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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

Outwell Hartford xxl or Outwell sunvalley 8???

28 replies

monkey · 10/09/2006 12:44

We're getting a tent - yipee - but I can't decide between these 2.

I know a couple of people have the hartford xxl

Hartford
pros
I love the look of it - love at first sight
We have 3 kids, so 2 could share a pod, we have 1 & have one for storage
Not sleeping right next to each other

cons
It's huge and worried wouldn't get pitch big enough esp as want porch too
seems a bit dark

Sunvalley
pros
rectangle, so pitch size shouldn't be a problem
huge porch already
very light

cons
maybe need all 3 kids in 1 pod or separate little tent for 2 of them - anyone know max. no. of tents on 1 pitch or does it not work like that?
sleeping next to each other

toughy. any views - gratefully received.

OP posts:

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 13:10

Can I give you another possible 'con' for the Hartford? It is a fantastic tent, with masses of room. However I have had a chat with a few site owners and they are finding it increasibly difficult to cope with the size and layout of some of the 'multipod' tents....as they can take up a lot of pitch size. On some sites they limit how large your tent can be.

The sunvally is a rectangle and will easily fit into most pitches.

I have an outwell colorado....now the ndiana, also a rectangular tent so I might just be biased.

And onother thing, is the Hartfor 'Inner first'? if so, then pitching is a longer job than wit the sunvalley.

But they are both nice tents

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 13:10

The sunvally is a rectangle and will easily fit into most pitches.

I have an outwell colorado....now the ndiana, also a rectangular tent so I might just be biased.

And onother thing, is the Hartfor 'Inner first'? if so, then pitching is a longer job than wit the sunvalley.

But they are both nice tents

Original poster

monkey · 10/09/2006 13:22

thanks mb - that's my no. 1 'con'. If it wasn't for that, there'd be no contest, but the size is worrying me, ie not getting on a campsite. otoh i love it and the fact the sleeping pods are sep.

hatford is inner 1, that's useful to know, ta

OP posts:

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 14:06

agree with you re the separate sleeping pods, that said, the kids soon get used to the sleeping arrangemnts, and stop being 'silly' at bed time

Inner first does take longer. The sunvalley is like the colorado, and I can put that one up in 30 mins , on my own.

The size thing is becomeing more and more of a problem. I looked at the stats and the outsell is 6m by 6 or there abouts and the sunvalley 3 by 6. makes a big difference

Scoobydooooo · 10/09/2006 14:12

We brought the hartford XL tent so tad smaller than the xxl, we went away & we had to pay an extra £5 a night for our tent which we were not bothered about.

BUT we found it hard & findly to put up & also the inner goes up first then the flysheet over the top, if it's raining when you pitch it or take it down it is a big problem i believe because the inner what get wet which is a right pain.

We used it for our 1 week holiday & have now sold it on ebay because it was not for us, we also found it very very hot inside for some reason & not having a porch annoyed us but you can buy the extra tunnel porch but i found that adding this would make the tent really big.

Not sure what we are going to get next but it is going to be something easy to put up & all one shape with a bedroom to the back.

Original poster

monkey · 10/09/2006 14:24

that's greta advice. I suppose am swinging to sun valley. didn't understand your last sentence mb - I looked at the stats and the outsell is 6m by 6 or there abouts and the sunvalley 3 by 6. makes a big difference''Is this complicated camper-speak or am I being dopey.

Ok now I know more or less what I want, prob is I can find it on loads of uk sites for about £300, but here in ch it's like hte equiv. of £500 - 600. Bloody hell. SO do I risk getting it in uk, but then if there's a prob I'm stuck? It will really piss me off to pay double, esp as coming to uk in 3 weeks, so could order it now & get it delivered to mil.

but dh will kill me if I do that & there's a prob...

OP posts:

Scoobydooooo · 10/09/2006 14:33

Which one are you buying? this is the place i have found the cheapest here

There is also this place that do price match here

That is for the outwell tent, the xxl is 7.4 -6.8 metres.

If you do a search on those 2 websites for any other tent you want is well i am sure they will have them

Scoobydooooo · 10/09/2006 14:34

Actually neither of those places do the sunvalley sorry.

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 14:37

sorry monkey, ds was hassling me so I rushed! [smile

The hartwell is 7m by 6m which is big and some sites don't like big tents.

The sunvally is arounf 7m by 3m, which is quite a bit smaller and is easier to get onto a wide range of pitches

scooby if I was in the market for a new tent I'd be looking at a Montana 12....seriously nice tent and comes in at 7M by 4m (I think)

Sadly ours will have to last us a few more years

HenniPenni · 10/09/2006 14:49

We have the hartford xxlan love it!! we have only found one site that wouldn't accomodate us- it was a commercialised site. Other sites we have stayed at have not had a problem with the size, nor have we had to pay any extra per night for the pitch.

It is a huge tent with loads of living space-ideal when it's raining for the kids to play in, the only draw back we have found is the inner pitch first which is inconvenient when it's raining but it soon dries out.

We have the 2005 model which is darker than the 2006, however, we have pitched next to a 2006 model which was really light- in fact when their lights were on at night you could see everththing through it (maybe they needed a lower wattage light!)

Also the 2005 model has better specs than the 2006 model as well!.HTH

Scoobydooooo · 10/09/2006 14:51

Mb alot of people have said about the montana seriously thinking about it, does it have a porch area ?

Scoobydooooo · 10/09/2006 15:03

sorry the links i did for you do have the sun valley tents...

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 15:08

not a porch, but they do have a covered door way

outwell website.....camping porn

Scoobydooooo · 10/09/2006 15:18

Wow great tent porn loving it

Thanks for that mb i like the montana but i also now like the sun valley 8 after watching it pitch & seeing the space, it's so hard isn't it?

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 15:28

if you can, see them erect [ohhh be still my beating heart!!!!], as it can make quite a difference to your choices. Yeomans do displays, but buy your tent elsewhere, you'll get a better deal.

I wish they would do a Montana 8, 6 is a tad too small, and 12 and wince too big

Scoobydooooo · 10/09/2006 15:34

Yes i really want to see them erect first before we decide, i know what you mean about the 6 being to small & the 12 a tad to big thats how i feel.

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 15:35

have a look at the indiana 8 as well

Original poster

monkey · 10/09/2006 15:55

but would i be stupid to risk getting it abroad but for half price or do I pay double or more for the security of a local dealer? how hs the montana better than sun valley? You're so lucky. Everything is so much cheaper over in England

OP posts:

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 15:57

I prefer the internal layout of the Montana. the piching system is closer to the colorado, so we would also know how to put it up

Scoobydooooo · 10/09/2006 16:04

Monkey where do you live?

Original poster

monkey · 10/09/2006 16:12

switzerland. Where it is fabulous in many ways, but not in that many things are outrageously expensive and difficult to find

OP posts:

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 16:16

can you get to France to shop? France is great for camping shopping

Original poster

monkey · 10/09/2006 16:26

Thanks for that idea. france difficult but possible. Question of finding somewhere. Germany easier, but only found online places, with huge postage charges, so still be miles more than in uk and still have the problem if there's a problem with the tent. will try to do a french search. If it's near st louis I could do it. at a push.

would it be really taking a chance to buy it from uk? Outwell site doesn't mention worldwide guarantee, but they do have stockists in most european countries, including ch, but there are only 2 & like I said, only have a couple of models and 2 or 3 times th price.

OP posts:

Original poster

monkey · 10/09/2006 16:29

just looked. outwell don't have registered dealers in france.

OP posts:

Blandmum · 10/09/2006 16:40

bugger

I will google for some French alternatives

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