The Oztent RV is truly an amazing tent. It’s fast, strong and versatile in how it can be set up, which comes in very handy for the outback tourer.
I’ve had my Oztent RV3, with peaked side panels, front panel and fly, for two years now and have come across a few things that help me get the best out of my tent.
1. Setting up the Oztent
I’ve heard a few stories about Oztent frames breaking in strong winds. I have had my tent in conditions where tree branches were falling down around us and we had 30ml of rain in 30 minutes. My tent performed brilliantly even with a couple of pegs being pulled out. I am a strong believer that the key to having a tent survive severe weather has got more to do with set up than the quality of the tent itself.
If an Oztent frame is going to break, usually at the hinges, it happens often during the setup process in windy conditions. Whilst the tent can stand up on its own, make sure it’s pegged out before attempting to put the main section up. If it’s windy, wait for the wind to die down before putting the tent up. However, if you need to put it up in the wind, face the back of the tent towards the wind. And, if possible, get someone to help you put the mainframe into position.
Whatever you do, don’t allow the tent to twist in any direction other than what it is designed to do. This is when the plastic hinges are likely to break.
2. Use the guy ropes
The only way that the Oztent frame can break is if it’s allowed to twist around in directions it’s not designed to bend in. In windy conditions, all of the guy ropes need to be put out and pegged incorrectly.
The pegs will then hold tight and if correctly done, the direction of the guy ropes will ensure that they will not allow the tent to twist and bend in the wind.
The guys are there to be used. So use ’em.
3. Put a ground sheet down
Even though the floor of the tent is very strong and completely waterproof, it’s a great idea to put an Oztent mesh floor saver, groundsheet, or tarp under the tent to protect it from sharp sticks and rocks. You would much rather puncture a $20 tarp than a $1000 tent.
Make sure that the tarp does not stick out past the edges of the tent because if it rains, the water may run between the tarp and the tent floor. If you have any small holes in the floor you will quickly find out where they are!
We recently wrote a blog on the benefits of a groundsheet – which you can check our for more information.
4. Add the fly
Oztent offer a fly for all RV tents. It’s made from polyester and simply zips onto the top to cover the main part of the tent. It’s very easy to use and can remain on the tent permanently if you want. The fly is not essential as the tent is completely waterproof without it. However, if you’re going into frosty conditions, you may experience a large amount of condensation forming on the ceiling of the tent. So for this reason, the fly can come in very handy.
By attaching the fly, you change the tent from a single skin to a dual-layered tent. This means that most of the condensation will form on the underside of the fly rather than the tent roof.
The first time I used our tent in the Flinders Rangers, we had a lot of frosts in the morning. The entire roof of the tent was frozen and when the sun came out, we had to pack our bed up as it felt like it was raining inside the tent. After purchasing the fly, we again went to the Flinders in similar conditions. We still had a little condensation in the tent but most of it was on the fly which we were able to remove and put into the sun to dry whilst we packed down our camp.
With the addition of the fly, the tent perform better in cold areas, and makes the tent even more waterproof in the rain. It also gives you seven more tie-down points for holding the tent secure in windy conditions.
This is what the Oztent fly looks like on an RV tent.
5. Attach the ridge poles
If you purchase the peaked side panels or front panel, you will be supplied with a ridge pole for each. The ridge pole for the peaked side panels goes on top of the tall awning poles. The ridge pole for the front panel goes on top of the front awning poles
We found that these ridge poles were very useful in keeping the awning tight. Therefore, we made sure that we packed both ridge poles in with the peaked side panels and used the front ridge pole even when we weren’t using the front panel.
Make sure you put the ridge pole between the awning pole and the awning with the guy ropes on top of everything. I’ve made the mistake of putting the ridge pole on last and paid the price when it blew off and hit my car in windy conditions.
A few more tips for using your tent in stormy weather:
We’ve already talked about putting the tent up correctly, but there are a few other things you can do to give it a fighting chance in stormy conditions.
- Firstly, when setting the tent up try to pick the most sheltered spot available. The tent is very strong but you’re really not doing yourself any favours if you choose to test its limitations.
- As well as facing the back of the tent to the wind, position your vehicle to block as much wind as possible from the tent.
- If you’ve enclosed the awning using the side panels and front panel, dig a channel for the water to run around the awning part of the tent. There is no sealed bucket floor in this part of the tent. You may find that whilst you’re nice and dry inside your enclosed annexe, the water can come rushing in under the panels making your room rather muddy!
I have really enjoyed using my Oztent and have found it to be a very strong and practical tent. It is versatile and robust enough for almost any situation found whilst camping.
The above tips are a few things I have found that help me to get the best out my Oztent. If you have any other tips or ideas for using an Oztent, feel free to let us know.
Have a look at our Oztent 30 Second Tents to put my tips to the test!
G’day! My name is Dave and there is nothing I enjoy more than getting out in the bush and enjoying the challenge and serenity of travelling around this beautiful country of ours.
After 6 years working as an Outdoor Ed Instructor, I’ve joined the team down at Snowys to help others get geared up and head to the outback!
As an enthusiastic photographer and freelance writer for 4WD Action magazine, I love to get out and capture God’s stunning creation and share it with the world.
After getting married at the end of 2010 and having our first child January 2012, I’m looking forward to seeing more of this beautiful country with my family.
I don’t know whether you have changed your website or not but I usually have no trouble finding what I want but now it is hopeless. I will go to Tentworld To find what I am looking for. It is not all that hard.
Hey Jim, thank you so much for your message and apologies for the late response! We welcome all feedback, and user experience is important to us. I recommend sending an e-mail to service@snowys.com.au, with more information about your website experience 🙂
Thanks again!
I have a RV3 which after prolonged use is a bit sun effected. I use it as a rooftop tent and while covered it needs some TLC.
Is there any suitable waterproofing / UV treatment available for this great tent.
G’day Bob, you could give Aqua Proof a go? Just make sure you give your RV3 a really good clean first and follow all the application instructions. Hope that helps, cheers mate.
https://www.snowys.com.au/aqua-proof
Hi, I have an rv3 but am only 5ft tall and camp by myself. Have you any hints how to put first side bar down before other side collapses
Hmmm, that’s a difficult one and not something I have a simple solution for sorry, Barbara. The frame can twist a little bit, so I’d suggest that yo undo the velcro on both sides, lower one side a little and work your way across the tent holding it up as best you can while you work your way across to the other side.
Failing that, you could use a pole that will support the frame in the middle temporarily while you release the side frames, you’d just need to make sure it doesn’t have sharp ends that would damage the fabric.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, it’s ideally a 2 person job, maybe other readers have some ideas that they can impart.
~ Ben
Hi
I am short to, buy a small plastic step stool and put a towel down first and you can reach
Hi
I am short to, buy a small plastic step stool and put a towel down first and you can reach. Good luck
We have had our RV5 for many years now without any issues. Recently the tent suffered wind damage bending the collapsible arms on each side. We have purchase new ones and are installing them now. Unfortunately they will not collapse completely down. The circle end on each are both facing up and only seem to fold down half way. What are we doing wrong? It would be so much easier if instructions came with spare parts when purchasing.
I’m sorry you’ve had an issue installing the new spare parts on your RV5, Donna. From speaking to other team members, it sounds like you might have purchased the wrong poles for your tent. The circles you’ve mentioned sound like the hinges so you might have them on upside down or not have the correct part. Your best bet here would be to give Oztent a call on 1800 698 368 and ask to speak to someone in spare parts who should be able to help you out. Hope this gives you some guidance – cheers!
We brought the RV4 with peak sides and fly ten years ago. We travelled around Australia for 3 years sleeping in it almost exclusively for nine months of each year. We first set it up in Tasmania where it rained for three days and I think that this helped waterproof the material. We brought an extra extender cross bar so that both sets of annex poles has the cross extender and it keeps the annex stronger. It has been through some pretty horrific winds including a severe storm in Port Fairy, fortunately we had no problems. That night I learnt what those plastic hinges actually did. The next morning the camp site was littered with broken trailer tents and shredded tents we already knew we had made a wise choice. We always use a ground sheet, wash the tent upon our return home each year with a mild detergent. I made up cloth bags to store all the poles and we regularly wipe them down and spray with a silicone spray to stop them from sticking (we do a fair bit of beachside camping) and we keep it in the bag on the roof rack but it is inside a strong PVC bag I had made up to hold and cover all the camping bags and mats. We are about to upgrade to the new model because we want to have the built in floor and sun roof because the only problems we have ever had was thirsty kangaroos in Exmouth or hungry possums in Tassie sneaking inside the annex at night. I highly recommend this brand and wrote to the company a few years ago congratulating them on such a great product. We certainly put it to the test over the ten years and would not consider any other brand. Thanks for all the helpful hints.
Wonderful hearing all these tips.
We bought the RV5 package minus the tag along and are looking for a reason to spend the extra money. As we are just 2 of us we may not find it. 🙂
I love to experiment with keeping all side and front panel attached while packing up but I can’t see it would fit in the bag. Anyway will try it out next time.
I have a small tip that we found useful:
We attached a thin rope about 3.5 meters long to the zipper that attaches the fly to the main tent. With this we can add or remove the fly anytime.
They’re a ripper of a tent, aren’t they Jopie?
Great tip. 🙂
Hi All
I have a broken hinge in my RV5 and need advice on how to replace it, it is very tight and I can not pull it out. What is the trick, getting very frustrated!
Hi David, in our experience, there are two options here. Firstly, if there is enough plastic sticking out from the frame, grab the plastic with some vice grips and tap the vice grips with a hammer to persuade the plastic hinge out. If that fails, cut the plastic so it sits flush with the end of the alloy, then using a screwdriver or similar, tap the plastic back into the pole until it is clear of being able to put a new bracket in the end. This second method is not as preferable as it may cause even bigger headaches should you have the same thing occur again in the future. Give us a call on 1300 914 007 of you are still having problems.
A few personal tips.
1) I have an 8 year old RV3 tent with a fly attached. The end straps on the carry bag perished but the middle handles remained like new.Must of been a bad batch of strapping. I purchased a replacement bag and found I can now double bag the tent for carrying on the roof, I never thought it would work but to my surprise it does.
2) Once the tent is down and rolled I wrap a piece of 50mm wide x about 1.5 metre hession strap around the tent twice and knot it once, keeping it firm and tight for packing in the bag.
3) I bought a piece of dressed pine 20mm x 2400x 290mm wide. I chopped it down to 2100 long.
I drilled 4 holes to accommodate 2 x U bolts for fixing the timber to the roof racks( one for each rack) and mounted the bolts in the middle of the board. Its light and strong when bolted down and with virtually no wind resistance. I coated mine with a few coats of exterior house paint. The board and fittings cost about $30 from Bunnings. Once the tent is on the board, I separately strap the front and the rear of the tent to the board then strap the middle to the board and roof racks. It gives good support to the tent, is rock solid and travels well. Its easy to slide the tent off and on and only two U bolts to remove when your done.
Great advice thanks Greg, gotta love a low cost solution to a common problem.
Hi Folks, fine page you have here. I am from Austria (yes, oztria) and the oztent is rather new here. I have two questions and would be pleased to get an answer out of here. So first, in case of a replacement / repair of the frame – which rivets (diameter, length) are required? Second, does the tagalong directly fit to the zip of the oztent caravan connector? If the zip of the awning / main tent will fit to the caravan connector and to the tagalong, how can the caravan connector fit also to the tagalong? There might be a left-right-side- problem, if I’m right?
Enjoy your day!
G’day Herbie! Amazing to hear how far the Oztent has traveled around the world 🙂
There is only one sliding arm on the tent that uses a Rivet, which is used to hold the plastic joining section of the sliding arm. The rivet will not break before the plastic connecting piece. If you break this plastic piece, you will need to replace the whole sliding arm which will come with a new plastic joining piece and the relevant rivet…
Basically if you break anything on the Oztent, you will need to contact Oztent directly, or their retailer in Austria to get the spare parts 🙂
Now the awning connector has 2 zips, one on each side. One zip will connect to the oztent awning, the other to the tag along, both zips run the same way so it doesn’t matter which way around you have the awning connector 🙂
Hope this helps mate!
Dave
Hi Dave, thanks a lot for your help. I will check it out and follow your advice!
Cheers,
Herbie
Hi , I am looking into a Fly for my tagalong RV5 that attaches to the rhino sunseeker 2 awning, Now I can get the fly for the tagalong but how would it attach to the top of the tagalong as the zip is all ready in use to join it to the sunseeker awning.
Cheers for any help
Jeff.
G’day Jeff!
The Tag along should have a zip along the front of the tent, to attach the tent to an RV Oz tent OR Caravan connector (commonly used to attach tents and tag alongs to 4wd awnings)
The Tag along should then have a second zip just behind the first zip (approx 2 inches away) which is designed for the Tag Along Fly to be attached.
In this way the tag along can be zipped to an RV tent or anything else, and still use the fly.
Note: You must use a TAG ALONG fly as the normal rv5 fly will not fit.
I am not familiar with the rhino sun seeker 2 awning and its facilities to attach the tent to it but remember that the tag along fly attaches to the tag along, there is no option to attach the tag along fly directly to the sun seeker 2 awning, or any other awning.
I hope this makes sense, but if you have further questions please do not hesitate to give us a call or give Oz tent a call directly, their details can be found on their web site 🙂
Kind Regards
Dave
Thanks Dave, I will have a look for the second zip.
Cheers Jeff.
Hey Jeff!
Upon further investigation, we have found that the tag along does not have the dual zips, rather the tag along fly has got a double sided zip, allowing you to first attach the fly to the tag along, and then attach the tag along to your awning.
Sorry for the confusion! if you purchase the TAG ALONG FLY it will all make sense and have detailed instructions with it 🙂
Cheers Mate!
Thanks Dave, do you have the fly’s in stock, if not I will order one, I’m at Marion so not to far away.
Cheers Jeff.
Hey. Benn getting a lot of good tips from this thread thanks. But was wondering if you could recommend a way of cleaning my oztent. We got bird poo on it which ended up as mould as didn’t clean it enough. And want to give the whe tent a general clean.
Cheers michael.
G’day Michael, the best way to clean your tent is with a good stiff bristled brush and warm soapy water. It will require a bit of elbow grease but it will get the job done 🙂 Avoid using any chemicals on the tent, unless it is covered in mould, then you can use some Mould Rid. If your tent is very old, you may like to coat it in some water proofing agent as well. We’ve got all the products you need at Snowys 🙂
Of course prevention is the best cure, so always make sure the tent is hosed down and dried properly after every trip, and scrub individual spots like bird poo as soon as you see it 🙂
Good Luck!
Dave
An Interesting note about the size of the Oztent bag, we have a customer who has been able to fit the Oztent, with the front and dlx side panels still attached to the tent bvack in the bag! no poles or pegs but I couldn’t believe it when he said he left the panels attached and still got it in the bag!
We also leave the front and peaked side panels, as well as the fly, attached to our RV4 tent for folding. We leave the window cover unrolled and the 4 main guys in place to support the weight and pulling while we spread the panels over the roof. We then toss the guys in and collapse the tent in the normal way. It’s a tight fit into the bag, but easy enough for a 72yo.
Leaving the annex on, stemmed from frustration with trying to get plastic zipper ends started overhead in the rain cold and dark. Solution was leave the 3 roof zippers and velcros done up permanently; leave the 4 corner zips undone and use velcro only, except in windy conditions. My tip is to permanently attach guys to annex and front panel awning to simplify fitting poles and cross members for fast erection. Attach guys to small loop of thin spectra through eyelet or poles will not fit through easily.
We bought our RV4 4 years ago to replace our aging but retro (1970) Trigano tent when we saw it on a rerun of Bergerac! We have used it in all conditions in WA’s South West, wheatbelt and interior for on average a week or so each month. The only problems we’ve ever had were rainwater pooling on annex roof (solution: lower one pole for cross-drainage) and condensation along front cross-member of annex (Solution: modify door zippers to be two way to provide door-top cross ventilation). We’ve never had condensation in the main tent because of the fly. We made a velcro-in floor for the annex to counter dust/wind/water ingress from the same size floor of the Trigano. It has been used occasionally and Oztent should consider adapting the floor of their Signature Edition Oztent for this purpose. All in all a terrific tent which can take a real bashing if you’re careful with it!
We nust bout the rv4 and I find it hard to do the roof zips up. I will leave mine done up as you suggested. Do you fold the sides over the annexe roof then flip the wholeot over the main roof before folding up as normal
Hi Kevin, I’m not sure what you are referring to with the roof zips? To pack down the Oz tent you need to remove any sidewalls that may be attached, roll up the awning, then fold the tent down. You can leave the fly attached if its dry but we recommend you remove everything else from the tent so that it packs away easily back into the bag 🙂
Hope this helps!
Hi Guys, Just been on the phone with Oztent, and there are no replacement hinges made from any type of metal available from them. Their argument is that there would be a larger cost involved with making the metal hinges, and finding a secure way to attach them to the frame so that they are still replaceable, yet do not use bolts or rivets that can rub against the canvas.
They said that the strong hinges would then make the bars the weak point which is can cause much more damage to the tent if they were to break, as well as being more costly to replace.
In our experience, and that shared by Oztent, the amount of returns for broken hinges is very small and so it has not been an issue worth addressing as yet.
My RV3 had the top hinges bend slightly but this was usually when I didn’t have the front guy ropes out (even when the awning is out, still needed the guy ropes pulling the top of the frame forwards)
Even though they were flexing I never had any issues with them breaking, and most of our returns and repairs are a result for extreme weather conditions when the tent is not quite set up properly, or the fly has not been used in the extreme weather conditions 🙂
Hope this helps! Has anyone had any experience sourcing different hinges?
Hey guys,
Just got the rv4 I got the peaked side and front panels for the tent, the front panel is leaking through the zipper even though its all Velcro down from the outside, I have all the guy ropes nice and taught, what do you think the problem is?
Hi Nick, It sounds like it may be leaking through the seams at the edge of the awning, you may find that this will only happen once as once canvas becomes wet, it will swell, sealing up any small leaks. If it continues to leak try spraying a bit of silicone spray along the seam.
If it is coming in through the zipper, there is not much you can do as the Velcro and zipper do not make a 100% water tight seal, how ever I would imagine that it would have to be very wet and windy conditions to force water up through the Velcro and through the zipper.
Keep us updated on what you find mate!
P.S. Oztent are a friendly bunch to talk to so don’t be afraid to give them a call for some advice 🙂
Kind Regards
Dave
Hi Nick,
This happened to me when i first bought the tent. Sounds like you need to “season the tent” (new to me when i bought the tent).
On hot day (as hot as it can get this time of year) hose the tent down to get the canvas saturated and then let it back in the sun. Repeat 3-4 times (took me a few days of backyard camping) and it will be all good.
After freaking out when i bought it, i’ve now been through crazy rain with it and not a drop inside.
We bought the RV5 full kit and kaboodle, ground mat, deluxe front and sides, tag along, fly, set it up that night, the heavens opened up and the water poured in! Between the tagalong and the awning, like a sieve, the water came in the zip across the entire length of the tent. Took it back the next day, changed it over, same thing again that night, heavens opened up, water poured in, must be a design flaw – tarp over the awning fixes the problem beautifully though. Very happy with the tent, no drama setting it up to sleep our family of eight. Damn sight better than the 4×4 camper trailer we had before this!
Hi Damian, yes unfortunately the Zips that attach the front of the tent to a few of the accessories are not waterproof, we have found customers have had a similar experience with the Awning connector, caravan connector and zipping the tent to the fox wing. It is extremely difficult to have a waterproof zip so when you have zips along the roof of the tent, they will always be an area that will be prone to leaking.
Sounds like you’ve got a good solution with the tarp though 🙂
Has anyone else had this problem? how have you over come it?
we bought the RV4 and while its a tight fit with 4 people in there, it works really well
front and side panels are great so you have a vestibule for dirty stuff
Hi Guys,
I’ve pretty much got myself sold on the Oztent RV, just trying to decide on the size, it’s a toss up between the RV4 and 5 and there’s not a lot of price difference so can anyone see in negatives in going with the idea that bigger is better?
It will be used for my Girlfriend and myself for every thing from an over nighter to a week long stay. Which ever one we go for we will have the sides and front to make an extra room at the front if needed.
Any tips appreciated.
Regards
Andrew
G’day Andrew
Both the RV4 and the RV5 pack in to a 2m long bag, though the RV5 will be fatter and heavier. On the inside the frame of the tent is still only 2m deep which means the extra 20cm you will gain out towards the back of the tent is not very useable, really it will only help with bag storage. You will, how ever, gain and extra 20cm wide which again will help with bag and gear storage. There are no height advantages to the larger tent and your beds will fit in both quite easily. I suppose you need to ask your self if you are willing to pay extra money for a small amount of extra gear storage. Personally I would stick with the RV4 and spend the extra money on a Fly to go with your side and front panels 🙂
Does anyone else have some advice?
Hope this helps mate!
Kind Regards
Dave
Thanks Dave,
I think I’m leaning toward the RV4.
Regards
Andrew
Hi guys
I’m probably going to go for the RV5 as the extra width allows it to be joined to the Foxwing awning. Now there is an awesome amount of shade!
Cheers
Andy
We chose the RV5 because of the extra storage space and the comparative weight/price difference wasn’t too bad. I use the area at the back to store the multitude of bags (tent, side and front panels, fly, ground sheet, stretcher, sleeping bag etc) that seem to accumulate and get in the way. Another consideration for us is that we are both quite tall and usually have 2 dogs – just gives us a little more room to spread out. When we camp together we use an air bed so lose the storage space under the stretcher that I use when on my own. If I’m camping on my own for a few nights I tend not to bother with the front/side panels and the extra storage space helps me keep everything organised – in that case, however, I’m usually competing with my dogs all day and very short on time so being highly organised is essential! I think the choice depends on your camping set up and plans.
Cheers
Sally
Hi Everyone,
We went with the RV5. We are a small family of 2 adults and a 2 year old . Once we have rolled out our matteres and Jack’s porta-cot, there isnt’t that much space to spare. I also looked at the 4 vs 5 and in the end, i erred on a little bit more space.. Handy, if you want to head out for the day and want to consolidate the items into the tent (chairs, cooking stuff, etc).
In reality, the size of the RV5 is not that large (ie, it still no mega family tent that we out there now days).
We’ve had our RV5 for a couple of years now and, with the fly, deluxe side panels and front panel we have various combinations that suit our camping needs. I compete in obedience, agility and retrieving trials with my dogs so it’s often just me camping…..sometimes an ensuite camping site and sometimes in the middle of nowhere. Although the tent is heavy it stands up so well to stormy weather conditions and is quick to set up in the dark that I have stuck with it. There are always offers of help to get the tent on/off the roof racks but not always someone around just when you need them so I looked for another solution. I ended up purchasing a “Rack & Roll” (http://www.rackandroll.net.au) which allows me to load and unload the tent quickly on my own without straining my (already strained) back.
In terms of packing up, I find it easier to roll the tent as described BUT place the bag over the tent rather than lifting the tent into the bag. Easier on the back too when you’re packing up on your own. For side/front panels and the fly I fold everything around the poles provided as they are the exact size needed for pack down into the bags. It definitely gets easier with practice – so much so that I much prefer to do it on my own now as I have a good routine.
Hi Sally, Thank you for your fantastic advice! The “Rack and Roll” system is a great idea and I will definatly try putting the bag over the tent next time, that sounds like a great idea 🙂
Thanks again for your valuable contribution!
Dave
We have just bought an RV5 and used it for the first time this weekend (Easter in Thredbo). We had no trouble with condensation during rain or after frost and during periods of high wind we appreciated the fact that the sides didn’t buffet like our old tent.
The tent ticked all the boxes except one – it is ridiculously difficult to fold up so that it fits comfortably in the bag. We struggled with it for about 20 minutes. After a 5 min set up this is really disappointing. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions?
Regards
Cathy
Hi Cathy, I have always found that when you fold the oztent down, try to push all the canvas in to the middle of the tent, so that it doesn’t stick out the back and sides of the frame too much. Once you’ve folder the sides in, roll the tent towards the front (it should look like a triangle of the PVC floor), then place the strap the tent comes with around the middle of the package to hold it all together.
When placing in to the bag, have the bag laying flat with the zipper facing up, slide one end of the tent in to the bag and push it all the way to the end, then feed the rest of the tent it. The Zipper should be along the middle of the oztent, not along the edge (if that makes sense). Add the poles and pegs and then have one person pulling the zippers together whilst the other zips it up 🙂
I hope this makes sense and helps! :), if you need any more advice or clarification please give us a call at Snowys!
Dave
its more an issue of getting a knack for it once u master the above procedure it packs away almost as quick as it comes out (however i keep my tent pegs separate as i always take my tools camping and put my pegs in my toolbox) this allows for added room inside the bag,
i never understood why tent manufactures feel the need to make the bag (ONLY JUST) big enough especially in the case of the oztent as look at the size of it its not going to fit in many car’s id be confident in saying 90% of oztents are taken on a roof rack of sorts would it really hurt to make the bag an inch or 2 wider and longer, in the grand scheme of things i doubt anyone would notice the extra space the tent now takes up and it would make it allot easier to put in the bag, i just dont think its worth the extra effort requires to put it in the bag just to make it that little bit more compact…?
Hi
In regards to taking the Oz tent out of the bag, undo the zip, roll it over and then take the bag off the tent.
Packing up, do the reverse i.e. put the bag over the tent and tuck the ends of the bag over the tent. Roll it over, put in the pegs and poles and zip it up. Works a treat. I’ve used mine extensively on two three month trips and the only problem is fading and the mesh zip gave up through constant use.
Regards
Wayne
Thanks for the tip Wayne, sounds like handy advice for anyone with an Oz Tent. Good to hear you have had plenty of reliable use from your tent.
I’ve just got my RV5 and started out with some backyard camping.
When i woke up in the morning, i found quite a Dew had settled over night.
When i stood up, i brushed my head on the top of the tent and it instantly started to leak water, which freaked me out, as part of the appeal of the tent was that fact that it was supposedly water proof.
I returned to the store, the staff had a chat and recommended that I season the tent by giving a it a wet down and sun bake (times 3). I’ve done that 2 twice and from what i can tell, its working. Tent seems much more water proof after the second wash and bake.
So while the above advice, doesn’t recommend seasoning the tent, I’m finding better results once i have.
Thanks for your Advice Angus. The wet down process is not always something recommended for tents with the new Poly – Cotton canvas as it is more suited to products using a pure canvas and for products that are not seem sealed like swags, however it is a process that will benefit any canvas product. You may find that if you are not using a fly that you will have the same result as the water you had coming through the tent was most likely condensation that was actually forming on the inside of the tent. Condensation will form where warm air meets the cold air and on the Oztent without using the fly, this happens on the underside of the canvas. You should find that by using a Fly in cold and frosty conditions where a heavy due may fall, the condensation will form to the under side of the fly rather than the tent. However as no tent is insulated there will always be an element of condensation on the tent 🙂
I also experienced heavy condensation using my RV3 to the point that I had to pack up my bed in the morning as it was dripping inside the tent. How ever using a fly a year later in the same place with similar conditions, I noticed a huge improvement 🙂
Keep us posted with the results of wetting down your tent, it will be great to hear how much it improves you tent 🙂
Hi David,
Well not sure what I’ve done, but it works.. After the second “washing” dried, i gave it a third go. It was nearly dry and then we had 36 hours of constant rain (poor tent is still sitting in the backyward waiting to dry before it can be packed up), and i’m happy to report, its very very dry inside and even when the roof is wet, it doesn’t seem to have the same touch/drip issue as before. Probably in my head, but the canvas material feels different now.
So a happy ending. My wife is very happy to hear that.. She told me i was going to need to enjoy camping by myself if it didn’t change…
That said, i’ll probably invest in the fly before long.
Regards, Angus
That’s great news! 🙂 A good tip for everyone to try! Glad to hear the whole family will have the confidence to head away now 🙂
See how you go with the cold and frosty conditions, If you still experience a lot of condensation on the inner side of the tent, the Fly will be the next thing to try, but the most important thing is your tent is waterproof!
Keep us posted with how your tent performs if you have a frosty night 🙂
David,
Great tips. I just purchased an Oztent RV4 with the standard side panels and I’m anxious to use it. Do you have any care/maintenance tips for the tent – such as using something on the sliding part of the frame or ‘seasoning’ the tent by spraying it with water and letting it dry, before taking it out? Thanks.
The Oztent 30 second tent is made from a good quality poly-cotton canvas that is completely waterproof. The seams have been tape sealed so there is no need for wetting the canvas down in order to waterproof it.
Try to keep the tent as clean as possible and always rinse the tent with fresh water (especially after using it down the beach) and allow to dry completely when you get home before packing it away into storage.
As long as the sliding parts of the frame and the poles are kept clean you shouldn’t have any issues. If these parts start to get stiff give them a good clean with an air compressor and water. Do not use any spray lubricants such as RP7 etc as these are oil based and will attract even more dirt.
Over time the seams may need to be re sealed by using either a specific seam sealer or silicon spray.
As with all products the life of the tent will depend on the care it is given and the best place to start is keeping it clean 🙂
Thanks for the comment and I hope you enjoy your RV4 for many years to come!
Hi David, very good and practical thoughts. I love my Oztent RV4 too. I kept thinking “but what about this” and then you covered it. That’s most frustrating! One small thing I would add. The orange coloured guy ropes are a good idea and the loose ones don’t get lost when packing up. I have bought four extra ones rather than use my old collection of ropes and have found them indispensable in heavy weather.
G’day Mike, you’re spot on there those guy ropes are great, easy to use and hard loose! You can pick these up from Snowys for a good price too!
A quick tip for guy ropes, tie a bit of reflective tape around the middle of the guy rope, makes camp a lot safer when wandering around at night!
i would add: glow sticks cable tied to the guide ropes about 1/3rd from the bottom will stop u tripping over them,
i have had my “RV5 + 2nd Room with peaked sides” in severe thunder storms at the beach with 100km per hour+ winds and mine was the only tent standing in the morning.
I did bent the cross pole in the awning and my (crappy plastic hinges) have seen better days im sure i read before about heavy duty aluminium hinges for these, now i cant find them…? any ideas?
the plastic hinges are bending in on about a 25 degree angle and last time i used the tent i cable tied a tent peg across it to support it id rather upgrade the hinges rather than putting in the crappy stock ones as i camp in extreme weather allot and they will only fail again!
Great idea with the glow sticks!
as for the aluminum hinges, this sounds like a great idea but is not something we have been told about yet, we will contact Oztent to find out if this as an option 🙂
thanks David its my only real complaint with the tent i just don’t think tho’s plastic hinges are up to standard with the rest of the tent.
a simple google search reveals allot of results of people discussing how best to replace them, but im thinking the new ones will just do the same and im not real keen to replace them every 12 months or so, a heavy duty option would be great (perhaps with a bolt instead of a rivet so it could be tightened or adjusted it it became loose and bendy.