Versatile vehicle awning that does it all
The SheltaPod came about when founder Julie Ritson couldn't find a decent awning for her camper van. Everything on the market was too bulky for her little vehicle and took ages to put up. So she set up her sewing machine and got to work, crafting one that packed down small and could be erected quickly and easily by one person. But the SheltaPod is so much more than just an awning. With its retractable clamshell roof, you can configure it as a sun canopy or a half-dome tent. Use it as an al fresco dining room, set up the side 'privacy panels' for a protected living area, or fit the inner tent for a roomy bedroom with a view of the stars. It's also free-standing, so you can drive away for the day and leave the SheltaPod in situ. In fact, the SheltaPod is so versatile that you don't even need a camper van to use it – since it'll attach to pretty much any vehicle up to a height of 2.8m (9.2ft).
- Versatile, stable awning tent with retractable clamshell roof and sun canopy
- Can be a sunshade, outdoor kitchen, dining/living area or bedroom
- Made in waterproof 70D PU-coated polyester, 5,000 hydrostatic head, double taped seams
- Includes an enclosed inner tent in breathable polyester with mesh window, roll-up curtain shade, mesh & fabric doors, mesh pockets & bathtub-style integrated groundsheet
- Integrated windbreaker side panels
- Ventilation flaps
- Skylight windows with optional curtain shades
- Internal mesh pockets
- Optional side panels to increase shelter and privacy
- Zip-close front
- Reflective guy lines
- Can be pitched solo in 15 minutes
- Drive-away awning, can be left in situ
- Attaches to almost any vehicle up to a height of 2.8m (additional equipment may be required)
- Includes 2 x 5m webbing straps for 'over-the-top' attachment and all tent poles, guy lines and pegs
- Front door panel
- 2 x privacy side panels
- 2 x curtain shades
- Rainfly
- Inner tent
- 3 x aluminium poles
- 1 x horizontal pole
- 2 x telescopic poles
- 2 x short guylines
- 2 x long guylines
- Rainfly ground sheet
- 2 x 500 cm webbing straps
- 70D PU coated Polyester, 5000HH, double taped seams
- Inner tent 190T breathable polyester with mesh window
- Mesh and fabric doors
- Mesh pockets
Like all the best bits of outdoor gear, SheltaPod started out with a gap in the market and a sewing machine.
Founder Julie Ritson was a seasoned van-lifer who just couldn't find a decent awning. The ones on offer were too bulky, dwarfed her little camper, and were such a faff to put up that it wasn't worth bothering for an overnight stay. So she made one of her own.
The idea of that first SheltaPod was to create a versatile, multipurpose awning that wouldn't spoil the view from the van and was easy to erect single-handed. Soon her prototype was turning so many heads that Julie decided to crowdfund a production run, and the rest is history.
Since then, the SheltaPod has been repeatedly refined and upgraded – mainly based on feedback from the campers who are out on the road using it day-in, day-out. Endlessly adaptable, it can be a sunshade, al fresco dining shelter, living space or bedroom, all the while remaining true to those original goals of being compact and easy to put up. You don’t even need a van, since it’ll fit pretty much any vehicle.
In 2019, SheltaPod took things to the next level by teaming up with WildBounds favourite, Tentsile – they of the genius futuristic tree tents. The partnership has brought with it a whole heap more upgrades, including improved materials and more ethical manufacture.
