“I don’t have to wait for someone to go with”: Lisa’s TentBox Lite XL story

Lisa, her husband and their daughter had just started to fall for camping. Weekends away in a ground tent with friends had become a favourite family plan. Then her husband passed away, and the thought of doing it all without him was too much.

But Lisa had made a promise. “On my husband’s deathbed he made me promise (we don’t take those lightly) that I would still live, that I would live for our daughter and not just exist.”

Her best friends, keen campers, wanted Lisa and her daughter to keep joining them on adventures. A campervan like their friends, was out of budget, so they suggested looking into a TentBox roof tent instead. A visit to a showroom settled it: the Lite XL 4 person roof tent had room for Lisa, her daughter and Nala, their 30kg golden retriever, without anyone feeling cramped. There would even be space for her mum, if Lisa could convince her to come.

“I needed to be able to do this alone”

Lisa’s biggest worry was whether she could manage the TentBox on her own. “I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it and then feel stranded if I was far away from home,” she says. “My daughter will help with set up as much as she can, but I realistically needed to be able to handle everything alone and feel confident about unpacking and packing up”, something she wouldn’t have been able to do with a ground tent - “Setting up the ground tent was too hard to do alone,” she says. “Even the thought of it stressed me out and just made me not want to even bother.”

It didn’t take long for her to be right at home using her TentBox car roof tent. “The first time I felt like it was a little tricky, but after that, each time got easier and quicker.” Now she has it open and ready in minutes.

“Now I don’t have to worry”

Bringing Nala along came with its own challenge. Getting a large dog up and down a roof tent ladder isn’t easy, and Lisa’s favourite piece of kit solved it. “Definitely the ladder inserts [Ladder Steps] for Nala, my golden retriever! I could just about lift her in, but could never get her out and could only do so if camping with friends to help carry her,” she says. “Now I don’t have to worry. Training her to go in and out was as simple as rewarding her with a few treats!”

It also means Nala can come everywhere the family goes, including abroad. Their favourite trip so far took them to France, taking in Paris and Caen. “I didn’t have to think about accommodation for pets!” Lisa even brought her mum along. She isn’t usually a camper, but she loved it.

“I can leave whenever I want to”

Before the TentBox, Lisa had only done a little camping. Now she has the freedom to go whenever she likes. “The fact that I can leave whenever I want to! And it’s made me want to explore more of our country but also further afield,” she says. Next on her list are the Dolomites, followed by the NC500 in Scotland.

Above all, it has given her confidence. “I know it sounds silly but it’s helping to remind me that I am a strong independent woman, and I hope that it makes other women feel that they don’t have to wait for someone to go with,” she says. “I still get nervous and scared, but it’s also pushing me to get outside, experience beautiful places and spend quality time with my daughter and dog.”

“There’s always a story behind each adventure”

Lisa’s advice for anyone still on the fence is clear. “Do it! If you love the outdoors, coming together with friends or family or even just finding yourself, this is the most convenient and safe way of doing that! If you want to you can pack some bits, leave on the Friday and be home Sunday!”

“Children don’t tend to remember the ‘stuff’, they remember the experiences, and those memories will stay with them and you forever! We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, but there’s always a story behind each adventure.”

Build a setup like Lisa’s

Want to build a setup like Lisa’s and take the whole family, four-legged members included? Start with the TentBox Lite XL, then add the kit that brings Nala along for every trip.

TentBox Lite XL – our largest roof tent, with a super-king mattress that sleeps four adults. There’s room for the whole family and a big dog, and it opens in about five minutes.
Living Pod – a sheltered living area attached directly to your roof tent; perfect for hunkering down when it's raining, or creating a shaded area when the sun's out.
LadderSteps – turn the roof tent ladder into a stable stairway for kids and dogs. They stay attached when the ladder packs away, and their reflective strips make them easy to see at night.
KitchenBox – a complete camp kitchen in one box, with a built-in stove, cookware and two stools for Lisa and her daughter. It fits in the boot, has wheels for getting across the campsite, and sets up in seconds.