black / airtop roof tents

[Chas]

I have just purchased a small Airtop, but undecided if a sleeping bag is the way to go. What do you all use when sleeping in a roof tent, Duvet or sleeping bag?

Duvet everytime, Two when it's very cold

I use a duvet just for convenience, it's a lot quicker to be tucked up warm than having to climb into a sleeping bag

 

[Gary Stockton]

yep - duvet for me too - one of those dual jobbies (9.5 and 4.5 tog lot that clip together) that I can use either summer or winter ...

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Test fit of the canopy, still some fiddling to do

 

[Beau]

That looks very nice, inside and out. I want one!

However I cant really justify the price, it seems a lot for what is it? Or am I wrong....

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

It depends how much you don't want to use the alternatives really. A Landcruiser might seem a lot for what it is, same for a roof tent really

 

[AndyCook]

Very nice Jon
will do similar when i get my tent

 

[Chris]

Wot - stuck a 100 under it?

Chris

 

[Charlie]

I have just purchased a small Airtop, but undecided if a sleeping bag is the way to go. What do you all use when sleeping in a roof tent, Duvet or sleeping bag?

Thanks for the answers.
I think I will try using a duvet, should hopefully be more comfortable than a sleeping bag.

 

[BrendanB]

The Airtop is available with a White shell and is about £200 less then the Black Storm Airtop

Brendan

 

[robthebox]

I like what you are doing there John.
I have a Maggiolina ... which is great for sleeping in but has the same little problems. The flap at the bottom of the zips and the gap in the bottom of the zip which is against the mattress.
We have been out in it in some really bad weather and had little to no problems with wind or rain, but the entrance needs the improvements you are doing. Are you planning to leave the awning up in bad weather ? I am interested how you are attaching the awning to the roof. My Magg has a rubber seal all the way round the top on the inside and wont allow extra thickness when the roof is closed.
Me and the wife use a duvet ... tend to get hot and can throw it off as and when necessary, imagine a bag would be the same after a while ... but less bulky.
Rob

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

I like what you are doing there John. I have a Maggiolina ... which is great for sleeping in but has the same little problems. The flap at the bottom of the zips and the gap in the bottom of the zip which is against the mattress.

Not quite following you there Rob, I don't have any gaps and there's a flap to stop me touching a cold zip, if I wasn't already in a sleeping bag

Are you planning to leave the awning up in bad weather ? I am interested how you are attaching the awning to the roof. My Magg has a rubber seal all the way round the top on the inside and wont allow extra thickness when the roof is closed.

The plan is for the awning to go up in bad weather and stay up and if it can't cope or turns out to flap then I'll just abandon it! The idea is just to provide a little shelter while getting in and out in bad weather, my original mod was shown a few pages back and I also indicated where the loops are that I fit my awning pole into:

The yellow arrows indicate where there is a loop each end into which you fit a pole when using the Autohome awning. I know older models didn't have those loops.

That solution works well but I can't help experimenting with little ways to improve the things I use which is why I'm messing with this newer one which uses the same pole and loops as the proper awning:

TBH I'm not convinced I won't decide this new one is too much messing about and just stick with the first design but I'll try it and see and if it's a failure then I've only wasted £10 and a bit of time. If I wanted proper shelter and could be arsed I'd put the proper Autohome awning up but that needs a bit more space around the car and could get very messy in some of the places I've camped.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Is there any way of using the same angled sprung steel setup that the 'ordinary' RTTs use, like Howling Moon etc? Would mean tacking in some angled insert points, but would do away with the bungee cords?

Cheers

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Is there any way of using the same angled sprung steel setup that the 'ordinary' RTTs use, like Howling Moon etc? Would mean tacking in some angled insert points, but would do away with the bungee cords?

I'm sure they could be used and would be better but I don't know where I can easily buy some, has to be easy because what I have does work and isn't hard or much of a fiddle to use just doesn't look very tidy

 

[Gary Stockton]

When Rob next has his tent up just steal some of his - he doesn't use them

Easiest is to get from sunny SA - let me know if you want some - I'm sure we can rustle some up!

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

I did think about 'finding' some next time I'm out with a crowd

 

[AndyCook]

Hi Jon

What did you use for the holes on the enterance flap to stop the material tearing - where the poles poke through?
did you buy the additional draylon material online?

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

I didn't do anything to stop the material tearing, thought about stitching round the holes but the material is so tough it wasn't needed. The material I got for the awning was just fabric found on ebay that I thought would do the job - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290641914680? ... 701wt_1163

 

[AndyCook]

thanks Jon

 

[Gary Stockton]

Couple of brass eyes should do it - a tent maker - or a kit from Tiso's tent repair section?

 

[Bat21]

3 years on, what's it like to live with Jon?

I'm thinking of changing the Howling Moon 1.4 Tourer for either one of these or a James Baroud.

Are they really as simple to put up/pack down as the vids suggest?