Alright, so a while back, I got this idea to try out one of those tents that you can hook up to your SUV. I’d seen a few pictures online, and it seemed like a pretty neat way to camp. More space than a regular tent, you know? So I started looking around, found one that looked decent, and bought it. A “Joytutus” tent, whatever that means, it’s a pop-up one. Seemed easy enough.
First thing, I picked a weekend with good weather, or so I thought, and headed out to a local campsite. Got the SUV all packed up with the usual gear, the tent, sleeping bags, the whole nine yards. I even brought extra awnings for more shade and avoid wind.
When I got there, I found a nice little spot, backed the SUV in, and started to set up. Now, this tent was supposed to attach to the back of my SUV, basically extending the trunk space into a tent. Sounds cool, right?
Here’s where things got interesting. I laid the tent out, found the part that was supposed to connect to the car, and started figuring out how it all went together. It wasn’t as straightforward as the pictures made it seem, I will say, there were straps and these weird little hooks.
- Unfold the tent on the ground beside your SUV.
- Attach the tent to the rear of your vehicle.
- Secure the tent to the ground using stakes.
After a bit of wrestling and some colorful language, I managed to get the tent connected to the SUV. It wasn’t pretty, but it was up! I had to adjust the straps a few times, make sure it was tight against the car so bugs and stuff wouldn’t get in. Then came the poles and stakes. It’s a pop-up tent, but you still gotta stake it down, otherwise, a good gust of wind and you’re basically a giant, car-shaped kite. And I chose a dome tent, they aren’t very spacious, you know? I just don’t want an A-Frame tent, or Pyramid tent, even Hoop tent.
Finally, after a good hour or so of work, I had the tent fully set up. Stepped back, admired my handiwork. It actually looked pretty good! It was like having a little extra room attached to the back of my car. I set up my sleeping bag and stuff inside, got the cooler out, and cracked open a cold one.
The rest of the weekend was pretty smooth. The tent worked out great. It was nice having that extra space, and being connected to the car made it feel a bit more secure than a regular tent. Plus, I could keep all my gear in the trunk and just reach through to grab it.
One thing I learned, though, is to check the weather forecast a little closer. It rained on the second night, not a lot, but enough to make me glad I had that tent hooked up to the SUV and not just a regular one on the ground. All in all, I’d say the SUV tent was a win. It’s definitely something I’ll use again. Just gotta remember to bring a little extra patience for the setup!
