I did not see any reviews for this tent on here after a quick search. So, since i just got mine i figured i would leave my initial thoughts. Mine is mounted to the roof rack on my 04 discovery 2. I used the generic mounting hardware that came with the tent. It is a pretty light tent over all but i would still recommend having someone to help. I did manage to do this by my self but it left me quite sore the next couple days. Upon initial arrival and careful unboxing the quality of the tent seems really well made. The floor pieces are aluminum and i did dent them in a little while trying to mount the tent to the rack, but it the dents do not effect any performance. It also will dent when you open it if you use the ladder as a means of opening it, the way that is suggested by front runner. All the mounting hard ware is nice quality, and it comes with some cheap wrenches to aid in the install. I would recommend using some better quality wrenches but if what it comes with is all you have then I am sure it can be done. For me to mount it to my rack i needed a drill and a 5/16" bit, as well as some more nuts and bolts. Before mounting the tent I suggest installing the ladder and the cover, while leaving the mattress out . It is less bulky with out the mattress and is much easier to get the cover zipped. Again mounting it to the rack alone was a pain . A helping hand would have been great. I will post some pictures of how i have it mounted later. After pitching it for the first time on the roof i quickly realized that I needed the extended ladder. The one it came with was not nearly long enough, but i had ordered it a few days after i ordered the tent in anticipation that the stock ladder would be short. So it actually arrived literally at the point when I figured out that i truly needed it, talk about perfect timing. I have about 4" of lift on 33" tires as well as the safety devices roof rack on the rover, so if you are mounting anywhere near 7' high you will definitely need the ladder extension. Pitching the tent for the first time was quick and pretty easy, i just followed the included instructions. How ever the poles mounts that hold the rain fly out aren't that great. I had to drill out the ones for both doors to get them to work properly. At this point i put the mattress back in. The tent has nice vents and windows. The canvas is nice and durable and many of the seems are taped. The mattress leaves a lot to be desired. It is very hard, but i can say that where I sat on it for a while had loosened up a bit. So I will have a better idea of it after a full nights sleep in it. When it came to taking it down I learned some valuable lessons. First before you fold it up make sure that the canvas that covers the bottom of the tent, where the poles go though, is flipped up making easier access to the bottom of the zipper. Second it is best make sure the velcro at the rear of the cover is un done. It took me a solid 30 min to put the tent away. But I do currently have two fingers that are not really working correctly ( long story). The cover is a very tight fit but I suppose it will become a little looser after some more use. I will post an update after its first real use in a couple weeks as well as a long term up date. Also I will post some pictures later too.
spark notes:
PROS:
-cheap price
-quality canvas
-slim when packed away
-easy to set up
-comes with mounting hardware
-comes with tools
-light weight
-taped seams
-lots of storage pockets
CONS:
-mattress is ok but not great
-pole mounts needed re-drilling to work
-floor dents easily
-instructions could be better
-needed to buy more hardware
spark notes:
PROS:
-cheap price
-quality canvas
-slim when packed away
-easy to set up
-comes with mounting hardware
-comes with tools
-light weight
-taped seams
-lots of storage pockets
CONS:
-mattress is ok but not great
-pole mounts needed re-drilling to work
-floor dents easily
-instructions could be better
-needed to buy more hardware
