Family tent recommendations please...

[catinboots]

Looking for a new tent as ours is not quite big enough. I currently have a 6 berth (2 bedrooms), which is actually used for four of us.

I'm looking for another 2 (maybe 3) bedroom tent - but we want a large living area. Plenty of room for people to move about and for a table and chairs. The bigger the better ;)

Vango diabolo. They come in various sizes - we had a Diabolo 600 for the four of us. Loads of living space, with ample room for table, and two good size bedrooms.

We have just bought an Outwell Vermont xlp. It has 3 bedrooms, a large living room with a wardrobe and another large room in front called the "panorama room", which can be opened up to be a canopy or fully enclosed. It was between that and the vango monte verde 900 - dh liked the outwell and he won!

How much dosh do you want to spend ? Wild country citadel xl (2 beds but 1 of them can be made into 2... So can be 3 sleeping areas) looks very good but £££ maybe

I have a Vango Icarus 500 with a awning - it's bloody massive!

that's for me and 3 kids - plenty of space

I second the daiblo we have the 600xp, we get a pull out table and stool thing in the main living area and still have loads of room for 'comfy chairs too. All the cooking stuff stays in the front porch.

Just beware that big tents can be charged (much) more on sites. so bear that in mind we are on the borderline. The last site we went to charge for berths (ours is a 6 man) so we were ok.

Forgot the diablo is 'old' now and you want a 'new', tent so ignore me

We're a family of four (2 boys - 3yo & 7yo) and just spent the weekend in our new Royal Atlanta 8. It was great!!

2 x bed compartments at each end of the tent plus a large living area in the middle. Set the table up and the kids ate / played in there whilst it was raining.

We got the tent, footprint, carpet and side extension for £460.

It was dead easy to put up too. We managed in half an hour in the pouring rain with only one minor domestic incident!

Vango samara 600.... With enclosed canopy, we payed around £400 inc tent, footprint and carpet. Got the enclosed canopy free as the first tent we got was faulty...!!

Can't fault it really, just done a week in Devon and it coped brilliantly with the mother of all storms for 12 hours, not one leak. Very spacious and good quality, although looking at the air beam after next year depending on what's come out.

X

We have the Outwell Vermont XL(family of 5),it's fantastic.Has survived hellish storms without a whimper and is big enough to amuse 3 kids for a whole afternoon of rain.We have a table and stools permanently inside for colouring,etc.The carpet is fab and lovely for sitting on to play board games etc.Wardrobe big enough to store all our clothes,towels etc.

We have Outwell Camper lux sleeping bags and Coleman flannel sheets-the combination of tent,bags etc makes camping super warm and snuggly when it's cold or foul weatherwise.

Kampa Filey 6. We have one and it really is a fantastic tent.

It's not for longer than 2 nights forums though, takes too long to get set up. Our new weekend tent is a Quechua supersized pop up tent which is fabulous but not big enough for your requirements.

Another for the Royal Atlanta 8. We're a family of 4 plus dog and it's fab.

We also have the Vango Samara 600 and it is huge, even without the enclosed awning. Last camping trip we were with another family and it rained a lot and we comfortable lounged and prepped food and ate in the living area of one. We were 4 adults and 4 children aged 1-7. Not bad going at all.

It's also really very manageable, especially for such a large tent. About half an hour to put up and take down? I find it heavy to carry, but the poles have a separate case so you can carry them on their own if you are apparently weak like me prefer

Just bought a eurohike primasomething. It sleeps 6, has a large living area and a walk in wardrobe. It's only been put up in the garden so far but it looks awesome, is easy to pitch and cost £125.

Vango Maritsa 700 here for our family of 4. Sleeps 7 in 3 bedrooms, one of which can be opened up to sleep 5. Optional wardrobe in one of the bedrooms. Mahoosive living area and attached porch so all the space you could ever need! Takes about 30 mins to pitch with 2 of you once you know what you are doing

Khyam Rigidome. I think the current version is called Harewood, about £400. Living space approx 3m square. Add a classic door canopy which allows you to keep doors open in rain.

We're on our second since 1999, the zips on the first gave out after eight years.