We've watched the rooftop tent (RTT) take off as a popular camping alternative, but the hitch-mounted tent just hasn't caught on the same way. It has attracted the enthusiasm of several startups and even one of the true kings of the vehicle hitch, but it's faced some tough sledding gaining traction. The latest take on the genre looks to prove itself with a swing-out design similar to that used on bike racks, allowing campers to create a vehicular base camp with full tailgate access. Is it worth the premium price?
Despite myriad well-established options like the ground tent, rooftop tent, cot tent, Australian swag and tent trailer, some business minds continue to try to thread the needle a little further with a full-blown RTT that rides and camps just above ground level behind the car. Comparing it to a regular RTT, they reckon it's easier to mount and remove; easier to climb in and out of, especially for older campers, young children, pets and other groups that might have difficulty with a ladder; and much more convenient for middle-of-the-night nature calls. It also promises to cut the drag of a rooftop tent by riding in the vehicle's shadow.
On the other hand, hitch tents have always appeared to us to be an awkward mash-up of roof tent and ground tent. If they were priced comparably, the advantages would even out a little better, but they tend to be more considerably expensive compared to the same size/style of RTT, which itself is already way more expensive than a basic ground tent. Plus, they don't pitch quite as quickly as the fastest rooftop tents and threaten to block visibility out the rear window.
While hitch tents do offer some raised height and leveling advantages over ground tents, we'd think the latter with a cot and/or cushy mattress would be equally or more comfortable, and at a fraction of the price.
British startup Escapade 4x4 applies a slightly more evolved design to its Swing Away Tent to try to nudge that pros/cons breakdown in the hitch tent's favor. Much like a swing-away bike rack – the Yakima Exo double-stacker, for instance – or tire carrier, its tent rides on a hinged hitch mount that swings to the right, rather than sitting stationary directly behind the bumper.
The advantages of the Swing Away design really start long before reaching camp. The tent should be easier to mount to the vehicle than a rooftop tent, since you don't have to lift it all the way to roof level. Escapade includes wheels with the design for more easily getting it to and from the hitch.
Once installed, the swing-away allows travelers to access the tailgate without having to completely unhitch the tent. That will prove a huge advantage if they need to quickly access something like a cooler or luggage during the drive to camp. It could also mean the difference between having to mount and remove the tent for every camping trip and leaving it on for longer periods of time like an RTT.
The swing-away may or may not be as handy once one arrives at camp, since he or she might end up unhitching the tent anyway and leaving it behind while using the vehicle. But for those who want to keep the tent hitched, the swing-out function allows them to get into the tailgate to unload, access a slide-out kitchen, etc. It then creates a more compact, cohesive vehicular base camp, complete with a tent that's easier to step in and out of than a roof rack-mounted one.
To set up, the Swing Away tent lowers down off the hitch and folds out. Unlike other hitch tents with folding legs, the Swing Away uses a set of six removable height-adjustable legs to stand level on the ground. Removable disc feet are included to better distribute weight on softer ground – the configuration that reminded us of a lunar lander's legs.
The removable legs appear to add a little bit of extra setup time and work compared to fold-outs, but Escapade still reckons you can get the whole tent set up in three minutes. The company doesn't list a capacity, but with a total floor area of 208 x 122 cm (82 x 48 in), the tent should comfortably sleep two adults and maybe a dog at their feet. An integrated 5-cm-thick (2-in) mattress provides a cushioned night of sleep.
Now, the dreaded price: It's actually quite easy to compare the Swing Away Tent to a comparable rooftop tent because Escapade sells the same tent in both forms. Technically called the Thre360 (we're only writing that mishmash once), the rooftop version wears an MSRP of £1,850 (approx. US$2,300) while the swing-away variant just over doubles that price to £3,750 ($4,950). We suppose if you have to buy an expensive platform rack or pickup bed rack to carry an RTT, the difference won't be so drastic, but otherwise, it seems a steep premium for a 50/50 raffle of pros and cons.
Escapade has taken the smart approach by simply adapting its rooftop tent for the hitch so it can sell the same tent in both forms. The company also offers a variety of other interesting base camp gear, including a cool little expandable kitchen box with both a dual-burner gas stove and a wood-burning stove. That kitchen box, and the company's squarish pots and kettles, also fit nicely with the strategy of trading out round gear for square gear that packs neatly.
The video below shows the Swing Away Tent in its element.
Source: Escapade 4x4
