UPDATE! Recieved RA# and Shipping label via email today. Next thing is to send them the confirmation/tracking number so I can get my refund. Took 8 days longer than their website says, but at least it's here!
Attempting to get a refund for the failed product and I'm getting stuck in the round around between the 2 companies...see post #8 for updates.
I went up to my family's land in the central part of Maine last thursday and just got back today. I had ordered this tent at the end of June from Auto Anything and had it within 2 or 3 days. Seems like a great site, I got free shipping and it arrived quickly.
Before I left, I set it up in the back yard to make sure everything was in the box that was supposed to be, work out the kinks of setup etc. Basically, the tent is unrolled and laid in the bed of the truck, the door is placed at the end of the tailgate. Then, there are 3 straps that go over each side of the bed, and 2 that attach to the tailgate which all hold it in place. 1 short pole is inserted, 2 more across the top, one inside, and one on the end to hold the door up.
This is when I started having problems. The instructions were some what vague and non-specific about certain parts of the setup. Included with the tent are fuzzy "strap protectors" that slide over the straps that anchor the tent to the truck; the instructions simply tell you that there are 4 long ones and 2 short ones, line them up and slip them on. I wasn't sure if the short covers were supposed to go on the tailgate, or over the wheel well...seems like there should have been 8 strap protectors since there are 8 straps. Minor details, but for $220 I would have liked more info in the instructions. As I was clipping one of the tailgate straps on (this is the first time it's out of the box remember) the female end broke. After the poles were all in place and the tent was erect, I had to man handle it into it's appropriate place in the bed, and tighten/loosen the straps a few times. There is also an awning that rolls out over the door and is supported by two adjustable poles, my frustration was too high to mess with the poles, so I just rolled it up and called it a day.![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
All told it took about an hour to set up. I broke it down and packed it up for the trip.
So, fast forward to July 2, Maine. I set it up following the instructions again, the broken clip was still holding. I had been in contact with the website support staff about the issue, though I hadn't had enough time to get it exchanged before the trip. Setup went a lot smoother the 2nd time around, and I had it up in about 20 minutes. The pole that supports the door/opening was under a lot of tension on either side,(it was the same in the backyard, but held for about 5 hours) and snapped on the right side. This left the door collapsed at the end of the tent.
I had put a twin sized mattress inside, combined with the collapsed door I could barely see outside. I had the 2 windows and triangular flaps open for ventilation, and the rain fly over the top. I'm some what claustrophobic, so the limited visibility at night lead to some violent and abrupt wake-ups. I ended up taking the rain fly off, and got a little wet on one or two nights, but it was worth it to get some sleep.
The tent came down easy enough, and rolled back up for the ride home.
Overall, I think it's a good concept, but it was not executed well. Vague instructions and poor quality materials lead to disappointment and failure. I'll be contacting AutoAnything tomorrow to arrange for a return and refund.
Attempting to get a refund for the failed product and I'm getting stuck in the round around between the 2 companies...see post #8 for updates.
I went up to my family's land in the central part of Maine last thursday and just got back today. I had ordered this tent at the end of June from Auto Anything and had it within 2 or 3 days. Seems like a great site, I got free shipping and it arrived quickly.
Before I left, I set it up in the back yard to make sure everything was in the box that was supposed to be, work out the kinks of setup etc. Basically, the tent is unrolled and laid in the bed of the truck, the door is placed at the end of the tailgate. Then, there are 3 straps that go over each side of the bed, and 2 that attach to the tailgate which all hold it in place. 1 short pole is inserted, 2 more across the top, one inside, and one on the end to hold the door up.
This is when I started having problems. The instructions were some what vague and non-specific about certain parts of the setup. Included with the tent are fuzzy "strap protectors" that slide over the straps that anchor the tent to the truck; the instructions simply tell you that there are 4 long ones and 2 short ones, line them up and slip them on. I wasn't sure if the short covers were supposed to go on the tailgate, or over the wheel well...seems like there should have been 8 strap protectors since there are 8 straps. Minor details, but for $220 I would have liked more info in the instructions. As I was clipping one of the tailgate straps on (this is the first time it's out of the box remember) the female end broke. After the poles were all in place and the tent was erect, I had to man handle it into it's appropriate place in the bed, and tighten/loosen the straps a few times. There is also an awning that rolls out over the door and is supported by two adjustable poles, my frustration was too high to mess with the poles, so I just rolled it up and called it a day.
All told it took about an hour to set up. I broke it down and packed it up for the trip.So, fast forward to July 2, Maine. I set it up following the instructions again, the broken clip was still holding. I had been in contact with the website support staff about the issue, though I hadn't had enough time to get it exchanged before the trip. Setup went a lot smoother the 2nd time around, and I had it up in about 20 minutes. The pole that supports the door/opening was under a lot of tension on either side,(it was the same in the backyard, but held for about 5 hours) and snapped on the right side. This left the door collapsed at the end of the tent.
I had put a twin sized mattress inside, combined with the collapsed door I could barely see outside. I had the 2 windows and triangular flaps open for ventilation, and the rain fly over the top. I'm some what claustrophobic, so the limited visibility at night lead to some violent and abrupt wake-ups.
I ended up taking the rain fly off, and got a little wet on one or two nights, but it was worth it to get some sleep.The tent came down easy enough, and rolled back up for the ride home.
Overall, I think it's a good concept, but it was not executed well. Vague instructions and poor quality materials lead to disappointment and failure. I'll be contacting AutoAnything tomorrow to arrange for a return and refund.
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![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
I then call the manufacturer to see what can be done to expedite the process, as I'm now out $220 and a broken tent is sitting in my living room, they tell me they have not received anything from AutoAnything and go on to explain the complicated process that needs to take place. ![[frown]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/003.gif "Frown [frown]")
![[angry]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/008.gif "Angry [angry]")
