The wobbly majesty of a Conway trailer tent

[editor]

I don't think I've seen these before but I'm liking their shaky old-school looks.

More pics: http://www.urban75.org/blog/precarious-caravans-and-curious-tents-endorse-it-festival-2011/

 

[quimcunx]

I do not think I would sleep soundly in one of those.

 

[newme]

Whats the benefit exactly over just the trailer bit, seems the tent part is 3 foot off the floor. Hows that help lol.

 

[Greebo]

Spending a wet weekend in a trailer tent in a howling gale on a welsh hillside was what persuaded my richer aunt & uncle to buy a motorcaravan.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Trailer tents are great, spent most of my childhood summer holidays in one

 

[mrsfran]

I was always desperately jealous of people who had trailer tents when camping in our shitty little green tent on childhood holidays. We didn't even have an AWNING.

 

[pogofish]

Mixed feelings - Yes, they take an awful lot of the hassle out of camping and the trailers are small enough for most drivers to tow without becoming a liability to other road users.

But I must say that most of the people I've known who owned them did use them as a stepping stone to full-on caravan ownership and you don't get that many seasons out of them before problems with the fabric become apparent.

 

[zenie]

Remind me of the 80's.

 

[London_Calling]

Fantastic that! You're also safe in a massive flood, always a bonus.

 

[wtfftw]

Whats the benefit exactly over just the trailer bit, seems the tent part is 3 foot off the floor. Hows that help lol.

Yeah. I don't get it.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Yeah. I don't get it.

It's on a solid(-ish) base that usually constitute the sides of the trailer when it's all packed away. You're not expected to sleep on a base of magically rigidified ripstop nylon!!

 

[wtfftw]

It's on a solid(-ish) base that usually constitute the sides of the trailer when it's all packed away. You're not expected to sleep on a base of magically rigidified ripstop nylon!!

Oh! ok.

 

[ViolentPanda]

It's a sleeping area, and it's on a solid(-ish) base that usually constitutes the (usually metal) sides of the trailer when it's all packed away.You're not expected to sleep on a base of magically rigidified ripstop nylon!!

 

[mr steev]

Whats the benefit exactly over just the trailer bit, seems the tent part is 3 foot off the floor. Hows that help lol.

It gives you more room. The bits that stick out are generally seats and turn into a bed.

My sister had one for a while but went back to a tent with a normal trailer. Once her trailer tent was packed down the trailer was full, so they had to pack all of the family and camping gear in just the car

 

[ViolentPanda]

Oh! ok.

Don't like them myself, though. But then I'm not a great fan of that '70s nylon tenting. It always smells.

 

[wtfftw]

hovering carpet tents would be impressive.

 

[wtfftw]

Don't like them myself, though. But then I'm not a great fan of that '70s nylon tenting. It always smells.

That's the smell of my childhood.

 

[zenie]

The weirdest tent I've seen was this kind of thing

but on top of a mini

 

[ViolentPanda]

The weirdest tent I've seen was this kind of thing

but on top of a mini

To be fair, you Mini fanactics can be well strange coves.

 

[geminisnake]

I don't think I've seen these before but I'm liking their shaky old-school looks

I don't understand how you can have been camping for years and managed NOT to see one of them!! They've been around all/most of your life.

 

[editor]

I don't understand how you can have been camping for years and managed NOT to see one of them!! They've been around all/most of your life.

Beer. And drugs.

 

[pogofish]

Beer. And drugs.

Funnilly enough, many of my memories of trailer tents also involve them.

 

[Ted Striker]

I had a 'deluxe' one with a hardtop. Laughed at the tenters for their lack of firm footing, and at the caravanners* for the immoverability and taking it too seriously

*Before we 'upgraded' to one.

Happy days!

 

[bigbry]

I always wanted one of these in the late 70's early 80's. For the times they were quite clever - as I remeber it you could stand up in the centre section (or sit to eat a meal) , the canvas (as it was then) was attached to the sides and ends of the trailer, the top of the trailer became the base of the beds and the whole thing 'opened up' as you lifted the 'lids' on the trailer. Being the 70's you had to get inside and erect the aluminium tubular frame but that was no hardship.

Never managed to get enough money together to buy one but I rally wish I had now - it's made me nostalgic for the camping holidays we had in North Wales (usually) when my sons were young - they're in their 40's now. Ain't nostalgia wonderful ?

 

[claphamboy]

Trailer tents are great, spent most of my childhood summer holidays in one

Did your parents not let you out much?

 

[no-no]

I confess to owning a raclet railer tent. I got it after selling my bedford camper, the bedford was beautiful but it was a pain, drank fuel and having to clear everything up everytime you needed to drive to the shops just broke me down in the end. I even had enough cash spare afterwards to get myself a couple of kayaks.

The trailer tents a bit colder but you're sleeping off the floor anyway so I'm usually pretty snug. It's also HUGE inside, so if it's raining there's actually space for the kids to play without them getting in the way., I don't miss the van and it's mot, tax and mechanical problems.

 

[sim667]

I nearly bought one of these for £60 off ebay for the festivals....

I decided to try and get a camper for the year after though, but could still be tempted if i cant get monies together...... Would they let me take that in a live in bit at a festival?

 

[Sweet FA]

A couple of fairly aged Italians had something like this next to us on a site in France;

Gave me the heebie jeebies every time the old guy wobbled his way up or down the rickety ladder.

 

[gaijingirl]

The weirdest tent I've seen was this kind of thing

but on top of a mini

we saw one of these camping this summer - not on top of a mini though! That's - well impressive isn't quite the right word - but something along those lines!

 

[Onket]

My summer holidays when I was a lad were spent on campsites with the trailer tent. They're great and I'd quite like on now.

My Dad got rid of our old one before I passed my driving test, but before that I did think about using it for festivals (when I still went to them).