Oz Tent RV3 Touring Tent Long Term Review After 8-Years of Use
In this post we review our Oz Tent RV3 touring tent after more than 8-years of use. Our Oz Tent RV3 was our third tent purchase after owning a very small dome tent, and then a larger Coleman dome tent that we used for years.
Relationship Saver
After deciding that we wanted our relationship to be long lasting we upgraded to the Oz Tent RV3. Our Coleman tent served us well, but it was a bit of a hassle setting up and took too long trying to setup on your own. After watching our mates being setup in a matter of minutes with their Oz Tent setups and sipping on a beer, while we stuffed around with lots of different poles and a few arguments, it was not the best way to start a camping trip. Enough was enough, we upgraded to the Oz Tent RV3, and our relationship has been stronger ever since! We have now used our Oz Tent for more than 8-years in all sorts of conditions so we though it was about time we wrote a detailed review of the RV3.
Ditch the Swag, the Oz Tent RV3 is Quicker
Our Oz Tent RV3 must be hands down the best touring tent setup for two people. I would even go as far to say that it is even better than a swag for one person with a few conditions of course. With the combination of self-inflating mattresses, the Oz Tent RV3 is as quick if not quicker than setting up a swag, especially a double swag. With setup in well under a minute, excluding the peaked side panels, then rolling out the self-inflating mattresses and flicking the valves to inflate, our bed is ready when it is time to go to sleep. With the added benefit of all the extra head room, there is no need for a separate change room and a far better night’s sleep without having a whole lot of canvas right above your head. The obvious disadvantage with the Oz Tent RV3 is its pack size due to its quick setup design. The Oz Tent RV3 packs up 2-metres long and weighs around 21kgs. We have plenty of roof storage with our Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform, so this is not an issue for us. For some however, this could be a problem if you do not have the roof storage space. If you have plenty of roof storage space, then the Oz Tent RV3 is a fantastic touring tent setup as it is so quick to setup and is not even comparable to a double swag when you look at the amount of space you get with the Oz Tent RV3.
Oz Tent RV3 Features
- 30 second setup for the tent only.
- 5-minute setup when setting up the awning, peaked side panels, pegging down, and bedding.
- Clever design that has not changed much over the years.
- Internal aluminium frame for quick setup and support. No poles other than for the awning and peaked side panels.
- Not lightweight at 21 kgs however not much heavier than a double swag at 19 kgs.
- 2-metres long when packed up so requires roof storage.
- Packed dimensions approximately 200cms long, 27cms wide, 21cms high.
- Setup dimensions approximately 200cms long, 240cms wide, 190cms high (at the highest point).
- Awning dimensions 200cms long, 240cms wide.
- Waterproof 510g PVC floor.
- Waterproof 8oz ripstop polycotton canvas.
- Midge free fine fly screens on all windows and front door.
- Comes with the tent, attached awning, awning aluminium tent poles, attached guy ropes, awning guy ropes, pegs, carry bag, owner’s manual, and repair kit.
- 2-year warranty.
- Advertised as a 3-person tent but we believe it is a 2-person tent.
- Fits a double mattress with approximately 30-40cms of space on each side of the mattress when setup lengthways, feet or head at the door of the tent.
- Power inlet to run any cables into the tent if you need too.
- Awning and large rear window include hard plastic in the ends to allow easy roll up by one person.
- Integrated guy ropes on all corners with pouches for easy storage and setup.
- Option to add on other Oz Tent tents to expand the setup.
30 Second Setup is Relationship Saving
The Oz Tent RV3, and the other RV range, are advertised as a 30 second setup tent. There is some truth to this statement, however it is more like 5 minutes to be fully setup with bedding, especially if you are setting up the peaked side panels.
The Oz Tent RV3 has an extremely clever design which does allow you to erect the tent within 30 seconds. The RV3 has an internal aluminium frame that provides support to the tent when setup. The design allows you to erect and collapse the tent extremely quickly. When the Oz Tent RV3 is removed from the bag, you simply grab each end and pull these out 90 degrees until you have a large rectangle on the ground. You then step inside the tent, grab the aluminium frame, pick it up over your head, and then lock the sides in place and the tent is setup. You follow this process in reverse when collapsing the tent and packing away. It is that quick to have to Oz Tent RV3 erected.
Peaked Side Panels Are a Must
When touring out West there is usually no rain (well in winter not summer of course), so we never setup the awning. There is an awning on the front of the Oz Tent RV3 that can be setup with the two supplied aluminium poles. The front awning does provide plenty of cover in front of the tent when it is wet. We worked out quickly though, that the peaked side panels are a good option for the Oz Tent RV range. These require a bit more time to setup, but they do then close the front awning in providing more cover from the rain allowing you store gear in this area without worrying about anything getting wet. Even if you do not want to add the side panels, the supplied poles and spreader bar do allow you to set the awning up with far better support, and a nice peak to allow better water flow when raining.
Packed Size Will Be Awkward for Some
Due to the quick setup design of the Oz Tent RV3 it does mean that when packed away the Oz Tent RV3 is long at 2-metres. As a result, the Oz Tent RV3 will need to be stored on the roof which is not a problem for us as we have plenty of roof storage with our Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform. The large pack size is outweighed by the benefits of how quick it is to setup and the size of the tent when erect. Compared to a double swag, the packed size is much longer however a double swag is far bulkier. If you do not have roof rack storage, then a double swag might be a better option for you.
The Oz Tent RV3 is not lightweight at 21kgs however compared to double swags which weigh approximately 19kgs, there is not a big difference between the two.
Not a 3 Person Tent
The “3” in the Oz Tent RV3 means that is supposed to be a 3-person tent however we feel the RV3 is more of a 2-person tent. Especially if you need some space for your bags and somewhere to stand and get changed. You could fit 3 single mattresses in the Oz Tent RV3, but you would not have any additional space for storing other items. If you want more space, then the RV4 or even the RV5 might be a better option for you if you have kids. Adding the peaked side panels and front panel to close the front awning in for all your bags and to use as a change room will make any of the RV tents that much bigger.
Plenty of Airflow
The Oz Tent RV3 has plenty of windows all around the tent allowing plenty of airflow in those warmer months of the year. The large front door can be rolled up and left open with the insect screens closed. If you want the front door closed there are two small rollup windows with insect screens on each door that can be opened. The rear of the Oz Tent RV3 has a large window that can either be rolled up or pegged out with the three guy ropes that are on each end to keep the sun out but still allow for airflow. There are two large windows on each side of the tent that can also be opened if it is not raining. All these windows allow plenty of airflow keeping you cool in the warmer months.
Integrated Guy Ropes
The Oz Tent RV3 comes with guy ropes already attached on all corners. These guy ropes are stored in little canvas pouches for easy access and storage without having to connect these each time you want to use them.
Awning & Large Rear Window Easy to Pack Away
The front awning and large rear window have plastic stiffeners in the ends. This allows one person to easily roll these up as they are 2-metres wide. Overall, the design elements within the Oz Tent RV3 do allow every aspect of the setup to be done by one person.
Supplied Bag Will Need to Be Replaced
Like every product you buy these days the supplied bags are never fit for purpose. The same can be said for the Oz Tent RV3, especially if you have the peaked side panels. There is not enough room for all this gear requiring you to carry a couple extra bags. We also had issues with the Oz Tent bag wearing holes on the bottom and ends after a few years of use. As a result, we replaced the bag with an Australian made Drifta storage bag using Australian made canvas. The Drifta canvas storage bag is far bigger than the Oz Tent bag allowing us to easily store the Oz Tent RV3, peaked side panels, all aluminium poles, and pegs.
Condensation Without the Oz Tent Fly
We have found that in summer we never have issues with condensation inside the tent unless it has been raining. When camping in extremely cold weather, condensation inside the tent can get bad like any tent in similar conditions. We have never bought and used the Oz Tent Fly but have considered purchasing one for quite some time. Having the fly would eliminate a lot of the condensation we have experienced in the wet and extreme cold. We would recommend purchasing one even though we have not. The main reason we have not is because we use our roof top tent on our trailer mostly when touring and only ever use the Oz Tent on trips where we do not take the trailer which is less frequent.
Oz Tent RV3 is the Perfect Touring Tent Setup
Although we use our trailer DOT373 for most touring trips these days, we still believe the Oz Tent RV3 is the best tent setup for touring if you do not have a trailer. For 2 people we believe the Oz Tent is far better than a double swag if you have the roof space for storage. As the weight of the Oz Tent is only 2 kgs more than a double swag, we far prefer the Oz Tent to a swag due to the additional space and feeling far less claustrophobic. Being able to set the Oz Tent RV3 up quicker than a swag it is a better option in our opinion. With the added benefit of the peaked side panels and additional cover in front of the tent it is hard to see how a double swag is better.
The cost of the Oz Tent RV3 will be a big deterrent to some, however we have had ours for more than 8-years and nothing has gone wrong. The price reflects the quality of the materials used and the longevity of the product. The 8-years we have had the Oz Tent RV3 supports this, and we will never sell this tent even though we use it far less due to having our camper trailer. I do find even on solo trips that I am using the Oz Tent RV3 more than my cheap single swag as the setup is quicker and I can use the tent as a change room. The single swag is used more on trips where I might be travelling with someone other than my wife and we will each carry a single swag. This is mainly due to storage space, carrying to small single swags is easier than a swag and the Oz Tent (I hope that makes sense).
As we would never have a roof top tent on our 4WD due to the weight of these and how they reduce all that roof top storage, we highly recommend the Oz Tent RV3 as an alternative for 2 people. You will save money in comparison to a roof top tent, not reduce your roof top storage, be setup quickly, and have far more space inside the tent. If are going to purchase one, we highly recommend purchasing the peaked side panels, upgrade the storage bag with an Australian made Drifta canvas bag, as well as getting the fly to help reduce condensation. Using the Oz Tent RV3 with our Black Wolf self-inflating mattresses provides us with an extremely comfortable and quick sleeping setup.
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The thoughts of Peter.
