Dometic / Kampa Watergate 8 Tent Reviews and Details

Tent Reviews: Dometic / Kampa Watergate 8

Tent and Awning Reviews Index > Dometic / Kampa > Watergate 8 Reviews

Current Model?
Berths:
Weight:
RRP on date added:
Bedroom inners:
Living area groundsheet:
Pitching Style:

Yes
8 (more 8 berth tents)
23.90 KG
Ł428.99
3
Fully Sewn-in
Fly first

Average User Rating:

7.57/10 from 7 reviews

Viewed: 29747 times

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7 Reviews of the Watergate 8

By: Dez109 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2022 Rating: 3 from 10

I bought a watergate 8 tent package this summer. On the first night I pitched it I found the carpet had a 2 inch hole in it (replaced by kampa). The awning had multiple holes in the door caused by the tent poles piercing it in transit (offered a discount by the retailer and free repair patches) and the inner tent bedroom stitching gave way as I tried to zip it for the first time. Kampa asked me to send the inner bedroom back to them, after 7 weeks they told me I must have fallen or stood on the tent, and they would only repair it if I paid Ł50. Needless to say I’d rather repair it myself that pay them to do it. To say I’m disappointed with their product quality would be an understatement- but their customer service is worse than their quality. Of the 4 items bought in the package, only the tent foot print is as expected. It’s a shame they are let down by their quality, because the tent is a good design. I wish now I had bought the berghaus 6 instead.

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By: Cleopetra Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2014 Rating: 7 from 10

Cannot fault the tent withstood rain & wind,bought it 2014 only used it a couple of times due to circumstances but will be using it a lot more.Only

Problem we have is one of the poles have snapped so we are trying to find a replacement but struggling with doing so. Plenty of room in living quarters & spacious bedrooms,having doors on both sides is ideal especially on a hot day it’s easy to ventalate.

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By: Markm49uk Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2017 Rating: 9 from 10

We purchased the Watergate 8 in August 2017 and it was used for our annual camping trip in the UK - replacing our Outwell air tent which caused us major problems with punctured tubes. The Watergate is a big tent easily sleeping 8 and the bedrooms are great - two double bedrooms as separate pods and one large 4 berth compartment with a zipped divider if you want to separate them.

Whilst camping in the North Yorkshire Moors we had what can only be described as the most torrential thunderstorm Imhave ever experienced - the rain was horrendous. The Watergate with its 5000 hydrostatic head stood up to it fine and not a single leak anywhere - very impressive.

We got this tent for Ł399 and invested in the footprint and carpet - both extremely beneficial but so nice to put the tent away clean underneath.

Only downside is that the second door doesn’t have a mesh secondary panel as stated in the adverts - this resulted in a few bugs entering when we had the doors open on the couple of hot days we had but it’s not a major issue.

Overall very impressed with our Kampa and look forward to many years of camping with this one.

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By: Bujinkan Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2016 Rating: 10 from 10

Love it! Owned many top branded tents and must say this stands up to them. Had continuous heavy rain for 2 solid days to test this, we stayed wind proof and dry. I have a fan heater that warms the tent rapid on low temp as its draft proof whilst maintaining excellent ventilation! As for space, just amazing. Had 7 sitting in comfortable. 2 of the bedrooms are (zipped) separate pods for complete privacy. Also bedroom have independent sewn in ground sheets as well as the 10,000hs overall one. I got the footprint and carpet package, all well made and warm. Trust me, owned many tents, all boxes are ticked with this one.

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By: Sjb35 Reason: I've used one Made in: 2015 Rating: 10 from 10

I used one of these tents last year, after trying some other tents, to find they leaked in the we weather. Unfortunately when we went away we had rain. I expected the tent to leak initially which it did. After that there was no leaks. A great tent with plenty of space. Great tent to go camping with the family.

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By: Chris Broadley Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2014 Rating: 8 from 10

We purchased a watergate 8 last year to replace our old argos value tent which after the tail end of the hurricane ended up in the bin. Upon looking at it in the showroom we decided to purchase one with a footprint, carpet and the additional canopy extention for the front to give more space when away with the children. The tent is a good size with plenty of space even with all the sleeping areas up. Our first tent had to go back after the first outing as they'd stitched the ground sheet to below the door along with several other bits at fault. The tent was exchanged no problem in store. We had issues with the canopy too as it ripped at the back before we could take down. Kampa to their credit did agree to replace this too. Having had replacements on both the tent seems fine this time except for one curtain faster was missing but this is minor. We had our first significant amount of rain this time round and it with stood most with just a small leak in 4 seams but Kampa include a repair kit in the bag so we can fix this next time we're out. The double sleeping area also doesn't seem to fit to the tent sides very well and pulls too much at the bottom but we just put some peg bands on and this eases the tension.

The carpet is good to make it warmer but it's pretty over priced at Ł60 especially as for the large one they stitch another bit on to a smaller standard carpet and to be honest not very well either. Its not in line and jnot stitched tidily but it does make it warmer. The canopy is an extra add on and if I'm honest it feels an after thought too. It doesn't fasten to the tent directly but goes over the top and pegs at the rear with the front going over the door which pushes the tents own door canopy down and can allow rain to gather in the middle. The sides have a gap between the tent and the canopy so a draft and also rain can get in. Its good to give extra space but it would be better if it zipped or fastened on the the tent in some way. This would also help when windy as the wind gets under the canopy between it and the roof of the tent and puts a lot of strain on the guy lines and canopy itself.

Overall it's a good tent for the price but take a good hard look at it if you buy one to make sure you've found any faults. On a positive note kampa give plenty of storage space and handy little extras like cable entry points and cable tidy for the light along with plenty of large windows for light and two doors. The canopy could do to be re thought out though.

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By: Stephen1308 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2013 Rating: 6 from 10

We purchased this tent and the extension tunnel as a replacement for our Vango Tigra - both tents are very similar.

What we liked about the tent was that it felt very weather proof with a solid sewn in ground sheet all round that comes a fair bit up the side of the tent. We also liked the the large windows in the living area giving multiple choices for door and window use. It comes with a few other nice touches such as cable entry facility on both sides, ample pocket storage and centre light cable velcro loops.

On the down side the poles are very stressed during erection (we are not new to camping and this is our fourth similar type of tent) and two fractured during the first use. Our tent had a manufacturing fault in that one of the sleeves for the poles was not attached properly to the main tent and has now started to tear away from the tent - not a good start from one short camping trip from a Ł400 tent.

In terms of design, the extension is unstable during windy conditions and as such you loose the additional space it offers over the Vango as you cannot effectively use the space close to the edges due to the movement. I also didn't like the material used for the guy ropes as they tend to twist around themselves making it slightly awkward when pegging the tent out.

Taking the manufacturing fault out of the equation we have rated the tent a slightly disappointing 6 out of 10.

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Manufacturer's Description

The Kampa Watergate 8 is a brand new family tent for 2013. This classic vis-ŕ-vis style tent benefits from full head height throughout, and is an easy to erect tunnel style. Large windows let loads of light in, and there are two roll up doors with mesh. Door can be converted to a canopy.

Specification:

Flysheet: Weathershield® 4000 mm F/R UV
Groundsheet: PE 12 x 12 130 g/m˛ 10,000 mm HH
Poles: Dynaflex fibreglass 12.7 mm
Weight: 23.9 kg
Pack size: 80 x 44 x 44 cm
Colour: Green
Exterior height: 200 cm
Inner tent height: 190 cm

Key Features:

Vis-a-Vis style
Sewn in groundsheet throughout
Two Roll up side doors with mesh
Wet weather entrance
End vents
Organiser pockets in front of inner tents

... there may be more info on their website

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