Blackwolf Turbo and Jet Tent - opinions/recommendations
Submitted: Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 13:17
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Shaun K
Hi all,
My wife and I were going to purchase a Jayco Swift next year (specifically for caravan parks with the kids).
However, I got a great Xmas present and found out that my wife was pregnant and we are expecting our third
child next year. They Jayco Swift is simply too small for 5 of us (it was already pushing the boundaries with 4) plus with another
child on the way our budget is now significantly reduced.
So we're forgetting the whole Jayco thing and are looking at tents only. As mentioned above the tent will ONLY be used at holiday/caravan parks for a few nights up to a few weeks. At the end of the day you get the same holiday with a tent vs Jayco (at a holiday park) so we're actually excited about the tent and save a lot of money in the process.
Ok, so I've been researching tents the last few days. We want something quite large to sleep at least 5 people. We want something durable which is weatherproof and will stand up to stong wind/weather. We also would like something easy to erect as we'll be more inclined to go away for weekend trips if it's easy to put up. Price would have to be under the $2000 mark but really under $1000 would be better.
I liked the look of the OzTent (30 second tent) but it looked a tad too small and its too big for our car when in the bag. Then I started reading about the Blackwolf Turbo series which I think we're leaning towards.
Out of all the blackwolf turbo tents, what would people recommend for our requirements? (ie. Turbo or Turbo Lite, which size, additions etc)
I then saw Jet Tent, which looks to be bit of a mixture between OzTent and Blackwolf and in the bag it's also the same size as Blackwolf Turbo. These look very good as
well. Any
feedback on these...in particular vs the Blackwolf Turbo?
Basically just after any advice, in particular these two tents as to help us make a decision/purchase.
Thanks very much!!!!
Agent009
Reply By: Member - Des Lexic - Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 13:35
Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 13:35
Shaun, My son bought a Jet tent for a trip to Tassie back in September. It was a little complicated to erect at first but after a few times it wasn't too bad to put up. Problems that they had with it was that it leaked in a number of areas and condensation was a problem too. It also ripped where the knuckles would catch the material when it was being folded up. Thet were quite disappointed with it as they thought that would be a good tent. They returned it to the point of purchase and re eived a full refund.
They also had issues with their sleeping bags. A minus 3 rating doesn't mean minus 3 degrees in temperature but a comfort rating..In 0 degrees they were still cold with two sleeping bags and thermals.
AnswerID:
501205
Follow Up By: Hilux fan - Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 14:22
Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 14:22
What sort of mattresses were they using? That can have a major effect on warmth while sleeping. Thermarest good, lilos bad.
FollowupID:
777338
Follow Up By: Member - Des Lexic - Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 17:30
Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 17:30
Hilux, they were on
camp stretchers with a blanket under their bags so they were
well insulated that way. The bag manufacturer claims that the rating is only a comfort level not temperature.
FollowupID:
777345
Reply By: Member - Frank P (NSW) - Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 15:10
Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 15:10
Shaun,
We have a Black Wolf turbo 210 tent. It has survived rain, hail and shine and a sandstorm. At
Birdsville one year we were camping, went away on a day trip and when we returned found our Black Wolf to be the only tent standing in the
campground. There had been a sandstorm and all the other tents and most awnings were blown away. But not ours. Even its little awning (its weakest part) was still standing.
A family sized Turbo Tent is going to be bulky and heavy when packed up. Our 210 is dead easy to set up and pack up. A family sized one will obviously be more work and take longer. But in our experience, given their ruggedness and relative ease of setup a I don't think you'd go wrong with a Turbo Tent.
I have not used a Lite version, so cannot comment on the relative merits or otherwise of those.
Cheers
PS: Presumably you are thinking of a box trailer to cart around the kit a family of your size needs. I think that would be wise. If you're going to holiday/caravan parks via dirt roads, get one that can handle the conditions. Some of the light "budget" ones just fall apart too readily.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Ian H (NSW) - Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 20:46
Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 20:46
We have a Turbo 240 tent and are very happy with it. Not a drop of leakage in 6 years with some pretty bad weather included. The only drawback is the limited awning space and ours only sleeps just 2 adults so you would need at least the 300 for a family of 5.
I would look at a bigger tent even though it would take longer to erect but would be much better for the littlies in bad weather.
Good luck with your decision.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Grant - Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 21:00
Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 21:00
Hello Shaun.
My family and I went up to
Cape York in 2009. We lived in a turbo 300 for 3 months. It had a superfly and screen room. We have 3 kids and they were aged between 8 and 4 in 2009. The tent was quick to put up and dependent on how long we were at any one spot, dictated what we erected.
It was brilliant.
We now have a
kimberley kamper. My wife and I take 1 minute to set that up and the kids put the tent up (still in perfect condition).
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Drew - Karratha - Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 22:42
Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 at 22:42
The big 5 person tent in the
classifieds looks good to me - it may be worth a call...
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Reply By: Agent009 - Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 14:47
Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 14:47
Ok, weve been looking at tents today and have narrowed it down to two:
Blackwolf Turbo Lite Twin 300 ($899)
Jet Tent equivalent ($1299)
Personally I thought the Blackwolf Turbo Plus 300 (canvas) was big enough but the wife insists she wants the extra room on the Twin.
So is the Jet Tent worth the extra $400?
Any advice would be fantastic!!!!! Cheers.
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Reply By: philw - Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 16:42
Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 16:42
The floors in the Turbo Lites are rubbish.They are a pale shadow of the Poly Cotton Turbo's. Get a tent with a vinyl floor.
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501259
Reply By: Agent009 - Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 16:54
Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 16:54
What kind of floors do the Jet Tent have?
I wish Blackwolf made the Turbo Twin in canvas instead of just the Turbo Lite.
I still think the Turbo Plus (canvas) would be big enough for us and that was $1199. Are my above prices good? And please, more
feedback between Turbo Lite Twin and the Jet Tent equilavent would be great...its so hard to choose!!
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Follow Up By: Kalex - Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 19:38
Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 19:38
I have a Jettent F30.
The big difference is the awning set up and how the sides and front fit.
Thats what swayed me to the Jettent, and 2 years later still love it.
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Reply By: Agent009 - Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 20:55
Sunday, Dec 30, 2012 at 20:55
Thanks Kadex! Your post just convinced me to get the Jet Tent!
Plus the price seems quite amazing at $1299 for the Jet Tent F25DX...the RRP for this is $1799 and the cheapest I can find online is $1699. So seems like a bargain!
Now that we've settled on Jet Tent I have a few more specific questions I'm hoping someone can help me with:
1. Are there any recommended accessories? We don't need an extra room as we are getting the biggest Jet Tent. But what about accessories? We're thinking of getting the Jet Tent Mesh Floor Saver.
2. The awning appears to be flat, so water will pool on top. Do you have to buy the Peaked Side Panels to get the extra poles which can create a higher peak in the awning?
3. Because we are getting the largest Jet Tent (F25DX - has three rooms), it will obviously take a tad longer to setup. Does anyone own this exact model and what's it like setting up and getting back in the bag?
4. And lastly, because this is the largest model, the door of the tent is in a different spot compared to the other Jet Tent models. In the F25DX the door is in the middle (not on the end). Does this change anything in regards to setting up etc?
Sorry for all the questions, but paying over $1000 for a tent is a significant amount and we just want to make sure we purchase the correct model. Hopefully Jet Tent owners (in particular the F25DX owners) can lend me a hand.
Thanks again guys!!!!
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