Another car camping query Shelter domes??

[Moondog55]

Sort of a companion query to the one here.
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=28444

We will be camping at Uluru for a week to ten days so we can take things slowly and relax as well as getting a feel for the centre.
I was thinking of getting a Coleman gazebo dome for sun shelter but I see so many mixed reports about them that I'm looking for feedback from owners whose opinions I can rely on.
Also any alternative dome type gazebos of about 4.5 metres in size that members have positive experiences with and could recommend. We have several carrels that we can attach to a 14foot sized dome that we got when Rays North Geelong closed down and we like to spread out when we can as our favourite camping chairs are big

[michael_p]

I have friends who have two of the Coleman Domes.

The Coleman domes are really good for sun protection but they are not waterproof. Anything more than a shower and you might as well be sitting out in the rain. Also, after enough rain the ground under the dome gets wet and can become muddy. You can cover them in cheap blue tarps to make them waterproof.

The wife and I have a small camper trailer and we use a 3x3m Oztrail gazebo. We put the gazebo up against the trailer and find it gives us plenty of room to set up in. I made a gutter out of a blue tarp to go between the trailer and gazebo so no problems with rain ingress between them.

Cheers,
Michael.

[Moondog55]

I suppose I could paint them with diluted silicon or use Nikwax DWR

[michael_p]

Yes you could. The Coleman fabric is listed as 75d, so with some extra waterproofing it may be enough but I am no expert in this area so I could be wrong.

BTW: the sun walls do make a difference when it gets a bit windy.

Cheers,
Michael.

[Moondog55]

There is also a heavier fly version. It is however double the price. Still I wonder if the heavier fabric would handle the UV and wind better?
I remeber seeing a similar shelter a few years ago that used a large ring in the centre to hold the struts, I always thought that was a good design to use with a pot belly stove

[michael_p]

There is also a heavier fly version. It is however double the price. Still I wonder if the heavier fabric would handle the UV and wind better?
I remeber seeing a similar shelter a few years ago that used a large ring in the centre to hold the struts, I always thought that was a good design to use with a pot belly stove

Of course the heavier fly is double the price. Why not rip people off.

The centre of the roof is a cross pole system. There are mesh vents with a flap of fabric covering the mesh. Here is a video of the dome my friends have and you can see the centre pole configuration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUZuABk8XK4 . You may be able to modify one for a pot belly but I would be concerned about the chimney being so close to the roof fabric.

Michael.

[bobcrusader]

I'd avoid a tarp floor - grab a mesh one (Kings are fine) or those mats that lock together like a puzzle. The red dust will be all over the tarp floor in a second. I would take the risk and not worry about rain - from the Uluru website: "Uluru-Kata Tjuta averages 308mm (about 12 inches) rain each year. It typically has 5 days a month all year round when it is cloudy (not necessarily raining) so you would have to be lucky to actually be there when it rains." Note that beer is $10 a can - you have been warned.

[Moondog55]

INote that beer is $10 a can - you have been warned.

I don't drink tinned beer so that's OK but we might just bring some as "negotiable instruments"

[Warin]

The red dust will be all over the tarp floor in a second.

Shade cloth folded and used as an entry door mat reduces the entry of sand/dust .. into a caravan/tent/etc. Also makes a good work surface for any repairs.

There is a fair amount of that red sand/dust out in the camp ground .. but the Ayers Rock/Uluru camp ground is also hard packed in places .. you may need a drill to get holes in it for your tent pegs!

Agree about rain .... if you get any out there ... buy a lottery ticket.

[Moondog55]

I'll get Cecile to sew up a mesh floor before we go, 2 or 3 layer ?
We have plenty of shade cloth here, I got 100 metres at a clearance auction

[Warin]

I'll get Cecile to sew up a mesh floor before we go, 2 or 3 layer ?

If the layers are sewn together then you'll have a hard time getting the sand out.
Fold it for use.. then unfold it and shake to get the sand out of it.
I'd not do the shade cloth in a large size as that makes it more difficult to 'clean'.

The more layers you have to more sand it will collect before needing to be 'cleaned' (unfolded and shaken).
3 is good.
----------------
Try to keep an entry way section where the mat is small enough for frequent 'cleaning' - say 1 metre square.

I have only ever seen it used on small areas .. not a whole shade area.
It is not light, I think a tarp will be lighter.

[Moondog55]

We have been reluctant to buy something. Feedback on most of them is that they are all LW and fragile.
But I just opened an email from Black Wolf and I saw the Sombra shelters

https://www.blackwolf.com.au/store/tent ... elter-450/

While the frames are 19mm steel and probably not much stronger than the frames from other companies the fabric is much heavier. 150d Polyester.
It is however double the price.
If it lasts 3 times longer it is cheaper in the long term. Anybody heard anything about it?
The Tuff Dome Plus is at a very good price too, might be worth getting one more

[Moondog55]

I still haven't made any progress on my decision making, especially as The Boss has said that I may be OK to go skiing in 2021 and I'd really need that wood fire to dry out gear.
Micheal that u-Tube video is still marked "Private" and I still can't watch it.
Tempted tho on the "Sombra" at the sale price if only black wolf would reply to questions on sizing, there are no sites I have seen that give the actual dimensions and I do need to be able to stand up inside it for it to work. Of course snow load on all that roof area would be a problem but the centre being a plastic hub could be supported by a vertical pole. Uluru will still be there after lockdown finishes as will the High Plains next year

[michael_p]

Micheal that u-Tube video is still marked "Private" and I still can't watch it.

How weird, I can't see it now either.
Here is a video from Snowys on the Coleman Event 14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkWnZmEwLJY

[Neo]

Looks too fiddley to set up. A tarp or two with poles would be fine for car camping and more custom configurations possible.

[Moondog55]

Neo you have a PM coming

[Moondog55]

Cecile and I just bought a big Blackwolf dome on clearance
First time I put it up three of the pole sections on one side cracked. Split the entire length of the sections.
It is possible to make an extruded fibreglass pole that is strong. Why do tent makers still keep using such weak rubbish in their products?
Avoid the Blackwolf clearance product the Coolibah dome shelter.
It will do for the gathering at Mt Franklin but I wouldn't take it with us on a road trip to The Alice where we would be relying on it for shade

[Neo]

Don't use it or send it back anyway!

Worthy of a refund regardless of clearance price, then try something else.

What a hassle!

[crollsurf]

I was in love with the Black Wolf Turbo 240 and finally got one. Different to the Dome but I thought it was the best car camping tent ever.
https://blackwolf.com.au/collections/turbo-tents/products/phoenix-leisure-group-s00074-turbo-240-tent-828-5252

As it turned out, I needed a tent for Canoeing and bought a Pomoly Hot Shelter. I've use it a few time now Canoeing and love it way more than the Turbo. Way lighter, cheaper and takes up a whole lot less room in the car. So after waiting years to get a Turbo, the Pomoly is for me, not just in the Canoe but also for car camping. 2 people, no worries.
https://www.pomoly.com/Pomoly-Hot-Shelter-Tent-With-Stove-Jack-4-Season-Camping-Survival-Bungalow-Cold-Weather-Insulated-Tent-1-2-Person-p945951.html
I keep telling myself I'm not going to buy a stove but... We'll wait and see but I'm tempted even though I don't need a stove.

[Moondog55]

Unfortunately we need a tent big enough for both standing up in and to take a real bed for Cecile. This limits our choices.
I still have the big tent stove [ Helsport] but you need a really big tent to use it in, use it in that tiny Pomoly tent and there would be no room for you.

[stry]

These could help you. Far, far better product than the poly weave stuff, and you maybe able to cobble something up that works for you. Very reasonably priced.

Note that at least one size is available in white, the best colour for reflectivity.

https://www.arktarps.com.au/tarps-for-sale/

[Moondog55]

Snow camouflage !
Just what I need for stealth at Falls Creek next winter.
How strong is this "XF" film and what exactly is it at a molecular level, I'm a little tired of Adverspeak

[Eremophila]

We have a Kathmandu Retreat 120 for car camping, it’s a ripper. Heaps of room if we’re using two swags, plus a usable porch or second room. 15kg from memory.

There are a couple on Gumtree including one listed a week ago. I paid $350 vs the RRP of $600. Kathmandu appear to have dropped this particular model which is a little puzzling.

[Moondog55]

If going the tent and dome route [ because nobody in Australia sells a decent big tent with an extended floorless vestibule] I think it's important the heights match at the entry.
I won't know that until we get this combination erected.

[Mark F]

Moondog - I have never really found the need for huge tent etc for two people - it just seems like lots of weight, bigger vehicle, more fuel etc. I recently upgraded to an Oztent RV4 with optional front and side panels. It provides the simplicity for quick overnight stops with it taking about a minute to pitch the basic tent and awning and another few minutes to fully set it up with side and front panels if planning an extended stay. Options to add an additional sleeping pod etc.

[Moondog55]

I was a huge fan of the Oztent, but when I bought one I was massively disappointed in it. The specifications had changed so much from the original Australian made one that it no longer performed like the original.
Plastic water proof coating on the roof ad walls so it didn't allow any water vapour out and a poorly treated floor with no Vapour barrier properties . It was a sweat box and that alone was enough for us to return it for a refund.
OK in the desert and in the dry but not in the soggy wet and cold. Sad really as I really loved the concept, I've always liked the Whelen style of tent.
Mark you have to realise that Ceciles idea of roughing it is anything less than 5 star with hot and cold running waiters
Also comfort for me now means a decent cot and the ability to stand up.
We'll probably wind up with a tiny trailer bed thing.
The huge dome is more for big family/friend gatherings/ weddings/parties etc; for touring we'll get something a lot smaller

[Petew]

We bought a north face Kaiju 6 a few years ago. Sounds like exactly what you're after but sadly discontinued

[Moondog55]

Are they 2000mm tall ?
I need a minimum of 1900 to clear my nonce with shoes on and more is more comfortable, this being glamping not bushwalking.

[Petew]

I'm 5.10 and there is another foot of space above my head. We had a Marmont limestone 6 for the ten years before that till UV killed it. Both good tents with DAC poles.

[CraigVIC]

https://www.robens.de/en-gb/shop-1/outdoor-tents/kiowa

Saw this in use by another family just recently. Very nice tent.