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When I started to look for a trailer tent I struggled to understand what the differences were between models and between manufacturers. Brocures are poor and manufacturers web sites appalling. Yesterday we went to the National Boat Caravan and Outdoor Show. I got a chance to look at various new trailer tents and thought I would share my impressions with anyone consdiering buying a trailer tent. I cannot cover everything so I was looking at tents that sleep a family of four comfortably rather than those with huge amounts of space. This is a personal assessment of course and I cannot guarantee the technical information here as it is based on what I remember including discussions with sales people and because, not being a journalist, I have not checked the facts.

Size

For a family of four the Cabanon Stratos-sized units seem to be a reasonable size. We are talking of an awning around 14 square meters enough to fit a table and chairs for four as well as a kitchen under the awning at the same time. The Trigano Chantilly is in this class and their Oceane makes the grade in its longer 315 guise. The Raclet Safari is also big enough but their Quickstop needs the extended awning.

Bed-wise the Trigano Chantilly, Cabanon Stratos and Raclet Safari seem generous and are certainly big enough to be comfortable for a six-footer. The same sized person will still fit in the Raclet Quickstop and Trigano Oceane but the beds are a comfortable fit rather than generous.

Speed

The clear winner here was the Raclet Quickstop which can be erected very rapidly indeed. It is fast to unfold and does not need pegging. All the other units mentioned here do need to be pegged. Some of the same unfolding technology also applies to the Raclet Safari making it a good alternative if you need larger accommodation. This includes neat tensioning adjustments on poles that unfold in a clever arrangement designed to be quick and easy to use. The Trigano Oceane and Chantilly models have different technology including webbing straps to pull the cabin section up while unfolding. While a little less obviously elegant perhaps than the Raclet Safari, these are still quick to deploy. The Cabanon needs the inside of the cabin to be attached and removed each time it is assembled including the beds themselves. They say that this helps prevent the inner getting damp if the outer is wet but it clearly appears to be the slowest and most cumbersome.

I was unable to assess the time to erect and take-down the awnings. The Trigano Chantilly and Cabanon Stratos awnings seem to have the minimum number of poles so this could be in their favour. All the units I mention could be pitched just as the cabin with no awning.

Longevity

The Trigano Oceane and both Raclets are steel construction and have both galvanised trailer chassis and bodies. The Trigano Chantilly also has the galvanised trailer but a with a PVC body. The Cabanon Stratos has a galvanised trailer chassis but it was not clear that its steel trailer body was galvanised as well.

Both Raclet and Trigano made a point of the fact that the cabin canvas is easily and quickly removed for winter storage.

One stand placed a list of canvas weight (thickness) on display. I reproduce part of it here:

Make               Roof Canvas                Wall Canvas

Trigano                340g                            280g

Cabanon              290g                            260g

I do not have any numbers for Raclet.

I was only able to establish details on spares for the Trigano models and then only sketchy ones. First though I was promised that all were available, which sounds good. A spare pole was estimated at being around the £10 mark. Canvas, if damaged, can apparently be repaired rather than replaced. For the Raclet, I was told that a replacement built-in groundsheet, for the Safari model, was available at around the £100 mark. The impression I got was that spares are available but that you should ask specifically for each tent you are considering. The Trigano Oceane comes with a breakdown showing which part numbers apply to which parts - something I considered a good sign.

Comfort

In the end everyone’s opinion here will be different. Here are some pointers as to what you might include in your thinking though.

Canvas

The thicker canvas on those models that have it will dampen noise and light levels a bit more as well as keeping heat in more effectively.

Windows

The best cabin windows have three layers. These are an inner fly screen mesh covered by a clear, see-through plastic panel that can be unzipped and rolled up for ventilation. The mesh keeps the insects out while the clear panel allows you to see while remaining waterproof. On top of these two layers a dark canvas panel can be rolled down and zipped in place for maximum light suppression. Note that being able to roll the clear plastic and canvas out of the way is a must for comfort.

Additional niceties are an inner curtain to allow you to rapidly establish privacy during the day and some way of holding the clear and canvas panels from the mesh to allow ventilation while keeping rain out. Often when it is raining in summer is when you most need the ventilation of course. Finally there is the ability to open even the mesh to allow maximum ventilation or for access.

From my memory The Triganos and the Raclets had the best kind of cabin windows. The Trigano Chantilly deserves a special mention because of its neat ventilation design where a fiberglass pole allows the back window to be propped open without the need for additional guys. Equally the Raclets seemed to offer the most ventilation with guy-assised ventilation on several windows.

Beds

The number one requirement has to be to make sure that you fit of course. Thicker mattresses are likely to be more comfortable, as I doubt any in a trailer tent mattress will be too thick. I should have (but did not) collect numbers for matress thickness for the different models.

The Trigano Chantilly and Raclet Safari both have slatted beds. This means the mattress is mounted on slats with some mechanical give as opposed to a solid board. This means more comfort than a solid bed and, I was told, reduces condensation under the mattress.

Storage

All the tents have lockers in the cabins. The Quickstop is the least accommodating here though while the others have marginal differences in the size and layout from what I could see. It is also worth noting that the Quickstop is the one model where you could be really challenged to fit larger items (like folding chairs or folding tables) into the trailer for carriage. While you need to check with all the trailers the Quickstop is on the small side overall while built-in cupboards and a kitchen unit that fit within the trailer body make for little available space in the central trailer well. For awkward items the Triganos and the Raclet Chantilly are probably the most likely to have space. The Cabanon Stratos is almost as big but the central well does not flare at the rear like the other two and it has some small drawers that rob some of the length.

Once the tent is put up, then having a number of storage pockets helps to keep things tidy. The Triganos score well here and the Raclets have a number of pockets too.

Windproofness

Both Trigano and Raclet offer large external mud flaps. I know from experience that these can be a real boon in high winds. I wonder if the old-style rectangular frame awnings will behave better than the new hoop designs in high wind or at least require less securing with guys.

The Raclet Quickstop lacks the bed skirts that go between the bed platforms and the ground. Without these I wonder about the wind wicking heat from under the beds in cold weather and whether the turbulence will create more noise. I know the skirts are available but it should be remembered that when added these will increase pitching time since they will now need to be pegged like the others here.

Bits and Pieces

I do not know how to categorize these but providing hooks for hanging things, tie backs for securing things and all those little extras that make life more comfortable come in this category as does the quality of the zips and other fittings that can jam or fail in some other way. My impression is that The Triganos have the most of these small items and the best quality fittings but that the Raclets are equal, ahead or not far behind. One example is the presence of high-quality zips between the seat cushions and the bed cushions to keep the in place once deployed. Without these I was told the seat cushions can drop off onto the floor at night.

The one that seems to lack here is the Cabanon. It feels like they have kept costs down by leaving out detailed items that are not going to be so apparent in the showroom.

Safety

I did not manage to check this at the show, which I wanted to do, but the situation with regard to brakes is I believe as follows. The Raclet Quickstop and Safari have brakes as standard according to their brochure which I consider a really good feature. They are not strictly needed for most tow cars at this weight but surely they are a benefit. The brochure I picked up says that brakes are standard on the Trigano Oceane and optional on the Chantilly. This is curious as the Chantilly is the more costly and the heavier model but there you have it. My understanding is that brakes are optional on the Cabanon Stratos.

Wind-down corner steadies are standard on the two Raclets and the two Triganos. As I understand it these are optional on the Cabanon Stratos which I find extraordinary as these are the simplest, most rapid and effective way to ensure the trailer is steady.

Overall

Trigano

The summary for Trigano is that they are very complete. The build quality is high and the materials used are top-notch. The Chantilly offers higher levels of comfort and is probably the most comfortable of all the units I mention here. The Oceane is more affordable and in 315 guise offers much of what the Chantilly does for a better price and lower weight. At the price this is probably the best value trailer tent I saw.

Raclet

In summary for Raclet they offer the cleverest designs. They rival Trigano in terms of comprehensive facilities and you will have to judge who wins yourself. The Quickstop is the model for where speed matters but make sure its compromises are acceptable for you. The Safari rivals the Chantilly for comfort but has a newer curvy look. Ignoring price this could be the best of the trailer tents I saw scoring well on comfort, build and safety but I wish I had more information about the materials to say whether Raclet equal Trigano in terms of fabric quality.

Cabanon

The summary for Cabanon is that they have the most elegant-looking overall designs. The Stratos, and the similar but larger Neptune, awnings look great. At the same time these models seem to lack the attention to detail of either of the other two makes. In the end then I struggled to position the Stratos against the others. It does not seem to promise as much comfort as the Chantilly or Safari. It does not have an ingenious trick like the Quickstop’s rapid set-up times and it lacks in the design details of either of the Triganos or the Raclets.

One last note

I should say that I when I started looking at trailer tents the Stratos was my favourite design. I had read a lot of comments on-line that Cabanons use the best materials. While I still think they are good, from what I can establish, I do not believe that they are not quite up to Trigano’s specification and may not be up to the Raclet either. The point being that this is not their unique selling point. Cabanon seem like they should instead be offering their great look with reasonable build quality at a good price that compensates for their OK but not great fit-out. From the numbers (prices) I saw at the show this did not seem to be the case. In the end this value equation may be down to what you can negotiate with your dealer.

You probably have your own ideas and views so please correct me where I have got it wrong and add any details that others could use to help make up their minds. Why did I not cover other models? Simply because theye were not at the show or because I did not have time.

Wow what an amazing write up..... how very informative

I have had 2 Raclet's and love them..... I understand they are part of the same group  as Trigano. Cabanon is also excellent I am told.

The tencate canvas on my Raclet has been wonderful and Maureen at Raclet UK has been very helpful in ordering any parts I have wanted.

Thank you both for your kind words. I hoped that some of these ramblings might prove useful.

Cat, it is good to hear that Raclet have been so helpful on the service side. That is the sort of thing that can only be learned through experience.

Nafuk, I am sure that the salesperson at the show said the Safari was new this year. I noticed that it is on the front cover of their catalogue which is often reserved for the latest model. By-the-way, if you are looking at their 2008 catalog (which is currently available on-line) the photographs show the Safari in use with the kitchen that appears to be from a Quickstop. The actual Safari kitchen is shown on the 'Technique' page at the end of the brochure I believe.

Taylor Trent

We have now spent our first nights in our Trailer Tent and it is interesting looking back at this post written after visiting the Birmingham show earlier this year. I am now convinced that an awning of around 14 sq m is a good size for a family of four and that smaller models would feel cramped in poorer weather. Of course everyone has their own opinion and it is always nice to have more room but balance this against the towing size, and weight, and pitching time. Interestingly the first site we booked also had restricted the pitch sizes which might have excluded some larger models. I would advise anyone to think seriously about how long the thing takes to pitch because it so eats into your fun time.

One joy we found was being able to open up the front and side of the awning on our tent. This meant we could cool the awning down more or less instantly when returing to the tent. It also transformed the awning into a sun canopy and allowed us the choice of facing in either of two directions if we only opened one panel. Being able to open up the awning in this way meant we did not miss having a separate canopy area. I guess a proper sun canopy would be useful if you want to keep the awning closed as much as possible to hide its contents. Being able to open two sides is not universal but it is a feature worth checking out. You can do this on the Triganos , I do not think it can be done on the Cabanon Stratos and I am unsure about the Raclet Quickstop and Raclet Safari. Anyone know?

The curtains in the awning were really appreciated as well both to block the low sun when trying to read and for privacy.In the sleeping compartments large(ish) windows on the three external sides also allowed for rapid cooling of the day's heat build-up. Good-sized windows with netting panels are a real boon here. The Raclets have curtains (or panels that act as curtains) as do the Triganos. Does anyone know if the Cabanon Stratos has curtains in the awning? 

We had been in two minds about the value of the kitchen units which sit on the back of the trailer and which are an option on so many tents. Having used it in anger though we are now convinced. It is really convenient to have the whole thing in one unit. The cooker and sink and food and cooking utensils and those little bits and pieces you always need kept together in an organized way. The bad part is that they are so heavy on most models. Load them up as described here and they become unliftable.

Taylor Trent

Hi guys,

What a comprehensive write up! I have also done my research, and I can fill in a few more details as follows:

Raclet use 340g canvas for walls, and 380g for roofs, thus making them by far the strongest tent available.

Triganos look nicer than Raclets inside, and a great deal nicer than Cabanons, but the external build quality has a very poor reputation. I have personally seen some extremely bad welding on a brand new Chantilly, which I have never seen on a Raclet or a Cabanon.

Raclets are by a considerable amount the cheapest; consider the following models, all roughly the same size, and all with a kitchen, but otherwise the base models:

Raclet Flores, 30.58 square meters of space, price £2599 from SK Camping, price £84.99 per square meter of space 

Trigano Oceane 315GL, 21.8 square meters of space, price £3200 from Burcroft Camping, price £146.24 per square meter of space.

Cabanon Stratos, 25.08 square meters of space plus 8.8 square meters of open porch, price £3104 from Norwich Camping, price £123.76 per square meter if you don't include the sun porch, or £91.61 per square meter if you do.

Cabanons have the more old-fashioned opening system which takes a wee bit longer and really requires 2 people, but I wouldn't let that put you off too much.

Raclet also make all their models with slightly smaller kitchens as an option (they are called the Flores rather than the Floreal etc.) which hook onto a rear door and are SO much easier to handle, whilst being very nearly as big.

I have looked at all of them up, and I have come to the conclusion that despite having the nicest finish, I really couldn't recommend the Trigano as the build quality and, by reputation, the customer service, is simply not up to the job.

Between the Raclet and the Cabanon, and speaking as one who currently owns both (long story), I would say they are both excellent tents with little to choose between them except the price.

If you think a sexier shape is worth £500 and you will always have two people to put it up, go with the Cabanon. Also worth mentioning is the zip-in groundsheet which is an advantage.

If, like me, you can live without the sexy shape and the groundsheet and would rather have the £500, go with the Raclet.

One final thing (sorry, I'm blethering), is this: Those tunnel tents like the Stratos and the Safari are brilliant when they are new. But if you are planning to keep them until they are 30 years old, you may just live to regret buying one which relies on the integrity of the seams to keep it upright. Remember, the canvas may be top-notch, but the thread is just thread!

Charlie

Thanks for that Charlie

It is good to get those numbers for the canvas on Raclets, now we have the full set in this thread.

I was initially impressed with the tunnel designs which look great. As you will have read above we really liked the ability to open both the front and side of the awning and the tunnels do not seem to support that feature - yet. I have also gone off the idea of built-in groundsheets which only come with the two tunnel designs described above. I know I having will be in a minority regarding this but we have been ruthlessly targetting speed of deployment because I do not want to spend my time putting the thing up and packing it away. Hence we question taking everything. We noted that if you have a groundsheet then you have to keep it clean, find space for it and, when packing away, dry the underside. Using the awning without a groundsheet proved to be fine the other day even though we pitched in heavy rain - so heavy that as we were pitching others were having to rescuing their tents from the flood unfortunately. We just wore our footwear in the awning. 

You make a good point about how tunnel awnings are constructed. This is worth keeping in mind. I had a heavy canvas tent in the past and pushing the poles through the canvas tubes was a lot of work. This may not be so true on these awnings and I understand the Stratos only needs threading on one of its poles though and the others are held in flaps. I wonder if the flaps removes the concerns you have, perhaps that means they are not quite so vulnerable. I hope they are quicker to erect than a conventional frame, if so this could be an advantage of such designs. I note that frame construction awnings have plenty of adjustments to compensate for canvas stretching. Can tunnel designs cope as well I wonder?

I am inteseted in your comments on the build quality of the Triganos. I took a quick look at our Trigano Oceane and I cannot find any welds anywhere. I know they use different contruction techniques on different models though. My uint seems to be screwed and riveted together. Where do they weld them normally is it the body or the trailer or perhaps an out-of-site part of the frame? Having had a go and taken some of our unit apart I know that riveting it back together is a breeze by-the-way. So I actually like that kind of construction now. Sorry to hear that Triganos have a bad reputation for support. Has anyone else found this?

Taylor

Its odd because Raclet and Trigano are part of the same group - though Trigano seem to concentrate more on campervans and statics these days.

Can't complain at all about the quality of our Raclet.

Alan