The Rooftop Tent, Pros and Cons - Design Works Apparel

What is a rooftop tent?

A rooftop tent is literally what the name says. A tent that can be attached to the roof or the top of your vehicle, and this includes 4WD, SUV, a van or even a trailer.  A rooftop tent is perfect for campers who love to travel, music festival goers or for an afternoon nap on the side of the beach. They are quick and easy to set up, making them ideal to set up camp pretty much anywhere, and their robust build provides durability against any harsh weather or elements of nature.

Link to Sunday Campers

 Kwiky MKII Kings Hard Shell Roof Top tent

The post-covid times made everyone eager to go outdoors, and the demand for rooftop tents skyrocketed to record-breaking heights. With so many choices and things to consider, there has never been a better time to choose what’s right for you. We will look at some benefits and of course some disadvantages of having a rooftop tent. Considering specific factors, we’ll also look at some of the best rooftop tents in .

Things to consider when buying a rooftop tent

• Hard or soft-shell top
• Size – Sleeping area and head height
• Weight
• Vehicle and rack compatibility
• Weatherproof and ventilation
• Closed size
• Mattress
• Annexes and awnings
• Extra features and accessories
• Costs

Great view through the door/ window. It is all about where you park it!

Benefits

Rooftop tents are a great way to get the most out of your outdoor adventures, without worrying too much about your family’s or your own safety. Here are some benefits of having a rooftop tent.

• Easy to set up/ convenient
  • Rooftop tents are very easy to set up, most will only take less than five minutes or a lot quicker than your conventional ground tents. By utilising gas struts, most rooftop tents can be easily set and packed away in a matter of minutes.

• Be elevated away from danger
  • Safety/View
    • The safety of a rooftop tent is one thing you can be sure about. Being elevated from the ground gives you that peace of mind that you can sleep properly at night, away from creepy crawlies, unexpected floods, or high tides. While you’re safe above the ground, you can be sure to enjoy a beautiful view from up high.

• Be comfortable
  • The comfort of rooftop tents is unmatched. All rooftop tents provide a soft mattress and adequate space to traditional ground tents, not only that, rooftop tents, provide comfort in inclement weather, such as rain or winds. Speaking of inclement, rooftop tents offer 100% protection from rain, and their rigid structure will surely go against some strong winds.

• It’s mobile
  • The lightweight and rigid design of rooftop tents make it somewhat easy to bolt on vehicles and be stable to bring on any rugged terrain you want to go.

• Costs
  • Although buying a rooftop tent can be somewhat pricey, the costs, in the long run, will save you a lot of money. With the price of a rooftop tent, you can’t compare with the advantages of sleeping on a traditional tent on the ground or booking an expensive hotel room.

Disadvantages of rooftop tents

• Weight capacity
  • Rooftop tents weigh roughly between 50kg-100kg, and the weight raises your vehicle's centre of gravity. This can make the vehicle more unbalanced when you turn sharp corners, or travel at high speeds, which can be quite dangerous. Heavier vehicles also have greater inertia and wind resistance, and they both contribute to increased fuel consumption.

• Height restriction

Rooftop tent gives extra height to the vehicle and this restricts certain accesses such as shopping centre undercover carparks, maccas drive-through or even your own garage. It is wise to check heigh limits of places you go before marching into the building structure and facing disastrous damages.

• Mounting to Vehicle/ Fitting requirements
  • Before you’re thinking of buying a rooftop tent, make sure you have a strong and durable roof rack or secure platform that will hold the rooftop in place. Mind you, most rooftop tents come with the standard bolts and nuts to secure the rooftop tent. However, you can go beyond and satisfy your peace of mind to get special brackets and roof mounting kits.
  • Mounting a rooftop tent can be a bit of a hassle, considering the weight of the rooftop, you’ll need at least two or more people to lift it onto your vehicle and on the roof racks, and while it’s there you’ll need to move it into a position where its levelled.

• Takes up space/ Movement

Whether you’re travelling or at home, rooftop tents can be quite the headache when they are mounted on your vehicle. If you’re out in the wilderness and need to go collect some firewood for camp or go for a quick drive, you’ll need to fold away your rooftop every time. To add to the frustration, it takes up your roof-rack space, where you’d normally load a couple of jerry cans and eskies. While you’re at home, this can cause headaches as well, whether you decide to leave the rooftop tent on your vehicle or at home. Leaving your rooftop mounted on your vehicle and using your vehicle as a daily driver is not ideal, due to accessibility issues and fuel consumption. In contrast, leaving your rooftop laying around at home, can take up space and be dangerous, mounting it on the wall or high above can be the best option.

Top 5 Best Rooftop tents in Australia

*Prices can be varied

• Adventure Kings Roof Top Tent
  • Best Affordable rooftop tent ($900)
  • Spacious
  • Comes with all the basics you need
  • Lightweight (57kgs)
  • Value for money

https://au.adventurekings.com/adventure-kings-roof-top-tent.html

• Adventure Kings Grand Tourer MKII Aluminium Rooftop tent
  • Best Hardtop shell
  • Super spacious
  • Quick set-up (30sec)
  • Comfortable sleep
  • Pricey ($)
  • Great features
  • Weight (94kgs)

https://au.adventurekings.com/adventure-kings-grand-tourer-roof-top-tent-x-adventure-kings-premium-winter-summer-sleeping-bag-5-c-to-5-c.html

• Darche Intrepidor Roof Top Tent
  • Lightest rooftop tent weight (51kgs)
  • Spacious
  • Great features
  • 180-degree zippered mesh windows
  • PU waterproof rating
  • Price ($)

https://darche.com.au/intrepidor-3--tourer

• XTM Roof Tent
  • Super Spacious
  • Great features
  • 75mm thick high-quality mattress
  • Price ($)

https://www.bcf.com.au/p/xtm-rooftop-tent/.html?srsltid=Ad5pg_FDOK9qoBgiIIrmadOJH80iShaaJQPBy44gDIPE0JtB98ZYWjStLVI

• Kwiky MKII Kings Hard Shell Roof Top tent
  • Hard Top shell for overhead protection
  • Quick and easy to set up
  • Value for money ($)
  • This was our pick! It was our accommodation for 3 weeks touring around QLD.

https://www.4wdsupacentre.com.au/kings-kwiky-mkii-hard-shell-rooftop-tent-improved-internal-bracing-2min-setup-100-waterproof-50mm-mattress.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw2cWgBhDYARIsALggUhqDJpFpLT-QnRYvq9lb6UYvVpihWzC26-zrSWgicXz7xavgKgBMZkUaAlxMEALw_wcB

Tags:

Ok, so you are looking to buy a roof tent and you want to know, what makes a good car roof tent? We have put together some of our experiences and knowledge about rooftop tents for you to use while shopping for your very own rooftop tent. This will hopefully help you pick the best car roof tent in the UK (for you).

Are you interested in learning more about Car Top Tent Manufacturers? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

So where to start? The first thing you need to decide is which type of roof tent is best for you?

If you are looking for a soft-shell roof tent, material quality is very important when making your purchase. Hard shell/top roof tents have a solid (normally fibreglass) waterproof top but the sidewalls of hard shells are material and need to be waterproof but breathable. The various types and acronyms of materials can be confusing, especially when they are just versions of the same fabric.
For simplicity, we highlight the important specifications to look for or ask about when you are buying your roof tent.

Waterproofing

What to look for when checking the waterproofing of your rooftop tent? Well, the best thing to look for is the Hydrostatic Head rating or HH rating. This is measured in millimetres and measures the height of a column of water that a material can withstand before it leaks. For example, a HH rating of 200mm would mean a material can support a water column about the height of a pint glass before it starts to leak. The higher the HH rating the better waterproofing, make sure to check this rating when selecting your rooftop tent.

UV Resistant

Virtually every time you use your rooftop tent you will be exposing it to the sun. Thus, it’s important that the material isn’t going to be affected by the sun’s rays. UV rays that are thrown out by the sun will fade or even degrade the material on your roof tent. By making sure the material used in your roof tent is UV resistant then you will prolong the life of your tent. Which fabrics do this the best? Materials such as Polyester, Nylon and Ripstop are all great UV resistant fabrics. For more information on the best fabrics for the outdoors, see this helpful article.

Mould Resistant

As a resident of the UK, we all know that camping here will no doubt at some point involve rain. But this is not the only way your tent will get wet, morning drew or even condensation with make your roof tent wet or damp. Consequently, you will need to dry your tent out before packing away and this isn’t always possible. So being able to pack your tent away while still damp is an important factor.

Mould resistant material will stop your roof tent from going mouldy, (but not forever!). You still need to air your rooftop tent out, if you put it away wet or very damp. The keyword here is ‘resistant’, make sure not to leave your tent wet across the winter. If you have packed it away wet, wait for the next dry day and give it a little airing to stop it from being mouldy when you open it the following summer.

Windows and Skylights

Some roof tents have multiple windows and even skylights to enable light and air to flow through your tent. The key things to look for are the quality of the zips and their use of bug nets to keep out unwanted guests. Skylights in roof tents are great for extra sun and light during the day but perfect for stargazing at night.

Mattress and Anti-Condensation Mat

When you’re bedding down for the night in your new tent, the worse thing to find out is that your mattress is uncomfortable or maybe it’s damp and mouldy. The industry standard is to have a high-density foam mattress at least 50mm or 2 inches thick. However, we would suggest that 60mm or 70mm thick options will give you a better night’s sleep. Also, make sure that the mattress cover is removable for washing. 

A great extra feature that isn’t industry standard, is an anti-condensation mat that fits underneath your mattress. This is an important bit of kit to stop your mattress from going damp and mouldy. Some roof tent manufacturers will sell these separately but we would suggest finding a roof tent with this included. 

Annex Rooms

Roof tent annex rooms are great for extra accommodation space for kids or pets. Not only are they good for sleeping but good for storage, cooking or eating if the weather is bad. Some roof tents will come with an annex room included but other manufacturers will charge extra for this feature.

There is one thing you will need to check when considering the use of an annex room with your vehicle and that is mounting height. For an annex room to peg out correctly, the mounting height of your tent will need to be from 1.75m to 2.1m. A little tip if your vehicle is a little short of this height, buy some camper van leveling ramps to rise your car’s height.

Other Extras

Beyond the listed features above, there are lots of other extra bits and bobs that can make camping in a roof tent that extra bit more special. LED lights that plug into your 12v, storage nets for clothes, shoe bags because where do you put your muddy shoes in a roof tent? We suggest having a good look at what’s included and not included with your rooftop tent.

Want more information on springbar canvas tent? Feel free to contact us.