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Vango Maritsa 500
(Sleeping Capacity
5 persons)
 
The Tent
As the camping new season gets under way
then so do the Camping retailers tent
displays to showcase their new models for
the current season. Kool Kamping kindly
allowed 365 Camping Caravanning to pitch and
review one of their many new tent models
they have in stock this year, the Vango
Maritsa 500. A luxurious family sized tent
with sturdy steel poles and what now seems
to be a Vango trademark, a non-standard
tunnel design providing a larger living area
whilst still retaining height and structural
integrity. The Vango Maritsa 500 has a host
of features to ensure your camping holiday
is not only relaxed but will also be in
style. Well this is the 2nd 2010 model Vango
tent we’ve reviewed this year and we at 365
Camping Caravanning are not disappointed.
Vango have proven themselves in the field,
so to speak, time and time again with their
innovative designs and quality. I
particularly like the large integral front
porch which allows you to take off your wet
gear whilst sheltered from the elements
before entering the living area or just sit
inside the porch and watch the world go
whatever the weather.
With the porch entrance door having a choice
of half or full opening and with 3 clear
windows (with internal privacy covers) and
removable bathtub groundsheet the porch area
feels like a totally separate living area
from the main tent. The main living area has
a ‘D’ shaped door entrance (accessed from
the integral porch), as do the 2 side doors,
and each has internal meshing to stop the
bugs flying in but at the same time allowing
the required cooling ventilation on a warm
summers day.
The large living area has 2 clear windows
(with internal privacy covers), 2 side
doors, EHU cable entries (with centre
hanging point) and lots of storage pockets
on pelmets at the front of the bedrooms. The
bedrooms consist of 2 double bedrooms and 1
centre walk-in closet/wardrobe with hanging
rail (as part of a larger bedroom) or the
rail can be removed and the divider unzipped
to open up this bedroom into a 3 berth or
luxurious 2 berth bedroom.
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Features
Fire Retardant fabrics
Protex® 3000 polyester flysheet
Taped seams
Storm skirt system
Flysheet first pitching
Colour coded poles
Powerplus steel poles
Sewn-in polyethylene 10,000HH groundsheet
2 cable entry points and tidy
Vango Maritsa 500 Review
Mesh doors x 3
Multiple mesh vents
Integral front porch with Riser
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Groundsheet
Walk in wardrobe / 1 person inner
tent
Hanging organisers and inner pockets
Large Crystal Clear windows with
internal covers
Pelmet with storage pockets
Breathable fabric inner tents with
part mesh doors
Zippered divider in 3 person inner
Polyester inner groundsheets
Drop down groundsheet in front porch
Fully sealed side doors & porch door
Rain gutter zip cover
Easy find inner clips
Roller bag
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Pitch Footprint, Size
And Weight
Pack size - tent 75 x 30 x 30cm / Poles
80 x 18 x 18cm
Length 680cm
Width 385 (260cm at front porch)
Height 200cm
Total Weight - tent 16.80kg / Poles 18.85kg
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Pros and Cons |
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Pros |
Cons:
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Good quality -
although I wouldn’t expect anything
else from Vango
Quick pitch – for a family sized
tent
Spacious
Sturdy
Excellent integral front porch
design
Adjustable pegging straps
Walk in wardrobe – handy for those
longer stays |
Not standing
height throughout the bedrooms for a
tall person
A couple of extra pegging point at
the base of the rear of the tent
would be nice but this can be
overcome by utilising a couple of
‘Clingons’ (tm) |
Erection / Pitching
The tent can be pitched ‘as one’ or the
bedrooms removed.
Pitching is simple enough with colour coded
poles and the usual ring and pin system.
Expected pitching time of 30 minutes (after
a bit of practice with 2 people) is a credit
to Vango’s designers for such a spacious
family tent.
The Cost
MRRP £400 but
Kool Kamping of
Blackpool have them on offer for £349.99 a
bargain
The Verdict
Vango have put a lot of thought into
family camping and for me this tent ticks a
lot of the boxes, the Vango Maritsa will be
a strikingly imposing tent on any campsite
and you’ll definitely find other campers
asking you more about your new tent. Spend a
weekend in this you can but I’d bet you’d
want to stay in it longer.
Available in two colours (smoke/ocean and
laurel /meadow ).
Information and Links
For further information on Vango Tents
check out our
Vango Pages
Or visit Vango at their website
Vango
Reviewed by
Camper Pete 2010
Note We
recommend with all tents that you see them fully erected and satisfy yourself that the
product is right for you prior to making a purchase. |
