Customer Reviews

Coleman Weathermaster Six to Eight-Person Three-Room Cabin Tent

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This tent was a good tent in all areas except for one: leaking. Set-up and take down were simple. The airflow was excellent due to the large windows. However, it leaks terribly in the rain. Prior to going on our camping trip, I sealed the seams as directed. During a heavy two hour rainstorm, the tent leaked in four places; all of them from the seams at the bottom of the windows. Coleman claims to put all their tents through a sort of man-made hurricane test prior to selling them. This could not possibly pass that test. It's the worst tent I've ever owned and will be taking it back immediately.

We've had ours for about 5 years. First time I set it up was in the dark, and it was raining, no problems. I've used it in the high winds of Land's End peninsula in England, no problems. Last Summer we went camping in Flagstaff, AZ. We had a major downpour that tore my brother-in-law's tent apart. That night we had more rain. I have never sealed the seams, the only water ever to get inside is the minimal condensation, and there's no way to avoid that. The only ding I have on this tent is that the loops they have to hang the room dividers break easily.

We borrowed this tent from someone for our very first camping
experience(to celebrate my 5oth birthday). It began pouring
rain around 10:30 p.m., and stopped about 2 a.m. My husband
and I wondered if we would wake up in the lake by morning, but
we woke up dry and staked down, and not a drop of rain was in
the tent. It has tons of room, and is tall enough for my
six foot husband to not feel claustrophobic. We are hoping
to receive one of our own for Christmas. Great ventilation, too.

First, the positives:

The size is great! You can stand up in the tent. I am able to lay my air mattress down on one side, and place my suitcases on the other side, and still have walking room. The windows provide ample fresh air. It is easy for two people to put together.

Now, the reason for the low rating:

I have used this tent for three years. The last time I went camping, two of my tent poles snapped as I was taking them down. I have attempted to buy new poles from the company, and Coleman has stopped making replacement poles. They gave me a special number to call a place that specializes in making custom poles. I called there to find out that it would cost about $45 to replace 2 poles! I only paid $100 for the tent!! I have decided to purchase a new tent, since the replacement poles are half the cost of my tent...and I am skeptical as to how long the remaining poles will last!

The main reason for getting this tent was its size. We can't stand small tents, and like to be able to stand upright inside. The roof is a nice selling point, too. The entire top of the tent is screened like windows. Leaving the rain fly off is great during the day, to keep it from getting stuffy inside. At night, it's a fantastic sleeping-under-the-stars experience, without having to deal with bugs. Of course, you need to be absolutely sure it's not going to rain before leaving the fly off for an extended period of time! (It does attach very easily, though, so you can put it on in a rush if necessary.)

It comes with a little doormat too, which is nice for having a no-shoes policy inside the tent. The "walls" for the rooms are removable, which is both a good and a bad thing. You can leave it entirely open inside if you want. But when the walls are up, because of the way they attach, there is a three-inch gap between the tent wall and the room wall, which doesn't do much for privacy.

The tent itself is quite easy to put up, and doesn't take long. Overall, we're very pleased with it.

I bought one of these several years ago, and used it for at least 10 outings.

Here is what I liked about it:

1. It is BIG. I'm 6'6", and I could actually stand up in the middle of this tent; something I'm not used to...
2. The flooring is quite sturdy, so you don't need to lay down a tarp.
3. The large D-shaped door makes it easy to get yourself, your gear, and (if you have them) your pets/kids in and out of the tent.
4. The large windows allow for good ventilation.

Here is what I DIDN'T like about it:

1. The weight. Having steel poles, this tent is significantly heavier than most of its contemporaries.
2. Packed size. Again, the steel poles take up a lot of room.
3. Set up. Although fairly straightforward, setting this up requires two people and a significant amount of patience. I've done it alone, but it was very trying.
4. The rain fly. The design of this makes it prone to pooling (more on this later) even when properly guyed out.

So on our final outing with this so-called "Master of Weather", we had a collapse during a night-time thunderstorm. This wasn't a particularly strong storm with high winds. A lot of rain is what led to its ultimate demise. While one would expect the hefty steel poles to offer strength, they certainly don't allow for much flexibility. And, in our case, one snapped in half, causing a soggy slumber for all inside.

Out of frustration, I threw the whole kit and caboodle in the dumpster on our way out of the campground. Had I known how good Coleman's customer support is, I would have had them replace it -- they're reportedly *very* accommodating in this regard.

Would I buy this again? Probably not. Is it worth the asking price? Yes, but only as long as you take its moniker with a grain of salt.

This tent is awesome for a family of five. We've stayed dry in Yellowstone and all over the northwest in rain. However, during a squall in the Grand Tetons, our tent poles snapped. Seems other folks are having this problem with the Coleman steel tent poles.

On the bright side, Coleman customer service is awesome. Someone from the Coleman help desk went down to their returns desk and personally fished out the correct pole to allow our camping trip to continue during summer 07. Coleman won a loyal customer here based on their outstanding customer service.

Also, this tent is a bargain for its size, sleeping capacity and quality. Great job by Coleman....just wish those poles were sturdier.

We have enjoyed this tent on a number of camping trips, but one of the poles snapped and the one we need replaced is no longer available through Coleman. Leaves us having to buy a whole new tent. Not cool. Otherwise has been a great tent.

Coleman loves to throw around quality guarantees and slap their huge logos on the side of their tents. After all, if they are sold to millions at Target and Walmart 2 days before Memorial weekend they have to be good, right ? No not really . Most people who pick these up on a whim think they need a tent big enough to fit two queen size mattresses inside it and all of their chairs and accessories and of course need to be able to stand up inside. Make the tent tall and roomy, but at the cost of flimsy fiberglass poles and second rate material to keep the cost down and people wonder why they fold under a gust of wind or collect leaks in the corners during a storm. Mean while the guy with the small 2 -3 man tent with the aluminum poles and cutting edge materials is snug in his sleeping bag laughing off the storm. Can't have it all ... and why people keep buying these things at low cost and act surprised when they collapse is beyond me .