Thread: Vehicle roof tents

We looked at them and decided against them.
Top heavy on the road, wind drag kills any fuel economy. Then you have to get the vehicle level at the camp site/carpark.
Only used irregularly so refitting and removal is a nuisance unless you leave it on all the time. (fuel economy issue).
Up and down a ladder all the time, especially when you have to pee in the night, what a nuisance.
Forget about it being on the roof and then drive under a tree, into a multistory carpark complex, low garage etc..

Can you make a ply platform for the Prado that allows you to fold the front passenger seat down and fit the platform in over top over the rear seats?
I'd suggest looking at the swags set up on a camp stretcher base.

So my mates with the Bush Buck have had theirs for years, on top of a lifter cruiser and have zero complaints.
They leave the bed made with pillows in there too.
No condensation problems.
The thing stays on the vehicle permanently (they remove the duvet and pillows between trips)
Its got mozzie nets and is lockable.

Im going with one of these as its been tested by someone I know for years.

Originally Posted by No.3

Oldmate with the rooftop offering on the trailer kind of comes to the same point - he has the tent set up on a small box with locking compartments, all of his camping cooking and travel crap goes in the trailer under the tent. Gets to where he's going and it's about 5 mins to set up and 5 mins to pack away - modern form of the pop top tent caravan thingy.

Lower down means no stability issues, minimal wind problems, two steps down to get out (he has a fold up alloy ladder step thing that goes in the trailer) and if he needs to go anywhere he can disconnect and immobilise the trailer by locking it to something so at worst an opportunistic crim can only damage the tent. They would have to cut into the trailer box doors to get in or cut bolts to get the tent off - so no real advantage. Same risk of damage as having the tent on your vehicle at a road end with busting a window etc etc.

Having it on the trailer suits him better than mounting it on the vehicle, less fuel burn towing and at home it's easy enough to slip the box off the trailer with the tent attached and it takes up less room than anything else.

Plus being on a decent trailer means it's less likely to get damaged at road ends etc.

A mate did similar but put it on a frame high enough to fit a quad underneath, perfect setup really

I mounted mine on my hardlid.
That negates both fuel and handling issues,and its easier to get off.
Also easier to get in and out of.
I can open the tailgate no problem and keep most of what I need at the back. I haven't used it extensively yet and will also get an awning at some point,but so far no complaints.
I did put a topper on the mattress for extra padding.

Funny that all your references are from Marseille in France, yet you say you’re based in California…..bizarre bizarre …il y a anguille sous roche. ( something dodgy under the rock).

I've got a Rhino Rack soft shell RTT and im a full on convert, key things for me are fast set up, camp is good to in 5mins, no rocks, sticks or moisture under the tent floor and rocks or Maxtrax strategically placed under a wheel gets the vehicle level quickly.
I move every day or two when on the road so a quick set up in less than ideal campsite works great for me.

It's around 40kg and has a clever mounting system that has it bolted on or off in 2mins on my own.
No way I'm leaving the bugger on full time, I need the roof platform for work and the tent lives in a nice and dry storage unit safe from theft

Originally Posted by Friwi

Funny that all your references are from Marseille in France, yet you say you’re based in California…..bizarre bizarre …il y a anguille sous roche. ( something dodgy under the rock).

Oh come on @Friwi it is but a short drive across country from California to Boston and then over the new Atlantic toll bridge to Lisbon then a quick pop across Portugal and Spain to Barcelona and follow the coast up to Marseille. Far quicker than taking the old trans Himalayan highway. Ha ha ha ha.

I have to laugh at the number of tradies in double cab utes hauling their entire camping setup around on top of their work wagon 365 days a year. I kept fuel records for our 2023 West Coast trip camping with our inflatable jet boat in tow with a clean car (1997 Nissan Patrol), vs our 2024 trip where we had a roof rack with shit tons of claggage aboard: 2023: 10.9L/100km 2024: 14.4L/100km. And the wind noise was imposing too.

Our old 1600sport mk3 escort used to change fuel economy with a bare roof rack!!!

But if you're a contractor you just pass the extra fuel to the clients don't you?

A lot of guys around these parts run the RTT on the back of the ute, so that the top of it is level with the top of the ute's passenger compartment roof. Under it they have either a frame and a soft cover over the tray, or a custom 1/2 canopy that's lockable and contains the tools etc plus the camping stuff. The ones I have anything to do with use theirs as accommodation on site if they travel away and have a heating setup for water and a tall 'shower' tent with a drain base thingy that captures the water and sends it to a can for disposal - and that doubles as the portapot privacy tent. Fridge in the cab, and gas cooking on a stand setup - it's rather functional.

It's a pretty good setup for a single fella if you are working away, and have to pay for accommodation. Saves you $170 or thereabouts a night - so for some of them after the first 30 nights they are in pure profit as they are still charging it out haha. One guy has Starlink Mini in the tent, along with a projector and a sheet of white stuff that's a bit stiffer than the usual plastic but still folds up and streams TV and movies etc if he wants to. If the job supplies accommodation and food - they do tend to use that though.

Yup with a decent solar panel, fridge, kitchen set up and an awning it's very functional.
I'm generally ready to set up camp and kick back around 5pm anyway so not worried about having to go anywhere.
And if I do need to move, it's just a matter of 10min to pack the entire camp, tent, awning, table and chairs away and hit the road

Know a few young guys that have had them. Seemed like a cool idea but like some of the things mentioned so far they got old pretty fast. They seem to have gone for the awning and swag on the ground approach

https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/27-...s-on-car-roofs

Sounds like it's a buyer's market for 2nd hand.

Originally Posted by Waitati Hunter

https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/27-...s-on-car-roofs

Sounds like it's a buyer's market for 2nd hand.

Crazy how much people ask for 2nd hand ones, even if barely used as it's not like there's a shortage.

Mines well used, popped it back on this evening ready to go away for the week, so far this year I've slept 52 nights in it.
I intend to wear mine out with use