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Hello all.

Have got the French holiday bug and want to try camping using a trailer tent but because we are camping virgins it is all a bit bewildering.  Can anyone offer some advice on which trailer tents are the best? I like the Sunncamp 400se and the Cabanon Galaxy (think that is the model) but they are all begining to look the same to me.  Would be grateful for any advice from owners or if anyone knows where I can find good owner reviews I would be most grateful.

Dino.

Both Conway and Cabanon (new models) have the same canvas (Cabanon) and are made by Pennine Leisure and are both top notch. Cabanon are renowned for making excellent frame tents.

I have to say I personally prefer the Conways; they have thoughtfully added a tap to the sink units on their kitchens!

In the end, as in all things camping, it is down to personal preference so best to get down to your local camping retailer and have a gander, then decide whether to go for new or used (and there are always lots to be had, though they do tend to go for higher prices and get snapped up more at this time of year).

Best of luck!

Quote: Originally posted by pauldean on 23/6/2006

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if anyone knows where I can find good owner reviews I would be most grateful.

Dino.

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Forgot to mention, if you use the 'search' icon at the top of this page and enter some details of the tents you are interested in, there are plenty of reviews and comments to keep you going.

Welcome to the site, by the way, and many happy years of camping to you!

Hi DaneR,

Why not post a few more details of what you think might be your ideal trailer tent, then it will give folks on here more to go on in respect of suggestions (and I'm sure there will be lots forthcoming, not just my humble opinion).

What are you looking to spend? How many people will be using it? Is a kitchen unit important to you? How about a fridge box? Wind-down or drop-down corner steadies (most have drop-down, but later Conways were fitted with wind-down and it has long been an optional extra on some others, I believe).

Most trailer tents have two double beds, which fold out from the trailer leaving a central well. Most have storage facilities (lockers) either side of the central well which are accessed via the top or, on some later models, the front. Some have an additional locker towards the back of the cabin, or drawers.

Do you want roof liners? Potential for an integral porch? Side annexe? (As per on caravan awnings, some - the Cabanon Saturn and new Conway Festival have facilities for side window panels to be zipped out and replaced with either a tall annexe or bedroom annexe and inner, similar also to the Cabanon Aruba frame tent). Is it important to you that the panels can zip out of the awning, to give a sun canopy effect? Or, do you want one which has an awning with potential for front sun canopy (either plain, or deluxe - with front 'legs' to cover the canopy frame?

You are right, there are a myriad of trailer tents out there, but they are all essentially the same. Yet, some have different features and that is entirely personal choice at the end of the day. If you enter 'trailer tent' in the search option on here I'm sure you will find bags of advice from very many different people, who will all express differing opinions.

I hope you find what you are looking for.

Hello again,

Maybe you should think about what size awning you would like on a TT (since the trailer bodies tend to be about the same, generally speaking)? Sounds as if you were impressed by the size of the one you saw, so if you want something similar then checking awning sizes of differing models might at least be a starting point? Just a thought!

You could do a local search on sites such as http://uk.freeads.net/ or http://www.adtrader.co.uk/, as well as checking on the for sale ads on this site? Try putting in just 'trailer tent' and see what that brings up? There are usually pics or, if the write-up sounds reasonable (not too many owners, preferably not re-proofed, owned for a long time etc) you could then do a search on here to read reviews?

They tend to go for quite a lot on ebay at this time of year, but it is worth checking out just to look at the photos; if you look at the following page you will see a '92 Canterbury, with loads of extras and including 1m mid-way extension (which contributes to that huge awning) and deluxe (ie with legs) sun canopy, presently on at £800 (good TTs which have been well looked after do hold their money well).  It is worth having a look at the interior pics as well, to see if  you would like something similar.

Anyway, sorry if I've not been much help. I'm sure someone else will be along soon and will have lots more suggestions for you.

Night.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CONWAY-CANTERBURY-DL-TRAILER-TENT-6-TO-8-BERTH_W0QQitemZ8829540629QQihZ005QQcategoryZ112880QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Quote: Originally posted by Liddenham on 23/6/2006

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Hello again,

Maybe you should think about what size awning you would like on a TT (since the trailer bodies tend to be about the same, generally speaking)? Sounds as if you were impressed by the size of the one you saw, so if you want something similar then checking awning sizes of differing models might at least be a starting point? Just a thought!

You could do a local search on sites such as http://uk.freeads.net/ or http://www.adtrader.co.uk/, as well as checking on the for sale ads on this site? Try putting in just 'trailer tent' and see what that brings up? There are usually pics or, if the write-up sounds reasonable (not too many owners, preferably not re-proofed, owned for a long time etc) you could then do a search on here to read reviews?

They tend to go for quite a lot on ebay at this time of year, but it is worth checking out just to look at the photos; if you look at the following page you will see a '92 Canterbury, with loads of extras and including 1m mid-way extension (which contributes to that huge awning) and deluxe (ie with legs) sun canopy, presently on at £800 (good TTs which have been well looked after do hold their money well). It is worth having a look at the interior pics as well, to see if you would like something similar.

Anyway, sorry if I've not been much help. I'm sure someone else will be along soon and will have lots more suggestions for you.

Night.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CONWAY-CANTERBURY-DL-TRAILER-TENT-6-TO-8-BERTH_W0QQitemZ8829540629QQihZ005QQcategoryZ112880QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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Quote: Originally posted by DaneR on 23/6/2006

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Honestly - I really have no idea what you would get for say £800-£1000 or maybe less.

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Hi