacturer or just different marketing names. Anyway both are much better made particularly compared to the Chinese made copies that are now coming out in Australia for half the price.
I really wanted a gas strut lift up so was limited to the Air-top or James Baroud. By all accounts the Air-top is well made but at over a thousand dollars more to get here in West Australia, that put me off.
I see that they also do some limited numbers, I think of the Columbus and Air-top type in Carbon fibre for extra strength and weight saving, but I did not even contemplate asking for a quote.
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They just tack it onto the price. Price in Canada was easily 1k more. Part of that is shipping from US supplier and part is duties. As for the 2 dealers, 1 dealer refuses to ship it (and doesn't have the one I want in stock), and the other I've been waiting to hear back from for months... even when James Baroud contacted them directly and passed on my info, they never got back to me. However according to the guy at James Baroud, the order they made never had the tent I wanted anyway.
SeattleFJs
Observer
The Grand Raid XXL is actually 89" long.
Spoke with the Baroud dealer here in BC. They always got back me via email or VM.
Ordered the Grand Raid XXL in light grey from the California dealer.
Will pick it up on our trip to San Diego in August when we pick up our 60 Landcruiser in Ontario, CA.
Having a tough time choosing a roof rack for the tent.
Any thoughts or recommendation on the Front Runner, Yakima, Rhino, Arb.....
Thanks
Ordered the Grand Raid XXL in light grey from the California dealer.
Will pick it up on our trip to San Diego in August when we pick up our 60 Landcruiser in Ontario, CA.
Having a tough time choosing a roof rack for the tent.
Any thoughts or recommendation on the Front Runner, Yakima, Rhino, Arb.....
Thanks
Lemsteraak
Adventurer
I've never seen a Baroud, so I can only speak to the AutoHome tents.
I think probably the biggest innovation made was to be able to ditch the expedition rack and allow you also mount to sport bars. Their attachment mechanism "universal system" clamps to the bars and add strength to the base. The advantages are profound, first it opens up the use of roof tents to a lot more vehicles. The weight savings can be huge, some of the expedition racks weigh almost as much as the roof tents they support.
As to strength, probably the biggest test is collision. AM General was using some of the AutoHome tents and put two of them through their simulated crash tests. The system passed, they said the tents slid on their mountings a little. This is a 45 MPH sled test that is non destructive. One of my good friends was rear ended by a car estimated to be doing over 100 MPH, while he was maybe going 55 or 60 for a delta of over 40 MPH. He was towing a trailer, it was totaled, he stayed upright and the tent was fine. He said the whole rack system slid about two inches.
You might want to run it past Baroud in France and get their take on things
I think probably the biggest innovation made was to be able to ditch the expedition rack and allow you also mount to sport bars. Their attachment mechanism "universal system" clamps to the bars and add strength to the base. The advantages are profound, first it opens up the use of roof tents to a lot more vehicles. The weight savings can be huge, some of the expedition racks weigh almost as much as the roof tents they support.
As to strength, probably the biggest test is collision. AM General was using some of the AutoHome tents and put two of them through their simulated crash tests. The system passed, they said the tents slid on their mountings a little. This is a 45 MPH sled test that is non destructive. One of my good friends was rear ended by a car estimated to be doing over 100 MPH, while he was maybe going 55 or 60 for a delta of over 40 MPH. He was towing a trailer, it was totaled, he stayed upright and the tent was fine. He said the whole rack system slid about two inches.
You might want to run it past Baroud in France and get their take on things
Ace Brown
Retired Ol’ Fart
Good point about eliminating the weight of a normal roof rack. I'd still stick with a three or four bar config for a secure mount. Interesting point that the Baroud RTT units are made in Portugal now, used to be France.
2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.
2008 FJ Cruiser expedition ready and off-road trailer with RTT.