Arpenaz Base M Review (+ video) – a great budget car/tailgate tent

A year later – it’s still the best car tent. I tested the Arpenaz Base M during our 11 day camping trip in Croatia with 2 days of rain and I’m very happy with it. Considering its price ~130GBP / EUR, compared to other car tents (awnings) that start at 250 and go up to several hundred, it’s a very good option if you want to test if this type of camping is for you. Here’s my experience & review.

Decathlon Arpenaz Base M

Lukas Cech – Nimblecamper.com

MY TOP BUDGET CAR TENT
If you don’t mind it’s not meant to be used as a car tent – but it actually can do the job pretty well, you’re in for a treat – at only 129.99 GBP / 139.99 EUR, you will get a pretty good tailgate tent – or a side door tent, you can make it fit both. Better for cars like Caddy, Berlingo, Sharan etc – with lower height compared to a Multivan (as most car awnings are made for those). Confirmed to fit most MPVs, barn doors as well. (see images below)

+ Very cheap!!

+ Height : 2.15 m | Floor area: 6.25 m2 | Comfortable for 6 people

+ Openings on 3 sides | 3 mosquito nets

+ Waterproof (200L per hour per m2)

+ Packed size – rectangular cover | 57 x 18 cm | 18 litres

+ Weight 8kg

+ Easy set-up with a free-standing structure | Fibreglass poles

+ The fabric filters UV radiation with a UPF of 30

+ Withstands force 6 winds – around 50 km/h | Wind tunnel test

+ Doesn’t need a rail to be attached

– Will not fit exactly as it’s not meant to be used with a car, but should do the trick – the opening is high enough for the tailgate or most barn doors + the sheet will protect from rain.

129.99 GBP / 139.99 EUR

I haven’t seen a tailgate tent in this price range that works better. Easy to carry, easy to erect and does the job perfectly – you gain a lot of storage space / living room with mosquito nets and window covers for privacy / cover during the rain. Add a tarp to cover the tailgate for extra rain protection and there’s not much missing from this (unintentional) car tent. If you are considering trying car camping with a car tent, this is the one to try. And you may never need another one, unless your family starts to grow 🙂

Available at any Decathlon website for your country.

4.9

See my full review and video walkthrough

Buy at Decathlon UK Auf Decathlon DE kaufen

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  Newer model from the end of 2023 opening is bigger

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  Older model from before end of 2023 has a smaller openin

There are three ways how you can fit it over your tailgate or side door:

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  Connected to the car – not a 100% fit, but better privacy & keeps (most) mozzies out

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  Separate from the car – no rain problems, but won’t solve mosquitos in the car problem / less privacy

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  side (sliding) door setup – creates a bigger gap between the tent and the car but some of you might prefer this setup.

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  Connected to the car – barn doors

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  Connected to the car – barn doors

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  Separate from the car – barn doors

Overall summary and user experience

I have reviewed various forums and users feedback and summarised their experience here:

The Arpenaz Base M tent has garnered quite a lot of attention since 2021 in the car camping community. Here’s a summary of what users have to say about this product:

• Setup: One of the most consistent praises for this tent is its ease of setup. Many have commented on how manageable it is to set it up alone, but with help, the process is even faster. One user mentioned that this tent is a breeze to set up, even when done alone. They found it lightweight and efficient for their camping needs. For a few, there were challenges in setting it up alone, especially if one is of shorter stature or faces windy conditions.
• Versatility: The tent seems to be popular among ‘minicampers’ because of its compact size and suitability for car camping. Users have creatively adapted it to fit the rear or side of different vehicles, from the B-Class to Berlingo. However, there were minor challenges with some vehicle models, particularly in creating a seamless connection between the car and the tent.
• Quality & Price: Many found the tent to be of good quality, especially considering its price point. It’s also highlighted to be waterproof during heavy rain. However, some users faced issues with its design; for instance, a user pointed out that during rain, one has to close the windows due to the design of the fly mesh and rolling tarp. Another user mentioned that in strong winds, the tent might not hold up very well.
• Ventilation and Rain: One user pointed out that the tent design could be improved for rainy weather. They mentioned that the rainfly is inside the tent, making it necessary to close the windows during rain. This may affect ventilation.
• Personal Experiences: Some users shared unique experiences, from struggling to repack the tent to testing it in different weather conditions. One user even considered selling theirs, as they no longer use their car for overnight stays as often.

In conclusion, while many users appreciate the tent’s value for money and its functionality for car camping, potential buyers should be aware of the design quirks and occasional availability issues. As with any product, personal experiences may vary, but this tent seems to be a favourite among many in the car camping community.

How does the Arpenaz Base M fit on a car?

There are three ways how you can fit the tent over your tailgate or side door:

The tailgate “full fit” where the tailgate is inside the tent (image 1) or tailgate outside the tent (image 2) or side/sliding door fit (image 3). I find the first (full fit) best as there are almost no gaps – keeps the water and mozzies out the best.

second image thanks to: WILL WALKLEY OUTDOORS, third image: Sweeper Liam

I tested it on my VW Sharan 2013 and it fits perfectly. There are some gaps that you might want to cover in heavy rain or rain with a side wind or to block every single hole for mozzies to enter. In normal rain, it holds very well – it rained twice for hours and the water didn’t get in through the tent.

Where the water does get it is down the sides of the tailgate and then enters the tent by dripping from the rear bumper. It is designed to do this intentionally as car makers don’t expect you to stick the tailgate inside the tent… I wonder whether this would be a problem with a more expensive car tent too?

How to fix that? Easily – just add some kind of thin sheet to lead the dripping water outside of the tent just below the tailgate. I used a small camping mat to do just that:

Confirmed to fit these cars:

(based on this, it will likely fit any MPV tailgate as they tend to be about the same size)

Fellow campers have tested the Arpenaz Base M tent with their campers and shared their photos & experience in various forums. Therefore you can be sure that it will fit these cars. See the gallery at the bottom to see how it fits various of these cars.

If you need something bigger, you could give the Arpenaz Base Fresh (10 people) a try. It’s opening is taller and wider so should fit pretty much anything – but you will have to ensure it’s protected against water and mozzies getting in.

User testimonials

(I’ve collected these across various FB car camping groups)

How does the Arpenaz Base M tent work with barn doors?

If you have a Caddy Maxi, it is going to be a tighter fit, but here’s how one Caddy Maxi user describes it:

Caddy Maxi is taller than a Berlingo, so this shouldn’t be such an issue with a Berlingo. Perhaps, reversing fully inside is doable, but closing the barn doors will probably require lifting the tent sheet hanging over the doors first (the one with the zipper).

But once open, it should be fine. Or you could pull the tarp over the barn doors and leave the car further away from the tent so that the tarp + open barn doors will create a corridor between the car and the tent.

And of course, you can always use the 2nd or 3rd way if you won’t like how it fits the barn doors – see both in my video:

Video walkthrough:

Arpenaz Base M tailgate tent & car camping gallery