Family Tent with Screen Room

[DirtySouth]

I'm looking for a 6-8 person family tent with an attached screen room. My main concern is that its decent quality, with lots of waterproofing and plenty of room for at least 6 people. It doesn't need to be light and it won't be used for hiking or backpacking. These are some of the tents I like so far. Any other recommendations? Thanks!

Eureka 160
Eureka Grand Manan Tour
Coleman Weathermaster 6 w/ ScreenRoom

 

[briansnat]

I'd be wary of that Coleman, I've slept in big Coleman tents and every one leaked in heavy rain and the quality of all the Coleman tents I've owned or used has been questionable.

Check out:
LL Bean King Pine 6 (best large tent I've ever used)
Sierra Designes Wu Hu Annex 6+2
Gigatent 18'x12' Mt. Barren 2 - 4 Room

The first two are pricy, but if you want a tent to last a long time it's worth the extra expense.

 

[DirtySouth]

I'd be wary of that Coleman, I've slept in big Coleman tents and every one leaked in heavy rain and the quality of all the Coleman tents I've owned or used has been questionable.

Check out:
LL Bean King Pine 6 (best large tent I've ever used)
Sierra Designes Wu Hu Annex 6+2
Gigatent 18'x12' Mt. Barren 2 - 4 Room

The first two are pricy, but if you want a tent to last a long time it's worth the extra expense.

Thanks for the suggestions! I didn't even think about LL Bean as an option. Are they known for quality tents? I'll take a look at the others.

 

[Hyde]

If I am not mistaken this is the L.L. Bean King Pine 6. I think it is a great tent, however I would call it a 4-6 person tent, not a 6-8 person tent. Right now it costs around $399.

 

[ponderosa]

I think if you want a truly weather proof tent, there are certain features you can't do without. The most critical is a full-lenth rainfly, with taped seams, that completely covers all seams and zippers on the tent. I also prefer aluminum poles to fiberglass, because they are much stronger and less likely to break in cold weather or wind. The bigger/heavier the tent, the more likely that fiberglass poles will split sooner or later. The other thing I consider is the pole configuration. I want a tent with a lot of structural integrity in the pole design, to help support the weight of a heavy tent in wind, and also to shed heavy rain and even some snow (a year-round possibility where I live).

 

[carmen]

What about something like an Ozark or a Kodiak? Are you looking only for the # of people it will hold or are you concerned about price too?

 

[briansnat]

Thanks for the suggestions! I didn't even think about LL Bean as an option. Are they known for quality tents? I'll take a look at the others.

I've owned a few Bean tents and they are top notch, especially for the money.

I have a 2 person dome that has been going strong for 15 years and the 2 person dome I bought before that is still being used by a friend and it's pushing 30 years old.

 

[DirtySouth]

What about something like an Ozark or a Kodiak? Are you looking only for the # of people it will hold or are you concerned about price too?

I haven't looked at either of those brands either. I definitely want a minimum 6 person tent, but could go as high as 8. I'd like to stay in the $300 range, but would go a bit higher if there was a really good reason. I also want it to be very durable, waterproof and good to use in cool and warm weather.