TheSongDogHouse
Ranger
So here's my take as promised after a couple weeks use in two similar hot muggy campsites where the use of NB as "screened canopy" and a pretty good rain diverter shelter
1. RV park #1 (90% big ginormous rigs in a small quiet park close to beach- I told them "its a baby Airstream") has a rule that "no tents allowed" but "screened canopies free standing ok".
Not for me to wonder why- each place evolves for a reason, so I just asked if my big NB is "ok with awnings rolled up" as a standalone screened canopy and CAMP HOST says "ok".
(The park also has a rule "no structures permanently attached, porches etc..so thats my excuse for NOT using the side tent instead...)
We just set it up so it coincidentally free standing also covered the aft 2/3 of the CI was under it, so yeah technically by the rules,
And boy did it come in handy when the biting blood sucking yellow flies came by a couple days later,two months early, driving everyone else into their big rigs...while we enjoyed the sunset view and the breeze...
2. RV Park Numero Dos: we Moved on down the road to second spot when times up at #1, now in a more woody tall pine shaded area with mixed big rigs and tents, set further back from the water, this time on a bay, with swampy forest and same damn yellow flies with more exposure to the "2 by 4's" thunderstorms typical of early hurricane season "arrive at 2 pm, gone by 4".
Including a couple of 20-25 mph sustained winds gusting to 35-40 reported, heavy rain, light and sound show and the NB did surprisingly well- the construction details dont show up on website but gotta say this thing is well made, lots of built in strength, stitching, etc - its still sold and highly rated at REI for years, plus upvotes by CI users is why I bot it and well worth the money vs a cheapo Wally World knock off for less, here is why;
I was very pleasantly surprised to see how well the NB held up, given its relatively tall and old school external frame w/ near vertical walls, and stood up to the winds and heavy rain at times. I had only set it up free standing essentially.
For the first couple storms of the squall line type-
And on third and fourth- expecting more sustained winds tho sheltered a bit by trees 60+ feet tall w/ branches trimmed up to 20-30 ft...I got out the stakes and anchored all four corners, staked out guy lines as designed to poles...stakes held fast in sandy clay soil while we were out of camp two days, and half expected to find it up in a tree a couole hundred yards away like a lost kite from the first of the tropical "disturbances" cooked up this year in the gulf. But safe and sound no probs according to a park neighbor I asked to keep an eye on it.
One key was parking the CI head on into prevailing wind on usual storms, and tying the split screens sides to the CI on the front end- loosely using the door stops, and keeping the outer awning connected in center zip- stretched taut and center strap ends bungeed to the tongue, with ends of those outer awning corners stretched just enuff to be wrapped down and under to attach to the metal hooks that the Alcan bungee cords attach to...
That geometry works out almost as if by design to create a taut hood over front of CI, giving both cabin doors just enuff room to swing out, 90 degrees and again by happy circumstance there is a fabric loop inside the NB at waist height on inside corners just right to hook over open door handle to leave that open all day to air out or to take the night air using CI door zipped screens (a must-buy option).
And gives couple feet of access down to the galley on either side and just enuff room at galley end to sit in the screened room in back enjoying coffee under pouring rain, with a bit of judicious adjustment of poles and staked guys to the awning on that split entry end to divert rain away from screen, avoid puddling by galley.
Again- we enjoyed being out but sheltered and watched a ghost herd of deer drift feeding thru the camp, in the rain, just a few yards away while our neighbors sat entombed in their hard sided rigs...
... kind of a mystical experience...
like we had the whole place to ourselves and the deer.
Zipped up at night the NB deterred the night time ringtailed camp robbers too- no tipped over trash cans, no paw matks in the open galley...
So, yeah- the NB 12x12 is kinda big- but lives out of the way un-needed in TV cargo box, goes up as expected timewise for design plus practice. Only comes out as needed as in crowded RV park for bugs and privacy for discreet dressing etc, effort worth it on multi day stays, and galley protection.
It doubles as "side tent" as needed with side awning down...discretely rolled down after dark, rolled up at first light to comply with "screened room" permission, and to keep the rain out.
Its not perfect- the split screen when stretched to fit over CI front end can NOT reach the ground- so I've measured and will find a sail loft to cut and sew an insert, to allow full droop, and connect to the optional NB floor I also brought but did not fuss with this time- would require too much finesse driving and hand positioning the CI on rhe floor stretched out first- and I'm too lazy for that rn anyway!
So keep in mind bugs can and still do get in some under that gap in front...
And running the AC plus Dometic on the side stand table in freezer mode both generate compressor exhaust heat so ya gotta keep the awnngs up or just about cook yourself like a bug, under the NB esp in hot unshaded spots...
But all in all the NB was just so handy I still havent set up the side tent this CI came with, bot used.
I'll do that side tent for one door next and experiment with the NB slid back further over only the galley next- the advantage of the 12x12 is the open hatch even on SUV offroad model, fits under the roof, no rubs, enuff so that I often left it open over night with the red light on, illuminating the galley as a night light
1. RV park #1 (90% big ginormous rigs in a small quiet park close to beach- I told them "its a baby Airstream") has a rule that "no tents allowed" but "screened canopies free standing ok".
Not for me to wonder why- each place evolves for a reason, so I just asked if my big NB is "ok with awnings rolled up" as a standalone screened canopy and CAMP HOST says "ok".
(The park also has a rule "no structures permanently attached, porches etc..so thats my excuse for NOT using the side tent instead...)
We just set it up so it coincidentally free standing also covered the aft 2/3 of the CI was under it, so yeah technically by the rules,
And boy did it come in handy when the biting blood sucking yellow flies came by a couple days later,two months early, driving everyone else into their big rigs...while we enjoyed the sunset view and the breeze...
2. RV Park Numero Dos: we Moved on down the road to second spot when times up at #1, now in a more woody tall pine shaded area with mixed big rigs and tents, set further back from the water, this time on a bay, with swampy forest and same damn yellow flies with more exposure to the "2 by 4's" thunderstorms typical of early hurricane season "arrive at 2 pm, gone by 4".
Including a couple of 20-25 mph sustained winds gusting to 35-40 reported, heavy rain, light and sound show and the NB did surprisingly well- the construction details dont show up on website but gotta say this thing is well made, lots of built in strength, stitching, etc - its still sold and highly rated at REI for years, plus upvotes by CI users is why I bot it and well worth the money vs a cheapo Wally World knock off for less, here is why;
I was very pleasantly surprised to see how well the NB held up, given its relatively tall and old school external frame w/ near vertical walls, and stood up to the winds and heavy rain at times. I had only set it up free standing essentially.
For the first couple storms of the squall line type-
And on third and fourth- expecting more sustained winds tho sheltered a bit by trees 60+ feet tall w/ branches trimmed up to 20-30 ft...I got out the stakes and anchored all four corners, staked out guy lines as designed to poles...stakes held fast in sandy clay soil while we were out of camp two days, and half expected to find it up in a tree a couole hundred yards away like a lost kite from the first of the tropical "disturbances" cooked up this year in the gulf. But safe and sound no probs according to a park neighbor I asked to keep an eye on it.
One key was parking the CI head on into prevailing wind on usual storms, and tying the split screens sides to the CI on the front end- loosely using the door stops, and keeping the outer awning connected in center zip- stretched taut and center strap ends bungeed to the tongue, with ends of those outer awning corners stretched just enuff to be wrapped down and under to attach to the metal hooks that the Alcan bungee cords attach to...
That geometry works out almost as if by design to create a taut hood over front of CI, giving both cabin doors just enuff room to swing out, 90 degrees and again by happy circumstance there is a fabric loop inside the NB at waist height on inside corners just right to hook over open door handle to leave that open all day to air out or to take the night air using CI door zipped screens (a must-buy option).
And gives couple feet of access down to the galley on either side and just enuff room at galley end to sit in the screened room in back enjoying coffee under pouring rain, with a bit of judicious adjustment of poles and staked guys to the awning on that split entry end to divert rain away from screen, avoid puddling by galley.
Again- we enjoyed being out but sheltered and watched a ghost herd of deer drift feeding thru the camp, in the rain, just a few yards away while our neighbors sat entombed in their hard sided rigs...
... kind of a mystical experience...
like we had the whole place to ourselves and the deer.
Zipped up at night the NB deterred the night time ringtailed camp robbers too- no tipped over trash cans, no paw matks in the open galley...
So, yeah- the NB 12x12 is kinda big- but lives out of the way un-needed in TV cargo box, goes up as expected timewise for design plus practice. Only comes out as needed as in crowded RV park for bugs and privacy for discreet dressing etc, effort worth it on multi day stays, and galley protection.
It doubles as "side tent" as needed with side awning down...discretely rolled down after dark, rolled up at first light to comply with "screened room" permission, and to keep the rain out.
Its not perfect- the split screen when stretched to fit over CI front end can NOT reach the ground- so I've measured and will find a sail loft to cut and sew an insert, to allow full droop, and connect to the optional NB floor I also brought but did not fuss with this time- would require too much finesse driving and hand positioning the CI on rhe floor stretched out first- and I'm too lazy for that rn anyway!
So keep in mind bugs can and still do get in some under that gap in front...
And running the AC plus Dometic on the side stand table in freezer mode both generate compressor exhaust heat so ya gotta keep the awnngs up or just about cook yourself like a bug, under the NB esp in hot unshaded spots...
But all in all the NB was just so handy I still havent set up the side tent this CI came with, bot used.
I'll do that side tent for one door next and experiment with the NB slid back further over only the galley next- the advantage of the 12x12 is the open hatch even on SUV offroad model, fits under the roof, no rubs, enuff so that I often left it open over night with the red light on, illuminating the galley as a night light
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