This month we caught up with Stuey – a TentBox Cargo owner from the UK who loves exploring the British Isles in his TentBox. As a proud 4×4 owner, Stuey is able to take his rooftop tent almost anywhere and park up for the night. With off-roading capabilities that allow him to explore the UK in all its glory, we wanted to ask for his top tips when travelling with the TentBox Cargo.
Built for the adventurer, the TentBox Cargo is made using rugged Honeycomb aluminium sheet and is the slimmest of the entire range. Take a look as Stuey shares his top tips and favourite locations…
What TentBox do you have and why?
I have the TentBox Cargo, which I chose for build quality. When compared to other similar brands, the quality is much better and with just a 16cm height when packed it is one of the slimmest rooftop tents you can find. I also liked that it is a British company that offers good service and feedback.
What has been your favourite TentBox adventure?
One of our favourite trips with TentBox has been a 10 night trip to the Lake District. We stayed 2 nights at Ravenglass and then 2 nights at Staveley which is on the other side of Windermere.
We then moved again and did 2 nights parked up at Derwentwater, where we did the most awesome sunset hike up Catbells. It got dark so we had headlight torches on the way down and it was a proper adventure. Then lastly we did 4 nights at Sykeside Campsite at Brotherswaters just south of Patterdale.
This location offers great hikes up to Hart Crag Dove where we spent some time before taking the bus the next day into Patterdale and hiking up Striding Edge. This route is stunning and takes you up over Helvellyn and down the Swirral Edge. We had a couple of Italians with us plus an ex army mate of mine and we met another great couple on the edge. She was struggling so they hooked up with us to stay safe. We had a good laugh and ended the epic hike with a few pints in the riverside pub in Patterdale at the end.
Any other great areas you’d recommend?
One of our most fond memories with the Cargo was Petworth. Petworth is a beautiful old English town near Chichester. It has plenty of old architecture, lots of open countryside and an expansive deer park, which contains the largest herd of fallow deer in England.
We stayed in Graffam, and took our black and white rescue cat with us! Our pitch was totally surrounded by woodland with deer and all the birdlife. We actually didn’t move from the site and just enjoyed the natural landscapes all around us. It’s a very peaceful part of the world.
What are your future plans with TentBox?
Our next trip is on the 27th of June – we are off to Dolgam Campsite near Capel Curig Snowdonia. We are going to explore Tryfan and then the last 2 days we are doing a rock climbing course at Plas Y Brenin outdoor center.
Then after that we have 5 nights at the MotoGP at Silverstone at the end of August. We both work 4 on 4 off shifts so get plenty of chances to get away.
Any tips and tricks you’d be able to share with the TentBox community?
- I have put tags on all of the TextBox zips as it makes it easier to pull them up quickly. I also added an extra set of ladder brackets and an extra grab handle just for ease in the mornings and evenings.
- I would recommend the TentBox awning on as an add on – it’s a brilliant bit of kit. I have also put a rubber sealant on the TentBox rubber as this helps with the life of the rubber and waterproofing.
- When booking sites I make a special point of saying I am a 4×4 with a rooftop tent and a 2.5m awning, especially on C&C sites. Otherwise they sometimes expect you to be smaller and it becomes a problem when you arrive.
- Boot bags are essential which can hang off the C channel and /or the ladder.
- Try to leave the tent open to dry before closing if possible, it’s best to keep everything clean and dry
- A double fitted sheet is perfect for the mattress. We also use a single duvet under this fitted sheet just for extra comfort. All of this can fit in the TentBox when closed.
- The additional roof bars that the Cargo comes with are a godsend – I have mounted a Thule Motion XL box on top of the roof bars on the TentBox so we have so much storage space.
- Fairy lights can be nice running inside the TentBox and down the ladder
- The darkness inside the cargo is great so you can lie in and not wake up with the sun at 4am! We leave about an inch gap in the zips at top just for ventilation to stop any mild condensation.
