Oztent RX-5 Deluxe Review | GearJunkie Tested

Rooftop tents are seriously cool. But they’re not a good fit for everyone or every rig. That’s especially true if it’s going on your daily driver and you value fuel economy or handling. Luckily, there’s another option for those of us who want something different: the Oztent RV/RX-series of 30-Second Tents.

The Oztent RX-5 Deluxe is unlike any other tent you’ve probably used. The first thing you notice before you get it out of the bag is that it’s massive. It’s 79.5 inches long, 14.9 inches wide, and 10.6 inches tall, and it weighs 67.2 pounds.

This is definitely a car-camping or overlanding kind of tent! Once you find a flat spot and take it out of its carrying bag, setting up the main body of the tent often takes less than 30 seconds.

I put one to the test over the last year, and it’s become a mainstay for my family and me.

In short: The Oztent RX-5 Deluxe ($2,199) is a great compromise between the comfort and solidity of a rooftop tent and the ground tent, which isn’t bolted to your vehicle’s roof all the time. It’s big, awkwardly shaped, heavy, and expensive, but it’s built to last for decades and offers more comfort and security than just about anything short of a yurt.

Oztent RX-5 Deluxe Review

The RX-5 uses an aluminum frame with two folding arms that lever out horizontally to form the tent’s footprint. Once these arms are folded out, you simply step inside the tent door and lift on the frame, which opens the tent like an accordion. Inside, there are braces on both sides that give the tent structure and have over-center latches that lock the tent in its open position.

Once those are set, you’re ready to rock. The dimensions of the tent when set up are 102.3 inches wide, 102.3 inches deep, and 74.8 inches tall, measured at the door.

Ventilation with the Oztent is excellent. The RX-5 Deluxe has two side windows and a massive skylight on the roof, all of which have very fine mesh to keep out bugs. The front door is large and uses a trio of zips in an upside-down T shape, which makes ingress and egress pretty easy. There are also two “eyebrow vents” above the door, which I leave open all the time to eliminate condensation.

The quick initial setup is the headline feature for the Oztent, but that’s far from the only trick it has up its sleeve. For example, there’s the built-in awning, which is standard on all the tents in the series. This is one of my favorite parts of the tent, because with a few poles and guy lines, you have a decent-sized covered area to keep out of the sun or rain.

Also, because it’s permanently attached to the tent and made of the same 8-ounce canvas material, it’s incredibly sturdy and wind-resistant. The awning’s dimensions are 102.3 inches wide by 78.7 inches deep. Height varies according to your preference, as the poles are telescoping.

Oztent RX-5 Size

The RX-5 (and its almost-identical twin, the RV-5) is the largest tent in Oztent’s 30-Second Tent lineup. They’re sold as 5-person tents, but as with every other tent, those people must be tiny. That said, I’m 6-feet, 4-inches tall, and my wife is 6-feet, 2-inches tall; we both fit in with big Exped Megamat sleeping pads and, in my case, a huge OneTigris cot, with no issues.

Another bonus of the RX-5’s overall size is that, at the door, I can almost stand up straight, which makes things like changing clothes much easier. For those campers looking for a slightly less bulky setup, the RV-3 and RV-4 are available. There are also the RS-1 and RS-2 swags, which are smaller still.

The RX-5 Deluxe also comes with a zip-on rainfly that features a reflective coating on the roof to keep heat out of the tent. This is a big deal in the Australian Outback as well as in sunny Southern California, where I live. The zip-on additional room that fastens to the awning and creates a second enclosed living space is super-handy if the weather gets super nasty or if you want a little extra privacy.

The Downsides

Sounds awesome, right? It is, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are tradeoffs. While the initial setup of the tent’s sleeping area is super-quick and easy, the awning, fly, and extra room all require extra effort.

If you have a pathological hatred of pounding in stakes or pegging out guy lines, look elsewhere, because the Oztent uses plenty of both. If you’re just setting up for a night, the whole rigamarole can be kind of a lot to deal with, especially after a long drive to camp. For multiple nights, though, it becomes absolutely worth it.

The ripstop canvas the tent is constructed from is extremely wind- and water-resistant, but it does require some care and feeding to keep it that way. Specifically, canvas tents require “seasoning,” which involves spraying them down with a hose once a year to help the stitches at the seams swell, preventing water ingress.

Is it a big deal? Nope. Is it more work than occasionally airing out a nylon tent? Yeah. The PVC bucket floor is very rugged and doesn’t require any special care, though it can be vulnerable to sharp rocks or dog claws.

Improving the Experience 

Everything about the Oztent looks and feels high-quality, except the bag it comes in. It’s adequate, but it can be a real hassle to get the tent in and out of. For my tent, I bought a set of bags for it, its poles, and accessories from another Aussie company called Drifta.

They’re made from a much higher-quality fabric, and the tent bag is slightly oversized and zips on three sides, making it a lot easier to pack the tent into. They’re not super cheap, costing around $280 at current exchange rates, and shipping from Australia to the States (since there is currently no US Drifta distributor) stings a bit too, but it’s worth it.

The Verdict

Oztent has a few U.S. distributors and a U.S. website, making it easy to order. Pricing is pretty steep for a ground tent, but not miles away from something similarly robust like a Springbar.

My RX-5 Deluxe comes with the fly and extra room, which are usually optional extras, and sells for a not-inconsiderable $2,199. Oztent also sells a mesh floor saver, which goes under the tent and the awning, which I’d recommend, and it’ll run you $180.

So, if you are ready to move away from regular ground tents and want something more substantial that will withstand whatever weather Mother Nature throws at it and still last for decades, the Oztent is a great choice. It offers something truly unique with its easy setup design and excellent build quality. It’s an excellent alternative to rooftop tents for people who can’t leave a tent on their rig all the time.