Join James Baroud owner Ashley as she shares her experience camping with a rooftop tent for the first time!
Why we wanted a rooftop tent
We’ve been dreaming about a rooftop tent for a while now. After months of research (and more YouTube videos than we’d like to admit), we finally discovered the James Baroud Evasion XL pop-up tent—and it checked all the boxes:
Enough space to sleep up to 4 people (including kids).
Setup with the rooftop tent closed.
Setup with the rooftop tent open and the ladder deployed.
Easy to install and open/close
So, we packed up the kids and headed to California to get the James Baroud Evasion XL version mounted on our 2023 Honda Pilot. Thankfully, we already had crossbars installed from previous camping trips with our Yakima. The installation was a breeze—just about an hour at the shop—and before we knew it, we were driving off with a sleek, rugged-looking tent that felt like it belonged on our car from the start.
Excited to put it to use, we drove just a mile out from the beach and lucked out with an open campsite. As soon as we parked, the kids jumped out and got to work setting up the chairs, while Daniel popped open the rooftop tent—start to finish, in under 5 minutes. That’s a huge win when there’s still a car full of gear to unload! Learn more about how to open/close James Baroud rooftop tents.
Opening the latches on the James Baroud Evasion XL.
Partially open James Baroud Evasion XL.
Camping setup for family of 5
Harlow (3) and I climbed up the ladder to set up the bedding, with Dad close by for support. She handled it like a pro. We quickly laid down a set of queen sheets, wool blankets, and pillows—all of which we plan to leave in the tent for future trips. One less step next time!
Kid climbing on ladder to rooftop tent.
Before long, Mateo (6) and Nakai (11) joined us in the tent with zero hesitation about the ladder. Mateo happily unzipped the windows and dove into building Legos while checking out the rooftop flashlight—he was especially excited by the different light settings and decided which ones were best for reading, nighttime, or early morning.
Flashlight and built-in fan in James Baroud rooftop tent.
Flashlight controls.
The quick setup meant we could start dinner right away. With a crackling fire, we grilled up teriyaki chicken and veggies, and of course, had the long-awaited s’mores the kids had been talking about since we left the driveway.
Crackling fire. Ground tent for Dad.
When it was time to wind down, Ashley and Harlow headed up to the tent for some cozy storytime and were soon fast asleep. Mateo had originally planned to sleep in the ground tent with Dad and Nakai, but eventually made his way up to the rooftop—he said he felt safer with us up there. And honestly, I did too.
Chilling with a great view in the rooftop tent.
We all slept surprisingly well. The tent felt secure and comfortable, and I didn’t have to worry about critters sneaking in. It was the perfect first night, and we’re already looking forward to our next trip in a couple of weeks. We’ll be adding a few more blankets and keeping dedicated pillows in the tent to make setup even easier.
Chilling with a great view in the rooftop tent.
Questions about fitment on your Honda Pilot?
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