Anyone use a TentBox for camping with a dog?

[Gobbolino]

Does anyone use a tentbox and take a dog with them? DH has suggested we look into getting one.

I haven’t but we were camping when it was really hot and the people with tent boxes looked very, very unhappy and the DDogs looked even sadder.

I think it was because they were in an exposed field with no shade.

We go camping and the things I like about it are that we have enough room to sit inside if it’s raining or cold. Evenings often revolve around card games, snacks and the odd drink of wine.

We pitch the tent at the beginning of the trip and that’s it, you just go to your bedroom when you’re ready.

You leave the tent where it is during the day and don’t have to pack anything up when you go out.

I would ask him what he thinks the advantages of a tent boxes are and maybe have a look at one or two before buying. We saw a couple recently and I’m not claustrophobic but they were very small inside., literally just a bed with nowhere to store your food, cool box, clothes, shoes and all the other paraphernalia you usually take with you.

Thank you so much @ExplodingSmittens
I can have a proper conversation with him about it now.

Sounds a complete pain. You'd have to carry the dog up and down the ladder, make sure it wasn't wet and muddy as you'd be straight on to the mattress, having its water bowl in a cramped space...

Unless the dog slept in the car with the window open a bit?

But tbf I wouldn't get a Tentbox anyway, dog or not.

I am another who see's no advantage to roof top tent thingies in the UK beyond fashion. They were designed for places with snakes and bugs, keeping you up off the floor of Australia and adopted by the Instabanger crowd here.

In the UK...
Wobbling up a wet ladder on a windy day, into a space with no storage, rocking on the car suspension with every movement or wind gust. You have to pack up each day (wobble up and down that wet ladder). They catch the wind being higher. They are often hotter being above a tin heat store. They knock a fair old chunk of MPG off. Where the heck do you store them, and have you thought about how you remove or install the thing?
With a dog, all of the above is amplified.

Get a normal modest sized tent (saving hundreds in cost) and learn to pitch it quickly and easily, buy a couple of camp chairs. Easy for doggo, easy for you. About the only downsides of a normal tent is drying (but they you have to dry a roof tent too...) and colder / damper on floor in poor weather.

I’d also consider how big the DDog is and if they sleep with you already. The DDog might not want to share what looks like a tiny bed up a ladder with you

I’m a longstanding camper, but I really don’t see the benefit of a Tentbox. Apart from what’s been discussed above, we were in N Wales when Storm Dave hit. The following morning there were a lot of traditional tents still standing, and a lot of damaged Tentboxes and car roofs.

This summer I've seen quite a few tent boxes used on camper vans, often in conjuction with an awning to give extra sleeping space. One family of 4 with 2 retrievers had a special narrow awning round the ladder and 2 dog crates within the windbreak area. I suppose dogs slept in the van at night.

This summer I've seen quite a few tent boxes used on camper vans, often in conjuction with an awning to give extra sleeping space. One family of 4 with 2 retrievers had a special narrow awning round the ladder and 2 dog crates within the windbreak area. I suppose dogs slept in the van at night.

I’m not sure I’d want to be in a storm in one either. We’ve been in a few storms over the years and not had so much as a tear. Really wouldn’t want to be in top of a car in those winds.

Can you tell I’m not a fan

My friend does and loves it. Small dog in the tent box with her, bigger dog in the van underneath.

We were in a traditional tent, with poles. No damage at all.
Airtents didn’t fare brilliantly either.
Sometime low tech is the best bet!

We were in one storm and when we got up in the morning we were the only tent still standing. We had been out a couple of times on the night just to double check on the pegs and guy ropes.

I do think that some people have no idea how to camp though. I’ve seen more than once people putting up tents and only putting in a few pegs and guy ropes and just leaving the majority.

^ this. If you are camping in the UK I can't see how they stand up to our wetter climate. Am sure technically they are dry, but have zero options if it is wet and miserable and no where to keep a wet, soggy dog separate from your beds. We always have a tent with somewhere we can sit inside on wet days, dogs sleep there and we keep our "bedroom" separate.

I do think that some people have no idea how to camp though. I’ve seen more than once people putting up tents and only putting in a few pegs and guy ropes and just leaving the majority.

We did this, this summer. Suspect we got a lot of funny looks too depsite being seasoned campers. But we got to our pitch and it was just too hot to do it all at once. Went in the ground when the wind picked up though!

I've only really seen tent boxes used as an addition rather than on their own excep,t once, in a car park in Scotland which was presumably just an overnight and there were no visible dogs.

I think this summer has been the exception though. I’m talking about windy days in Wales and no sign of the tent being pitched properly when it was becoming really windy with storms forecast

I was the same until this Summer when a few people had them with nothing but the car and a tent box. Looked thoroughly miserable the lot of them.

... am guessing they learn the hard way though 😁

If you haven't read it there is an memoir called A tent, A bucket and Me which is quite entertaining!

Not read that one, will add it to my list