AFT or High Roof?

[stewart]

Hi Everyone,

We are just taking the plunge into the world of bongos and have spent the last month looking through the stock from the usual sources mentioned in other threads. Our real problem which we keep going round in circles with is the roof question.

We have a little girl (3) and the AFT makes a great sleep area for her and she seems to enjoy playing up there too. The thing is that we are looking to camp mainly in sunny Scotland and extend the camping season from the tent which we currently have. The high roof is obviously better weather protection/insulation and great storage whilst on the move but not as good as a sleeping area and we couldn't put our daughter up there whilst doing anything in the main cabin.

Does anyone have experience of both? How cold does the AFT upper area get at night?

What's your opinion on the practicality/weather protection dilemma?

Many Thanks,
Stewart

[sibot]

I have neither a 3 yr old nor an AFT, but we do have a high-top roof. Off the top of my head there are a couple of options you could think about:

Cupboards on the back end of the high top, bed board over half of the gap, some retaining mechanism for child - child can then have their own sleeping/den area at the front half. Should be plenty room if she'll stay there, but not sure how you'd make sure she stayed up but didn't feel isolated if that was likely to be an issue (it might not be, my niece would love being shut up there on her own).

Alternatively, depending on your downstairs layout for sleeping, you can get a metal-framed hammock that sits across the two front seats. This would probably work fine if you have a rock and roll bed, or use the rear/middle benches as your bed.

Might be worth asking the question in a more travelled area of the forum (the convert your van part maybe?) for other ideas and what other people have done in the same situation.

[MountainGoat]

This topic was only discused last week. Check it out.

Tony

http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... of#p553184

[dunslair]

With regard to the temperature in the AFT verses the high top, neither are particularly well insulated. I don't believe the hi top shells are insulated, and the AFT is a single skin tent. With the AFT, however, you do have the option of fitting an outer additional cover (although not easy to come by) and a tent liner (a template for which is in the members area). So for my money the AFT gives you more options. I have slept in the AFT in -6 before, as long as you have a good sleeping bag (say extreme temp rating of -18 or -20) then it is fine.

hope this helps.

Cheers

David.

[sibot]

May be some insulation in the high roof. Just checked mine, and there is 40-50mm between the inner headlining and the outer skin. Obviously necessary for fitting the skylight in, and useful for fixing up cup hooks for a cargo net (can't vouch for strength though, or what the gap is actually filled with). The sides are just a few mm of glassfibre, but that's certainly a bit sturdier than a single wall tent . Might be worth finding somewhere to hire you one? Not sure if Dairsie have the high roof ones for hire or not though.