Jeg syntes nok, jeg havde læst om det et sted, og nu har jeg fundet det:
Vehicle dependent Expedition Guide af Tom Sheppard. Udgivet af Desert Winds og Land Rover. ISBN0-9532324-0-9. I afsnit 2 står der om "Equipment planning", "Tent sizes and types" og på side 2.2-14 "Vehicle-attached tents".
Her er Caranex omtalt rosende, men der nævnes også nogle ulemper.
Jeg har lavet en OCR-scanning af teksten. Men hvis man er til tekniske detaljer og drømmer om at køre til Afrika og Alaske, så køb bogen eller lån den på biblioteket (find den på
www.bibliotek.dk)...
(Det foregående afsnit handler om tagtelte)
Vehicle-attached tents
Ground level accommodation.
A variation of the side- or back-awning is the vehicle-attachecl tent. Where height of the vehicle must be kept within specific dimensions, where a roof-rack is not available or you wish to avoid one, where the overall height and susceptibility to winds on exposed sites is likely to be a problem or where you want stand-up height or don't like climbing ladders, a vehicle' annexe' could be the solution. One such annexe, the well-established UK-made Caranex model, has a very significant weight advantage compared to roof racks and roof mounted tents, weighing in all, under 8 kg including the extra poles for the 'free-standing' feature.
And remember, if you are trying to devote the maximum proportion of your permitted gross weight to actual goods . rather than the means to carry them, the weight saving of not having to have a roof rack is enormous. Though bulkier than a small tent to stow - the bagged unit measures just over 1m by 30 cm - it compares well with a frame tent of similar size.
Basically comprising a rearward awning/tent extension to the back of the vehicle with a 2.1 m by 1.53 m (7 ft by 5 ft) floor area, the Caranex - or similar units - has the advantage of joining up with available space in the back of the vehicle to make a single large area rather than separate small ones so that cooking or other operations involving access to storage within the vehicle can be undertaken without leaving shelter. The sewn-in groundsheet would offer normal tent protection against crawling insects and the like. Unlike a lot of tents however, with room to stand up or use camp chairs in, this kind of unit provides a useful 'doing things' area that can be utilised the whole time and then be used as a sleeping area at night. With the appropriate extension poles to lend it extra stability when the vehicle is removed, it can be left as a free-standing headquarters if you are in one location for more than one night or, having arrived at a campsite, wish to use the vehicle.
Spacious, can be customised.
Like the roof tents referred to above, the Caranex does not have a flysheet but since the enclosed volume is a lot greater than a tent and the seals where it meets the vehicle sides will not be perfect, condensation and run-down in cold climates will be less serious.
In standard form the Caranex is temperate climate optimised but there is available a customising service where any modifications can be carried out on purchased units. Thus to 'tropicalise' a Caranex with the fitment of one or more mesh windows for extra ventilation would be a simple matter. In hot climates the lack of a flysheet may increase heat load internally when the s~ is high but the larger size of the unit together with the vent aperture and large door will make it, even before 'tropicalisation', less hot than a small, low tent.
Caranex is at Oban, Argyll, Scotland, p A34 4RB, tel 01852,300258.
Summarytext:
When weighing comfort and convenience against weight, remember the roof tent has enormous side area and will be susceptible to wind rock in exposed sites.
Vehicle-attached tent extensions offer stand-up space, access to the back of the vehicle for food preparation etc in bad weather and do not need weight of roof-rack.
Billedtekst:
Terra firma, less weight, no roof rack. Vehicle-attached tents such as the Caranex sacrifice some off-the-ground security for stand-up space, continuous access to back of vehicle and huge weight savings. Free- standing arrangements enable vehicle to be driven off.
/Frank #6039