The Jetta Sportwagon is too small to sleep me and all three dogs on my upcoming trip so I've been looking at tents. The Sportz Dome-To-Go was highly recommended in a few VW user forums. It has plenty of head room to stand up, has big doors, screened windows, and attaches to the back of the vehicle with the hatchback up. I thought it was just the ticket to allow me to sleep in the the Jetta while the dogs spread out on pads in the tent, so I ordered one from REI.
The tent arrived in four days and was a bit bigger and heavier than expected with a shipping weight of something like 28 pounds. The tent comes packed in a lightweight full zip duffle bag with poles, rainfly, stakes, straps, a net storage shelf and instructions.
Here the tent is spread out in position at the back of the wagon. There are two very long poles to pop together and insert in the tent sleeves. Bingo, bango, the thing is up.
Then you go inside the tent and slip the car sleeve around the back of the vehicle.
Outside again, you hook the sleeve to the rack on top (there is an alternate method if you don't have a rack) and also hook to the wheel well.
Do the same thing on the other side and cinch the sleeve up snugly.
Now you can open the hatchback and the spaces are joined. You can also use the tent by itself by using the sleeve area as a door/window or just zipping it shut.
Here is my self-inflating pad in the back of the wagon.
The windows are zippered and screened. The half circle below the window in the picture below is a ventilation port when the tent is staked properly. There are two door options, opposite the car or to the side, and there is plenty of space inside. It comes with a rainfly that I didn't put on because tree branches in my driveway were in the way. I wasn't able to stake it out on the concrete either.
The tent went up and came down quickly and easily. The hardest part was getting it to fit back in the storage bag. It helps to squash out all the air but it was getting hot and I didn't want to take the time. I'm very impressed with the ease of set-up. If a 63 year old woman can do it by herself, anyone can. I hope it performs as well in use.
