New EeziAwn TTop XKlusiv family review

bsl

New member
Here is a family oriented review of the new eezi awn xklusiv 1600.
I bought it in May before we had a 4000 miles trip to Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Texas. I think this is long enough to have an opinion based on real-life experience (see picts of the trip in my other post) :camping:

Why the ezi-awn?
================
I ordered well before the review in Overland Magazine was published in the summer 2011 issue (the eeziawn is their editor's pick - that would perhaps have made my choice easier). Based on friends experience in previous trips, the other finalist was the maggiolina/columbus from autohome.
I really liked the new autohome maggiolina airtop, but was disappointed with the limited functionality of their changing room and, at that precise time, the long lead time to get in the US one larger than the standard 140 size, and not white (black is available in the US, but green and brown / safari are also produced in Europe).
As we are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids less than 8 years old) the main requirement was to have either the 4 of us sleep in the tent, or 3 in the tent and one in the attached changing room.
With its integrated and modular ground level room, quick US availability in the larger 160mm/63in width at that precise time, excellent reputation, and the just-released improved xklusiv TTop model, my decision was taken to order the eeziawn.

Where to buy - Equipt1
=================
I received very good advice and friendly service from Paul May at www.Equipt1.com . He had the best price when I checked around, kept me uptodate during the delivery process, and helped me in the design of the rack for the f150 Raptor. Also I think he was the first to receive the new XKlusiv in the US. For those choosing to get their delivery at the neared Fedex Freight facility, note that once the pallet was removed, the eeziawn box did just fit into the truck bed...
A very nice experience overall. :)

Installation on a pickup truck - Ford F150 raptor
====================================
I used an over-the-bed (vs over-the-roof) installation. I've posted some details in my build thread.


Here is my overall opinion based on this specific family long-range touring use. Check all pictures attached too.

(+) eeziawn strong points :cool:
===================
- ability to sleep 2 adults & 2 kids in the 160mm/63in width model,
- modularity of the additional ground room, where all 4 panels can be installed independently (for sun, wind, cold, wildlife protection at night), mosquito nets and windows/doors can be open or closed independently (perfect for storage boxes, small table, clothes changing and "night pit stop"),
- new xklusiv features: easier access to climb into tent, ladder with integrated sliding extension,
- ability to keep the bedding in the tent (4 large pillows, 2 sleeping bags, 2 polar blankets and sheets). This makes a big difference in storage needs compared to a classical tent and was a critical reason for us to upgrade,
- quick setup and folding process (10-15 mn for tent and room),
- comfortable inside: mattress, large windows, mosquito net, darkness
- very limited noise and same mpg while driving at highway speed (with over-the-bed setup),
- traditional expedition look / color and high quality construction (heavy duty mosquito nets, zippers etc.)
- reasonable size to store when not in use,
- all inclusive price (tent, room, ground cover, mounts for 2 bars)


(-) eeziawn weak points :yikes:
===================
- poor user manual (looks like a xeroxed page from the 80s, no specific info on the ground room or XKlusiv features). Fortunately the videos on Paul's Equipt1 site helped.
- difficulty to fold in a space efficient way (of course I was never able to fold it as nicely as it came in the original package - would love to have a factory video on how they do that)
- non symmetrical look once folded on a large vehicle: tent closer to the opening side of vehicle, + heigth is larger on closing side if you leave some bedding inside (see picture).
- would like ladder to be pre-drilled for different heigths. Not very comfortable to use barefooted, especially bottom bar.
- on tent cover, free side of strap is easy to lose in sheath when removing cover,
- when sleeping in windy environment, PVC tent roof is noisy while slapping tent,
- bottom of tent mosquito nets closing with velcro scratch rather than zippers,
- one of the new XKlusiv aluminum connectors broke on 1 side (without much inconvenient during our trip). According to Paul at Equipt1, this should be covered under warranty and is in progress.

Also it would be great to see some more options/accessories even though all suggestions below can be simple DIY projects:
- poles to use room walls as awning when needed
- additional pockets or netting inside to store clothes under ceiling while sleeping
- led lighting (similar to http://adventureparents.com/blog/ad...y-to-improve-your-roof-top-tent-eezi-awn.html)

I will soon post some non Eeziawn-specific comments on rooftop tents for family use in the dedicated thread:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/95-Family-Adventure-Planning

Hope you enjoy the reading, and would love some feedback! :safari-rig:
RAP1131.jpgRAP1100 (3).jpgRAP1104.jpgRAP1225b.jpgRAP1100 (2).jpgRAP1114.jpgRAP1100.jpgRAP1112.jpgRAP1501.jpg
 
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Dgurley2000

Adventurer
Great write-up and photos!

I've had a few issues with my EeziAwn:

-The rain fly doesn't fold in nicely with the tent when closing it. I have it properly fastened. I have to manually push the rainfly into the fold.
-The roof for the section that extends for the add-a-room keeps sliding off the aluminum extrusions.

It's probably easier to visualize both of these so I'll try to take photos next time it is deployed.

Also, Seems like I'm closer to 30 minutes setup/teardown, with setup being a bit shorter. There are quite a few steps with a larger tent and an add-a-room.

Overall I'm happy with my tent, especially how comfortable it is. The biggest drawback for me is the setup/teardown time but I figure I'll get faster with it over time. Mine is also asymmetric when leaving bedding inside. I used a ratcheting strap over the middle that helped quite a bit - but it's an extra step :(
 

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