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16/8/2024 at 6:52pm
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... the story continues!
So why did I buy it, well already having 3 great tents and having used and got rid of two rooftop tents (because I couldn't get under garage door with them on because with the combined height of vehicle, roof rack and roof tent the garage door height was too low, so I had to load and take off the roof tent with a hydraulic crane and wheel in/out on a board with castors, which was a faff! ). So inadvertently, whilst browsing internet I came across the Thule Outset and it seemed to be just what I needed. There were lots of videos showing how easy it was to load and unload, and to erect the tent in 5 minutes and videos showing it being used on beaches, in rough fields and hilly pitches and this seemed exactly what I needed (as I'm going touring at the end of 2025). Thule stated "The Thule Outset towbar mounted tent will elevate your outdoor experience and offer unparalleled comfort, ease of use and great accessibility." and I thought Thule is an excellent company and the Outset should do what they say, so bought one. I couldn't find any real user reviews though!
Enough of the introduction though, what do I think of it? Well it came super well boxed (on a special pallet) and in a couple of days and on opening it looked a well made piece of kit (but to check it out thoroughly it needed to be towbar mounted and taken some where to roll tent out, which I planned to do as soon as my towbar was fitted).
So the day came when my removable towbar had been fitted and I took the Outset out and as a result I have two scenarios to comment on, the first is flat ground and the second is sloping/uneven ground (which I shall address in my next post).
So, If used on flat ground the Outset will potentially work as indicated on the videos, and it is generally well made, it states it can accommodate 3 persons, but really its only two adults (as its less wide than a double bed, but they can be tall as the tent is long). The legs are adjustable, but on my vehicle (a VW Caddy van) when fitting they almost touched the ground at the front (towbar end), so there was little to adjust as the area was flat. Thule obviously expect water to get between the tent and the board that supports it as there is a strap supplied to lift the tent when it gets wet to dry out the bottom (hence the optional anti condensation mat is useful for condensation and stopping any wet from the base rising in to the mattress). The outset has internal storage pockets at the towbar end (which is actually the best place to lean against to read a book or watch a video, so if you fill the pockets you can't comfortably lean against them, unless they are soft) and cargo nets at the front end (which couldn't be further away from you if you are laying with head at back). Thule states it can be built in 5 minutes, well that's not likely, as you have to remove the cover (which is tricky), unclip the leg supports, roll out the tent, fit the rain cover and supports and if windy fit supplied guy ropes (so actually some two men quick erect tents can be built faster, I know because I had one!). The towbar is clamped by the Outset hitch, you have to get that right when loading or the Outset will not sit straight at the back (and as it clamps you cant adjust it in position as if you release the clamp you need to have already put the Outset wheels on the ground, and the wheels are fixed not castors so you cant nudge left or right to get central and aligned). If you disconnect your vehicle and drive off (and tent is assembled), when you return you need to reverse to the Outset and get get your towbar exactly in the position for the hitch clamp to locate properly (this will not be easy for a solo camper, especially if their vehicle doesn't have a reversing camera. And remember the Outset is not designed to be moved when erected, so the only option is to ignore this and lift and tug it about, which if you are on your own isn't the easiest thing to do, especially if you have to lift it and get the hitch straight/parallel to the back too and are the driver). You must be able to access the tent pitch area with your vehicle (if you can't, then you cant use the tent)... so next post is slopes and uneven ground :(
Post last edited on 16/08/2024 19:08:18
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17/8/2024 at 11:57am
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... final part, slopes and uneven ground!. Well simply, if there is a slight slope or uneven ground where you are going to pitch the Outset will not easily be able to cope with it, I highlighted my thoughts to Thule Consumer Services and they agreed and said "If the ground is sloping then yes there can be issues but setting up camp on sloping ground is something to avoid", that answer didn't help me!
So the first very slight slope I encountered was on the road outside my garage. I had to load on the road as I don't have a drive way, even though the slope was slight the Outset still wanted to roll towards the vehicle when trying to attach the hitch to towball (which as you are holding the handle and trying to operate the hitch towball clamp and align the thing straight is not easy, and the end of the hitch nearly went into the van back door). Also, if you try to stop the Outset rolling forward with a foot, then as you lower the hitch to the towball the Outset rolls backwards up the slope and ends up flat on floor, and yep I did that and damaged an indicator. Also, after several attempts to get the Outset hitched straight, I couldnt as it kept veering off slightly as I clamped it, so drove off with it slightly squiff.
I then took it to a site, sites can be fairly level, but very seldom level, and more often slightly sloping and uneven, so to check the Outset out I took it to the later. When I arrived I reversed it up a very slight slope, removed cover and began the process of rolling out tent, I noticed straight away that the hitch end legs were basically on the ground so couldn't be adjusted and that the legs at other end were very slightly higher, and when Id finished erecting tent tried to disconnect hitch from towball but it didn't want to budge, so had to start the van and move a tiny bit back and then trying again was able to disconnect, but with quite a bit of tugging. So then I tried to put the clamp straight back on ball, but the Outset had moved slightly (by itself) and the clamp wouldn't go on, so I had to physically lift & move the Outset to enable me to do so (the Outset doesn't seem to like being moved manually!).
I won't continue with my own pitching saga as by now you must get my point, slopes and uneven ground are not ideal for the Outset. If you think of the pitches you have been on, the Outset and the vehicle on it could be sloped, twisted and standing on uneven ground ground in different directions, and a fixed clamp hitch and a tent structure without wheels cannot cope with it (unlike a caravan or trailer tents where the hitch doesn't clamp and moves on the towball and they can be manoeuvred on their wheels). The adjustable legs aren't any help, because if you level the Outset by lifting manually, this leaves the vehicle unlevel so wont connect to the towball.
This all means pitching the Outset and then unhitching to drive to the beach will be a pain when returning to hitch, as firstly you have to reverse exactly to where the ball clamp comes down and you have to ensure that the erected Outset is exactly aligned to the centre of the van (so it clamps on straight), you then have to unlevel the Outset so the hitch clamp is perpendicular with the towball, and then cross your fingers and hope that it will locate.
My final words on this post are:
If the ground is flat The Thule Outset towbar mounted tent will elevate your outdoor experience and offer unparalleled comfort, ease of use and great accessibility, but if it slopes or is uneven it won't. Its a shame really as much of the Outsets concept works for me, but unfortunately in the real camping world of varying types of pitches it definitely doesn't.
I do have 3 other exceptional normal tents, so all is not lost!, but me advice is don't unhitch if you can avoid it (but that's unlikely as you wont be able to level the tent if you don't).
Sorry to be so boring about this, but I needed to rant, as I had hoped for better from Thule.
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