Quechua Base Seconds shelter - help!

[GillianC]

I bought a Quechua Base Seconds pop up shelter at the weekend. Watched the videos and asked the lady in decathalon to show me how it works - which she did. Looked ok.

Well, I tried putting it up and down myself today. Up, no problem, easy peasy. Proudly took a picture of the tent up and tethered.

Down, not so! I could almost sense the neighbours laughing from their upstairs window and I pursued this green large kite like structure around the garden, eventually throwing myself on it in an attempt to flatten it. After what seemed like hours I managed to squash it back into the bag albeit it not in the perfect circle it was when it came out. Felt like I had done two hours in the gym and had to sit down for a rest.

Are there any ladies out there who manage to put it up and down on their own with ease? Please tell me it improves with practice.

Also a couple of questions for those that have these tents:

When you fold them down into the triangular shape does it help if you leave the doors unzipped?
When putting them up next to the van with a door against the sliding van door do you do anything with the guy ropes on that side or just leave them loose?
Where do you store it in the Cali? I was thinking of moving the back seat slightly forward and slotting it down the back?

Need a lot more practice before trying this in public

 

[snowy55]

The clue is in the name "pop up"
No mention of "pop down"

Our kids got some once for a festival and after watching them I vowed I would never ever own such a thing.
Have fun putting it your Cali when its wet through.

With practice you will get the hang of it

 

[briwy]

Gets better with practice. I always leave one side pegged down until it's folded into the upright triangular shape as it makes it easier to push the sides in. Not tried with the leaving the doors undone but can't really see how it would make it easier.
We never bother with the guys unless it's windy.
We never get it perfectly folded but so long as it goes in the bag it really doesn't matter.
Ours lives in the boot flat under the shelf, fits in there nicely.
They are fairly bulletproof. Had ours about eight years now, used it all the time before we got the Comfortz sides etc for the awning.

 

[T6 CFO]

The clue is in the name "pop up"
No mention of "pop down"

Our kids got some once for a festival and after watching them I vowed I would never ever own such a thing.
Have fun putting it your Cali when its wet through.

With practice you will get the hang of it

Agreed got an Olpro Pop up (not pop down) utility tent. It's had one test when I popped it up in the confines of our flat. I did get it back in the bag, eventually, not seen the wife since!
I shall be seeking a quiet site when I next let it loose.


Mike

 

[GillianC]

Gets better with practice. I always leave one side pegged down until it's folded into the upright triangular shape as it makes it easier to push the sides in. Not tried with the leaving the doors undone but can't really see how it would make it easier.
We never bother with the guys unless it's windy.
We never get it perfectly folded but so long as it goes in the bag it really doesn't matter.
Ours lives in the boot flat under the shelf, fits in there nicely.
They are fairly bulletproof. Had ours about eight years now, used it all the time before we got the Comfortz sides etc for the awning.

Thanks so much briwy. Keeping one side pegged makes a lot of difference. Just got to master the twisting bit now. Hoping that the more the poles are bent the more submissive they will be! Definitely quicker second time round. Have had enough excitement for the time being.

 

[iamchucky]

Took a few times to get the hang of it but getting easier each time. Wife does the folding and then I jump on the tent when it looks as though it's small enough to get in the bag! Agree with briwy though and keeping one side pegged to help when folding down.
It's pretty sturdy and so only really need to use guy ropes if windy.
Agree with your thoughts on storing & slotting upright behind the rear seat - we've found this to be the perfect place for us.

 

[Joker 1299]

Here's a link to the ol pro site with a demo video. She makes it look easy. It isn't, but it does get better with practice! http://www.olproshop.com/products/olpro-wc-pop-up-toilet-tent

 

[LowMan]

Not sure which videos you've been watching, but we found this to be the best of them. We put it up and down exactly how the guys shows it here. As everyone here says, it does get easier with practice:

 

[2into1]

Apparently Decathlon get A LOT of calls on a Sunday late morning with the same query!

 

[GillianC]

Not sure which videos you've been watching, but we found this to be the best of them. We put it up and down exactly how the guys shows it here. As everyone here says, it does get easier with practice:

Thanks. I have looked at loads and agree this is the best albeit in quick motion!
Going to do a couple more trial runs tomorrow as would like to take the tent down to Swanage this weekend but need to make sure I don't look like a real wally!

 

[GillianC]

Apparently Decathlon get A LOT of calls on a Sunday late morning with the same query!

Not surprised! The sales lady at decathlon was from Italy and she said that they would often get customers bring the tents into the shop after a weekend away and ask for them to be put back into the bags!

 

[Teejay]

Thanks. I have looked at loads and agree this is the best albeit in quick motion!
Going to do a couple more trial runs tomorrow as would like to take the tent down to Swanage this weekend but need to make sure I don't look like a real wally!

This is how we do it. We have a Quechua 4.1 Seconds so same base with a bed fixed on the back. We lay it down flat, with the roof kind of at my groin. Grab the centres of the edges leading away from me. Squeeze together as you fold it over to overlap the bottom. Chap in the vid does the same while he is standing up. Then wife holds that in place while I fold the two sides over. This is the part where you have to be firm the fibre glass
will not break. Fold it into three and it should be a circular shape. Yes it does get lots easier with practice.

This is a slowed down version of the tent but the principal is the same:

Teejay

 

[GillianC]

This is how we do it. We have a Quechua 4.1 Seconds so same base with a bed fixed on the back. We lay it down flat, with the roof kind of at my groin. Grab the centres of the edges leading away from me. Squeeze together as you fold it over to overlap the bottom. Chap in the vid does the same while he is standing up. Then wife holds that in place while I fold the two sides over. This is the part where you have to be firm the fibre glass
will not break. Fold it into three and it should be a circular shape. Yes it does get lots easier with practice.

This is a slowed down version of the tent but the principal is the same:

Teejay

Thanks Teejay. It looks so easy! Pleased to note that I am storing the guy ropes correctly...it isn't particularly obvious.
Going to have another try today.

 

[Loz]

I would say that a better description of handling the fibreglass poles is to encourage them to " lasso" or twist over themselves as they won't "fold" in the normal sense of the word.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I love the base seconds. Bought one earlier in the year and think it's a great piece of kit.
I can erect in about 3 mins and fold away in almost a minute.
The key to folding is, don't be scared of bending the poles.

Check this video, honestly it's a piece of cake once you have worked out how to do it

 

[ArunAlec]

Just got back from a night away using my Quechua Base Seconds Shelter for the first time. Have to say it's a great alternative to a drive away awning.
The porch allows it to positioned nice and close to the side door and if needed the awning can be used to cover the gap with the porch sitting under the awning.
Once mastered, the "pop up" allows almost instant erection ! And only minutes to pack away. At £139, a bargain.

 

[Digger]

Discontinued I was told and no longer at local Decathlon store. They did say a new version may be available next year.

 

[RoB5urf]

I believe it's being replaced by a smaller version of the Base XL (inflatable) tent.

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[ArunAlec]

Discontinued I was told and no longer at local Decathlon store. They did say a new version may be available next year.

Although no longer available online there are still some in store. I got mine from Southampton last week and they had 2 more.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I believe it's being replaced by a smaller version of the Base XL (inflatable) tent.

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That would be a shame.
Inflatables suck...!!!

 

[RoB5urf]

We have a Base XL and are happy with it. Only downside is having to cart around a pump. If there had been a smaller version we would have bought it.

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