Tent instead of an awning?

[thesquirrelpatrol]

Struggling to find anyone with a driveaway awning in stock, I am now considering getting a normal air beam tent and bridging the gap with the wind out awning of the van.
The benefit would never reduced faff connecting/disconnecting the van.
The drawback would be a gap without side panels between the van and tent.

has anyone tried this set up and could provide insight?

thanks

 

[JunglieD]

Have a look in this thread to see my solution purchased today. Might suit your needs too.

WHAT HAVE YOU BOUGHT FOR YOUR CALI TODAY

 

[ArunAlec]

Quite a few of us have one of these (or similar) - Quechua Base Seconds. There are quite a few posts if you do a search.
We tend to use it if we are going to be at site for more than a couple of nights and are taking bikes or Loo. It’s worth checking with the site that they are happy with a tent instead of an awning.

​

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I don’t understand the advantages of fixing things to the van. I like to open the van door and see the view in the morning. Awnings seem such a phaff. Different opinions exist, but as you’re asking...
We have the Decathlon Base Seconds, now made by Cinch. I think it’s fantastic. There are 4 of us and it doubles the footprint of the van. It takes seconds to put up and five minutes to take down.

We do camp mainly abroad in warm countries, so that means we don't need to worry about getting rained on so much I suppose. But then if it's raining, the thought of having to pack away a wet awning would also make me question why I bought a van.

 

[Baldrick]

Agree with Lambeth Cali, have found that using our drive away awning unattached works far better for us. We wind our awning out to it so there’s cover if it rains. There seem to be a lot of second hand drive away awnings for sale here, mostly used once or twice (probably eBay etc as well). They also seem hopeful price requests. Failing that you might know someone who could lend you one until the ‘Ever Given’ final arrives and shelves begin to restock. Be interested in hearing what you go for.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Agree with Lambeth Cali, have found that using our drive away awning unattached works far better for us. We wind our awning out to it so there’s cover if it rains. There seem to be a lot of second hand drive away awnings for sale here, mostly used once or twice (probably eBay etc as well). They also seem hopeful price requests. Failing that you might know someone who could lend you one until the ‘Ever Given’ final arrives and shelves begin to restock. Be interested in hearing what you go for.

Exactly. I often put it near the back of the van so the awning would cover the gap if there’s a downpour. I have to confess we usually camp places it’s hot not wet!

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Struggling to find anyone with a driveaway awning in stock, I am now considering getting a normal air beam tent and bridging the gap with the wind out awning of the van.
The benefit would never reduced faff connecting/disconnecting the van.
The drawback would be a gap without side panels between the van and tent.

has anyone tried this set up and could provide insight?

thanks

Keep an eye on Face book marketplace, have been a few on their recently.

 

[bob_summers]

I don’t understand the advantages of fixing things to the van. I like to be open the van door and see the view in the morning. Seem such a phaff. Different opinions exist, but as you’re asking...
We have the Decathlon Base Seconds, now made by Cinch. I think it’s fantastic. There are 4 of us and it doubles the footprint of the van. It takes seconds to put up and five minutes to take down.

We were away at Easter and looking around the site it seems the Cali + Base Seconds option is a popular one for basque campers (have never previously paid much attention to vans on sites but since having an Ocean ordered I’ve been nosy haha even peeking into Nuggets!)

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Burgundy

 

[bob_summers]

Looks silver to me

 

[2into1]

I agree with all of the above, but just be aware the very occasional site owner may not allow a separate tent......likely to be on a site where no tent camping is allowed.....by choice or by planning permission .
I’ve only come across one site (planning permission issue) but wonder if folk have tried a ‘tent’ on a Caravan Club (C&MH club?) site?

 

[Drpps]

This works quite well if it is raining.
we now have 3 configurations!
There are 4 of us.
1. still use full fat drive away in the summer as it works well for storing bikes surf boards wetsuits car seats etc.
2. Base Seconds mostly. Great bit of kit. Would ideally swap it for the grey/silver one to match the van! We also have the inner tent and ground sheet for it so have slept in it.
3. 1-2 man tent for one-two nights.

 

[icic]

You can’t buy the base seconds anymore from decathlon. But the Clinch is almost exactly the same tent. It’s well made.

Cinch! - The world's Smartest Tent

The world's Smartest Tent

hub.cinchpopuptents.com

 

[Drpps]

I agree with all of the above, but just be aware the very occasional site owner may not allow a separate tent......likely to be on a site where no tent camping is allowed.....by choice or by planning permission .
I’ve only come across one site (planning permission issue) but wonder if folk have tried a ‘tent’ on a Caravan Club (C&MH club?) site?

C&MH club main sites allow free standing tents for cooking or loo or additional sleeping on an awning pitch so long as main unit also occupied. Also allow a pup tent on non awning pitch so long as fire spacing OK. As the van is quite short tent pitched out at the back or front makes the whole less than 6M which is still considerably shorter than most MH or caravans.
CL aren’t allowed tents bigger than 1 man or a toilet tent due to planning. Our huge drive away is fine though as it is attached!

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Cinch isn’t exactly the same. Base Seconds prices are amazing on EBay though.

Seems to require more ropes and pegs. Different at the bottom corners.

 

[icic]

Cinch isn’t exactly the same. Base Seconds prices are amazing on EBay though.
View attachment 77105
Seems to require more ropes and pegs. Different at the bottom corners.

We have both tents, with the clinch I don’t think you need anymore pegs. You have 4 doors on the clinch and only 2 on the base seconds. With the clinch you get a ground sheet, the base seconds did not come with one. The clinch has all mesh doors the base seconds did not. So the clinch has more features. The clinch is a brighter green

 

[icic]

Looking at the sold section on eBay , the base seconds go for around £170 on eBay, that seems a lot for a used tent when you can have a new one for £250

 

[icic]

If you look at the what have I bought today post, they are selling second versions of the clinch for £150,

This is the post

FYI - there are still a couple more of these ‘seconds’ items available that failed QC. Email Ben at info@cinchpopuptents.com if you want one too. I told him I’d share his details here.

What have you bought for your Cali today :-)

Some places do ask to see the book and the book now has a one-use code to access the new app, which is great. It’s £30 inc postage. We’ve bought the book the last 6 years and every year had great value for the money. Although you have to buy the book to access the app it will be good to have the...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Properjob]

We thought we would definitely want a drive away awning but then experimented with what we had and it worked really well so this is what we stuck with. If we’re away for a short time we just use a small pop up tent as a ‘store shed’ and pitch marker. If we’re away for longer we use a 3mx3m utility tent as in the pic and then have a tarp over the top which makes it cooler inside the tent and also allows us to align with the wind out awning for rain run-off.

 

[icic]

We thought we would definitely want a drive away awning but then experimented with what we had and it worked really well so this is what we stuck with. If we’re away for a short time we just use a small pop up tent as a ‘store shed’ and pitch marker. If we’re away for longer we use a 3mx3m utility tent as in the pic and then have a tarp over the top which makes it cooler inside the tent and also allows us to align with the wind out awning for rain run-off.

View attachment 77108

What the utility tent what outwell model is it ?

 

[Properjob]

What the utility tent what outwell model is it ?

The pop up tent is a decathlon second fresh and black two person and the outwell one is an Oklahoma ( not sure that they make it any more but there will be similar ones)

 

[jMacdent]

We thought we would definitely want a drive away awning but then experimented with what we had and it worked really well so this is what we stuck with. If we’re away for a short time we just use a small pop up tent as a ‘store shed’ and pitch marker. If we’re away for longer we use a 3mx3m utility tent as in the pic and then have a tarp over the top which makes it cooler inside the tent and also allows us to align with the wind out awning for rain run-off.

View attachment 77108

Alabama? Oklahoma?

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Looking at the sold section on eBay , the base seconds go for around £170 on eBay, that seems a lot for a used tent when you can have a new one for £250

Yes I meant the eBay prices were amazingly high. I think I paid £80 for our Base Seconds new at Decathlon. The groundsheet was £15 I think.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

We have both tents, with the clinch I don’t think you need anymore pegs. You have 4 doors on the clinch and only 2 on the base seconds. With the clinch you get a ground sheet, the base seconds did not come with one. The clinch has all mesh doors the base seconds did not. So the clinch has more features. The clinch is a brighter green

It takes just 6 pegs to put up the Base Seconds. I think the design means the canvas stays taut without guy ropes. This means you can pitch it closer to the van. As in the picture of mine and Drpps both above.
Its Cinch btw.

 

[icic]

Yes I meant the eBay prices were amazingly high. I think I paid £80 for our Base Seconds new at Decathlon. The groundsheet was £15 I think.

What’s amazing is the eBay price has come down due to the clinch, a year ago they where going for £250 to £300.

Also they are in demand for the archer community they use them for tournaments, rows and rows when they compete