Prius hatchback tent?

Costco states this Sportz model fits the Prius.

http://www.costco.ca/en-CA/Browse/Product....prodid=10291404

 

Sport Chalet seems to have a good deal with free shipping and no tax in most states.

http://www.sportchalet.com/product/index.j...rentPage=search

 

It wouldn't be such a good idea to leave the car on to run the A/C or anything with a tent behind it, you may have to modify your exhaust... Just see what happened to Darell's bumper from the trailer hitch, not to mention the fumes.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LurkAzusa @ Oct 8 2006, 11:07 AM) [snapback]329743[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for letting your fingers do the walking. I thought the $169.00 was a good price until I saw this plus free shipping and no tax. I called my local store. They don't carry this; it's internet only. The guy that makes them leases the name for I'm sure it's the same tent at Costco and AutoAnything as at Sport Chalet.

I went ahead and ordered one. It's 8 feet by 8 feet by 6 feet tall. Plenty of room for me and my dog. Now I have to decide if I want to be cheap and go with a twin bed (which might fit in the cargo area, plus I already have twin size sheets) or to with a queen size. If I'm ever able to afford one of the teardrop trailers the queen size will fit in there nicely.

So whether it's disaster preparedness or just a little recreational get away camping....I'm ready.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Oct 13 2006, 07:56 PM) [snapback]332586[/snapback]</div>

Be sure to take pictures and let us know how well it fits and works for you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seasalsa @ Oct 5 2006, 09:03 PM) [snapback]328763[/snapback]</div>

yeah, that looks pretty good. all it needs is a cutout on the top to let the hatch act as a skylight. however, i wonder if they make it a complete sleeve to make it waterproof, e.g. with a cutout the water lands on the hatch window and trickles down to where?

don

 

I got one, too. Ordered Sunday, arrived Tuesday morning. Talk about fast delivery! It ships from So. Cal.

The hood portion does fit snugly on the Prius. The tent sets up easily. Haven't had a chance to hook both together yet. Hopefully today if the weather holds.

Now I just need to order an extra long zipper and make a cover for the hood to enclose the hatch portion and not need the tent portion.

 

Yes, someone please post a variety of pics inside and out so we can see the strong and weak points of this union.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LurkAzusa @ Oct 8 2006, 11:30 AM) [snapback]329735[/snapback]</div>

Worth noting - Costco says this tent is water-resistant, which is a red flag if I've ever heard one.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Davey Bob @ Oct 14 2006, 11:52 AM) [snapback]332749[/snapback]</div>

Why? I don' t plan to camp in a hurricane or monsoon. If it rains, I'm going in the car anyway.

Besides, I also don't like the cold. So if the weather sucks, I'm not going.

When I win the lottery I'm getting a teardrop trailer anyway.

 

Ok, here's the scoop!

Yes, it is water-resistant, not water-proof. This is not for serious campers who need heavy duty equipment. It is lightweight nylon suitable for privacy and mild wind protection.

The sleeve doesn't protect adequately if there were a rain storm. The water would slip under the roof and channel down the hatch into the tent. It would need to be taped or some use of plastic/rubber cover to prevent that.

The bottom tarp encloses the exhaust. While it doesn't directly touch it, don't run the car with it attached.

It's fine for light weekend camping or tailgating in mild climates. Here are a bunch of pictures.
Prius Sportz 1 Tent and Car
Prius Sportz Tent and Car 2
Prius Sportz Interior
Prius Sportz Interior 2
Prius Sportz Roof connection
Prius Sportz Roof Foam protection
Prius Sportz Exhaust

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LurkAzusa @ Oct 14 2006, 04:33 PM) [snapback]332818[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for the pictures! It looks like a great combination. Just one question: I couldn't tell - is the exhaust inside or outside the tent?

 

The exhaust is technically outside the tent proper, but since it is inside the sleeve and when the screen and tent side are down to attach the sleeve, it would leak up the bumper part into the tent. Also, heat so close to the sleeve wouldn't be safe.

 

"It's fine for light weekend camping or tailgating in mild climates. Here are a bunch of pictures."

Thank you for the pics, LurkAzusa. That's just what I expected out of this tent -- light camping in mild climates. To me, this would be a great way to reduce lodging costs on a trip where the weather cooperated. Tent camp a day or two, then rent a room on the off day to use the pool, wash up, watch "Lost", etc. Looks like fun in the making!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LurkAzusa @ Oct 14 2006, 03:33 PM) [snapback]332818[/snapback]</div>

Thanks. Pretty much what I had in mind. If the weather is lousy I'd want to head to civilization anyway. But looks roomy, plenty of light but also privacy. And I love the access to the entire cargo area. When it gets here I'll be studying the sleeve to the hatch. I may try my hand at a simple hatch-drop with maybe a screened window. Or maybe make the entire thing out of netting. With a weighted bottom it might be simply a matter of throwing it over the open hatch. If I manage something I can make a pattern with simple directions for anyone else that wants to give it a try. I can understand why the sleeve on this tent is a little loose as it has to fit many cars. Something custom for the Prius should be much sleeker and form-fitting.

 

Turning your car into a tent sounds kinda cool, but I'm thinking this kinda tent isn't such a great idea. A separate tent with an overhead tarp has the advantages of being able to leave the campsite without taking everything down, and of being able to leave the car running to recharge your battery stuff (like the fridge). Besides that, if this thing won't keep out the rain and the bugs, it's not much of a tent.

 

You can detach or leave the sleeve and zip up the side of the tent to make it a regular tent, no disassembly required. The whole side has screen and nylon when zipped up. It should keep the bugs out, but a heavy rain....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Oct 16 2006, 01:26 PM) [snapback]333541[/snapback]</div>

fridge?!?!?! thats not real camping... Just this past weekend i went camping with a bunch of guys from college in New Mexico - the only electricity we used was for the flashlights!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Oct 17 2006, 10:20 AM) [snapback]333898[/snapback]</div>

Not so long ago, I would have agreed with you. I used to cut my toothbrushes in half to cut down on the weight in my pack. Car camping is a whole 'nuther story. A little portable cooler that plugs into the accessory outlet allows us to travel further from 'civilisation' with fewer supply runs. It's still 'real'.

 

I think it would be more efficient to use dry ice in a cooler than it would be to keep the Prius running with some sort of fridge, or if you do enough camping to make it worthwhile you may consider the $380 propane powered fridge that was already posted that can run for two days on a small portable container of propane. If you need to run several appliances of course it would always be way more efficient to run a small portable generator. As far as the tent issues go, my vote goes to the teardrop trailer!