JAMES BAROUD Rooftop Tent REVIEW || from a Full-Time OVERLANDER

[@amitkrupal1234]

This is the 1st video I saw of your channel. Loved it and subscribed. This is an proper review from an long term user. Much beneficial for everyone.

[@planetoverland]

Welcome aboard! Thank you so much for watching and subscribing. Sometimes it is hard to switch Tim from building to reviewing mode, but he really does have good technical insights on the gear we use :)

[@blairsignorotto8406]

Hi guys thanks so much for this video. Love your roof rack build😂 and being from western Australia love the tip about the extra brackets in the corners. Just wondering how you found the tent in big rain events?

[@ELGOOGUOYKCUF]

great video sir!1 what i would doo with zipper tabs is to cover them with heat shrink sleeve, then you have protection for the tabs and cord, it works for me highly recommended!!

[@planetoverland]

Thats a great idea! I ended up liking the small rope loops replacing the tabs but shrink sleeve sounds awesome! Good idea!

[@davidseanatkinson]

Love your set-up. Used to have a classic.

[@melisalearningtoloveme9874]

We are one year in with ours !!! We are just mid week Warriors! Just tried it out for the first time in negativedegree weather had a bit condensation. But we love it! We have the exact one you do.

[@planetoverland]

That is awesome! We think it works great - I don't think we ever had condensation in ours, but we always have at least one window open a bit, even in the coldest weather, haha.

[@karlshazrado]

I have just fitted the evolution and so far are very happy. You’ll be happy to know your zipper hack is now standard on new tents

[@planetoverland]

I'm so glad you like it! We were extremely happy with our tent. That is funny that they don't do the zipper tabs anymore - that is a good change for the company to incorporate. Thank you for the comment, and thanks for watching the video!!

[@karlshazrado]

@@planetoverland we’re taking our old classic on tour of Oz. Keep tabs on how we go on our Instagram karlshazrado

[@duaneclarke7411]

Great review mate honest and direct thanks

[@planetoverland]

Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching!

[@StepperByStepper]

I like your video a lot! I am from Germany. Have the same JB tent for 2 years now. Sold mine with the cargo top for the one without the cargo top now. I love the tent, its really good material.

[@planetoverland]

Very cool! If we were buying the rooftop tent again we would also get it without the cargo top - bet that one is a lot less headachey in the rain, haha. Yes, we do love our JB tent and the material is awesome. We did not get the cold weather insert for the tent - we never needed it. Thanks for watching!

[@StepperByStepper]

@@planetoverland I had the low temp insert, it works but you loose freedom as your windows and entries are getting a bit blocked. So the better solution is to have an air heater that gives you warm temp inside. Alternativly a 12V heating blanket, but if you have it above 40 Watt the heat is locally too hot. So the air heater is really the best solution for cold and wet conditions.

[@scottwillimack184]

Great information guys! Cheers & safe travels!🙏

[@planetoverland]

Thanks so much! Best wishes!

[@robyoudata3501]

Hi guys, I'm from far North Queensland, Australia and am struggling to find and review that says if it is sand fly or midgee proof. Have you had any issues. Thanks kindly. You 2 have a great energy.

[@planetoverland]

That is a really good question, haha. NORMALLY we do not get bugs that are small enough, and fly high enough, to make it through the windows in the rooftop tent. We were getting mosquitoes until we realized that they were dropping in through the ceiling fan if it was not running! Our fix for that was to put a sock over the fan at night when we didn't need it running. NOW, in Australia there were two places where we DID get little bitey insects in the tent and they had to have come through the windows. At one place (sandy and near water) we stayed 2 nights and ended up moving the 2nd night bc we got bit during the night. One hack is to not put your tent up until right before you are ready to go to bed - that helps. It also helps to have a fan up in the tent that moves the air around and would disturb any insects that somehow made it into the tent. So 98% of the time no insects made it into the rooftop tent, which is actually pretty good, we think! Thank you so much for the question, and thank you for watching our videos!!

[@TheTefashi]

Thank you for your video. Actually, I like your video so much your information was so valuable for me. I would like to ask you what is the maximum speed that you can drive when the tent is folded on your truck.

[@MIAPhilly]

Great video, thank you

[@planetoverland]

Thanks for watching!

[@jolewis1682]

Hello, how to you protect yourself from the rain getting in and out of your pop up tent? Do you put up awnings?

[@planetoverland]

Hello Jo - no, we did not have any type of awning for the tent. If we were headed up to the tent and it was raining, we usually tried to wait for a break in the rain. But if the rain never let up then we just took a towel up with us, and scurried up, haha. You just have to keep the windows on the rain side (if it is driving a particular direction) closed.

[@jolewis1682]

@@planetoverland thank you. 😊

[@nynomadfjc3907]

Try doing what I had planned if I had purchased the JB Evasion for the Velcro.. how wide is it, 2inches? get 2in wide magnetic ribbon, put Velcro on back of magnetic strips. put magnetic strips with Velcro on so you have magnets keeping the door closed and not the Velcro.... something to try out. I ended up getting the Roofnest Falcon..the jury is still out whether or not I sell it. I don't like how the windows are designed.

[@planetoverland]

Awesome idea! Im going to do it! Ive seen lots of tents and I think no matter what you get its a compromise of something. Thanks.

[@danielmonge4363]

Hi ! i love the box at the top of the tent, what is the size and brand of this toolbox thanks greetings from Costa Rica

[@stevegibbons4639]

Gaffer tape on the zipper tabs stops the jingling sound on windy nights.

[@planetoverland]

That is a great idea! Shoulda done that sooner.... :)

[@SUJIFOODIES]

Good idea..well done my friend...love to see you all..well explained..keep sharing... support to you all 💙❤️💚🖤💛🧡

[@planetoverland]

Thank you so much!!

[@anantoshka]

very thorough and informative review thank you !

[@planetoverland]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rufant6110]

Good job guys. That has held up really well after 4 years full time. Glad you ‘enjoyed’ the Aussie roads :)

[@planetoverland]

Yes, we are very pleased with how well it has held up, considering it is always out in the elements, and we live in it pretty much full time. :o)

[@CNMXUS]

Great video! Extremely useful information. Thank you!

[@planetoverland]

Thank you for watching, and glad you found it informative!

[@jimmysimmi]

Wow, lots of things to consider when buying a tent.

[@planetoverland]

Thought I replied but must have been in my dreams :o). Yes, there is a lot to consider, especially if you are going to live in it!

[@pl1311]

Great video. Refreshingly honest and concise. How is this in the cold? What have you had it comfortably down to?

[@planetoverland]

P Leon we have been in temps from 104 down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. They do have an insulation option for cold temps but we don’t have that option!

[@OverlandPNW]

Very detailed review. It even gave me some ideas for my iKamper.

[@planetoverland]

Glad to hear it! We love to trade ideas with other over landers / campers :o)

[@ianhoward5370]

Great review thanks. Little off topic, but what's the process for moving your 4WD around the globe for all your adventures?

[@planetoverland]

Hello Ian - sorry for the delay in responding! We shipped Reggie from Los Angeles to Brisbane, Australie, then from Melbourne, Australia to Montevideo, Uruguay, then from Colombia to Panama. You can either choose to get a lot of help from shipping agents, which would then cost more, or just pay for the basic shipping container (or RORO) and do all of the paperwork and customs yourself. We have done both, and it really depends on the country and temporary import laws as to whether you think you might need more help or not. Hope that helps!

[@Lordoftheflatbush]

I have my second JB Evasion. Rock solid quality. The fan is great but needs replacement after three years. Form me (190cm) the tent is a bit too short. If you travel to hot areas this tent is not the right choice as the windflow is not great leaving the heat in the tent making sleeping almost impossible. The clamps are not very finger friendly.

[@BrewNomads]

Thanks for the great video! Question: Do you guys take your SUV/tent setup through the car wash? Just wondering if that would be safe with the Baroud mounted up there.

[@planetoverland]

So sorry for the late reply - we just relocated and its been hectic! NO, we do not take Reggie through an automatic car wash ever. Along with the rooftop tent we have the snorkel, and other odds and ends mounted on the car that we are leery about taking through an automatic car wash. At home we wash Reggie by hand, and on the road you can usually find a fairly reasonably priced place in every town that will wash your car by hand, as you don't usually find automatic car washes in other countries. Thank you for the question!! Hope that helps.... :o)

[@BrewNomads]

@@planetoverland thanks!

[@trooba3027]

What Box is that on your roof? I started looking around for boxes that could carry on there for example sidewalls of the awning or stuff like that so it doesn't have to be carried inside the car. We also own a Grand Raid but in M. And yes drainage only works if your located uneven a tad so the back is lower than the front. Indeed had a few showers that way - which is cool of course in summer :D

[@planetoverland]

Actually, the box on the roof is a rifle case :) It fit perfectly and is waterproof - it has been amazingly sturdy.

[@MrDonuts10]

Thank you for this honest review! Question. Did the company offer you any type of warranty? The cracks on top and fabric tares really concern me.

[@planetoverland]

We just looked up the warranty: 2 years on the gel coating, and 5 years on the fiberglass and canvas, among other things (there is a big list). The cracks in the gel coating are just cosmetic - they don't affect the integrity, so we didn't worry about them as much. We've heard that James Baroud is pretty good with repairs that are under warranty, but we cannot personally speak to that. Overall we think the cost is worth it if you are going to live in it full-time for an extended length of time, or if you know you will be living in a very wet / tropical location. We loved ours! Thank you for the question, and for watching our video!!!

[@100toeface]

What about the solar panels? Which ones did you use and isnt there a problem when it rains of the water pooling on top of the solar panels, effectively making them be underwater, doesn't that short out the panels?

[@planetoverland]

Hello ToeFace! Per my husband: "I don't remember the brand but they were some cheap Chinese ones. They were flexible, not framed, and they were easy to take care of." We were in some very monsoon-y places and never had an issue with water pooling on the solar panels themselves - our rain issue was more with the dip in the tent roof itself. Thanks for watching!

[@dannyu9657]

Can the doors be fully zipped up or do they have Velcro only at the bottom? Thanks

[@planetoverland]

Sorry for the delay in answering: ours only had velcro at the bottom, so they did not zip all the way around.

[@MarcoVialeBakmaind]

How does this tent handle heavy rain and storms? There are so many zippers in which rain can pass trough.

[@planetoverland]

Sorry for the delay in answering: we NEVER had any rain come through the windows or doors when they were closed, and we had some monsoon weather in Honduras. If you have the windows open to the screens then you might get some dampness IF the rain was falling slanted or sideways, which does sometimes happen, but we often had our windows open to the screens, even while it was raining!

[@t0mmygunz]

so if buying one today you would go with the Grand Raid and not the XXL? because of the storage divet on roof collecting water?

[@planetoverland]

Parmesan Cheese Productions back when we purchased it you could get the grand raid xxl with or without the integrated roof area. I wish I would have gone without, it looks like they have discontinued that option.

[@zenithnardin]

can you say how is in the winter if you use it ?

[@planetoverland]

Hello Zenith - sorry for the delay in answering... There IS a winter option that you can buy that you hang up on the inside of the tent walls, but we did not have that. We were in some severely cold places (not for super extended amounts of time), and if you do not have the cold weather wall treatments, make sure to have something like a Rumpl or other thin down blanket, bc it DOES get cold up in the tent overnight. We did not have a heater up there either, FYI. But we found with 1 Rumpl we were good 85% of the time in cold weather, and then we had a second Rumpl that we could use if it was super cold.

[@giomattrangthanh6585]

Like your video and your chanel from Viet Nam

[@planetoverland]

Thank you so much! I'm still working on the last Vietnam video - hope to get it done shortly!

[@kearnsey64]

Does any road dust penetrate the seam of the tent??

[@planetoverland]

Sorry for the delay in answering: if you mean while the tent is locked down, then no, we never had road dust get into the interior of the tent while driving. We even had tons of bull dust in Australia and it never got all the way into the tent while it was locked closed bc the seal made by the bedding and overhang of the tent top lip prevents it. Thanks for watching!

[@Halfpace52]

Is a rooftop tent stay up in the car once it is installed? I’m afraid it will not fit in my standard height garage.

[@planetoverland]

No, the rooftop tent and roof rack can be taken off. We are now in CO and have a garage so we are going to take off the tent and roof rack to store for a bit. Reggie will then be 'normal' up top! However, it is heavy, so it is not something you could put up and take down at a moments notice, by yourself!

[@patrickio8084]

I've often heard how most / all tents (ground or rooftop including insulated tents) are unbearable in the Summer without shade and or a portable air conditioner. Have you ever been inside the tent in hot weather whether overnight trying to sleep or late afternoon in the sun and how sauna-like was it?

[@planetoverland]

Good question! When it was hot during the day we were rarely in the tent, although there was a time when it was hot and I was not feeling well, and I was able to nap up in the tent for a couple hours before getting so hot I had to come down. During the hot nights in Brazil we ended up buying a little fan and Tim installed a plug-in for it in the tent - we would then have a spray bottle of water to spray at the fan to cool us off, and that worked fine. We have looked at those little teeny portable "air conditioners" and they look like they would work really well at night when it is hot and humid, but we haven't tried them in the tent.

[@jessicagalvin363]

@@planetoverland Hello. I like the info you stated in above comment about sleeping in hot weather camping situations. My husband and I are thinking about buying our first tent and just wondering if you have any updates or suggestions for night time cool sleeping tips. I have been looking at the zero breeze but have heard a lot of mix reviews about the units. Don't know if you have gotten to try anything like it. Plus I have heard folks saying don't set tent up until getting ready for bed to help avoid extra heat . So again just trying to get first time tent tips/tricks for camping comfortably. Appreciate your input! Jess ☺️

[@krump743]

@@jessicagalvin363 you could try one of those pet gel mats that are self cooling. I work night shifts and often in the west australian summer heat of the day ill lay out the gel cooling mat on my bed and sleep on it for a cooler sleep. You can also buy a tent fan., i use the ryobi 18v one as you can get 12v chargers for them. Most of the major tool brands have some sort of fan. They do a good job, pair it with a decent battery size and it will keep on keeping on. Also open all the windows at night time/dusk, roof top tents cool down much quicker than ground tents they catch much more breeze being higher.

[@jessicagalvin363]

@@krump743 Thanks for the suggestion 👍. Jess ☺️

[@chingon_grandpa]

Hey Tim, owner of a RRC LWB as well. What bumpers are u running.. thanks

[@planetoverland]

The rear is a custom made one and the front is a Smittybilt for a Jeep Cherokee that was modified to fit! Always doing whats cheap and works for us! Cheers mate!

[@chingon_grandpa]

@@planetoverland funny, my front is also for a Jeep. But I really like that rear bumper...ok, looks like I have work to do

[@christianchilee]

Hi- What storage container is that on the top rear of your JB rooftop tent?

[@planetoverland]

Haha, it is actually a rifle case, I believe from Pelican containers. It is very heavy duty, lockable, can withstand the elements, and fit perfectly on top of the tent :o)

[@christianchilee]

May I ask how you attached/ mounted the Pelican case? Thanks

[@christianchilee]

… Also, how did you mount the solar panel on the James Baroud roof top tent? Thanks for all your help!

[@timeisnow9855]

was it hard to get your car into these countrys to drive around ?

[@planetoverland]

No, it's not hard. Australia was probably the hardest, just because they have a rigorous inspection for cleanliness/foreign matter. Most other countries you just have to show proof of ownership and registration, and sometimes they will inspect the vehicle to see what you are bringing into the country. And you should make sure to follow all country vehicle insurance requirements!

[@frenchbaroudeur6484]

Hello your video is interesting. my question is: what is your size? thank you for your reply

[@planetoverland]

French Baroudeur thanks for watching! I am 1.8m tall but there is a lot of room inside!

[@frenchbaroudeur6484]

ok thank you

[@guylarabie8229]

How expensive is it ? Who sells it? Is it available in Canada ?

[@planetoverland]

We paid around $4,000 USD for ours, about 6 years ago. It looks like you have a dealer in Alberta called Treeline Outdoors, and then there is Adventure Ready (where we bought ours) in Washington state - not far across the border from Canada. Thanks for the question!

[@mikebatterham4970]

How much dose it weigh

[@planetoverland]

Ok, Tim says that the exact weight would be on the James Baroud website, but it is around 200 lbs. Thank you for watching!

[@dimitrisgiouroukos8266]

hello my friend can you tell me or send me the link or box you have in tend up ?

[@bedemcmahon9797]

Note there is no warranty for James Baroud roof top tents in Australia that are ‘second hand’ ie if you are not the original owner. Therefore, a rooftop tent sold to another person is not so valuable due to you are left on your own to repair any issues as JB were very clear they are not interested. Read the fine print…..

[@planetoverland]

Very interesting Bede, we did not know that. I am not sure what the policy is in the United States, but honestly, ours was so well-made that it should last another 5 years easy with no issues other than the zippers breaking in half, which doesn't impact the actual sealing of the doors and windows. Thanks for watching!

[@johnmaurer3670]

Love my "tent", just not on top of the vehicle, we have a trailer where it mounts on top - that way when we go into town we can leave the campsite all set up! Also having it back on the trailer keeps it lower than our 4Runner which does not decrease the gas mileage as much (if you have a 4Runner you know every little bit helps). Worth the price, will update in a couple of years!

[@planetoverland]

That's awesome! We saw lots of trailer camper setups while traveling, especially in Australia. They did seem pretty cool :o) Thanks for the comment!

[@icehog3454]

That’s how I got mine. Someone left this awesome tent, hooked up to a fantastic trailer with all this really expensive camping equipment, basically left it unattended so we took it. Finders keepers. Losers weepers.😂

[@johnmaurer3670]

@@icehog3454 Yeah, I almost had someone take my "unattended" trailer, got back just in time to stick my 9mm up their arse - they quickly changed their mind? We have a wheel lock (and small hitch lock) to help keep shit bags from stealing our belongings...

[@joseaubesosierra6323]

Subtitulos en español

[@planetoverland]

Hmm, we might be able to do that. Let me do some research!

[@badhabit8824]

That mattress better be a 10 out of 10 for $5,500

[@planetoverland]

Haha, we didn't buy it for the mattress :o) We do feel like we got our money's worth, and we were very happy and comfortable with what we chose. Everybody is different though!

[@skapunkoialternativeliving6522]

How much you pay for it tell me the price that's? I wanna know the price price price stop talking nonsense and give me the price