Side Tent Alternative?

[Andrew Cushingham]

I’m already a user and fan of the BunduAwn 360° awning. I am curious about the Bundusuite as a possible quickly deployable side tent for changing, dog annex, or potty tent.

Bundusuite BunduSUITE – Bundutec

Likes:

• Generous size at 50”x 82”
• Rapid deployment and tear down see video below starting at 4:18

Concerns:

• Walls only, so no roof unless perhaps mounted below an awning.
• Blocking views from camper door if in scenic location.
• May need zipper modification in rear to work with camper side door.
  • 

    Bundusuite interior

    • Andrew Cushingham
    • Oct 30, 2022
    • bundusuite

    Bundusuite interior zipper
  • See video below starting at 16:11

Anyone want to share their thoughts?

 

[dustinp]

I’m already a user and fan of the BunduAwn 360° awning. I am curious about the Bundusuite as a possible quickly deployable side tent for changing, dog annex, or potty tent.

Bundusuite BunduSUITE – Bundutec

Likes:

• Generous size at 50”x 82”
• Rapid deployment and tear down see video below starting at 4:18

Concerns:

• Walls only, so no roof unless perhaps mounted below an awning.
• Blocking views from camper door if in scenic location.
• May need zipper modification in rear to work with camper side door. See video below starting at 16:11

Anyone want to share their thoughts?

With quick & easy deployment, it looks pretty cool for a changing tent/potty/shower room, but without the floor, and the tighter fitting walls of the CI side tent, it doesn't seem like it would make as good of a dog annex, or relatively bug free side room for the CI where you can leave the doors open with it deployed/attached.
So, I guess in my opinion, this and the side tent are different add-on's, for different missions, and you would need to decide what your main priorities are, since you probably won't find one add-on that meets all of your potential wants and needs.

 

[Sweeney]

NICE!!!!!

 

[M&L]

There are a couple of disadvantages of side tents in general (we have an ARB Deluxe Tent that works with our ARB awning):

1.) If it's windy, side tents will almost always make noise. We camp a lot in the mountains and deserts out west, and the wind can really whip up at times. It can make for a long, noisy night.
2.) Also if it's windy, you'll need to either stake it down or use weights.
3.) If you need to stake it down, and you're at a paved-driveway campsite, remember to park your trailer so that you can drive stakes into the ground at all points around the perimeter of the side tent.
4.) Take note of where the zippers are. If it's windy, they could flop around and scratch the aluminum siding. If you notice that it's an issue, you can get some u-channel rubber, cut off a few half-to-one-inch pieces, and place them on strategic locations on the zipper.

We don't use our side tent as much, and prefer to use our 4-sided Clam popup shelter (we still use the awning a lot, though); it's easy to deploy, and while we still have to stake it in any wind, it's easier to just put it on a non-paved, non-rocky piece of ground near the teardrop. We do also have a Tuff Stuff Shower (Potty) Tent for quick deployment, though it too seems to need at least a couple of stakes or weights if there's any wind...but it's not as noisy as the side tent, and it's super fast and easy to deploy and stow in changing conditions.

 

[Sweeney]

Careful with weights -- My horror story, I think I've told it here is when I saw an "EZ-Up" weighted down with steel weights -- kind of like the old window weight, but it was bigger. The other side of the tent was tied down to a truck

The wind kicked up, got under the tent, and threw the tent over swinging the weights like they were not even there. The truck wasn't moving, but this "wip" sent the two weights crashing into the windshield and roof of a new Ram pickup that was parked nearby.

Tie downs/guy lines are the best option --- Stakes, a couple good knots and some adjusters/toggles are your best bet. As long as you get the stakes firmly planted, I've never seen the type of failure I saw when using weights to hold down the roof.

I have a clam as well, and really like it from a simplicity perspective. --- and while I love the idea --- the screens just cut the airflow too much. I keep hoping to see one in the dumpster from some poor soul who tried to open it upside down and gave up in frustration...