SUV tent questions

[gourdgirl]

I’m looking at SUV tents and wonder how they might hold up in windy conditions. Since they are partially attached to the SUV, reasoning would lead one to believe they might be more stable, especially if you use good army tent stakes for the rest of the set up. Yes or no? I want to be able to sleep in my car and use the tent for daytime in case of buggy or rainy conditions.

Also, once the tent is attached, can I close the hatch on the car? I’ve watched videos but I’m still not certain if the hatch can be closed after set up.

 

[WanderingRose]

If you google these, and for your specific vehicle, there is a fair amount of information on the manufacturer websites, including reviews if I remember correctly.

I seriously considered getting one of these a couple of years ago, but passed on it because of my dog.

 

[tx2sturgis]

They might be more stable, but they also render your vehicle as essentially non-driveable when set up.  You have to take it all (or most of it) down just to go anywhere.

They tend to be expensive...and if they have unusual length poles or weirdly shaped parts or panels, where do you get those in the middle of nowhere if you lose one or break something? The same issue exists with rooftop tents, although at least those get you up off the ground, away from most critters and varmints. 

But I would rather set up a decent but generic cabin tent, maybe even carry a spare smaller tent, and be able to leave that thing behind if the wind tears it up or I simply need to leave due to some unforeseen problem, a severe storm, a fire or flood, health emergency, etc. 

Just my 2 cents and of course there will be those who have them and like them.

 

[highdesertranger]

most of your questions depends on what tent you are planning on getting. I had one for a short time.

mine was not very durable and for me that was a big minus.
mine was freestanding so I could drive away, but I found if you returned at night it was a pain in the a** to get your vehicle back in the same exact place it was when you set it up.
on mine you could close my rear tail gate.
you will need to seriously upgrade the stakes, the long military stakes are hard to find or they are cheap Chinese knockoffs that aren't worth a nickel.
also remember if you get caught in a dust storm any piece of fabric that touches your paint is basically going to turn into sandpaper. you don't need to see dust in the air for this to be a concern.

as you might guess I no longer use one.

highdesertranger

 

[GypsyJan]

I haven't bothered attaching mine to the car yet, as the times I have used it, I was driving around each day sightseeing or running errands.I will attach it if ever I have several days of inclement weather or am boondocking for an extended time. It is a great stand-alone cabin tent, however and I will use it that way for stays that last longer than 2 days.

 

[WanderingRose]

I liked the idea that they enclosed the rear area, so I could be up off the ground for sleep but still have moving about room.

 

[maki2]

In the long run you are very likely to be better off with a free standing tent that has an excellent wind resistant shape and is very quick to put up and take down.

 

[gourdgirl]

Sounds like maybe a free standing tent would be better. Although I liked the SUV option because I get up fairly frequently at night for potty visits and can’t imagine trying to do that with no headroom in the SUV. I know women do it but for the life of me I don’t know how. I just prefer to sleep in the SUV for better security.

If I get free standing, I’m thinking Kodiak.

 

[ckelly78z]

I think if I were in an SUV, I might try backing up to one of these with the privacy curtains in place.

https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Set-9281-Portable-Protection/dp/B00E3LF7FK

 

[Trebor English]

"for the life of me I don’t know how"

Practice.  I told my daughter to use a bathtub or shower and practice.  She said it was very liberating to know that she has this skill.  Having the skill doesn't mean it's what you do all the time.

 

[kygreg]

This an alternative that I considered when boondocking was only going to be a vacation kind of thing. Both Springbar and Kodiac tents have an awning option, I planned on attaching canvas sides to the awning and backing my hatchback up to the front opening. If any tent can hold up to wind, it's one of those. It might require some custom canvas work, tent poles, and tie-downs, but it shouldn't be too difficult. I think if the wind is really bad, you might have to take it down until it lets up to preserve the life of the tent.

 

[LERCA]

Old topic but I saw Thule makes tents that sit on top of an SUV and have a pull up ladder you can use. Really interesting. Their stuff is expensive but hold up well.