The Oztent RV4 is a lot of tent. We have come to like our tent, especially when we are staying in a location for more than a night.
Having just used a swag on the ground for most of my years as a park ranger, I have found my style of camping has gradually evolved over time (and age). Swagging it all over the Northern Territory was all well and good while I was on park but getting more out into the public eye has warranted a little more privacy at times.
The whole camping scene has also evolved over time too with many swags turning into mini tents, ie a swag with a built in cover that sits up above the user. These are great if you have the room to store them and you want a small footprint on the ground when in use.
They don’t allow much privacy though unless you setup by your vehicle with awnings and wind breaks.
Why did we choose the Oztent?
There are so many different types of tents on the market that it is sometimes hard to choose just which one will suit. This is the clincher as everyone has different needs and wants.
So in this article I’m just going to concentrate on why we chose the Oztent.
When we started looking I wanted something that was easy to erect, was waterproof and something that would withstand a bit of wind. Lo and behold on a trip through the Simpson Desert one of my mates had an Oztent.
He and his family including two small kids all camped in the Oztent and each night I watched how easily it went up and came down. Of course I checked it out, noticed the quality of the canvas, the internal frame that required no assembly and by the end of our trip I was hooked.
The thing that really got me though was the claimed 30 second setup time. A lot of the time these figures are fudged somehow to make them look attractive but this is the real deal!
Take a look at our video of me erecting the tent to see just how easy it is.
The Oztent RV Range
Once we checked out the range and the different sizes I went and bought the RV4. I’ve added the information on the different sizes here for your perusal.
The Oztent RV range starts out with the RV1, a smaller tent when setup measures in cm at 215 (w) x 150 (d) x 145 (h) + a 220 awning if you set that up too. It sleeps two people and when packed measures in (cm) 160 (lg) x 40 (w) x 18 (h) and weighs 20kg.
The next Oztent, the RV2, has a setup size of 200 (w) x 200 (d) x 190 (h) + 200 awning, with a packed size of 200 (lg) x 40 (w) x 18 (h). It weighs 18kg and sleeps 2 – 3 people.
The RV3 has a setup size of 240 (w) x 200 (d) x 190 (h) + 200 awning, and a packed size of 200 (lg) x 33 (w) x 18 (h). It weighs 21kg and will sleep 3-4 people.
Our choice, the RV4, has a setup size of 240 (w) x 240 (d) x 190 (h) + 200 awning, and a packed size of 200 (lg) x 29 (w) x 18 (h). This tent comes in at 23kg and you can sleep 4 – 5 people.
The final tent in the range is the RV5 and this has a setup size of 260 (w) x 260 (d) x 190 (h) + 200 awning. Its packed size is 200 (lg) x 40 (w) x 18 (h). As expected the bigger tent comes in heavier at 25kg but it provides a bit more space for a family of five.
Accessories
These are pretty self explanatory but if you want to look them up take a look at the website here. Not all fit each model in the range so look at the accessory list under each model on the Oztent website.
- Deluxe Peaked Side Panels
- Deluxe Front Panel
- Side Awning
- Oztent Mesh Floor Saver
- Oztent Fly
- Oztent Awning Connector
- Oztent Caravan Connector
- Tagalong Tent
What all these accessories really mean is that you can configure your camp setup into something that suits your style. Even though we have the side and the front panels we find we only use them when we know we are going to setup for a few days.
We like the minimalistic way we can just setup the RV4 quickly, throw our bedstuff in and hit the sheets in minutes, without the fuss or degree to erect something more complicated.
So what’s the Oztent like?
Pros
- Quality construction
- Ease of setup
- Stable in wind
- Plenty of windows
- Power cord opening
- Pockets in sides for valuables
- You can stand up in the bigger models
- Two year warranty
Cons
- Weight
- Packing size of the larger models, you need a roof rack or tray back to stow
- Condensation can occur without proper ventilation or a fly
Summary
All in all, we love the Oztent, it is practical and easy to setup. It really does only take 30 seconds to setup unless you’re going the whole hog and adding on all your accessories.
In some locations and where there is no wind, we won’t even put in tent pegs and simply use the weight of our bedding, oh and us to weigh it down.
And of course there is nothing better than setting up camp in a beautiful location and knowing you have a cosy place to sleep.
The only thing we’d change is the need to carry the packed tent up on the roof rack but then Oztent now has another solution to that issue, the Maverick Jet Tent, but that’s another article in the making.
