Customer Reviews

Eureka! Timberline 4 - Tent (sleeps 4)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I got this tent when I was 17 years old. I am now 33. It has served me faithfully 17 years in 10 different states, including northern Maine. It's sturdy, and setting it up is easy as pie after the first one. I put a little TLC into this tent every year by putting some seam sealer on it but that's it. I am a big guy, (6 foot 1) and I treat this tent more like a really big two person tent. My two kids and I sleep in this tent with no problem! It fits a queen size airmattress no problem. Eureka is the king of customer service, and many accessories are available. While this tent may seem "plain jane" compared to other tents now available, it's ease to take care of and quick set up make this a great first tent for new comers or a perfect tent for those getting back into the sport of tent camping.
-Todd Wardwell

First, I'd like to caution anyone looking at reviews for this tent that are based on one they bought years (or decades) ago. Like other reviewers, I first purchased one of these tents around 1980. I would have given my 1980 model five stars, but I can only give the newer model three.

As far as the tent's design - it is called a backpacking tent but is a bit on the heavy side unless you fill it with four people. This can work if they are not too big and they leave their gear outside. The optional vestibule is nice, but is more useful for storing muddy boots than gear due to its small size. The design is classic and it still works. But we have had trouble with these tents.

Our Boy Scout Troop has purchased 8 of these over the years - four initially, plus two a year later, plus two more two years after that. The tent is more or less unchanged over my older model, except for two items. One is that the plastic tent pole attachment piece is considerably stronger than my older tent, a big improvement as some people had trouble with this part breaking in cold weather.

The second change is in the shock cord material. My much older tent had thinner shock cords on the fly and tent peaks, while these newer models have heavier shock cord. This has not been a change for the better - I have had to replace ALL (10 per tent) of these shock cords because the rubber breaks inside the cloth material. Sometimes it breaks in many places, leading me to believe that the rubber material is breaking down, not simply snapping. At first, I thought that the Scouts were mistreating the tents - so I retrained them on how to care for the tents and have kept an eye on them as they are set up and taken down. But since then, the Scoutmaster has had it happen to his personal Timberline which no one other than himself has used. This is some sort of material defect since these tents were made in several different lots over the past 5 or so years. Therefore, I cannot rate this tent as high as I would have based on my 30 year old Timberline.

By the way, if this happens to you, you can order the shock cord, special pliers, and metal fasteners online from marine suppliers because they are used to make custom shock cords for boat covers.

-Bryan Freeman

Like others here, I purchased my Timberline in 1976 when I was new to scouting and I'm still using it. I needed to replace the rainfly about 5 years ago after years of UV exposure and since Eureka still makes parts for this long-running model, it was easy to order. New tents have a factory-sealed rainfly and floor but you'll need to treat the other exposed seams in the bottom corners and under the windows. This is standard tent care & maintenance and well worth the short time it takes to seal. Once I've done it...this tent is ready for another year of use. Hands down...one of the finest tent designs there is! I backpack year-round with my original 2-person and car or canoe camp with my newer 4-person version. Happy Trails to All!

I purchased a Eureka Timberline 2 tent when I was 13 years old. I am now 41 and my son is using it on a regular basis. The tent has been used for over a quater of a centry and still does not leak, with proper care. I just bought a new Eureka 1610 for the family and expect the same service as the Timberline 2.

My Boy Scout troop uses these tents, we have over 40 tents and they have lasted us YEARS. This is a great tent to use when both people want something that's dependable and easy to setup.

I bought 15 of these tents for my Boy Scout troop. I was looking for camping tents that were very roomy and especially rugged because 11 to 17 year old boys can be tough on tent. What also appealed to me was the long lasting design so that as tents wore out we could get replacement parts even the exact same tent in four or five years.

We got the tents for camping exclusively because they were roomy and rugged but weigh far too much for backpacking. Our previous tents lasted five years and had over 100 nights of camping on them.

These tents were fairly easy for the scout to set up but the youngest scouts had trouble pulling the elastic pull over the top of the plastic top. Not a big deal. There are quite a few more loose parts to this tent then other designs I have encountered. There are seven different poles, two plastic joints, tent rain fly, eight thin tent stakes and three bags for the stakes, poles and tent.

The problems with the tent began almost immediately. The zippers are completely inadequate. 13 of the 15 tents had zipper problems ranging for very difficult to zip to the zipper completely failing. During the night we had a moderate amount of wind. The poles are made from aluminum not fiberglass. Three of the tents had significant damage with bent poles. One of the tents was so badly bent that the tent had to be taken down and the boys moved to another tent. Finally, we found the floor of one of the tents was delaminating.

These were brand new tent. I can not speak for the reviews people have written about these tents from twenty years ago but something has clearly changed. These tents are the poorest product I have ever come across in my 15 years of scouting and over forty years of camping. We are returning the entire lot immediately.

Well constructed tent, easy to set up. The aluminum poles are tough. The frame is easy to put together. One person can do it but it goes much quicker, as with any tent set-up, with two people familiar with the operation. It is very stable once it is staked down and the guy lines are staked. The fly is tough and the fabric is doubled up in the high stress areas. The fly seams are factory taped. There are two additional anchor points on the fly's ridge which can be used in stronger winds. You have to provide two additional stakes and the cord. Those two additional anchor points really help hold the tent in place. There are only two windows but they are large and there is plenty of ventilation. They can even be left partially open when it is raining. The ventilation is decreased a bit if you attach the vestibule. There are no problems with condensation forming inside the tent thanks to that huge area of breathable fabric. The first time in use, it rained overnight and there were zero leaks. Just make sure you seam seal everything and spray two coats of Camp Dry or something similar on the fly. It sheds water like a duck's back! Make sure you use a footprint or tarp under the tent as well. Another good thing is Eureka taped all the seams exposed to water. But it still helps to add seam sealer anyway. All the zippers are YKK. The stakes provided with the tent are adequate and get the job done. As they bend or break with use, consider replacing them with some of the newer titanium stakes.

I have the 4 person tent and it is only my wife and I who use it. The extra room is nice. I think the two person would have been a little cramped.

I have used a Timberline 4 in the past on a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. I was out there for 5 days and one day a significant thunderstorm came through. The tent held, the poles didn't bend or break and there were no leaks.

The only thing I didn't like about the tent was the floor. It is not a true bathtub floor. For the tent's entire length, there is a seam right down the floor's center. The seam is factory taped and I sealed the seam's exposed side as well. I have not had any problems.

All in all, a good tent, which should last for years with proper care.

My family bought a set (4-5) of these tents in the late 80's. Good looking. Easy to use.... Then the storm hit. The wind mangled these things into pretzels. The poles were never the same after that. Domed tents, even bottom of the line Colemans, do so much better in the wind. Domed tents are cheaper, roomier, sturdier.

I bought a new Eureka Timberline 4 because my last Tim4 lasted 20+ years and hundreds of nights in the woods. I am so disappointed in the new tent. The elasticity of the fly guylines almost immediately gave way and the guylines are now useless. I have to use bungee cords to guy out the fly. Customer service at Eureka is nonexistent. Eureka is definitely living on their old reputation.

Firstly, I love my tent. I've had my Timberline for about 5-6 years. In those 5-6 years, it's been to the BWCA several times, Quetico Provincial Park, dozens of 7-10 day outings, overnights, pretty much every conceivable type of outing one can go on. I do most of my camping/hiking in Wisconsin and this tent performs wonderfully in the ever-changing WI weather. It also performs perfectly in the more extreme Canadian weather. It holds up well in the wind and nearly perfect in the rain. I've beat the hell out of this tent, and it still is in excellent working order. Durability is not an issue.

If you aren't an experienced outdoorsman, it'll take a little time to figure out how to keep this tent 100% dry. You really have to crank on the rain fly to make it taut and waterproof. Even with the little learning-curve, the tent is 98% percent waterproof. The only infiltration is near the door if your shoes are touching the sides. My rainfly has a very large vestibule too which is large enough for shoes and a pack or two. This tent has great ventilation. You can keep very cool on warm summer nights.

The set up is the easiest on the market. After a few times, it'll take you five minutes to set it up, and after a 10 or 15 times you'll be able to set it up in the dark, no problem. The Timberline can be free-standing if you want to ditch the fly for a night.

It doesn't pack down very well, so it's not ideal for weight and size conscious backpackers.

This tent, due to its ease and reliability, is perfect for novices as well as advanced outdoorsman.