Tailgate tent

[vegit8]

Anyone got any experiences with one of these (or similar)?

http://www.khyam.co.uk/image/news/Tailgate%20Awning%20PR.pdf

We are not avid campers, but fancy a bit of the outdoor life.

SWMBO doesn't like the idea of lying on the floor with all the creepy crawlies, so we have tested the space with all the rear sets taken out (which we would leave at home of course) and with a 3ft inflatable there is room enough for one to sleep.

I would have to sleep in the outside bit, but you can purchase an optional internal tent thingy for that.

Prices dont seem overly expensive either.

Dubious text and double entendre deliberately supplied for the smutty members....

[expostmanpat]

Wouldn't touch it with a barge pole personally.

The area joining the tailgate will not be sealed leading to several issues,

1) drafts will make it bloody cold

2) in the slightest wind it will flap, at best this will be noisy, at worst it will wreck your paintwork.

Creepy crawlies will still be able to invade, better to buy a decent tent with a sewn in inner/groundsheet, and an off the floor camp bed if swmbo s paranoid.

[MarieK]

It may be quick to erect but will it stay that way all night?

(Thought I'd get that out of the way before Bob arrives!)

On a more serious note it does look interesting and I'm sure someone sensible on here (ha!) will help you to decide.

Personally I'd prefer a b&b or a hotel

[Ootohere]

Lots of choices around of Tunnel tents in all prices ranges and qualities or weight with suitable entrances that you can reverse up to,

just choose the one to suit the height you need, and a side door or double entrance.

You then close up securely when driving away and leaving pitched.

The one pictured is certainly taking up some space as pitched in the picture.

Or another type.

google

sport dome to go tent acura hatchback

george

[Huskoda]

It would be better to just get a regular tent with a sewn in groundsheet. Keep the sleeping compartment zipped up at all times and you will be fine. As said above, my biggest worry with the awning would be the wind using it to sand your paint off.

[Brijo]

I've never liked the idea of the tailgate ten/awning. Apart from the questions of the 'division of facilities' (i.e. what do you intend to happen in the tent and what in the vehicle) (leave it, Bob!), and of the inevitable draughts and abrasions mentioned above, where are the exhaust fumes going when you start up, even if you do manage to squeeze in and get a zip done up first?!

The smaller dome or tunnel tents with sewn-in groundsheets do the sleeping/day-storage and hiding-from-the-rain bits quite well and you can even get double camp beds nowadays I believe ( :zzz: or , whichever you prefer). May I suggest you check out a camping forum or two?

[CFB]

Lots of choices around of Tunnel tents in all prices ranges and qualities or weight with suitable entrances that you can reverse up to,

just choose the one to suit the height you need, and a side door or double entrance.

You then close up securely when driving away and leaving pitched.

The one pictured is certainly taking up some space as pitched in the picture.

Or another type.

google

sport dome to go tent acura hatchback

george

Too easy...

A suitable entrance to reverse up to and a double entrance if required??

Ooh missus

I would give my right arm for a double garage.

[rwbaldwin]

I've seen one with an extra homemade inner tunnel on a Yeti. I assume that the addition is necessary to create a windproof/waterproof connection.

The guy who made it is a mechanic and made it out of the same material that is used to protect wings when you work on an engine. It was attached to a speedframe 'square' that fitted snugly in the mouth of the boot.

It worked very well in the heavy rain we had about 10 days ago.

[Michael G]

Khyam are a reasonably well regarded brand. Have you looked at UK CS? They have a huge database of member submitted ratings.

I can't quite see if this is the same thing, but if it is, it scores 7.13 out of 10 from 8 reviews:

http://www.ukcampsit...dome-Tourer/638

That said, I would go for a standalone tent any day of the week. These days they come with sewn-in or zipped-in groundsheets and are as bug and draft free as it is possible to be.

Good luck.

Edited 9 June, 2013 by Michael G

[900000]

Two problems:

1. Camper vans are insulated. A regular car is not and you will get VERY, VERY cold sleeping in a car. Modern tents are double skinned and this keeps you warm(er) at night. Your example looks single skinned, so again not for sleeping in. It doesn't even show a ground sheet! So this is at best a shelter to sit under and watch birds from, but to sleep in? Never.

2. Are you only going to cycle or walk to places? How easy is it to disentangle the car from the tent every time you want to drive somewhere?

[rwbaldwin]

...

2. Are you only going to cycle or walk to places? How easy is it to disentangle the car from the tent every time you want to drive somewhere?...

Without my mates inner tunnel, it was just a matter of closing the tailgate, driving out, unhooking the guys from the 2 tunnel poles, laying the poles horizontal and wrapping the tunnel around them.

The extra bit he added just added a few seconds. The speedframe had foam pipe insulation around it under the material so it just pulls out of the tailgate opening

[domhnall]

I've not seen the tailgate one but we do use this http://www.khyam.co.uk/detail.asp?p=740&product=Motordome%20Classic on our camper van. It's not used for sleeping in though, just for eating in and sitting in when the rain starts. There is an inner tent you can get for sleeping in though.

[Guest]

Any idea if one of these is any good?

http://www.tentsontop.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=17&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=113

[Michael G]

That doesn't look daft, no, not at all....

[Guest]

Ooooh - where did you get yours from... and would it fit on the Yeti? I've had my eye on these for a while ...

[Michael G]

Errr, I haven't got one, and wouldn't have one, I got it from your link :think:

I've got one of these. Much more sensible.

[CFB]

That doesn't look daft, no, not at all....

It doesn't matter what it looks like when your in the Aussie bush. Rather that than all the nasties that crawl in overnight on the ground!

[JCP]

Just about to test one of these-with doors/walls-at Le Mans.

We will be using it as a sitting/dining area but you could park a Yeti in it!

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/ekmps/shops/grasshopper/images/coleman-event-shelter-15-x-15-%5B3%5D-1517-p.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/coleman-event-shelter-15-x-15-1517-p.asp&h=750&w=1000&sz=108&tbnid=7rfbDK2MdA_tOM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&zoom=1&usg=__JYs-zgFezTGXsgUDWarVrRSHvjk=&docid=poZdFfqmU7xTiM&sa=X&ei=BEe2UcmwJqeS7AbEs4HABw&ved=0CIIBEPUBMAc&dur=4446

[Michael G]

Aussie bush? Aussie bush? Where's Bobdog when you need him?

[MarieK]

Aussie bush? Aussie bush? Where's Bobdog when you need him?

Bob is one of the nasties that crawl in overnight

[CFB]

Bob is one of the nasties that crawl in overnight

But at least he'll only sting you for beer :beer:

[ColinD]

It doesn't matter what it looks like when your in the Aussie bush. Rather that than all the nasties that crawl in overnight on the ground!

Actually saw a few of these in Norway, very practical really. If I had to go this route I would go this way. As an added plus, once inside my sleeping bag I've no idea what it looks like.

One other option, but it's possibly blowing your budget is a teepee style setup.

The wee nasties are ever present, be that midge or spider. But to be honest it's the midge in summer north of say Birmingham that will annoy you the most. I can't recall the last time I had a crawly in my tent, nope, pretty much always midge or mozzie's.

Depending on where you're heading, I'd go with a separate tent. few reasons, one is insurance, things nicked from tents tend to be or can be on house insurance. An ok tent provides a place to sleep in the rain, the car provides a safe bunker to transport you from tent to pub.

Make sure you can stand up, if you want to in a tent. Ordinarily you need to devolve a few million years and crouch a lot to get in and out. The taller the tent the more prone to wind damage, the cheaper the tent the more prone to wind damage and rain penetration. That said my lightweight mtn tent about 300 quids worth was nearly flattend in Skye a few weekends ago. I pitched it and the wind swung, giving me a gale force rain blast into the door/vent. Bit damp But not as damp as the tall tents that fell over or the 5 min popa tents.

So in short, sleeping in the tent is the easy part! Make sure you can enjoy being inside the tent, or don't spend too much and save some pub budget

[JCP]

I'm a regular but not frequent camper-summer only- a week at Le Mans.

That doesn't mean good weather but seldom cold fairly often damp/windy.

Room to stand up has been the revolution for me for the last 3 years. I have managed without a good tent. The current one is a Halfords special two room 4 person item with a central area.

A room to sleep in, central area with bags of room to stand for changing and the other room for luggage and helmet/leathers and boots. A quick spray of Raid/Doom and the inner tent mesh door zipped up at dusk.

[Llanigraham]

Any idea if one of these is any good?

http://www.tentsonto...mart&Itemid=113

You would very easily exceed the roof loading limit with one of those!!

[YETI95]

Spent a week in this,in some very high winds (hence the shelter behind the 40ft container)Had heavy, no leaks or creepy crawly guests.