86. Is a "6-person living space" any use with the campervan?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- I recently bought a "6 person living space" tent-like thing from Tesco which was on clearance at just £15. This is the video of me putting it up and testing it for the first time, to use as a cheap awning substitute.
If you liked the video and wish to leave me a tip, here's the link: www.ko-fi.com/... and thank you! Or join the crew every month at / cruisingthecut
Tools & Parts used for my campervan build
Autoterm diesel heater: geni.us/Van_Au...
Renogy 2kW inverter: geni.us/Van_Re...
Sink: geni.us/Van_Ne...
Induction hob: geni.us/Van_In...
Portable toilet: geni.us/Van_To...
Fridge: geni.us/Van_Co...
Charger: geni.us/Van_Ma...
Solar Controller: geni.us/Van_So...
Gas Alarm: geni.us/Van_Ga...
Old sink unit: geni.us/Van_Si...
Old heater unit: geni.us/Van_Pr...
Old inverter: geni.us/Van_In...
DeWalt jigsaw: geni.us/Van_De...
DeWalt drill: geni.us/Van_De...
DeWalt mitre saw: geni.us/Van_De...
DeWalt circular saw: geni.us/Van_De...
Web www.vandemonium...
Twitter / vandemoniumuk
Instagram: / vandemoniumuk
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
So all these vloggers travel the world bringing us loads of amazing content and what do we watch??? David muttering away putting together an awning! Totally captivating!❤!
🤣🤣
So true ,he is so watchable and entertaining
We had a screen tent with 4 screen walls. The mesh kept light rain out with surface tension. It looks like you had a similar experience. A driving (no pun intended) rain would be different
🤣😅
The pain has palpable 🤣😅😅
Watching you put together that "6 person living space for 15 quid from Tesco" was the perfect parable for man's struggle against, and ultimate triumph over, adversity. This will go down as one of the greatest lessons that this generation has ever produced for the ages. Bless you David. May you continue to inspire us all for all time.
🤣🤣🤣
A clear shower curtain would be nice for the one side, preserve the view and the light. A smallish tarp for the door that can be magnet-ed to the van roof to give you protection for both the van door and the shelter entrance.
👍
The only problem I feel with bodgery like this though. is that it has to look reasonably 'professional' otherwise fellow campers will be heard to utter "Uh-oh! I see Swampy's arrived!"🤣🤣
Attach the shower curtain or clear dropcloth, to the poles with binder clips.
Exactly what I was about to suggest. You can also get translucent tarps, which might be a bit more durable than a shower curtain.
@@chrisbardell absolutely : I'd also be looking for a tarp big enough to go over the top of the tent, and bridge to the van. But it's always a trade off - this tent though is so cheap it's worth a bit of effort to make it work. I think that having a larger space for eating/sitting outside is invaluable - few vans let you stand up straight, but this tent will.
My rule of tent capacity: Divide by 2 then subtract 1, rounding down. So this can comfortably fit 2 people. By this rule any tent capacity less than 4 can fit exactly 0 people comfortably.
🤣🤣
At 6'4'' tall I endorse this posting. Every tent I have tried did not fit me.
I have an experience of sleeping as a third person out of six in a 2-person 1950s canvas tent. That was a kids camp outing 30 years ago, but that tent should still serve some of my acquaintances, and last time I heard of it, three adults were comfortable there and four not too cramped. The thing is that that tent was advertised as a two-person by 1950s alpinism standards, meaning not two persons on foam pads in featherweight polyester sleeping bags that can keep you warm in minus twenty centigrade, but two canvas/aluminium cots carried in canvas backpacks with leather straps along with iron frying pans, kerosene lanterns, leather boots and suchlike.
A 4 man fits an adult and a kid. A 3 man fits 1. A 2 man fits 1 barely (backpacking tent), and a 1 man fits a dog.
That “6-person living space” may prove its worth on a sunny day.
I admire your perseverance in setting it up and packing it away.
Happy Camping
I think your dry wit would be brilliant if you did some stealth camping in a tent comedy gold😂
With over 400 comments already, I don't know if anyone mentioned this yet. On a dry, fairly sunny day, open up the tent to dry out completely. Putting away an even slightly moist tent into a cupboard or closet will cause it to get moldy. When it is very dry, then you can spray it with mold resist and waterproofing, and then let that dry.
Cheers. By the time I packed it away, the sun had been out for a while and it was pretty much dry outside, I just had to wipe down a few drops on the floor inside as I showed.
David, have been missing Vandemonium films, MORE pleaseeeee 😂😂
Yeah I've been both lax and busy
"It's September, obviously it's almost Christmas" Christmas creeping up the calendar like Hannibal over the Alps my goodness
Good analogy !
Easter eggs waiting in the wings no doubt.😒 Shops wish our lives away.
David,,,,you are quite delightfully a quintessential englishman mucking about with your hobby like the rest of us other daft englishmen. Very entertaining old chap. Love your ramblings sir.
Haha thank you 🤣
Carry on camping !!! As a long time follower this is second in comedy value only to the re-fitting of the shower on your boat, which is still absolutely comedy genius. Nice to see you back filming, take care mate
🤣🤣😀😀
I thought that you would acquire an audience while you were putting that up, it was even more entertaining than your shower tent. The amazing way it went back into its bag meant that it was worth every penny of its price, though.
Hi David, The simple Aussie solution to your tent problem is buy a good quality large SILVER tarp and tent poles. The tarp should be large enough to go over the tent AND campervan. Secure with guy ropes.(poles tilting slightly lower behind campervan, so rain will drain away. Not only will the tarp will ensure your tent stays dry, but also prevent it getting too hot too quickly on those rare sunny days!
I was briefly thinking you might want to take down two of the larger B-poles on the side facing the van to see if you could get the whole thing snug against the fan door. But you might be better off getting a decent sized tarp, so you could tarp from the roof rack over the tent, and off the other side a bit to give you a double awning. That way you could effectively have a vestibule that's relatively weather resistant. Just make sure there's a decent slant to funnel the rain off in a desired direction. :)
Yes a tarp!
I did the same thing with a standard gazebo and a tarp slung over to its top and the other end over the van roof. Secured it with magnets from old hard drives throught the tarp. Worked perfect for a really soggy weekend at a scooter meeting...
👍
Yes, this was my thought too... plus a bit of waterproof nylon to cover the mesh side that is still open.
Almost an outtake from “Carry on Camping”. Very entertaining David. 👏👏👍😎
That lady watching from behind the white van 😂
I enjoyed that. "This is my view", was perhaps the most entertaining moment!
We use ours quite a bit. It protects from mosquitos , drizzling rain and hot sun
I was very impressed when you actually packed up the "Extra Room" into it's oroginal carrying case, I raely accomplish thgta task correctly
👍👍👍👍 🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗👍👍👍👍
I was rather pleased myself!!
Brilliant!! Putting the "tent" up was very reminiscent of your bread making episode on the boat some years ago. Lots of exasperated muttering and mumbling. Very entertaining.
Thank you for the reminder why I don't like tenting and why my 4-person tent has not seen the light of day for 15 years 🙂
£15 seems like an accurate value... Seems useful for getting out of the sun and keep the bugs from pestering you during lunch.
I love watching you build stuff with complicated and bad instructions. Well done.
Not through it yet, but love the concerned-for-David lady at about the 7:00 mark. lol
I'm proud of you, David. You muddled through sans outside help. Congratulations! It's actually more a sun shelter with the insect screens, not really meant for rain. But then as you say, you are in England. Thanks for the video. Jon
I suggest you replace the guy ropes with reflective rope. It's hard to see the black lines, especially at night.
Always enjoyable to watch your videos, David.
This was a good reminder to me of why I gave up on any kind of awnings or additional shelters when van camping. Mainly because I always end up an exhausted sweaty mess, before the holiday has even begun, and then just before going home. Plus putting them away wet, means extra chores when you get home.
🤣🤣
Just caught this now, a few months after, and it just pure gold. Up there with your attempt at bread baking on CtC. I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful you are! Stay awesome. Cheers from a fan in New York City.
That's very kind, thank you
Got a similar tent we use on the beach and in parks for warm sunny days. It isn't water proof and won't resist much wind. We've had hours of fun using it!
All men know from experience to trash the instruction sheet and to go on raw masculine instinct! :)
Followed by our wives ‘sorting it out’.
No word of a lie; there I was, minding my own business with a silly smile on my face as I watched you faffing around with the covery, tenty thing and WHAM! A 'full-frontal' of your cheese sandwich and a cup of tea. Despite having eaten not that long ago, it instantly made me want one. Which I duly constructed and dispatched whilst watching the rest of your [amusing] vlog. They, 'people', could/should use you as some sort of weird subliminal cut or something. Is that still allowed? You'd be infamous in the [soon to be empty] cheese aisles up and down the country. A bit like Delia Smith and the sun-dried tomato debacle.
Hello David, you might want to pick up a plastic ground cloth to lay down first, under your tent floor. Doesn't need to be much, a painting drop cloth will do nicely! Keeps your tent floor a lot cleaner and gives you some extra separation from the mud. If you get a cheap enough one, you can just pitch it, if it gets too muddy. Be sure to tuck the sides up neatly under the tent floor edges or it will gather water during a storm!
Thank you Dave, I’ve never laughed so much for ages,sorry. The fast foreword bits had me falling over. Thenks again.
Glad you enjoyed it
You need a rain fly. That's basically a tent for your tent. It can also help to keep it cooler inside in hot weather and warmer in cold weather. To dry it out or get any dirt out I would usually just pick up the whole thing, tip it and shake it. And if it gets too wet, you can always take it to a launderette and run it through the dryer. (Near Gettysburg one night I told my son, "I don't think we'll need the rain fly tonight...." )
In that beautifully soft English earth you should never have to adjust the length of a tent line. Just move the stake and press it in. (I spent a few months camping in the UK and Ireland and put in every stake just by pressing down with my foot.) Tip: My first two days hiking in Dorset (in the rain) I lost two mini stakes. At that rate.... So I tied lengths (6 - 8") of orange paracord to each stake - just as a Please Find Me Tail. Over the next three months I didn't lose any more stakes. (I have similar tails on my remote controls and other camping bits and bobs, like fire starters. I have to make things idiot proof, because... Do I really have to explain?)
& I use a small piece of yoga mat (24" x 24") as a door mat. Keeps the dirt out of the tent. Backpackers call them butt pads.
I’m sure you could run a tarp from the van roof (solar panel) over to the corners of the “tent” to avoid some rain.
I'll definitely try that next time
@@Vandemonium While the rig Chiwoo Camp uses is purpose built, this might be something to model after: th-cam.com/video/2wUqw3WRoo8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=7H-K6bXnwU_L3Qg4
I LOVE YOUR VLOGS! Thank you for taking me/others to a wonderful world of peace and normality. I'm always challenged by your minimal living standards and learn something new. 🎉 💙
Thank you 😊
It is what it is, as you say. I would use a handheld karcher (or equivalent cheaper water vacuum, they are very small and often used on canal boats due to window condensation) to do a quick water cleanup after an unexpected shower. These living spaces are great to mark out your spot when taking a camper van out for the day and leaving some waterproof items like chairs behind.
Oooh that's a great idea
That is a Score at that price and it doesn't look painful to setup and dismantle. 👍👍
There is always something in your videos that makes me chuckle, intermission for jammy scones. hehe.
That shelter is a bargain I would have picked up ás well! All of the suggestions below for covering with a tarp fastened to the van over top of the awning make good sense to me. You did an excellent job of repacking it all. It will be interesting to see further developments on this.
Thank you for your work to share this adventure, cheers!
Cheers!!
Hey how's it going? We haven't seen you in a while. I hope you're doing ok and keeping well. Missing your vandemonium vids. All the best, Mike
How timely, with all the homelessness these days you may have found your new forte, but I do miss those rather magical boat days, before all the current drama. Oh well, carry on and let it be known that many love your candor. :)
Cheers; more boat stuff coming soon
Hi just a word of advice put at least 1 peg into the ground just to temporarily hold the tent just in case a gust of wind comes and the tent will be off 😂😂😂
While watching you build the tent, I thought you can count yourself lucky. If you were building it in here in Scotland you would have the added ‘benefit’ of checking the hydrostatic head as you work away. It would be chucking it down😁
You'll be very popular on rainy days if you slap some waterproofing on it.
You can get a water repellent spray that might be good on the top for extra protection (You get it for tent seams and such).
For the screens, I have used a cover from some split heavy duty plastic trash bags. I sewed the velcro patches onto the screen and sides and used a velcro strap cut through the plastic. A shower curtain liner works even better. I did end up cutting slots in for ventilation.
I agree… an extra coating, or two, of extra waterproofing spray should help quite a bit🎂
You can also dab-on liquid silicon on the seams, and let it dry thoroughly. Comes in a 4oz bottle, with a bobble wand applicator.
Quite a bargain, David! Hopefully, it will last for a while.
Perhaps some sort of flap that you could put over the van and attach with magnets would have been a better design but then in principle a good idea and certainly a more cost effective option than an awning that you screw on to the van roof. A great review though and an interesting idea. Thanks David. All the best to you.
Yeah, I was intending to make an awning much as you describe but when I saw this, I thought it was worth a try!
@@Vandemonium I guess you probably could still make something to go over the gap?! A sewing project for you
One square 12x12 or 10x10 tarp over the top and ties to each corner. Gives a lip to the door
You could get a similar water proof/resistant fabric, make two panels, one for each screened side. Cover the screened sides with said fabric to protect against mild rain. Use magnets to hold up panels to avoid sewing into tent creating holes. You could also get or make an awning to go from tent to van to cover the gap.
@@edsageseamaster3440 I bought something called a Queedo motor canopy. I bought it in Germany but you can perhaps buy similar in the UK? There is a video here on TH-cam where you can get an idea how it looks. It's in German ut you can select English subtitles.
I suggest yo7 use a tarpaulin or groundsheet under the tent for protection.! 😊
Ha, ha that was fun watching you grapple with your new bargain tent. Well done, pity about the rain spoiling your fun. Happy travels.
Lovely to see you struggle, cruising your tent 😂 thanks lots of fun!
A suggestion. I am not a camper but have watched many videos. You might consider buying one of those open canopys and then put your little tent under the canopy. You would kill 2 birds with one stone in that you would be out of the rain yet still be able to enjoy the openness of the tent. I like it and I am sure you will get things worked out. Don H Ocala Fl USA
7:02 I suspect the lookie loo neighbor is why you were trying to set this up quickly and quietly. 😁I think a flap from one side to van would be useful to cut down water in case of rain. It didn’t look like so much in the end. I agree on a longer stay having that setup will be great to use your shower if not for more privacy then at least being able to stand on protected ground and having items outside the shower stay dry and close. I am impressed you got it back in the bag. Cheers.
Thanks for the entertainment while I ate my lunch. I think someone below said it, just get a tarp to attach to the van and throw it over the 'tent which can also be tied down with stakes to keep it in place.
🎶Way down upon the Swannee River
Far far away🎶
I like that sign about private property. Direct and to the point.
There was no mistaking it, certainly
REMEMBER, the extra stake is for vampires. If you see one. 13:09 And that piece you found is the REASON why the 'living space' was priced at 15 Pounds - somewhere in that 'space' there is a matching hole. Great video as always.
Hi David, thanks for video. "22 to 23 degrees and clammy", be thankful for weather that nice. Since the first week of June, high daily temperatures have been 32 to 40 degrees with high humidity here in north central Florida.
The only thing I could think of for your tent is to cut the vertical wall seams on one of the closed walls and use that for your flap between the tent and van. Sew some magnets in the fabric to stick it to the van roof. That said, this will make for a very flimsy setup; one good gust of wind and the tent could detach and tumble across the RV park.
Camping tents certainly have changed since the 1960's. The fabric was heavy canvas that had to be re-water proofed each year. When broken down, the tent was a large heavy roll of canvas with a large bag of non-tethered aluminum pipes, ropes, and steel stakes. Setting up a 6-man tent was a multi-person job.
Cheers
Absolutely right, and there was no touching the sides of the canvas while it was raining... instant drip, and pooling.
For the price, you have a nice selection of bits to make other shelters, awnings and such and you can add more as needed to your kit. For all that soggy ground, outdoor carpet helps control the mud.
Would be great to sit in when the midgies are out and about, especially here in Scotland.
£15? You get what you pay for!! In the US, we call this a screen house. It’s only useful for an outdoor space to shield yourself from insects. You’ll need a rain fly….or tarpaulin, to also exclude the rain. I saw a suggestion for using a clear shower curtain liner. You could use some cord to suspend it from the outside corners of your “pavilion”. Magnetic ring hooks (inexpensive) could attach to your vehicle to create a small awning between your vehicle and the tent.
You are so funny David!! I love this video😂🤣💙
Thank you 😊
Yay! ‘Vandemonium…Plus!’ It’s so fun hearing you talk to yourself…or letting us in on your ‘thinking.’
Here's two ideas, one, buy one of those 10x10 popup canopys and put the screen house under it. Canopy keeps the rain out, screen house keeps the bugs out. Both usefull in their own right. The other way ive seen people do, which im not particularly to fond of is to just throw a giant tarp over the whole thing if you want to go the cheapy route. You might want to keep some scotchgaurd cans and some seam sealer handy, those water "resistant" fabrics repellancy dont usually last very long. Looks good though.
A couple of inexpensive "rain fly camping tarps" could do the trick and be a multifunctional bit of camping kit as well. One rain fly could be secured with ropes, or pound shop spring clamps, from the top of your van, to the top of your living space. The second rain fly could be used to protect the second open side, by spring clamping it around the poles on the roof and then draped over the side and staked to the ground. Theoretically speaking.
Looks a nice setup. I always find it easier with tents and awnings like that to tie it to the van. Even with the strongerst wind the van isn't going to blow away 🤣
I turned the sound off and rewatched the first bit as a silent movie ....hilarious.
So pleased to see vandemonium back.
The Met office gave us a warning. Hail stones 2cm in diameter.
Not that it will happen now but that it is possible. And it is.
'For 15 quid.... surely it's got to be worth a punt!' has got to be one of the most iconic sentences you have ever said. 😂
Most tents will have an entry fly to keep the weather out. Shouldn't be too much of a problem to pick up a couple of tarps and some extra poles, to fashon your own flys for over the doorways. You could also put a pool noodle, or foam backer rod (18mm: 3/4") under the floor about 25cm back from the opening to form a 'trough', to catch the water. Put a couple of grommets at the edge of the floor to act as drain holes, and that should solve the problem. 😊
Nice to see you getting out and about in the van. I miss the boating videos, but am glad that you are still keeping us informed about goings on, with the canals.
Cheers from Canada!
I just watched 21 minutes of a guy setting up a tent. It was mesmerizing.
Hang a sheet of waterproof fabrics over fly screen, I’d sowe waterproof fabrics to top of screen door and bungee to your roof rack for a bit of protection between van and tent, spray waterproof fabric spray over outside of tent to make waterproof,
good to see you back
David John's tent assembly program, good comedic fun for the whole family
Watching South Korean camping videos these tents have plastic zip ins that replace the netting to stop the rain from coming in and they back there suv into one door and have a flap that connects the suv and tent together.
suggestion from Berlin: stretch a tarpaulin (10-15 EURO) over both the van and the tent. then it would be rainproof and you can use the 6-person livingspace properly.
That was fun to watch. Enjoyed it so much that I wanted to be there, rain and all!
I joined your channel. From Clearwater beach 🏖️ Florida USA. Greetings. I love to camp and do it offen as time permits.
Welcome aboard!
David the first 7 minutes alone was enough for me to subscribe. Very enjoyable video Mr. Thank you
Welcome along!
I used to love the Krypton Factor as a child. 🤣😎👍🏼
🤣
@@Vandemonium they could of at least had a flap that you could attached from the tent to your side wall or roof with Velcro for example. 🤷🏼♂️😎
David, I enjoyed this episode. My experience with putting things together even with directions is very like yours. Thoroughly enjoyed watching you being put through the steps of finally getting that 15 £ tent (of sorts) up and functional. Well done. Another great video! Thank you! 😘
To my understanding the concept is that you whizz in, close the insect screen behind you, and eat, read, drink, chat in that..
When rain comes, hop back to the van, but until then you have an outdoor livingroom
Wow, that's a great offer, only £15, and 9 free steaks! Lovely. And can you imagine putting that up in a little shower of torrential rain, and a high wind. You know, like what we have just had, guv.
This is your best video you've ever produced ! For comedy very entertaining and I was googling away at your mutterings an generally no idea, as usual very enjoyable and entertaining David
Wow, thanks!
Wonderful Worcestershire
Ah Dave, I feel your pain, no matter what language the author originally wrote the instructions in they are translated to pure gobbledeygook by the time my eyes see them!! I thought you did very well at erecting and demolishing the structure. Looks like a great bargain for £15. Another fine vlog, thank you.
And those wonderful elasticated poles....if you organise yourself to always be pushing them, from the bottom, then they don't discombobulate quite so much.
7:18 Turret? tourette if you get frustrated enough Dave 😀
Great purchase, it is what it is; a fair weather wind and maybe a sun shelter. I think that it may benefit from a spray with fabric proofer. You deserve a medal for defeating the oriental repacking gurus. Regards from Solent coast AJ
Watching you setup a "tent" is just like watching you try to make bread! A bit frustrating! 🙂 my suggestion for the water problem would be to sew or velcro some tarps on the screen sides, long enough to hang down past the bottom, setup as you did, with the tent close to your van, and run a line from the top of the tent to the top of your van. A single line so that you have a pitch like a roof of a house so the water will run away from the entrance. I don't know how much 15 lbs or quid equates to in dollars but it does seem like a rather good bargain! Have fun my friend.
As with all of your videos, I found it interesting, informative, and captivating. Thank you!
In the US their are products for increasing and improving the water repelling property of tents and other fabric. I have used the brand "Camp Dry" with great success.
whoopie congratulations David
A fly or a canopy over your “screen porch “ would certainly make it more usable, offering additional shade and rain protection. Nice. I just bought one myself.
Greetings from your newest subscriber! I was idly watching you wrestle with the tent, but when you mentioned Eckington I suddenly pricked up my ears. - 1970-71 I was working on Nafford Farm and the memories came flooding back, so thanks for that. I even found our cottage on Street View!
PS. I've just rewatched Cruising the Cut 111 to see if I could spot our watermeadows - on the right hand bank, about half a mile short of Nafford Lock. No luck, but another bucketful of happy memories!
Splendid!!
I think you need a folding / collapsible aquavax to suck up the water.
If you put something between the van and the extension i would only attach it with magnets. Just in case you drive off with it attached.
Nice scones. A bit of a surprise thought you'd be having a cheese scone.
I recommend a Lorna(other versions are available) to help with the extension. Definitely much easier on a windy day. Fly spray before packing away helps to stop any bugs taking up residents.
Just needed to be in black and white with some frantic piano music.
great Vvlog David....... good buy with the Tent, I was thinking if you bring it right to the van with no spacing between tent and Van, right up close even touchin the van then the netting by van would let any rain in... or you could actually attach it to your van somehow.... even better, yes really needs to be right touching van no gaps...
That scream has me spooked 😂. Had to go back to check it was on the video!
🤣🤣
I am on here now! So enjoyable! Thank you. Bit like putting up the caravan awning with the wife! Divorce activity!
🤣🤣
Simple solution for now, get a small tarporlin (6' X 6'')) clip it between the ,'tent' & the van roof.
What a lovely video, David. Laughed long and loud watching your antics trying to erect the shelter. Thanks.
Thanks 👍 🤣
Chuck a tarp over it to van waterproof,job done
Brilliant. So entertaining. Well done. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!