Vango Sumatra 600 Tent Reviews and Details

Tent Reviews: Vango Sumatra 600

Tent and Awning Reviews Index > Vango > Sumatra 600 Reviews

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

Discontinued
6 (more 6 berth tents)
27.15 KG
Ł380.00
2
Fully Sewn-in
Fly first

Average User Rating:

5.33/10 from 3 reviews

Viewed: 15863 times

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3 Reviews of the Sumatra 600

By: Smee05 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: 9 from 10

Fantastic tent.

Bought in June and will have for many years to come.

I love the tent, the fabric, the space and the ease of pitch.

I have had no problems with the supposed poles, they stood up perfectly in very high winds , and stormy rain.

Would have given 10/10 but the velcro tabs on the pelmet around the bedroom are not the easiest to get together.

I have not experienced any problems like the previous reviewers, however if you actually watch the free pitching DVD that comes provided with the tent, it actually shows you how to pitch the tent correctly - wow!

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By: MrRipper Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: 1 from 10

I also have a 2008 Sumatra tent. The photo of your tent you posted looks the same as my tent, the front always looks like it is collapsing. We were away on our second trip around the second week of July 2009 when a storm came through. The winds were moderate around 20 mph and the rain was very heavy. During the storm the front section of the tent was collapsing badly where we had to move everything away from the sides of the tent.

I may not have had the 2 brow sheet guy ropes in the right place but it is worrying that the tent collapses and there is a risk of the fibre glass poles snapping because 2 guy ropes are pegged slight incorrectly :(

I would not recommend this tent.

PS My tent has had to go back because a brass lug thing that fixes the cross pole over the sleeping compartment has torn away from the canvas.

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By: Liam4240 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: 7 from 10

Before I give my comments on this tent I will give a little history on the purchase. I wanted a poly cotton tent and started of by looking at the Outwell tents. There have been plenty reviews on Outwell poly cotton tents, all positive except for price. Hence my delight when I saw this Vango tent for sale at Ł279 at Somerset Camping. A bit of research, no immediate concerns, purchase made. Then I find the negative reports regarding the snapped poles, one being by Mamabear on this site. I immediately emailed Somerset camping and Vango as I notice that after one year they have changed from pro shield poles to alloy poles to give 'extra strength'. The reply I get from Somerset camping is that they have had the tent on display outside for some time without issue. Vango after some time gave the following reply.

Hi,

Thanks for your mail.

Any reports that we have had with regard to pole issues on this tent, have been due to the tent being used in conditions that are beyond the tents designed capabilities.

However I can confirm that the poles have been changed to 22mm alloy rather than the wrapped fiberglass of last years version in order to give the tent better stability in windy conditions.

Regards Andrew Mooney Customer Service

That left me a little concerned. I asked what are the tents capabilities, even in summer you can get caught in some nasty weather. I asked for the updated poles as it seemed clear to me there was an issue with the proshields. I then got this reply.

'Thank you for your recent correspondence which has been forwarded to me. In answer to one of your earliest mails; no, there have not been problems with the proshield poles leading to collapsed tents. Unfortunately, the reply from Andrew in Customer Service was worded in such a way, as to add to your concerns, rather than assuage them. The additional stability of the alloy poles was an effect, not the reason, for the change. To compete in this area, our tent had to have the alloy poles, as this is what our competitors are using, so it was more a business decision, rather than being based on the previous poles having a problem.

From what I understand of reading your mails, you haven't actually experienced a problem with the poles of your tent. I'm sure that once you use the tent for yourself, you will find that when fully and correctly pitched, the poles supplied are up to the job required of them.'

James More

Quality Manager

You can form your own opinion from this response but I was not fully happy with it. He did mention 'correctly pitched tent' at the end of his email, with importance being based on the the guy lines coming from the porch brow pole. The Vango pitching video shows these guy lines going to the front of the tent. Somerset camping told me to pitch one to the front and the other out at a right angle. If you look at the picture of the tent on the Vango website it is pitched according to Somerset camping instructions. I contacted Vango to clarify this point but to this date have not had a reply. As they stated pitching is important this is poor service. I have asked for the price of the updated poles from both Vango and Somerset camping, however, no one has replied.

After all that waffle now for my review of the tent. I pitched the tent with the above concerns ensuring no extra strain was put on the poles during the pitching, for this you need a second person. I decided to go with the Somerset camping pitching method with one guy line out to the side. Taking my time this took 90 minutes, I think next time I will be able to pitch in about 30 mins. When pitched the tent looks good, very good. Vango states it is a 6 person tent. There were 3 of us, 2 adults and one toddler. For us a perfect size for the longer camping holidays. I would not recommend this tent for 6 adults on a long stay.

The Lakes gave us a bit of everything on the weather front. At first it was hot and the poly cotton tent remained a lot cooler than your standard tent. Then the weather turned and it chucked it down for about 16 hours with moderate winds. We were sheltered by a 6 foot stone wall with regards the wind so cannot comment on wind stability. With regards the rain there was one tiny leak on the stitching. This may have been due to the fact the material was a little taught in that area. However, the extra weight on the material due to the rain did not cause the poles to snap. I was impressed with the lack of condensation in these conditions, again a factor of the poly cotton.

Overall I was impressed, if I did not have the nagging doubt of the pole issue would score this tent higher. Until I have survived a windy night will not be fully happy. Will score 7 out of 10. One mark lost for leak and the others regarding the pole issue.

PS Foot print very useful.

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Manufacturer's Description

The new Sumatra SRP Ł380.00 is a 6 person capacity tent ideal for families or groups that do not wish to compromise on living space. A sewn in groundsheet and flexible entry add to its comfort and functionality whilst its poly cotton material adds luxury.

This superior 6 person tent is extremely spacious with a large living area and two sleeping areas. The heavyweight sewn-in groundsheet gives great protection from rain, draughts and bugs and the skylights and windows ensure the living area is light and bright during the day.

Other features include a pelmet to conceal inner attachment points giving the interior a finished look and drop down groundsheets at doors which feature a fillet and toggle system to improve performance and comfort by eliminating gaps.

... there may be more info on their website

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