It’s a challenge as old as the existence of camping: what to have in your camp setup. The most critical piece of this puzzle is arguably the shelter. If you’re looking at tents, it can be overwhelming to choose between…
It’s a challenge as old as the existence of camping: what to have in your camp setup. The most critical piece of this puzzle is arguably the shelter. If you’re looking at tents, it can be overwhelming to choose between all the options. One of the most popular brands and models on the market for seasoned and new campers alike is the Oztent RV model. I borrowed one from my partners Mum for a few weekends away to see if I wanted one myself. Here’s the pros and cons of this tent and my verdict of whether I’d buy one!
Arguably the best feature of the Oztent is how quick and easy it is to set up! It only takes around 30 seconds to go from in the cover, so fully erect. All you have to do is fold out the two corners, raise it from the front, lock in their arms on the inside and peg down the corners. The structure of the tent is built into the canvas so you don’t have to fiddle around with poles and loops or god forbid, worry about forgetting your poles altogether! This is awesome for when you arrive late to camp or it’s wet and wild and you just want to get set up and out of the elements.
The Oztent is made from heavy-duty canvas that can take a beating in the great outdoors. We’ve only used ours for a short time but I’ve spoken to campers who have owned theirs for 15-20 years and absolutely swear by its longevity.
All three sizes of the Oztent RV model (3, 4 and 5 person) are 190cm high. This means even those on the taller side of life can actually stand up inside the tent. If you’ve ever been stuck laying down in a tent in the rain, you’ll know that this is a game changer when it comes to camping. It’s much easier to get dressed when you can stand and walk around upright!
The tent is completely waterproof with canvas walls and a tub-shaped floor made from heat-sealed PVC. It also holds up extremely well in very windy weather. The sloped design of the back of the tent allows the wind to move easily over the structure. You can rest easy in the wildest of storms, knowing you’ll remain safe and dry all night.
On the back and each side of the Oztent are windows to allow air to move easily through the tent. All vents are mesh covered to keep the bugs out and easily zipped open or closed from the inside. Combined with the front screen, there’s no risk of the tent becoming too sweltering hot in the summer months.
If you keep the canvas closed on the ventilation windows and the front door, the inside of the tent remains quite dark even during the day! For light sleepers and those who want a sleep in even in the outdoors, this is a real bonus. Say goodbye to the full moon peeping in on you and keeping you up all night! Of course if you’re someone who loves to be at one with the outdoors when camping and wake up with the sun, this might be a downfall!
Each RV model comes with an awning attached. This can be tucked away when not needed or rolled out to shelter you from wind and rain. It’s also possible to purchase walls for the awning which provide a separate outside room and extra protection from rain and wind. The awning can also be fitted to other Oztents or linked in with a car awning.
A brand new 3-person RV Oztent weighs in at 21.5kgs without any added extras. While this isn’t ridiculously heavy, it can be a struggle for one person to lift this onto a roof rack on their own. This can be a limiting factor in when and how the tent is packed on a camping trip, especially if you’re travelling alone.
At a packed length of just over 2m, The Oztent can be difficult to fit inside a vehicle. This means roof racks are usually necessary to transport the tent which can be limiting if you want to use your roof racks to store other gear, or if the weight prohibits you from lifting the tent.
For the most part, the awning set up is excellent if you have your tent angled the right way so the wind blows from the back, across the top. However, in very gusty winds from a slightly cross angle (which we experienced on a particularly blizzard-y evening in the snowy mountains) The poles holding up one side of our awning tended to get knocked awry, letting the awning sag. During the day it was fine to keep an eye on it, but we ended up taking it down at night. This would be no problem though if you have the side panels that go on either side of the awning.
For a tent, it’s quite pricey at $1,399 – $1,699, so that could be prohibitive for people. But along with that price tag, comes an exceptionally well made and well designed tent that should last you decades. So this is really a personal choice!
I wouldn’t hesitate to buy an Oztent. I think it’s a fantastic piece of gear and ultimately, for me, worth the price tag. It’s easy to set up, which leaves you more time for enjoying nature, quick to get you out of the weather, and can be made into a really comfortable yet sturdy base camp in even the most extreme weather. I’m giving it an 8.5 out of 10! And my mother in law might not be getting her tent back for a little while longer…
I love my RV4 Oz tent. When I have travelled alone I can’t lift it onto the roof so my husband set up a simple pulley system.
This took considerably more time for me to load it but it was either that or don’t solo travel.
I also have the extra walls so if camped for a week or so in one place I would put them up.