car camping tent: privacy?

Those options are around $400 and 11 to 13 pounds.

At $250 from Sierra Trading Post (list price = $700), this winter tent is a LOT more substantial, similar floor area, a bit lower in height, 13 pounds.  It has more opaque sides so more visual privacy, but less ventilation in hot weather:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ferrino-snowbound-3-tent-3-person-4-season~p~146ta/?filterString=s~tent%2F

For my family camping tents, I’ve got a range of Marmot’s offerings.  Lots of ventilation, relatively compact and less expensive, although not standing height for anyone.  That’s nice when the wind comes up, both a little bothersome if tent-bound for long periods without wind.  We’ve used this one for one adult and two kids so it would be spacious for one adult with kid or two adults ($180, 93″ x 66″, 6.2 pounds, 46″ height).

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/marmot-ajax-3-tent-3-person-3-season~p~4034u/?filterString=s~tent%2F

At 6 pounds, it isn’t unreasonable to carry it in a few miles.  (Heck, especially for 3 people, 2 pounds of tent per person is less than most people backpack with).  Also even just for car camping, half the weight means half the bulk in your car and your checked bags (lots of our adventures involving flying within Alaska or to HI, AZ, Mex, etc).

@Sebastian

When you are not illuminating the inside of the tent at night, I would think all mosquito netted tents are going to be about the same.  A tent with lots of mosquito netting mesh that is illuminated from the inside will allow more visibility into your tent but probably not much more than the profile of a body.

If you like BigAgnes tents, you might look at the YellowJacket which appears to extend the solid fabric higher up the walls because it does not have a full coverage rain fly.  I bought the now discontinued BA Madhouse because it had two doors and a full coverage rainfly.  We often erect it without the rainfly on the warm balmy Sierra Nevada nights.

I would say get your self to a bricks and mortar REI or EMS store and visually inspect the tents you are interested in. Your son might enjoy the tent shopping as well.
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My wife and I have been using the Alps ‘Lynx 4’ for a couple years. It’s great. They catagorize it as a backpacking tent which is pretty wild. It’s 8.5lbs and packs down surprisingly small.

http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/products/tents/backpacking-tents/lynx

thank you

For car camping, I use the ALPS Camp Creek Tent which I found to be spacious, tall enough for even a tall person to stand in, four windows that zip closed for privacy, and easy to set up. It also didn’t weigh too awful much. Had it in both wind and rain and it stood up to it fine. It wasn’t a gale or downpour, though. I paid $190 for it on Amazon.

In another life and time I had a Eureka Timberline 2 for me and my first wife. Two kids later we got a Eureka Timberline 4.

• ecconomical
• easy to set up
• storm-worthy
• long lasting

It is my understanding (after more than 1 million Timberline tents sold) that both are still made, however I don’t know if the quality and materials are the same as in yesteryear.