TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:10 am

Hey all, I just bought an SUV tent on clearance. Its the kind that connects to the back hatch of a Chevy Suburban (or similar). I plan on figuring out a way to fit it to the side door of my bus. I'll probably also loan it to my folks for their cross country trip in their Vanagon (case you were wondering). Anyway, has anyone used one of these SUV tents as a side tent? How did you connect it, and how did it work?

Steve

Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:06 am

A family we camp with, bought one of those.
It was a sort of "one for all" model
On his suburban, with swing rear doors it didn't work at all.
It seemed to work better on the rear of the vanagon..the hatch helped.
But...It was really a PIA. to set up...and fapped around in the wind like a drunken monkey...there just seemed to be no good way to use it.
...bad design.
If I were you...I would set it up, take a really good look at it, and make sure its worth the effort before you get too creative.
good luck

Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:09 am

If the SUV tent doesn't have the drip moulding attachment rubber lip, the bottom tie downs that pull the tent to the Van, or isn't the right height it'll have a hard time being a free standing Vanagon type tent.

I mean, it may work OK , but if it rains for instance your not going to have a water tight seal to the Van, or it may not fit bug free tight to the side of it.

You've got the tent,why not set it up and see how it's gonna fit?
This would answer you question pretty quick---

Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:54 am

Thats what I'll do. My intention is to try to fab something up so it will attach to the drip rail and be an access to the side door. I have a 30 day return policy, so I'll figure it out. I'll post the results.

Steve

Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:26 pm

which tent is it? if its the texsport, youd have to run it over when you drive away plus the hole in the tent is tiny the sock is big enough to work with but you cant actually walk through like a side tent

Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:58 pm

Having seen these new SUV tents on
SUVs, and wondering if I should modernize I thought about it --- but I couldn't see it working on my van, so stuck with my original.

It was a Woods screened shelter with roll down panels outside the bug screen. I cut the back out, sewed in a few pieces to velcro to the van in front of the slider and behind the slider when it is open.

Also stitched a 'skirt' which clips up under the side of the van, and around the rear wheel arch keeping drafts and bugs out from underneath.

For the drip channel, I stitched a tubular pocket and slid a metal tent pole into it, which connects into the two clamps that hold the whole thing to the rain gutter. Its very bug tight, wind proof, either open with bug screens or private with the sides rolled down.

I ended up fitting a wall into the opening that fits up to the van, so it is free standing, but the free standing part isn't that practical as the legs would like to splay out and get in the way of the van.

Photos and more description at www.griffco.ca/interest and look for the Westfalia link.