I would immediately pay for new tent walls if they introduced a V3 with all of these changes.
Then I’d just throw away my current tent walls because no one would want them.
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If that’ll be an option then I definitely would too.
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HUNDO PERCENT!
I really wish GFC would make these simple changes because it would completely change the tent. I think it’s getting out more and more though and detering some future/potential buyers. I probably would have been hesitant if I knew the window situation myself.
Dropping in a new tent would be stupid easy as well…
Haha you’re not alone…I sometimes have flashbacks of my CVT Mt Hood with those full zip windows when it rained or snowed with wind. Very simple fixes could drastically change how the GFCs feels as a whole.
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Thats me, the deterred potential buyer. I am that person.
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You and quite a few I fear.
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Wouldn’t they simply need to change the zippers so there are more zippers? Like my backpack has multiple zippers per channel, so I can hope from either side or even from the middle if I prefer.
*edit - sometimes I’m an idiot. Yeah, they’d need to alter where the doors attach.
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I talked about it a little bit in my video… They need to change the orientation of the windows a bit, but it wouldn’t be hard. Super Pacific has it so their windows roll/fold sideways. They are full zip (from what I can see and what I have heard) and would still allow the user to half unzip the top for ventilation. They also have an added vent for the situations when you have to fully zip the tent up in bad weather. GFC could also do it like the CVT MT Hood which is basically like a “U” shape with the bottom portion being sewn into the tent. A lot of these tents DO NOT use the side windows as awnings. Personally I could care less about the side awnings and care more about complete protection from the elements.
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You bring up a good point about the awnings, which I do like sometimes too. I can see how difficult it would be to find an easy/simple design change that would please the masses and not just flipping which way the windows roll. Again, I wont be selling my GFC anytime soon but I do think the tent design could use some reimagining to bring it up to the same level as the rest of the camper.
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If they wanted to keep the awning style, another layer of fabric would need to be added.
Something other forum members have mentioned though is if it rains/those outside windows acting as the awning on the GFC get wet…which then you’re essentially closing up that moisture right on your sleeping platform. I try my best to wipe the inside of the windows as much as I can though and then air the tent out at home when appropriate.
It’s too bad they don’t have the zipper along the bottom. I doubt it’s possible, but I’ve thought about installing the tent upside down 
. Other than having those 3 openings would now be at the top to let water in, you would need some type of added flap.
I too would really like to open my windows half way with loosing the privacy.
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I get the ventilation comments living in CO with colder temps, but where are you guys camping that you are concerned about leaving your doors open for privacy?
I’ve slept many places all over CO, WY, and UT (especially in Moab) butt-naked enjoying the cool breeze not thinking about if others care or not.
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Definitely have had some recent experiences in CO with significant condensation and agree with everyone on suggested improvements.
Absolutely appreciate the comment about privacy; what little modesty I already have goes out the window when camping!
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Yea the privacy thing is big.
Just stayed up at Glacier like 2 weeks ago and needed the windows open for ventilation. Unfortunately, it’s either all the way open or nothing. I would have rolled them down half way or 1/4 of the way and we would have had adequate ventilation and also privacy.
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Fair, especially if you were working and at an organized site. I’ve had mine rolled partial before. I took some string and looped it from both sides of the top hooks and rolled it to where I wanted and had it resting on the string if that makes sense.
I’ve also had my tent fly poles in and then zipped the zippers down about 1/2 to 2/3rds of of the way as well vs. wide open.
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When not worried about privacy and the weather is clutch, you bet I’m sleeping full “cabana” window mode. Getting that cross breeze with the large windows is stellar.
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I’m also another deterred potential buyer. I want to run their RTT because I like the build quality of the clam shell, I like that it’s made by cool people in the US, and I like that they have a great community with active owners. But when it comes to pulling the trigger I always back out because of the reasons mentioned here.
I know two of GFC’s main things are minimal and lightweight, but I feel they could make improvements without sacrificing those much. Also, I believe any slight loss of those would be offset by a better camping/sleeping experience for people.
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As mentioned above, door opening. The fact that the doors open bottom up and don’t fully zip closed is something I think would bother me in the long run. A door that opens top down and fully zips allows for better ventilation, privacy, and less flapping fabric when zipped closed during wind.
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Also mentioned above, condensation. Having the doors open top down would help, but almost all other tent manufacturers now have some sort of top vent/opening high in the peak to help with this. Another option could be one of those small round solar powered marine fans. I know all James Baroud tents come with these, and I’ve seen another member on here install one recently.
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Screens on the inside of the doors. When camping during the bad bug months, this layout doesn’t seem as ideal. Being able to open/close the door fabric from the inside for ventilation or a view without letting bugs in would be nice. I think they do it this way for waterproofing, but screens on the outside seem to be working fine for other brands?
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Pockets on the inside. This honestly doesn’t bother me that much, but crazy they don’t come with a single pocket haha.
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I know this is highly unlikely, but an optional dual wall and headliner package would be cool. I recently saw an Alucab in person which has both of these and it was a very nice. I do realize the dual wall wouldn’t breath as well though.
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Great feedback here especially in points 1-4. Thanks for taking the time to write this up!
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@GainzGFC - I Really appreciate you and everyone piling on the feedback/ ideas for consideration. I’d be stoked on a few of these to suit my own scenarios and will add them to my late night armchair engineering concepts, haha. (FYI, I’m a marketing dude and content creator for the most part…absolutely not an engineer/product designer and more of a liaison if you will.)
But before I dive into a wall of feedback, please keep in mind that we’re still a pretty lean team, so it’s tough to say that these design changes are “simple” as a whole. R&D takes time, and implementation can be even more time consuming before finding consistency in the process. It’s all typically worth it, but as @sanfilipposd mentioned, pleasing the masses is tough to nail.
First off, my triangles are always open in what I call ‘pocket mode’-- I roll em down towards the mesh about 3/4 of the way, then zip both sides taut, and boom a pseudo pocket for sandals, phones & snacks. Sometimes I even rock a full door open away from the sunrise + people, but of course if it’s a more public place that can be tough. However, even in most rain storms I’m vented at the triangles.
However, just this weekend I had a water bottle leak throughout the night after tipping on me in the tent corner, and that kinda sucked. I woke up thirsty, a bit wet, and thought to myself about how nice a pocket for my agua and other crap could be. My fault there, but convenience is king sometimes ya know?
And like others, I winter camp a bit too. While I’m generally fine venting with the triangles and don’t experience much condensation (if any) when alone, I’ll admit it has built up when I’m with another human + my pooch. In that case, I’ll open a side door, but certain storms don’t make that an easy/fun option. In those scenarios I sorta suck it up and remember the adventure ahead and that ground tents are always an option…
So trust me, I get it, and wouldn’t beat around the bush with a community and company I care about.
But as with most goods I purchase and use often, I’m generally more critical of the ones I love. From my engineering marvel of a mountain bike I can’t fully push to the limit, to the somewhat overpriced camera bag I just bought… they’re both better than their predecessors, but I still poke holes.(With the bike it’s often just rider error or me running into talent loss.) And while this thread’s feedback is just as valid as my own at times, there’s a part of me that rushes in to remind myself of how lucky it is to have any nice things at all.
I’m likely sounding a bit preachy there, and no offense to myself or any of you, but really I think it’s a symptom of western consumerism that gets a hold of us all now and then. That’s not to say anyone is being needy, as I’d take a few of these updates in a heartbeat, but there are literally whole threads on other forums with multiple pages regarding the “annoyance” of the volume vs. next track buttons on a Gen 3 Tacoma steering wheel… so silly.
That all said, our engineering teams and others are continuously collaborating on improvements and how to efficiently include them within our assembly processes. They’re getting ready to share some hard work upgrading the sleeping experience after listening to your feedback before, so without leaking anything here, I think folks will be stoked.
Please continue to share feedback and ideas on where you think we can improve, and we’ll do what we can once we’re confident in our solution. There’s always a seat at the table for customers to collaborate with us, and we intend to keep it that way.
(PS Regarding the photos - The v1 tent photo is a concept tent done in-house, but as a cool personal project among two employees-- not a concept from GFC. The pockets in 2nd picture are also from an employee tent, or look similar to the ones I camped with over the weekend. Perks of working in-house, and in a way, confirmation that pockets are indeed…rad.)
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TRUTH. And its awesome that GFC has always stayed close to their customers, especially with this forum, to track and address the tough love. I am already stoked to hear that engineering has been hard at work to improve the sleeping experience, like they have done with the rest of the camper.
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