Vango Lauder 400 Tent Reviews and Details

Tent Reviews: Vango Lauder 400

Tent and Awning Reviews Index > Vango > Lauder 400 Reviews

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

Yes
4 (more 4 berth tents)
10.20 KG
Ł190.00
1
Bathtub
Fly first

Average User Rating:

7.25/10 from 4 reviews

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4 Reviews of the Lauder 400

By: Mccfuzz Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2016 Rating: 5 from 10

My old Outlook Arizona eventually 'bit the dust' after 10 years of service so we were forced to buy a new one for our annnual touring holiday to France. It was advertised as easy to erect but I suppose 'easy' is a relative term. It actually took about 10 to 15 mins longer to erect than the Arizona. Much of the time was spent pushing the poles through the very long sleeves which tended to wrinkle up and the best method to coax them through was similar to the method used to thread elastic or cord though pyjama trousers etc. The front one was the worst. Middle easy and the back slightly easier due to the fact that it's shorter.

Also, the front pole was very difficult locate in the metal pin. It needed an enormous amount if finger strength to locate it. The rest weer easy so I'm guessing there is a manufacturing fault somewhere. The pole for the entrance cover (cowl) was also difficult to push through the two eyelets which are meant to secure it to the tent. Given the angle at which the pole arrived at the eyelets you don't need to be a genius to realise that these two eyelets needed to be offset (Or was it yet another manufacturing error?).

The clips on the inner that the secured the base to the outer were also very fiddly and wasted even more time. I don't know who designed them but I do know he was an idiot. Ended up buying some mini carabiners from Poundland. Problem solved!

Like all tunnel tents it suffered tunnel tent syndrome. Because the top of the curve is essentially flat when condensation is bad you can end up with your own personal internal rain shower. Any wrinkles in the fabric provide even more drip collection points. Fortunately, in Provence condensation is rarely a problem. In Britain though?

After only three weeks we noticed that the fabric of the inner was beginning to detach from the zip but then here and there there were bits of thread that had been left giving a feeling of poor quality. When we came back we had to send it back for repair. On the good side the living area was ample for two and it did keep us dry during two nasty thunderstorms. Would I buy another.No!

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By: Jodunn Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2016 Rating: 6 from 10

I also bought this tent as I am a middle aged woman who camps with my large lurcher and I needed something that I could stand up in and had a front area large enough for a table and chair. I wish manufacturers would be honest. This is a great 3 MAN tent with lots of room to move about in but if you had 4 adults there would be no room to move. The sleeping compartment has a 1-way zip so its impossible to open from the side where the zip does not start. A problem when I shared with a friend as you have to climb over the other person to get out to go to the loo. It is useless without the footprint & this should come as standard and not as an extra, the groundsheets are very thin and will not stand up to dog claws or kids or moving table & chairs. The manufacturer has clearly only tested it for waterproofing and not for use by people and animals. You absolutely need a carpet and don't buy the one supposedly made for this tent as it is rectangular and not the right shape or large enough for the front area. If you are going to cook in it you also need a board to put the cooker on as any rough object will go through the groundsheet in a jiffy. NB the manufacturer suggests you cook outside and they are Scotland based. Ha Ha! The extra porch finishes right over the front of the entrance and when it storms the rain drips right down & under the groundsheet leaving a swimming pool under the front area. The sides are not long enough to reach the ground and again when it storms the rain runs between the groundsheet and the footprint making another swimming pool. There are no spare pole sections so it one breaks you have to end your holiday. You can put it up alone but NOT if it is windy or raining. The bag for the footprint is too small to put it back in and it is creased when you get it. The bag for the pegs is too short. The carry bag is huge enough to pack away a wet tent but not waterproof so you still need several bin bags. The guy ropes are NOT reflective. The partly sewn and partly linked groundsheet meant my dog kept tripping over. Also a problem for kids or older people especially in the night. Windows good but toggles for the curtains not as good as the rest of the tent toggles. Don't even think of putting a cooker near the plastic. Tricky to roll up the front door due to the padding. Not enough ventilation if it gets really hot. Front door has 2 metal eyelets so its a shame manufacturer fails to tell you it can be made into a sun canopy if you have king poles. A nice tent if you can guarantee sunny dry weather. Manufacturer failed to understand complaint saying this tent is designed as 'entry level weekend tent' - they don't understand that it is the only tent you can stand up in and thats what middle aged or older campers need. I paid Ł140 and think that the footprint should have been included at that price.It wasn't. I also think at least 1 spare pole section should have been included and the footprint needs to be less folded before its rolled and in a larger carry bag. Not worth the full RRP of Ł190 because it has annoying things that let it down. Like the coloured markers on the tent to indicate which pole goes where being so tiny you can't see them without your reading glasses or in the fading light. Sigh - its just not what it could have been because the manufafturer has cut costs to the bone. If all the faults were sorted by a small redesign and some added spares it could be a great tent. The manufacturer needs to think hard about the demographic who will buy this tent. Older campers need room to stand up in. A great pity there is no similar tent with a completely sewn in groundsheet of a quality that does not need additional footprints and carpets.

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By: Wannabejclassnomad Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2015 Rating: 10 from 10

We purchased our Lauder 400 at the end of 2015 at a discounted price, as a replacement for our Vango DS Ark 400. The Ark has been an excellent tent (still is), but we needed something a little bigger. Our criteria were i) 4 berth sleeping (no smaller than the Ark) – only two of us but space for luggage etc needed, ii) standing height in sleeping area, iii) porch/living area with standing height & space for table an two chairs when cold/wet outside, iv) small pack size, v) quick pitch time.

Although the Lauder also gets used in the UK for weekends, its main intended use is for our annual continental tour in a 2 seater car with smallish boot space.

I’m happy to report that the Lauder 400 has lived up to expectations. Its pack size is of course significantly bigger than the Ark (I reckon about 32 litres of boot space compared to about 19 litres) it’s well worth it.

The pitching time for the Lauder is longer too – about 15 minutes (with the inner attached) compared to about 5.

If you’re not constrained on boot space you have plenty of other choices, but the Lauder 400 is probably the best value, pack size and interior space from all the ones we considered (and we did a lot of research!).

The mesh screens do a good job of keeping insects at bay, and when on the continent we didn’t bother closing the front door at all at night – just used the mesh screen. This minimised condensation, which only troubled us once, on a river side site when the temperature dropped a lot at night and there was a significant due. For UK camping we had more condensation, but it cleared in less than an hour.

We also bought the footprint, which I strongly recommend for protecting the tent groundsheet and keeping it clean too. If you’re like me and try to make sure that the tent groundsheet is clean and dry each time it’s packed (even when touring) the footprint will save you lots of time.

We bought a carpet too (first time ever, and I recommend it) – I found that the Gelert Atlantis 3 carpet is an almost perfect fit, certainly much better than the Vango Universal would have been. If you have a couple of king poles you’ll find them a useful addition to convert the front flap into a sun canopy and provide that extra bit of shelter – it’s what we did when staying at a campsite for anything more than a single night.

The Lauder 400 has so far proved to be an excellent tent. We haven’t yet experienced it in high winds or rain, but I expect that the tension band system working with what appear to be very well placed guy ropes will keep it very stable. My only concern in wet weather is more related to the footprint (rather than the tent) as this looks like it might actually catch rain running off the tent and direct it under the groundsheet, rather than allowing it to drain away naturally into the ground. It’s a linked-in type groundsheet rather than a full bathtub style, so a lot of water on the footprint might make is way into the tents living area. This would be easily solved if rain was expected by folding the outside few inches of the footprint back under the groundsheet. (The groundsheet in the tents inner sleeping area is of course a fully sealed bathtub style. The linked-in groundsheet in the living area works well, allowing a little more air circulation and making it really easy to sweep out any bits of grass or dirt etc).

So far, very impressed.

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By: Bongo girls Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2015 Rating: 8 from 10

I bought this tent as I wanted something I could erect by myself (middle aged woman not fantastically strong or fit!) well with a little help from my 9 year old daughter. It is a standard tunnel tent design with a bath tub ground sheet. It is relatively easy to put up with colour coded poles and sleeves. I would recommend buying a footprint. This is my first experience with the bath tub groundsheet, I much prefer fully sewn in .The weather was AWFUL, torrential rain but no leaks in the outer. However, some water did make its way in under the fly as the ground was sodden and the lack of sewn in groundsheet offered little protection to the rising mud and water around the tent. As usual you would struggle to fit 4 people in this 4 person tent but we have had 2 adults and one child quite comfortably. The front porch is a good size and our Greyhound slept in there quite easily! I love the front canopy design that prevents rain water running into the tent when you open the doors and really can't understand why more tents aren't made with them. The windows are lovely and big letting in lots of light but still having the convenience of curtains for privacy. All in all a good weekend tent which packs away nicely into the oversize bag. I've had a LOT of different tents over many years from the most basic to fabulous Outwells and a Vango Airbeam. If you can get this at a decent price (I paid Ł109 on eBay) then I would recommend it. If you can only find it at the RRP I would probably go for something with a fully sewn in groundsheet.

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Manufacturer's Description

The Lauder range is a perfect weekend tent. This innovative and well designed tunnel tent is bright and comes with a canopy over the door. It is packed with features including large front windows to let light flood into the living space, colour coded poles for easy pitching and stand up height. All these features, combined with great quality fabric and easy pitching and packing, makes it an ideal tent for a fun short break away

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