What is a Roof Top Tent | The Ultimate Guide ...

What is a roof top tent?

Roof top tents have been making headlines as one of the best ways to camp, but what is a roof top tent? A roof top tent is a portable shelter mounted to the roof of your vehicle or rack system. They are quick to deploy, favored by overlanders, and bridge the gap between a traditional tent and a recreational vehicle.

If you're looking for a roof top tent that will fit your vehicle and sleep capacity, you can use out Ultimate Tent Finder Tool.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Sunday Campers.

How roof top tents came to be

The first roof top tents originated in Europe in the mid-20th century. Independent travel was growing hand in hand with car tourism, and these new tents solved multiple frustrations. The everyday adventurer no longer needed to worry if the roadside hotel was fully booked when arriving in an unfamiliar town. Roof top tents also saved travelers money by forgoing the expense of formal lodging.

The first designs were a pop-up style with a hard shell and a fold-out canvas tent, now known as the &#;soft shell&#; style. These roof tents were commonly referred to as &#;Air Camping&#; due to their elevated position on top of a vehicle. The appeal of air camping was clear from the start, though it has seen a resurgence in recent years as new designs have transformed the market potential. These include fold-out hard shell tents like the Skycamp, hybrid tents utilizing a book fold design, wedge-style tents, and even miniature tents that can mount to a compact car.

 

How does a roof top tent work?

Today, most roof top tents practically pitch themselves, so even the most inexperienced camper can set up in under five minutes. Modern RTT designs feature gas struts to lift the tent shell once the latches have been released. Depending on the model, you may also need to unfold an expansion panel and deploy the ladder.

What is the point of a roof top tent?

Roof top tents present many advantages over other options, most crucially how accessible they are. If you&#;re still wondering what is the point of a roof top tent? Here are 10 reasons why they&#;re worthwhile.

• They remove intimidation barriers to camping because of their simple design and ease of setup. No specialty experience is required to hop in the car, drive to a campsite, and lift the latch on your tent.
• They offer the opportunity to car camp while still sleeping under the stars in the fresh air of the outdoors. Many roof top tents feature a skylight which gives the experience another layer of romance.
• The views are better. No need to imagine what the scenery looks like without the picnic tables and the neighboring camper&#;s setup. From on top of your vehicle, you can bask in the views you drove out to see, entirely unobstructed.
• Roof top tents free up storage space inside your vehicle, allowing your gear to be better organized without blocking the rear view or blind spots.
• Roof top tents can go anywhere your car can go. This makes them especially popular for overlanding and dispersed camping because there&#;s no trailer or bulky recreational vehicle to maneuver.
• The average roof top tent includes a mattress that can be stored inside the tent, reducing the amount of extra gear to pack. (Goodbye cots and air beds!) Some RTTs have a generous enough shell that you can also store sleeping bags and pillows inside the tent between destinations, freeing up even more room inside the car.
• Camping in a roof top tent offers greater comfort and convenience than a traditional tent and is a more affordable alternative to an RV or camper van.
• They get you up off the ground. Quite literally. You won&#;t need to worry about finding a level spot to pitch your tent. You also won&#;t need to worry whether there are rocks or roots under your sleeping bag. You might even find there are fewer uninvited guests (of the critter variety) walking right through the tent door.
• Weather conditions are more forgiving from an elevated position. It is much more comfortable to camp in shoulder seasons if your tent canvas isn&#;t wicking up mud, rain, and snow. The cross breeze on summer nights isn&#;t bad, either!
• As the roof of your vehicle serves as the base of the tent, it is comparatively warmer than sleeping directly on the ground. Hard shell roof top tents can also serve as a windbreak, further sheltering you from the elements.

Do I need a special car for roof top tents?

With so many options to choose from, there&#;s a roof top tent for every vehicle. You do not need a special car or even an off-road vehicle to join the club. There are roof top tents like the X-Cover 2.0 Mini suited to compact cars and truck bed racks, as well as king-size tents like the Skycamp 3.0 suited to larger vehicles like SUVs. The best thing you can do is research the options, then seek out a style that fits your needs, your car, and your budget.

There are multiple considerations to account for, such as:

• The static and dynamic weight your car can support vs the weight of the tent.

• The dimensions of the tent vs the roof of your vehicle.

• How you will mount the tent to your vehicle. Does your car already have rails or cross bars? Do they align with the mounting hardware on the tent? Maybe your car is the right size, but the cross bars don&#;t quite work, and a roof rack is a better option to get the tent you have your heart set on.

Each tent manufacturer will have comprehensive specifications so you can make an informed decision. If you&#;ve never explored roof racks or static and dynamic weight, the customer service team of any RTT brand should be able to walk you through it all. If you want a complete showroom experience to see the tents up close and better understand the finer points of each model for comparison, many RTT makers have dealer locations where you can do just that.

 

Do I need anything to go with a roof top tent?

Depending on the experience you&#;re seeking, you can take a minimalist or maximalist approach to camping in an RTT. You want to be sure to cover your basic needs, so there are a few key items to pack for your next adventure.

Check the weather forecast and consider what clothes will be appropriate, as well as any topical toiletries like bug spray or sunscreen. Lights (flashlights, lanterns, headlamps) are not only a creature comfort but also a safety consideration to navigate camp once the sun goes down. Not every campsite will have running water, latrines, or communal waste stations, so be prepared. Pack 1 L of water per person per day. Bags to pack out your garbage and recyclables. Toilet paper and any toiletries and hygiene items appropriate for where you&#;re camping. If you&#;re unfamiliar with best practices for camping without a bathroom, give this a read. Looking for tent accessories to take things to the next level? Definitely consider an Annex that can provide shelter from wind or elements when you&#;re not sleeping. Storage Racks or Shoe Racks are a popular choice to keep essentials within arm's reach (and out of your bed).

 

Of course, you&#;ll need to pack something to eat and a way to eat it while camping. Kitchen systems can take whatever shape is most relevant to you. Maybe you just want a way to brew your morning cup of coffee and heat water for dehydrated backpacker meals. Though if you fish or hunt - or just like to eat well - you may want a more robust kitchen system like the Disco Series that allows you to prepare meals from scratch. If your meal plan includes perishable provisions, a cooler and ice should be added to your packing list. As well as dishes and utensils.

While roof top tents universally include a basic mattress, you&#;ll need a bit more than that to get a restful night&#;s sleep under the stars. You might have sleeping bags, pillows, or blankets at home that will work just as well as any you may find at an outdoor equipment store. We can promise that no RTT camp counselors are coming to do bed inspections and judge you for bringing an old comforter over a -20 mummy bag. However, some sleep system items are worth the splurge for the comfort and convenience they offer. Down blankets and sleeping bags can compress to a fraction of their size, allowing them to be stored inside your RTT. This means less time making and unmaking your bed, as well as fewer items to pack inside your vehicle. The RTT Sleeper is specially designed for use in roof top tents with more fill in the top half of the bag to keep you warmer where it matters most. If you&#;re thinking you might want to upgrade your mattress, or any other bedding for your tent, check out the Sleep Systems collection.

 

Thinking about a roof top tent?

We&#;ve covered quite a lot of ground here. Not only what is a roof top tent? But also the hows and whys and everything left out of the scenic photos on Instagram. We think the expense of a roof top tent is worth it for the ease, comfort, and accessibility. If you&#;re curious enough to have read this far and still have unanswered questions, contact our customer service team or visit our showroom in Washington so we can help you find the right iKamper roof top tent for your vehicle.

A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing Your Rooftop Tent

The Ultimate Rooftop Tent Buyer's Guide

A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing Your Rooftop Tent

Roof Top Tents (RTTs) have become increasingly popular among campers and outdoor enthusiasts in recent years. They offer a convenient and comfortable way to sleep while camping, without the need for traditional tents or RV's. If you're looking to buy a roof top tent, there are several important factors to consider before making your purchase. This guide will help you navigate the world of roof top tents and find the right one for you.

Vehicle: Roof top tents come in various sizes and weights,most of them can be used on a wider range of vehicles. Certain type of RTTs are specifically designed to fit specific vehicle models, just be aware of. 

 

Size: RTTs come in different sizes, ranging from two-person tents to 5 Person RTT tents. Consider the number of people who will be using the tent and the amount of gear you'll need to store inside/outside. The more people you have, the larger the tent you'll need. Also, keep in mind that larger tents will take up more space on your roof and may affect the fuel efficiency of your vehicle.                        

Style&#;On the current market, there are two main types of roof top tents (RTTs) - soft top and hard shell.                                                               The soft top RTT can be 180 degree fold out with or without an attached annex. Hard shell RTTs come in three styles - fold out, clam shell, and pop up. Regardless of the price, the main differences between the styles are capacity and setup/take down time. The most popular style of hard shell RTT is the fold out style, which is compact in size but can accommodate more people. Among the fold out RTTs, aluminum models are more versatile as they can carry more gear like bikes, kayaks, and snowboards, and have a longer lifespan compared to ABS models.                                The Clam Shell RTT offers the quickest setup and take down time, but with limited space and a sleeping capacity of only 2 to 3 people. On the other hand, the Popup RTT provides 360 degree views and similar space as the Clam Shell RTT, but with improved height from end to end.

Weight: While the weight is an important factor, it's not the primary concern. Tents with a bit more weight tend to offer greater stability and durability. If the tent's weight is within the capacity of your vehicle, it will have minimal impact on fuel consumption. However, tents that are extremely light might be easy to transport but lack stability and insufficient insulation and protection, especially in inclement weather conditions like wind, rain, or cold. In these situations, adequate protection should be the top priority when making your selection. 

Material:

When selecting a tent, the material of the tent shell is an important aspect to consider. ABS plastic, fiberglass, and aluminum are the commonly used options for tent shells. However, ABS plastic and fiberglass tend to have a shorter lifespan due to aging and can deteriorate over time. On the other hand, aluminum is known for its strength and durability but can be more expensive.

Regarding tent material, the two most prevalent choices are canvas and synthetic materials. Canvas tents are renowned for their toughness, insulation properties, and air flow, but they can be weighty and more costly, and they demand upkeep after camping in damp or humid environments since they consist of over 25% cotton. On the other hand, synthetic materials are lighter and more affordable, but is not provide adequate protection from the elements.

Frequence of setting up and taking down :  It's important to take into account the type of camping you will be doing and the frequency of setting up and taking down the tent. For road trips that involve quick stops, a tent that is easy to set up and dismantle would be a better choice. In this case, a hardtop roof tent is the most suitable option. However, if you plan to camp at a site for more than three days, you have a wider range of options to choose from.

Service accessibility :  When making a purchase, it is crucial to take into account the brand's reputation for customer service, particularly for mechanical products like roof tents. It is reassuring to know that the company in question has readily accessible customer service and that RTTs accessories can easily be purchased. Additionally, it is wise to consider the cost and timely availability of replacement parts in case of any damage or wear and tear over time.

Price: The cost of soft-top roof tents can vary from $800 to $2,300, while the price of hard-top roof tents ranges from $2,000 to $4,000. Many clients question the significant difference in price, despite the similar appearance of roof top tents.

However, I explain that opting for a low-priced option from overseas suppliers like Alibaba may result in an unreliable product with little to no support. The cost of raw materials for roof tents is comparable, but the key factor in determining which brand you want to buy from is the quality of service and timely delivery they offered. Some brands that take responsibility for their products and offer fair pricing are usually a better option, compared to those that charge high prices and place blame on the customer in case of any issues.

Roof Top Tent FAQs

 

Why are Roof Top Tents (RTT) popping up all over campsites these days?

 

As you can tell from the number of roof top tent installs we&#;ve done in our two California shops lately, RTTs are rapidly gaining popularity. Here&#;s why.

Speed

. Quick set up and tear down- today's roof top tents are a snap to set up. You literally just unsnap the locks, and up pops your tent! All of our roof top tents include gas-strut assisted opening. So there is no heavy lifting or finicky set up. These roof top tents cannot wait to go camping- you just have to set them free!

Comfort.

Roof Top Tents come with a built-in mattress. Forget about rolling off of your 2 ft wide sleeping pad or cursing the low battery on your noisy air mattress pump. Our high quality roof top tents come standard with a cushy, wall-to-wall foam mattress.

Convenience.

Sleeping bags and bedding can be left inside the tent when you are packing up. This also frees up space inside your vehicle for other camping essentials or companions. The speedy set-up, built-in mattress and bedding storage space really come into play for long road trips or campers who like to move around a lot.

Elevation

. The view from the roof is both more private & less obstructed by ground brush, offering you an entirely new perspective while lounging in bed. Panoramic view from above? Heck yeah!

Security

. Sleeping off the ground offers peace of mind from critters, bugs, and all sorts of things that go bump or rustle in the night. You're also way less likely to find a rock or pokey stick on your roof than you are on the ground. Meaning you'll sleep better and wake up refreshed & ready to explore.

Style.

They're really cool. It feels like you're in a treehouse. Yes, it's stating the obvious, but being awesome and looking great is a big reason why you're seeing them at all the epic outdoor camping locations!

 

Can I test out a roof top tent to see what it feels like before I buy?

Yup! Please get in touch to make an appointment at one of our two California Showroom Locations, located in San Francisco and San Diego. You can climb up in our demo models and have a thorough discussion with our knowledgable staff about fitment to your vehicle and any other questions you have. 

 

What is the best type of roof top tent- Hard shell or soft shell?

Hard shell all the way! (unless you have a small car)

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Roof Top Tent Off-Road manufacturer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Hard shell (or hard top) roof top tents are: more aerodynamic (fuel efficient) while driving;

much

faster to set up & to put away; quieter on windy days (less material flapping about); better insulated; and frankly better looking (in our opinion).

Soft shell roof top tents tend to have a smaller footprint when closed (making them great for small vehicles). But, if your vehicle can handle the size, we strongly recommend a hard shell roof top tent.

 

My roof rack says the load capacity is 200lbs, so... how can I sleep in the tent (which weighs 150lbs) on my car?

What, you weigh more than 50 lbs? And you want to use your tent for sleepovers? This is actually no problem. Roof rack manufacturers are referring to the &#;dynamic load capacity&#; in this case, which is the amount of weight the roof racks can safely withstand while driving the vehicle. When your car is parked and your roof top tent is open, the roof rack is not being subjected to abrupt changes in momentum caused by cornering, acceleration and breaking, so the &#;static load capacity&#; of rack systems comes in to play. The static load capacity is dramatically higher than the dynamic load capacity, since vehicles are engineered to withstand the weight of the vehicle itself, in case of a roll-over. For this reason, it&#;s totally encouraged to have sleepovers in your roof top tent, even if you weigh more than 50 lbs.

What you&#;ll want to watch out for as the limiting factor is that dynamic load capacity- the weight on your roof rack while you are driving. Be mindful that you mount your roof top tent on a heavy duty rack system- all the way from the crossbars to the feet of the rack. Otherwise you&#;re limited by the lowest capacity component in the system. And obviously, you should never be in a roof top tent while the vehicle is in motion, as this would exceed the dynamic load capacity.

If you need help getting an appropriate roof rack and installing a roof top tent in California, please get in touch. We can help you assess the rack racks you currently have in place, or get you set up with a rack system if you don't already have one. Rhino Adventure Gear is an authorized Rhino-Rack dealer, and we also carry other rack systems that are popular with the off road community.

 

What is the best Roof Top Tent for sale?

Good question. We firmly believe in only selling the best of the best. This applies not only to roof top tents, but to all our overlanding and backcountry camping equipment. As outdoor lifestyle and roof top campers have exploded in popularity, so too have the number of companies manufacturing roof rack tents. We&#;ve been approached by numerous manufacturers asking us to carry their brands. But Rhino Adventure Gear is a family-owned, local California overlanding shop, not an online megastore looking to profit off a trend. We care about our customers&#; long-term satisfaction and want to be confident about every tent we sell, so we are extraordinarily selective about the roof top tents we offer for sale. If you see a tent on our site, you can be sure we&#;ve vetted it thoroughly, used it ourselves, and have demo units on hand in our two California Showroom Locations for you and the family to come test out.

Most of our customers come to our site specifically to buy a James Baroud, iKamper, or Camp King roof top tent. They've done their research and they're asking for a specific RTT by name. If this sounds like you please head on over to our Roof Top Tent shopping page, and select the tent you&#;re looking to buy. If you are just beginning your roof top tent buying journey, and want to do more research first, please read on to get caught up on the best roof top tents on the market.

iKamper Skycamp | The most innovative hard shell roof top tent

 

iKamper Roof Top Tents made a big splash with their historic Kickstarter campaign, which raised over $2.3 million. The brainchild of a father who was frustrated with cramped camping solutions for his family, the iKamper Skycamp was specifically designed with family camping in mind. After 20 iterations and design tweaks over years of development, the Skycamp was born. The folding mechanism of the floor is unique to hard shell roof top tents, in that it is the only hard shell roof top tent on the market where the footprint of the tent extends beyond the roofline of the vehicle.

Enlarging the sleeping area of a hard shell roof top tent to accommodate a king size bed required extensive engineering and use of cutting edge materials, like the aluminum honeycomb flooring that enables the platform of the tent to overhang the vehicle.

King Size bed can sleeps 4 people (2 adults & 2 kids; or 3 adults)

Hard Shell Tent with Skylight window

Many modular accessories (annex room, awning, storage shelves)

James Baroud | The reigning champion of luxury and quality in roof top tents

 

James Baroud tents have withstood the test of time and come with all the bells and whistles included. These luxury touches enhance the comfort and ensure the longevity of the tent:

Ultra thick, moisture-resistant foam mattress

Solar powered, reversible ventilation fan

Bright, removable LED flashlight

Mosquito-proof screened windows & doors

Storage pockets

Market-leading 5-year warranty

Available in hundreds of colors (New as of !)

The James Baroud roof top tent lineup includes 3 body styles- clamshell, extended clam shell, and full opening / flat top. Each of these are then available in standard or XXL size, and with or without an integrated storage tray on the exterior of the tent. The naming conventions can get a little bit confusing, so be sure to scroll through the photos on our Rhino Adventure Gear product pages where you&#;ll find a helpful model comparison chart, as well as dimensional information and feature summaries of each type of James Baroud Roof Top Tent.

Another huge selling point of the Baroud RTTs is the sweet line up of cleverly engineered awnings and accessories. For example, the new James Baroud Tunnel Awning, allows you to climb through the roof of the awning directly into your roof top tent via an enclosed tunnel as you ascend the ladder. Combine the Tunnel Awning with a 3-wall Awning Enclosure/Annex Room, and you get two separate but connected sleeping spaces (your RTT and the annex room on the ground).

Camp King Industries | Aluminum Roof Top Tents

 

The distinguishing feature of the Camp King RTT is its aluminum shell construction. A 2 mm thick, powder coated aluminum shell makes the Camp King RTT strong enough to support its own rack system and carry a gear load on top of the tent. Whether it&#;s a set of MAXTRAX, mountain bikes or surfboards, you can mount it on top of the Camp King RTT.

The most comparable roof top tent to the Camp King is the Alucab, which also has an aluminum shell. However, we sell Camp King RTT over the Alucab, because we believe the build quality is superior. Camp King Industries uses only premium Australian materials in their RTTs. The best way to appreciate the significance of quality materials is to make an appointment at a Rhino Adventure Gear Showroom and spend some time opening and closing tents, laying on the mattresses and operating the zippers. Below are some additional details on the Camp King Roof Top Tent features:

Strong aluminum shell

Breathable natural fabrics

Eco-friendly foam mattress

Ultra high quality seals

Heavy duty struts for easy, assisted opening

 

How do you install a roof top tent? What type of roof rack is required?

Unfortunately there isn&#;t a simple, &#;one size fits all&#; answer to this question. It really depends on the type of vehicle you have, the type of tent you get, whether you have factory roof rails pre-installed or not, and what mounting configuration you&#;re looking for.

Some types of vehicles have tons of compatible aftermarket roof rack options; others not so much. Sometimes roof rack installation requires precisely drilling into the roof of the vehicle; other times it&#;s pretty simple.

          

If you&#;re in California and looking to get set up with a roof top tent but aren&#;t sure what rack system you need, fill out this form or get in touch to chat with our roof top tent installation teams in San Francisco or San Diego. They&#;ll gather information about your vehicle, and discuss options for how we can help get you set up.

 

How long will it take for the Roof Top Tent I bought to be installed?

We always do our best to give you an accurate estimate at the time of purchase, or when we send out a quote for a custom build project. If we have inventory of the specific roof top tent and roof rack you need, we can usually schedule you in for an install within a week or two, depending on how busy we are at the shop. Other times we have to wait for an incoming shipment of tents to arrive, and it&#;ll take longer.

If you have an upcoming trip planned, be sure to complete your order well in advance to give us enough lead time to acquire any backordered parts. Usually purchasing your gear 4 to 6 weeks before a trip is sufficient, but the more lead time the better. Again, we&#;ll give you an estimate specific to your order when you buy your equipment.

Even a basic roof top tent installation often requires coordinating multiple vehicle-specific parts- roof rack crossbars, feet, bracketry etc., and if just one of these is out of stock, we&#;re dependent on the manufacturer&#;s supply line and shipping times to get it in hand before we can complete the install. Manufacturers across the overlanding industry are struggling to keep up with rising demand and tariffs on raw materials, so we often experience backorder queues in the 4 - 10 week range if we have to custom order something for your build. We appreciate your understanding that there is a difference between sourcing quality overlanding products from around the world and buying diapers that you can have delivered within 2 hours from Amazon.

 

Will a Roof Top Tent fit in my garage?

Well, it depends on the height of your garage, your vehicle, and the profile/height of the roof rack you use to attach the tent. Some measuring tape and a careful look at roof top tent and roof rack dimension charts are probably your best bet to get an accurate answer this question.

If you have a large or lifted vehicle and a low clearance garage, but really want to keep your tent in the garage, you could consider mounting the tent to an off road trailer with an overhead rack system instead. This has the advantage of keeping the roof of your vehicle free for other cargo such as surfboards, kayaks or mountain bikes, and it means you can easily detach your camping equipment from your vehicle.

 

Still have more questions about Roof Top Tents?

 

Browse our selection of Roof Top Tents and scroll through some images to get a sense of what it would look like on your vehicle. Don't be shy about giving us a call if you have a question specific to your vehicle that wasn't addressed above!

 

SMRT Tent USA

Most likely the one you have now! Most vehicles have the capacity to carry a roof top tent, you must check your vehicle's dynamic roof capacity. This is the most important number as it indicates
how much weight your vehicle can safely carry while driving.  

The different models of roof top tents that we carry vary in weight &#; this means that if you have a smaller
vehicle with a lower dynamic weight rating, you will likely want to look at the lighter models &#; &#;The&#; Softshell or the Sky Loft.

After finding the right tent for your needs and vehicle, you will need to ensure your vehicle can support an appropriate roof rack system &#; you need to have cross rails to mount the tent to, and the same weight rule applies. The cross rails must have the dynamic capacity to carry at least the weight of the tent. This is especially important to keep in mind if you want to add accessories to your tent or rack.  

Please see our Roof Rack FAQ for more specifics.

Are you interested in learning more about Roof Top Tent Off-Road supplier? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!