Dear all,

we are a family with 7 Kids. However, 2 kids moved out already. 2 other kids are 18 and 19 years old so I expect in near future that we are only 3 Kids going for holidays.

We camp since ever ... basically more than 25 years. However just since 6 years we know about tents from holland and we decided to buy a velduil - we got that since 6 years.

Velduil is great because including the living room the whole family can sleep in one single tent - at that time all kids were at home

However: Velduil including the luifel is such big that we have always to cross check if the pich is big enough. We calculate like 10 meters x 6 meters for the velduil. To be honest - this is a bit stressful to get a proper pitch.

The other disadvantage is: The tent is really heavy. Just the metal stokken is like 25 kg.

Now coming to my question:

As in near future I expect to have only 3 Kids (16, 13 and 8 years) I was hoping to be a bit more flexible. This week end we got a used Brilstern. A quite nice tent in which I would fit easily (180 cm high. Hence a bystander tent is now in house.

We search therefore for another tent:

- this should be fine for parents and may be like 2 Kids
- it should require a small area
- we want to use it also when all kids are moved out - hence that is longterm planing. I hope when I am 65 years old I could still pitch that tent -> easy to pitch is needed
- We do not need much space in living room -> samll living room is fine (if we need more there is still the Velduil)
- In contrast we need lots of sapce outside in the nature -> a huge (really huge) optionally attached vario luifel would be an advantage. Otherwise we can take a tarp as well - but that never is as nice as a properly attached vario luifel
- We will use an innertent


With that information de Waard strongly recommended the Stormvogel. If we find a new model in used condition we might take otherwise we can also buy new from de Waard.

Would you from the forum have other suggestions?

Typically we camp in Croatia and France - but I want to keep the option to go to northern parts of Europe. As we are in Bavaria both directions are fine with us. With kids France and Croatia is easier (at least if you got lots of kids)

I think that the stormvogel with vario is a good choise.
Also the roerdomp, papegaaiduiker both with vario will be good.

Thank you for the suggestions,

I will go for the Stormvogel. However compared to the Velduil thai will be much smaller. BAsed on the information I got the space in fromt of the tent with the vario luifel will be like 3m x nearly 4 m.

To be honest for me it is difficult to drwa a comparison to the velduil with the additional round luifel. The Velduil is wider in front of the tent but my impression is that it also is less deep - for sure not 4 meters.

Does anyone have some nice pictures from below the vario luifel from Stormvogel?
We got a bigger camping table and at least 6 chairs to fit (better even 7). In addition we got a very small fridge like 50x50 cm and approx 70 cm high. Would that fit under the Vario Luifel?

My idea was to buy a tent with as little liviing room as posible (we just need a bit for the clothes) and for up to 4 persons and then with as huge Vario Luifel as possible.

Just to figure out about the size:
Albatros should be noch much smaller then the Velduil, right? If this is the case then Albatros is too much (we will keep the velduil).
The next size below Albatros with biggest vario luifel is what we search for. From my impression the actual (new model) Stormvogel is the next - right?

Did anyone donwsize from Albatros (or Velduil size) to Stormvogel and if yes what is the experience?

7 chairs and a big table won't fit under a Stormvogel vario.
There is a Albatros impression. https://www.marktplaats.nl/v/caravans-e ... cht-4-pers

I think you cannot combine all wishes, but need to choose...

We have het newest model Albatros. The Vario luifel is very nice and comfortable, it will for sure fit a big table (even for your complete family of 9p). But the size you need for the Albatros -including vario- is not much less than the ~10x6m you need for the Velduil. (please note: the map with dimensions you can find on the DW website, does NOT show the dimensions you need for the vario luifel included!)

A smaller tent, like the Stormvogel, will indeed require less space, but will not fit the big table comfortably.

Did you consider to use more smaller tents? You can set up kind of a campsite -with the table in the middle (with a tarp for the rain??). Depending on number of family members joining the party, pitch one, two or even three tents. Free to choose the orientation based on the camping and pitch size.
Yes, you will not have the nice big vario luifel, but maybe for good weather locations this can be managed?
And for the northern parts of Europe, take the Velduil instead, since you will find bigger pitches?

We have kind of the same dilemma of downsizing from our Albatros (family with 3 kids) and consider to go for the flexibility of a Kuifmees and Pimpelmees. Space under the vario luifel is much less, but for nice weather you do not use it that often. Disadvantage with bad weather, yes, but in return you get flexibility of pitch sizes, less weight and quicker to pitch.

Thank you both for suggestions and pictures.


So our plan was to have 3 tents in total. If I take more my wife will get crazy - she allready called me collector of de Waard tents

We got the Velduil and the small Brilstern.
We got a tarp from technical cotton and could expand here as well

Now I agree I cannot get all wishes - looks like the table will remain an issue.

Let me change my question and aim a bit:

Is there any other tent that is
[*]easy to pitch,
[*]quite small for up to 4 persons
[*]and will fit a table for 6 at least partially under the luifel? E.g. obe might keep the table between two poles of a vatio luifel (from Stormvogel)? Or take a tent without a pole in the middle (like we have with the Velduil -> Kuifmees?)




The purpose of Papegaaiduiker is just one tent for 2 persons, right? This is too small for us.



From the actual line for us the descision should be:
Stormvogel or Kuifmees.

[*]What is the best agrument to take Kuifmees?
Is it the luifell and the advantes not to have a pole in the middel of the luifel?

My idea is: The Kuifmees does not contain a middle pole under the luifel. Is the luifel from the Kuifmees kind of "better" versus the vario luifel from Stormvogel?
De Waard recommends Stormvogel over th Kuifmees.

It is really difficult to decide over the internet but I would be very happy to hear from your arguments. I guess there are also others to decide between Kuifmees and Stormvogel. Would be great to know your reasons - I might have overseen something

Thank you
Sebastian

Kuifmees is a lot smaller, won't fit 6 chairs.
Papegaaiduiker can sleep with 4 pers. Head to the doors.fits easy.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

I willgo for a Stormvogel. Seems like this is a kind of in between tent: not too big for 2 adults and not yet too small for up to 4.

On Marktplaats I could buy a Stormvogel from 2019. This is the new version with a bigger vario luifel.

BUT: at the German camping forum I was warned that 2019 to 2018 there were issues with impreganting of the cotton. I was suggested to check at de waard forum but I cannot find the threads on that issue.

Could you kindly help me out or at least give a suggestion what keyword to use for forum search?

I am located in Bavaria and despite of that rather long distance we plan to come to the Netherlands to pick up the tent. Therefore I need to crosscheck that issue upfront.

Thank you !

The seller mentionde that they did have rain and there was no obvious stripes. Seems perfect and I am happy to buy now a piramid tent. This is then the first one for us - although the velduil is really great I guess this will be jsut a different feeling

Dear all,

Thank your for the help here in this forum. Just a feed back in case you are interested.

We aquired a used de Waard Stormvogel with the new desig, i.e. slightly higher and - based on my information - a much bigger vario luifel.

In order to do so we have been the first time in your beautiful country, Netherlands. Just my wife and me - all alone - first time since more than 26 years (I guess I mentioned we got 7 Kids so there was no time to be alone so far).

First of all: Netherlands are sooooo nice. We used the Stormvogel and we were camping in April (it was aroud 11 degrees Celsius outside during the day and approx 5 at night ... A bit cold but with the innertent still ok.

We have been visiting de Waard and we have seen the exposition of de Waard tents. Really really great.

Coming to the next step:
Now we realized that even the new stormvogel is still quite big. I am sure we will fit 6 seats and a table under the varioluifel (still to be tested very soon). From that point of view it was nice to see that my plan will work out.

Our first (and so far only) setup of the tent (without varioluifel but with innertent) took us approx. 1-2 h. It was so difficult to figure out which colour of the poles should be put in where and the stickers on the poles were also quite "small". Please be infromed - we do not speak dutch at all - but yes we could try to understand the instruction as we speak German and English. I suggested to Dewaard to have some translation and if they need we could help out as well.

May I kindly ask: how long would one need to set up such a tent after some training? Stormvogel new version, innertent, vario luifel with the wind shields?
What is realistic and objective? Ary suggestions how we get ruled out the colors of the poles?


Now lets come to the big surprise for me:
My wife, while beeing still visiting the de waard shop, decided that we sould have another tent (one more) just for the two of us to be able to have some holidays only for the week ends. That means really: arrival on Saturday and departure just the day after - for two parents only.

Are there any recommandations fo a tent that would be useful here?
At de Waard we were thinking the Grote Bonte Specht might be proper for that. What is your opinion?


And by the way: who invented the idea to dip chease in honey and in coffee .... I mean the taste is great but how do you come to the idea ... We shoudl definetly some back and visit Netherlands once more