Opinions on this RTT?

[The Adam Blaster]

http://www.racktents.com/Tents.html

The explanation of how it is constructed compared to an Eez-Awn seems promising...

 

[TRDPARTS4U]

http://www.racktents.com/Tents.html

The explanation of how it is constructed compared to an Eez-Awn sees promising...

That is the Mombasa tent. I've had mine for 2 years and had no issues with it. Mine gets used about once a month for 2-3 nights at a time. We sell a ton of them and I have not had any complaints. Mombasa is right around the corner from us and their customer service is excellent.


Jacque

 

[cnskate]

We spent about two months in ours last year, and it's a great tent. My only complaint being that the mattress needs to be supplemented if you weigh more than 80 lbs, but maybe they have addressed that with the newer models. That's a good vendor too, btw.

 

[adventureduo]

Yep its a Mombasa and you'll be very happy with it. We've owned two.

 

[Martyn]

http://www.racktents.com/Tents.html

The explanation of how it is constructed compared to an Eez-Awn sees promising...

The comparison is a little "lightweight" it basically says the two tents have a similar design and construction, but doesn't go into any detail.

It would be like comparing two vehicles:
4 wheels.......4 Wheels
lights............lights
steering wheel .......steering wheel
Speedometer..........Speedometer

You could be comparing a Toyota and a Honda, or a Yugo and a Rolls Royce

When I'm buying something that is less expensive than something similar I want to know why. If the more expensive unit is just overpriced and the less expensive one is comparable then I'll buy the less expensive one.

It would be nice to see more meat to the comparison so the purchaser could make an informed decision.

 

[goodtimes]

From what I have seen (disclaimer* --- I own an easi-awn), the materials used on the easi-awn are superior, as is the workmanship.

But not everyone needs the top quality materials and workmanship of the easi-awn....for the occasional weekend trips (8 - 10/year), in fair weather....honestly, I'd be looking real hard at the mombossa. The price difference would pay for a few trips.

Also, you might consider a used tent....I got a heck of a deal, (less than a new mombassa), which is why I went with the easi-awn. Good deals are out there if you have the time to wait for them.

Either way, RTT's are freekin' cool!

 

[Lemsteraak]

Personally, I would spring and get the Easi-Awn and here is my rant. The Mombasa tent is a direct Chinese copy of the Easi-Awn and there isn't any innovation that I can see.

This is where I'm coming from, many years ago, I met with the folks at Zifer in Italy. They make the AutoHome tents as well as some other expedition tents. When I asked why don't you manufacture your tents in China?, I could see Gioseppi, the owner, physically cringe. He said very nicely, "because they don't use rooftents" "how can they make rooftents?". He then explained that they have been making their tents in this small Italian town for 50 years. "Just about everyone in the plant owns a rooftent", so I turned to Angela, their office manager, who was translating, and asked what rooftent do you own?, "a Maggiolina" and her family uses it for extended trips every summer. 'Nuf said, not only did I buy one, I bought mine and 20 others and stuffed them in a 20' container to bring back to the US. Yeah, they are expensive, but the biggest complaint I've ever heard is that the stitching on a pocket wasn't straight. That was Lofty Shelters.

Getting back to my rant, even if the quality is the same, is this what you want to do? You could say the Easi-Awn is a copy of Zifer's Air Camping tent, but they have added a lot and designed it to work well for South African conditions. They brought something to the game, and for that I respect them and their tent.

Now I know that times are difficult, and I think we have brought on some of these difficulties ourselves by this type of offshoring. I really can't say "buy American", turns out we toasted our rooftent makers back in the 50's, but what I can say is look beyond the product to the people who make it. I think you will see that there is a difference in quality because the people who build them, use them, and I want to encourage that. OK, you asked my opinion.

Rich

 

[campinglab]

We sell both, Chinese and South African made tents.

Our budget, and best selling tents, the CampingLab line, are made in China and are virtually identical to the Mombassa. Except for the mattress as far as i know.

These are good tents for the occasional user, well built and can last a long time if properly cared for. Pretty much a copy of the South African Howling Moon.

Of course Howling Moon's, MyWay tents', Eazi Awn's, Maggiolina's, craftsmanship and materials are a COUPLE of notches above the Chinese but that's why the price is different.

The chinese tents have something running for them though which is the styrofoam filled aluminum base. It's light weight, well insulated and does not rot.

In any case these is one of those cases in which you really get what you pay for.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Coming from my point of view:

Although I would REALLY like to go camping/exploring for a number of trips/year for extended time periods, the reality is that it will likely only be 1-2 weekend trips per year, at most. And whatever tent I buy within the next 12 months, I will likely be replacing it with something else 2-3 years after that.
So, I'm considering the financial side of things as a high priority, mostly from the cost vs. return on investment perspective.
Like having a $20,000 boat that only sees the water twice per summer, just not worth it to have bought that boat.

But that's not to say that I want to buy something cheap of inferior quality, I just can't justify buying the biggest/best/most expensive items that I would prefer to buy.
And this isn't a case where the difference is 100 bucks or so, it's a pretty sizeable difference, around $1000.00.
If it was 100-200 dollars, I would definitely go with the product that is better known and respected and has been around for the longest.

And yes, you can sell the item later but...
When you sell something used, regardless of what that item is, you typically lose 40-50% of the original purchase price. So, whether the item originally cost $1000.00, or $5000.00, you're still losing 1/2 your initial investment.
That of course can vary if you haven't cared for the item, or you find an awesome buyer willing to pay top dollar for what you're selling.
So, if you buy something for $1000.00 sell it 2 years later for $500.00, you're losing $500.00.
If you buy something for $2000.00 and sell it 2 years later for $1000.00, you're losing $1000.00.

I have no problem buying used, just have to convince the wife.
She's a bit funny about sleeping on a mattress someone else slept on, and may have done "other things" on. lol

These tents don't seem to be that popular up in my area, so shipping will be part of the equation for me.

 

[goodtimes]

A couple thoughts....

1st: If your wife isn't a fan of "used" mattresses (I don't *really* blame her...)...you can always replace it. All they are is a piece of foam with a sewn cover. Find a local foam and fabric place, and tell them what you need. Foam is not that expensive. So that is always an option.

2nd: If you are concerned about ROI (kind of intangible in this case...), why not figure out what tent you want a couple years from now (when you would be replacing the tent you are currently looking at), and buy that tent *now*? I am a firm believer in the theory of "it is cheaper to buy the right part the first time, than to buy the wrong part the first time, and the right part the second time".

I can think of a couple reasons for not buying "the right one" now....like you want to see if the whole RTT thing will work for you, simply don't have the cash for the "right one" at this point, etc...but if you know this is the route you are going to take...I'd say do it right the first time.

Another option....watch for a used *what ever* brand that will get you through for a couple years. Why buy a new tent that you already know that you will not keep? Let someone else take the depreciation on it, then just limp it along for a couple seasons, knowing that the new one, the "right" one, is coming...


Anywhoo....just some thoughts.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Goodtimes, thanks for the input.

1. A new foam mattress would be a possibility, and going that route, I guess you would be able to pick as high, or as low quality a mattress you want to buy.

2. It will be a sort of "feeling out" process. My wife and I love camping, but we have a new little one (under 1 year) and we're planning on having more. So, I'm not going to get too deep into an AT trailer or anything like that (which would be awesome) if the kids end up not liking the camping thing.

The other thing that is going on with me... I might be going back to school to become a teacher. So, money over the next 3 years would be tight, but if I do that, I'll have every summer off, making easier to enjoy longer camping trips. (My wife has already been teaching for 7 years.)

So I think for the interim (2-3 years) I will likely find something that isn't perfect, but will get us by. I may just stick with the plain ground tent I have right now and wait it out.

The needs of my family will change drastically over the next 10 years, and eventually I'm hoping to get into a fullsize rig that can sleep 5 and be totally self-contained. Either a quad-cab P/U with a slide-in camper, or something more sophisticated. That is still years away though...

A couple thoughts....

1st: If your wife isn't a fan of "used" mattresses (I don't *really* blame her...)...you can always replace it. All they are is a piece of foam with a sewn cover. Find a local foam and fabric place, and tell them what you need. Foam is not that expensive. So that is always an option.

2nd: If you are concerned about ROI (kind of intangible in this case...), why not figure out what tent you want a couple years from now (when you would be replacing the tent you are currently looking at), and buy that tent *now*? I am a firm believer in the theory of "it is cheaper to buy the right part the first time, than to buy the wrong part the first time, and the right part the second time".

I can think of a couple reasons for not buying "the right one" now....like you want to see if the whole RTT thing will work for you, simply don't have the cash for the "right one" at this point, etc...but if you know this is the route you are going to take...I'd say do it right the first time.

Another option....watch for a used *what ever* brand that will get you through for a couple years. Why buy a new tent that you already know that you will not keep? Let someone else take the depreciation on it, then just limp it along for a couple seasons, knowing that the new one, the "right" one, is coming...


Anywhoo....just some thoughts.

 

[campinglab]

Well I think that, as long as you're clear on what you're getting, you'll be alright with the chinese tent.

With proper care it will look like new when you're ready to sell it in 3 or so years and it sure beats the ground tent in convenience and comfort.

The real big difference between these and the more expensive tents is fabric breathability. You will certainly get more condensation inside a chinese tent than inside any of the high end units but you always can crack a window to take care of that issue and it all depends on the kind of weather you usually camp on.

I wouldn't pass on a nice used unit though.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

I wouldn't pass on a nice used unit though.

I haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet.
If I found a used Eezi-Awn for a reduced price, I very well would go that direction anyway.
I do look forward to getting one at some point, and hopefully mounting it to a trailer of my own design. I love projects.

 

[Lemsteraak]

Need to apologize, I got into a rant. I just saw that some guy is selling knock off OverCamp tents on Ebay. I can sort of deal with that but what really hacked me off is they are using a picture of my old truck in their ad. In the ad they state the tent is exactly the same but costs less, yeah.

I can understand wanting to save money. I was going to build my own rooftent but my wife pointed out that it may not be the least expensive way to go, she has been known to point these things out. I was talking about using carbon fiber and magnesium alloys. There were no options then, you had to find one then import it and hope is arrived in good shape.

My advice is to look at buying a rooftent in the same way you would look at buying a sleeping bag. Find one that fits you and is good for the conditions you plan to go out in. Folks I know tend to keep their tents for a very long time.

Rich

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Need to apologize, I got into a rant.

Rich

Not to me.
You didn't really say anything that was in any way insulting, you just gave your honest opinion. And that's exactly what I asked for.