SUV Tents: Good or Bad?

[Orangedrink]

Hello everyone. I'm looking for a tent that will attach to the rear of my 3rd gen 4runner. I've seen a few of these on Amazon (links below), but don't know if the quality is up to par. Any suggestions, reviews or alternate tent / Runner set up would be great.

I'm a camper, but my wife is not so I'm looking for a more comfortable/convenient set up. Plus, we have a dog.

http://www.amazon.com/Rightline-Gear-110910-CampRight-Tent/dp/B0032ADXNG/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1321249463&sr=1-1

Thanks!

[4x4mike]

I don't think you'd get much extra room with an SUV tent. If the vehicle had a tailgate then maybe. My wife and I can sleep inside of the 4runner. I remove the seat bottoms for extra room. One bummer is that all your gear sleeps outside or is stuffed in the front seats. Again I don't think the tent would get you any more sleeping space. Maybe more covered storage space if it went to the ground but I've never used one.

Another option would be a sleeping platform. Storage under, sleeping on top.

[troyboy162]

I think once you rip the rear seat bottoms out, the rear headrests, fold the rear backs down flat, and sleep in the back you wont be interested in tents any more. Its quick, easy and keeps the wife out of the bugs and snakes. I have seen some guys use a small tent to put the gear in over night and that isnt bad...but like Mike said, a sleeping platform and some good packing means you just throw a few things in the front seat at night and sleep in a nearly queen size bed.

I apologies if you have already seen these and decided against them, but most of us 3rd gens have gone this route for the lack of tail gate and abundance of sleeping area

This is a nice one. Mine is just plywood and jackstands haha
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/97683-rickashays-sleeping-platform.html

[Robinhood4x4]

The tent you linked would probably work, but it's awfully expensive for what you get. You can get a really nice normal tent for $300. What the wife and I do is setup a good, 4 person tent and put all our stuff in there. Then, we sleep in the back of the 4runner. Works out fairly well.

You might want to think about getting a small popup camper.

[Orangedrink]

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, probably will sleep in the Runner. Not sure about the dog, though.

@ Troy – didn't even think of doing something like that - very cool idea. I like to tinker, so I will probably do something along those lines or at least an additional storage solution.

@ Robinhood - I don't even know where to start looking for a popup. Do you have any recommendations?

[Seanz0rz]

i have a pretty basic sleeping platform i built a few years ago. i havent used it in forever.

want to buy it? haha. no im serious though... it's taking up room in my shed.

[04 Rocko Taco]

Just FYI - One of the F-toy guys here in the southeast uses an SUV tent on his Excursion, and its pretty cool. The tent goes from the back door down to the ground, and while it does not provide any extra sleeping room, it makes a heck of a lot of usable space for gear, dry storage, and in their case, a pair of dog kennels.

I know most folks here vote for the sleeping platform and that's great, but IMHO, if you are looking for a tent for just gear, forget that $300 price tag. I sleep regularly in a Coleman Sundome 5 that I got at the Coleman outlet for like $59. If you are going to sleep in it, maybe a little more cost is justified, but if you are going to rack out in the rig, and put gear in a tent, get a cheapy and a can of spray water repellent and call it a day!

[Orangedrink]

Thanks for the offer Sean! I'm still debating the mod or taking Rockos advice. I like the stock interior and being able to use the back seats on the fly.

Thanks for the great advice guys. It's cool to be part of the community!

[strykersd]

Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, probably will sleep in the Runner. Not sure about the dog, though.


I've slept in the back of my first generation 4runner with a gf and her full grown golden retriever. I didn't mind it at all.

[Robinhood4x4]

@ Robinhood - I don't even know where to start looking for a popup. Do you have any recommendations?


There are couple pop up forums out there, www.popupportal.com (http://www.popupportal.com) and www.popupexplorer.com (http://www.popupexplorer.com)

I just picked up a small coleman for $2300, but you can get older ones cheaper. I'd say you can get a decent older one for $1500-2500 on craigslist. You can get them really cheap if you're looking for a rebuild project.

[flyfishexpert]

I have never really found a SUV tent that I really liked.

On our recent Four Corners trip, we slept in both the 4Runner and our tent. For those spots where were going to spend a couple of nights we setup our tent and for those where we were just passing through we slept in our 4runner.

Here we are setup at Hovenweep:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/382738_153649741399789_144421515655945_232831_1146 404675_n.jpg

Here is our sleeping platform: (water jug comes out when we sleep)
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa211/beaukrista/4x4/Rear%20Platform/DSCF6617.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OMVahr6boCU/Tsk-Kut24kI/AAAAAAAAEaE/1XRDmbdiMsU/s800/DSC_8255.jpg

We did not bring our German Wirehair with us on this trip, but if we had we would have been sleeping in the tent every night. I am 6'6"/240# and it gets abit tight with just myself in the 4Runner.

For a little more than the price of a SUV Tent you posted, you could pick up a very nice ground tent. I have often lusted after a Springbar tent http://www.kirkhams.com/springbar_tents/ and if you are looking for comfort, this might be the way to go. Room for two + a dog to sleep.
http://www.kirkhams.com/images/products/preview/41010085.jpg