The Camper's Mansion
Napier Sportz Midsize SUV Tent Review
Guest blogger, Rhea Perry
When we started this blog a few months ago I begged my friend Rhea Perry to write something for me about "that cool car camping thing." She very kindly and professionally penned this detailed review about a new way to have your camping adventures. Enjoy, and thank you to Rhea!
The Sportz™ Midsize SUV Tent is a perfect shelter
for family camping adventures. The innovative design uses an adjustable durable
tarp-like sleeve to transform your CUV, SUV or minivan into ample camping
space. This sleeve is also detachable to
transform your shelter into a standard ground tent.
Last spring we were surfing the web for new family camping
ideas and my husband stumbled on this SUV tent. I immediately fell in love with
the idea of using the back of our Chrysler Town & Country as additional
camping space. I was picturing a twin-sized air mattress in the back and space
to change diapers while standing up. It was full of potential and convenience.
As luck would have it, I found one barely used on a regional swap and sell
site.
A few days before our camping trip, I backed my van into the yard and unfolded the tent to gain some experience setting up. I highly recommend this for any new tent purchase. There is little worse than showing up to your campsite in the dark and arguing over what goes where. I know I'm not the only one.
A few days before our camping trip, I backed my van into the yard and unfolded the tent to gain some experience setting up. I highly recommend this for any new tent purchase. There is little worse than showing up to your campsite in the dark and arguing over what goes where. I know I'm not the only one.
The assembly is a breeze and can be done by one person if
needed. The tent assembles into a plentiful height of 6' in the corners and a
spacious 7' in the center. The connecting SUV sleeve goes up over the open
hatch and under the bumper encasing the backend of your vehicle to extend your
living space into a mini mansion. The tent is equipped with a 6' x 6' awning
and a 6' x 7' bottomless screen room if you've purchased that model.
I highly recommend this mini mansion shelter to any SUV
owner looking for a little extra space and functionality in their car camping
excursions.
Specs:
·
Adjustable SUV sleeve custom fits your CUV, SUV
or minivan hatch creating additional camping space.
·
Detachable SUV sleeve transforms tent into a standard
ground tent.
·
9' x 9' footprint comfortably sleeps 4 - 5
persons.
·
7' of overhead room at the center and 6' in the
corners.
·
Steel and fiberglass pole structure for strength
and durability.
·
Waterproof polyester taffeta tent featuring full
length taped and seamed rain fly and storm flaps in the windows.
·
Durable waterproof shower liner style floor
prevents rain runoff from flooding in.
·
Cyclone Ventilation system provides adequate airflow
without compromising storm coverage.
·
Two inside gear pockets and a gear loft.
·
Approximate weight: 30 lbs.
Recommendations:
Go for the screen room. We definitely wish we had that extra space.
Shop around. Most sporting goods stores offer the screen room model new from $260 - $370.
If you purchase the screen room model, spend the extra $30 on the Sportz Footprint to line the bottom of the screen room.
A standard twin sized air mattress is a bit too wide to fit the bed of an SUV or minivan. Coleman makes, at a reasonable price, a Portable SUV Quickbed that measures 41" x 63."
Likes:
I have to say the spacious overhead layout is my favorite feature of this tent.
The shower liner style floor is new to me in the world of camping equipment features and I was quite impressed with the ease of sweeping it out at the end of our trip as well as the ability to keep light rain from leaking in at the bottom seams.
Dislikes:
The adjustable SUV sleeve doesn't quite fit around the bottom of my 2013 Chrysler Town & Country. The bumper is a little wider than my previous 2010 Dodge Caravan model and consequently the sleeve comes up about an inch or two short in material to encase the bumper. To solve that issue, I tuck the bumper portion of the sleeve under the back row of my stow-n-go seating and the folded down seats seem to hold it in place just fine.
I saved a ton of money buying slightly used. The problem is that not everyone sweeps their tent out at the end of a camping stay and over time that dirt grinds at the tent like sandpaper when the tent is stored away. Our tent is in excellent condition with a few little holes in the mesh of the ceiling vent and top of the fly.
While the tent is perfect for car camping, it's much too bulky to kick the car sleeve and pack into camp to use as a ground tent even if the load was split between two persons.
Campground camping often requires lot scouting and reservation to secure the perfect space to fit the vehicle and tent side-by-side.
Go for the screen room. We definitely wish we had that extra space.
Shop around. Most sporting goods stores offer the screen room model new from $260 - $370.
If you purchase the screen room model, spend the extra $30 on the Sportz Footprint to line the bottom of the screen room.
A standard twin sized air mattress is a bit too wide to fit the bed of an SUV or minivan. Coleman makes, at a reasonable price, a Portable SUV Quickbed that measures 41" x 63."
Likes:
I have to say the spacious overhead layout is my favorite feature of this tent.
The shower liner style floor is new to me in the world of camping equipment features and I was quite impressed with the ease of sweeping it out at the end of our trip as well as the ability to keep light rain from leaking in at the bottom seams.
Dislikes:
The adjustable SUV sleeve doesn't quite fit around the bottom of my 2013 Chrysler Town & Country. The bumper is a little wider than my previous 2010 Dodge Caravan model and consequently the sleeve comes up about an inch or two short in material to encase the bumper. To solve that issue, I tuck the bumper portion of the sleeve under the back row of my stow-n-go seating and the folded down seats seem to hold it in place just fine.
I saved a ton of money buying slightly used. The problem is that not everyone sweeps their tent out at the end of a camping stay and over time that dirt grinds at the tent like sandpaper when the tent is stored away. Our tent is in excellent condition with a few little holes in the mesh of the ceiling vent and top of the fly.
While the tent is perfect for car camping, it's much too bulky to kick the car sleeve and pack into camp to use as a ground tent even if the load was split between two persons.
Campground camping often requires lot scouting and reservation to secure the perfect space to fit the vehicle and tent side-by-side.
Guest Blogger
Spotlight:
Rhea Perry is a SAHM of 4 and blogger at Rhë Rambles rherambles.wordpress.com . She is a Washington state native, raised Montanan, currently living in the picturesque Utah valley. She's gained a lifelong love of backcountry adventures and enjoys sharing this love with family and friends.
Rhea Perry is a SAHM of 4 and blogger at Rhë Rambles rherambles.wordpress.com . She is a Washington state native, raised Montanan, currently living in the picturesque Utah valley. She's gained a lifelong love of backcountry adventures and enjoys sharing this love with family and friends.
