Ground tent options for family 4 + 1

[Jrodrigues1278]

Hi,

Sorry ahead of time for the newbie question...

I have been doing a lot of research lately as I convert from off-roaring to overlanding. I am looking at RTTs, trailers, ground tents, etc. I have seen a lot of YouTube videos and read a lot of articles, posts, etc. I am looking for a more real world opinions from experience.

As I move towards overlanding, I want my wife and kids to join. Eventually I believe I will transition into a RTT and awning on an XV2 Trailer or something along those lines.

For now I am looking at ground tents in order to see if the wife, 2 kids, and possibly a service dog in near future. I am looking for suggestions on different options that will support now and in future.

Currently I am looking at Oztent and Gazelle tents. Any advise on either would be great and/or any other suggestions would be appreciated.

2 things I have to factor in, is some kind of “living space” as my wife has cancer and when it’s super sunny she needs to be covered and the second thing being that my son is autistic and I would like a safe place for him to relax when needed.

Thanks ahead of time everyone.

 

[Sunbum]

I’m a newbie too, I started with a roof top tent on top of my Tacoma. Great idea, off the ground, not muddy and really easy to set up. After a few trips I realized that there were cons for me that I didn’t think about. Couldn’t take it off the truck by myself, dogs had to sleep in the truck when they wanted to be in the tent (night time barking), using the bathroom in the middle of the night. No big thing if I am alone but not great if I’m with my wife. I ended up selling the RTT and sleeping in the bed of the truck since I have a shell. Using a DAC tent to get the extra length to stretch out. Works great, simple to set up and take down. Think I’m going to switch to a Gazelle tent though. Be nice to have the extra room and be able to stand up. It is overlanding so I can take a cot rather than sleeping on the ground. I will have to see how it goes this summer.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

I’m a newbie too, I started with a roof top tent on top of my Tacoma. Great idea, off the ground, not muddy and really easy to set up. After a few trips I realized that there were cons for me that I didn’t think about. Couldn’t take it off the truck by myself, dogs had to sleep in the truck when they wanted to be in the tent (night time barking), using the bathroom in the middle of the night. No big thing if I am alone but not great if I’m with my wife. I ended up selling the RTT and sleeping in the bed of the truck since I have a shell. Using a DAC tent to get the extra length to stretch out. Works great, simple to set up and take down. Think I’m going to switch to a Gazelle tent though. Be nice to have the extra room and be able to stand up. It is overlanding so I can take a cot rather than sleeping on the ground. I will have to see how it goes this summer.

Great insight! Thanks!

I am leaning towards the ground tent as a baby step ... my wife and daughter might say this isn’t for us (I doubt it but with condition it may be) and/or the RTT just wont be her speed. Figure I can take her to an Expo and let her see and climb in one and see how she feels about it.

It it’s just the boys, then a RTT won’t be a big deal for just us as family size RTT aren’t cheap for sure. I also figure if I start on the ground, then at least if some friends or family want to come; I got them covered down the road.

 

[Maverick9110E]

Same here, wife and 2 Young kids. Doing a ground tent to start, just because I can't swallow the $1000-$1500 to get into a RTT setup without my stomach turning. We have a big ass glamping kingdom tent from REI if we are just going to setup a Basecamp type deal. Bug if it's just me and the son who's 5 I don't think my 1 person backpacking tent will work. Thinking of getting a T3 for us or something similar.

 

[Jeep'n It Simple]

For starting out I would suggest either a Coleman or Core 6-person instant up tent. I ended up going with the Core 6-person, plenty of room for my cot, chair, small table, heater and you can hand an LED light in the center. I throw a couple of moving blankets on the ground and gives a nice soft touch for walking around inside barefoot. I opted for the Core because I got it at Costco for $125. Could not justify putting out $300 - $500 for a tent that I would only use say 6 - 8 times a year.

For many years I had a Starcraft 14' tent trailer, which was great when kids were small. Now they are all grown and off into their own lives so it is only me (wife says she did her camping duty when kids were small, and wishes me a fun trip when I do go). I looked at getting another tent trailer but did not want to have it sitting in the driveway most of the year, briefly considered an RTT but the $$$ kept adding up with the supports needed for my Jeep, cost of tent, hassle of removing it during the winter, etc. Very happy with the Core tent and highly recommend it.

 

[jonald]

For starting out I would suggest either a Coleman or Core 6-person instant up tent. I ended up going with the Core 6-person, plenty of room for my cot, chair, small table, heater and you can hand an LED light in the center. I throw a couple of moving blankets on the ground and gives a nice soft touch for walking around inside barefoot. I opted for the Core because I got it at Costco for $125. Could not justify putting out $300 - $500 for a tent that I would only use say 6 - 8 times a year.

For many years I had a Starcraft 14' tent trailer, which was great when kids were small. Now they are all grown and off into their own lives so it is only me (wife says she did her camping duty when kids were small, and wishes me a fun trip when I do go). I looked at getting another tent trailer but did not want to have it sitting in the driveway most of the year, briefly considered an RTT but the $$$ kept adding up with the supports needed for my Jeep, cost of tent, hassle of removing it during the winter, etc. Very happy with the Core tent and highly recommend it.

I second this option. I have the Coleman that I picked up for $100. I have a matching pop up canopy that I found at Goodwill for $25. Both are easy to set up and put away quickly by one person.

 

[MMc]

I am not a fan of of the Gezelle, Oztent, Kodiak, all these tents they are heavy and bulky and over priced. I see them as a fashion statement. IMHO. Being able to put up a tent fast isn't worth the price and bulk. If I was in your place I would look at a GOOD family style tent, Big Agnes, North Face, Mountain Works, Eureka. They all make great tents, big comfortable domes. Cabela's makes a great dome tent in 4 or 6 man. Check out Sierra Trading for good deals on very good tents, many are close outs but who cares about last years model.

If your wife need to be in the shade, get shade; Easyup, Pullout, 270 degree. Tents get hot if they they don't have lots of windows. Windows are places that water gets into. Costco has a cheap beach umbrella, get one and she isn't tided to one place. If you are fairweather camping go with windows.If you are in a bug area get a screen tent.

I would look at getting good inflatable pads, Therarest style are great, cots are good if you don'y what to be on the ground.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

@mf2mey, I never heard of Core Tents before. I did check them out online last night and they do have some really nice stuff. I agree with you to a point on the trailer, and it’s one of the reasons I plan on getting an Xventure XV2; as it’s cargo/utility design allows me to also utilize it for more then just overlanding. The roof rack can be used for a RTT if I ever go that way or can be used for other purposes.

@Maverick9110E the T4 or evan the T4 plus is on my short list because of the screened area, until I get an awning up the rig.

@MMc I don’t know if I agree 100% with you on them being fashion statements for everyone; however with the being said I am sure they are fashion statements for some specifically people’s in which “the brand” is more important then the product. For me the functionality and quality is important. The ease of setup and tear down is important as well as I hope to utilize it more in a fashion in which I put it up, rear it down, relocate for the next evening VS setting it up as base camp for a few days. I am far from making up my mind though, I am checking out the brands you mentioned as well.


Thanks everyone for the recommendations, please keep them coming. It is all very much appreciated.

 

[MMc]

I don’t know if I agree 100% with you on them being fashion statements for everyone; however with the being said I am sure they are fashion statements for some specifically people’s in which “the brand” is more important then the product. For me the functionality and quality is important. The ease of setup and tear down is important as well as I hope to utilize it more in a fashion in which I put it up, rear it down, relocate for the next evening VS setting it up as base camp for a few days. I am far from making up my mind though, I am checking out the brands you mentioned as well.

Cool. By the way it's your money, so you do you! I am on the road most every month for 3 to 10 days. it takes me about 1 hour to set up a traveling camp, longer if I am posting up for a week or so. That's shade ,tent , cooking and eating tables.Taking down is longer, I like things ready to pull out and use, so I prep as I pack. I use a 10 year old Eureka Timberline 4 outfitter, This isn't your tent at all. It takes 15 mins to set up, thats all. It stores in a 12"x 24" bag weighs about 10#. The exo frame tents are very fast to set up after you have done it a few times. Most folks do not talk about how much some of these weigh or the size of the baged tent.
I hope your wife has a positive outcome, I have been down that road.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

Cool. By the way it's your money, so you do you! I am on the road most every month for 3 to 10 days. it takes me about 1 hour to set up a traveling camp, longer if I am posting up for a week or so. That's shade ,tent , cooking and eating tables.Taking down is longer, I like things ready to pull out and use, so I prep as I pack. I use a 10 year old Eureka Timberline 4 outfitter, This isn't your tent at all. It takes 15 mins to set up, thats all. It stores in a 12"x 24" bag weighs about 10#. The exo frame tents are very fast to set up after you have done it a few times. Most folks do not talk about how much some of these weigh or the size of the baged tent.
I hope your wife has a positive outcome, I have been down that road.

Thanks for the good info and especially the kind words. It’s much appreciated.

I actually don’t mind a set up time that takes longer, but with my autistic son who likes to explore, run, and doesn’t see anything as a danger; set up time is important when just “the boys” go out.

There is no ideal solution for me, might need 2 ... one for the boys and one for the whole family.

 

[RusD]

Sorry, kind of late to the topic but just in case you're still looking I can give you some insight to the OzTent. Also a family of 4 that takes a dog (small though), and we use the RV4. Longest trip we have done is about 2.5 weeks relocating every couple days. First setup time is important to us; I just don't like spending a long time setting up after a long day's drive, especially if you're doing multiple days. While the Oz does set up fast, the 30sec is legit, it does add time to stake things out roll out the awning etc. if you choose to do those. Though the built in awning is a big bonus IMO. We did eventually by the additional side and front walls and have used them once or twice. The added room was really nice when we needed, but does add more parts and more setup. However, they have since moved to a one piece addon with floor which I wish we had over the older verison. I have considered selling the walls and picking up one of the Gazelle screen rooms for times when the bugs are bad.

We have moved to a RTT on a trailer for a few trips now. Each setup has their merits. Without the trailer, I'd stick to the Oz.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

Sorry, kind of late to the topic but just in case you're still looking I can give you some insight to the OzTent. Also a family of 4 that takes a dog (small though), and we use the RV4. Longest trip we have done is about 2.5 weeks relocating every couple days. First setup time is important to us; I just don't like spending a long time setting up after a long day's drive, especially if you're doing multiple days. While the Oz does set up fast, the 30sec is legit, it does add time to stake things out roll out the awning etc. if you choose to do those. Though the built in awning is a big bonus IMO. We did eventually by the additional side and front walls and have used them once or twice. The added room was really nice when we needed, but does add more parts and more setup. However, they have since moved to a one piece addon with floor which I wish we had over the older verison. I have considered selling the walls and picking up one of the Gazelle screen rooms for times when the bugs are bad.

We have moved to a RTT on a trailer for a few trips now. Each setup has their merits. Without the trailer, I'd stick to the Oz.

with OZTent enough room for everyone and dog?I think the new model is the RX4 or 5 which has the walls and floor.

 

[RoarinRow]

We are happy with our Gazelle tent that fits the 5 of us. Just love the easy pop up in literally seconds. When we first used it it started to hail. We we able to pop it up and get in for safety. No poles to mess with.

It is freakin long when packed so that is a consideration. We have a full size truck storage was not an issue.

 

[RusD]

Sorry, kind of late to the topic but just in case you're still looking I can give you some insight to the OzTent. Also a family of 4 that takes a dog (small though), and we use the RV4. Longest trip we have done is about 2.5 weeks relocating every couple days. First setup time is important to us; I just don't like spending a long time setting up after a long day's drive, especially if you're doing multiple days. While the Oz does set up fast, the 30sec is legit, it does add time to stake things out roll out the awning etc. if you choose to do those. Though the built in awning is a big bonus IMO. We did eventually by the additional side and front walls and have used them once or twice. The added room was really nice when we needed, but does add more parts and more setup. However, they have since moved to a one piece addon with floor which I wish we had over the older verison. I have considered selling the walls and picking up one of the Gazelle screen rooms for times when the bugs are bad.

We have moved to a RTT on a trailer for a few trips now. Each setup has their merits. Without the trailer, I'd stick to the Oz.

with OZTent enough room for everyone and dog?I think the new model is the RX4 or 5 which has the walls and floor.

It is. You can easily sleep 4 people, but they are side by side, not tight but close. Also, our dog is small and usually climbs inside someone's sleeping bag. If you have a large dog that needs it's own sleep space, it wouldn't be big enough. Still there is room for the 4 of us and some clothes or gear stuffed by our feet. l got the RV4 because I found a killer deal on a used one, but if I were to buy one new I'd probably go ahead and get the 5. One thing to consider though is if you are planning on the additional room or tag along tent, you could go with a smaller model. Food for thought.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

I am actually down to choosing between these two tents based on recommendations from this thread. For family of 4 + son’s service dog (going through process now), and also provide a screened in area / safe space for my son (autistic) ; while also providing a place for my wife to escape too as well on longer multi day camps. Due to some medical conditions she sometimes needs to get out of the sun fast.

Core Insta Tent

Gazelle T4+

Compared to the cost of RTT, etc; I think they are affordable enough to gamble the family liking it as we are new to Overlanding.

 

[Matthew Reed]

I use an ARB awning with attached awning room. Sleeps around 4 people comfortably. It’s a little expensive for someone just starting out but if you want to go to an awning setup eventually anyways then it might not be a bad way to go.

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

I use an ARB awning with attached awning room. Sleeps around 4 people comfortably. It’s a little expensive for someone just starting out but if you want to go to an awning setup eventually anyways then it might not be a bad way to go.

I have seen that and realistically is I think I would get an awning.

how do you like it? I have seen some reviews online but nothing with a family.

how long does it take to fully deploy?

do you know if you can attach it to a 270 awning? I know the room would not be the size of the 270.

sorry for all the questions but I really haven’t seen much or read much about it for the use I would use it for.

 

[RusD]

FWIW I did get to check out one of the T4+ at a neighboring campsite last fall. I was impressed with the first impressions. Looked pretty spacious and the owner and his wife seemed pleased.

 

[Jeep'n It Simple]

I am actually down to choosing between these two tents based on recommendations from this thread. For family of 4 + son’s service dog (going through process now), and also provide a screened in area / safe space for my son (autistic) ; while also providing a place for my wife to escape too as well on longer multi day camps. Due to some medical conditions she sometimes needs to get out of the sun fast.

Core Insta Tent

Gazelle T4+

Compared to the cost of RTT, etc; I think they are affordable enough to gamble the family liking it as we are new to Overlanding.

If you are looking for a little larger tent, Core also makes an 8-person instant cabin tent. My experience has been that when camping a little bit of extra room is always nice to have, which is why I went with the 6-person instant cabin tent for just myself. Can spread out my cot, chair, lantern, bags. Almost like my own little apartment in the woods. Take care.

8 Person Instant Cabin Tent

This eight person instant cabin tent features stress-free setup in 60 seconds! The poles are pre-attached to the tent- just unpack, unfold, and extend. Core H20 Block Technology combines water repellent fabrics with active bead technology for faster water runoff paired with sealed seams and...

www.coreequipment.com

 

[Jrodrigues1278]

If you are looking for a little larger tent, Core also makes an 8-person instant cabin tent. My experience has been that when camping a little bit of extra room is always nice to have, which is why I went with the 6-person instant cabin tent for just myself. Can spread out my cot, chair, lantern, bags. Almost like my own little apartment in the woods. Take care.

8 Person Instant Cabin Tent

This eight person instant cabin tent features stress-free setup in 60 seconds! The poles are pre-attached to the tent- just unpack, unfold, and extend. Core H20 Block Technology combines water repellent fabrics with active bead technology for faster water runoff paired with sealed seams and...

www.coreequipment.com

I am actually looking at the 12 person, 2 adults on 1 side, 2 kids on the other with dog.
Which would allow some space in the middle for gear, or for just hanging out, or as a safe area for my son. For $300, looks easy enough to set up alone too if needed .