Message Forums

Hi All

We are just about to buy a tent and I have a question. We have 7 kids from 11 down to 18 months (3 boys 4 girls) so obviously we need a big tent that with subdivided sleeping rooms!

My view is to go for the biggest we can find like one of the Sunncamp Tourist Plus 20XP's (Any opinions on this or any other large family tents greatly appreciated).

However my partner is concerned that with such a big tent we will be limited to very few camp sites that will let us "pitch up" with such a big tent? We are hoping to camp around the UK but mostly near the coast.

Is there any official information on "standard" pitch sizes etc.???

All help greatly appreciated

Hi.  We bought an Aspen 700 last year which as you probably know is fairly big.  I was also concerned that there may be problems like you mentioned.  However we stayed on several sites last year without any problems.  It is advisable to mention when you book that you have a large tent.  Some sites charge extra and some don't.

Hope this helps a little.

Hi and welcome to the site.  Take a look at the thread here which deals with sites for large tents at length!!

Hi  ,go big you wont regret it,  we have wynnster apollo16 , pleny of room, if you do abit of searching on the net can often find last years models much cheaper , this is ours but just search away,  have had no probs with sites in this  country

 our 9.4 x9.4  m

 are very pleased  with wynnsterhttp://www.allweathers.co.uk/index.asp?function=DISPLAYCAT&catid=280.

fiz

Hi

Thanks for the advice! Is there any sort of "Which" guide to tent makers? There are a lot of them and I don't know my Vango from my Sunncamps at the moment and as we will be making a purchase that we want to last us 10 years or so I really would appreciate guidance on this

Thanks once again

Steve H-B

If you are concerned about the size of your tent restricting the number of camp sites where you can camp, generally speaking the difference in shapes means that a large tunnel shaped tent will fit more easily onto a standard pitch than a large starshaped dome tent.

You could look at something like an Outwell Montana 12 or a Wynnster Antares 9 XP http://www.campersandleisure.co.uk/p-detail.asp?pid=386 

The Sunncamp Vario 900 http://www.outdoorworld.org.uk/acatalog/Sunncamp_Family_Vario_900.html looks good too. MT

We found with the wynnster apollo12 that you just took a little more time to find campsites with big enough pitches or you can be charged for two pitches.  For camping closer to home we go there and pace out pitch and pick biggest one and for places further afield we make sure the size of pitch is plenty big enough first.

We have found the more commercial sites to have smaller pitches than the open field type where it isnt so much of a problem, also we stay away from places with arcades and expensive attractions for kids so field and more open campsites are ideal for us

Just make sure in your budget you have a trailer on list as with larger familys the amount of stuff you take swomps the car.

julesrush

Jules and Steve Makers of fine little people since 1997.

Hi.

My question is about pitch sizes from the opposite point of view.  A friend and I are thinking about camping together, but each of us has a small one-man tent.  The two together wouldn't take any more space than one of the big multi-room family tents.  Would we be able to share a pitch, or would we have to pay for two?  Or do all campsites have their own rules.  Has anyone else been in this situation?

Mary