Thread: Roof top tents for camping

Has any one played with roof top tents for camping ?
Whats a good brand with an annex ?

Is it too windy to sleep up there etc

Thinking of putting one on my off road trailer if they are good....

Do they leak is a good question as well

Any advice welcome

I had one on my cruiser, very nice to sleep in but being so high up they can be wind prone and noisey in the wind,
Mine never leaked but I got rid of it cause it creates quite a lot of drag being up so high and they are significantly heavy therefore increaseing the height of your center of gravity (not ideal in a jacked up 4x4).
I think on a ute tray or a camp trailer they would be a lot nicer.

They just seem a bit expensive and all they really do is save 5-10mins of setting up a regular tent tht you can store on roofracks. Not like we have to sleep of tje ground to avoid crocodiles as they do on the other side of the ditch!

I also wonder how the canvas would hold up to weeks of west coast rain, not so much waterproofing but mould resistance

I had one a few years ago in Australia, great idea ......... but it was annoying in that you had to pack everything every time you wanted to use the vehicle . Sold it and went back to a good ground tent , much more versatile and easier to get out of in the middle of the night when nature calls

Originally Posted by Ground Control

, much more versatile and easier to get out of in the middle of the night when nature calls

Presumed you just make a waterfall....

They make “she wees” specially for such events

not a roof top tent but take a look at Black wolf turbo tent. Takes a few seconds to erect, four pegs and its up. another couple of mins and the fly is on. Quick to take down too but to take it down and fit into its bag is wrestle mania. I just roughly fold and put it loosely in the bag when touring around (bag not zipped up) then dry and fold and swear a lot, fight like my life depends on it and put it into the bag. My one is canvas you can get nylon ones that fold easier but on the canvas the groundsheet is thick heavy plastic that dont like to fold. Mine has never leaked but I use mine in the winter and condensation can be a problem. There is another quick erect tent from aussie but cant remember the name

a mate has one on trailer which is fine EXCEPT the trailer is too low and you cant lift it up to decent height or put taller tyres on it as the floor of tent will lift off ground....the modern dome tent is a marvelous thing..minutes to put up and they stand up to a hell of a battering when ties out correctly...if you have a roof rack you COULD tie a cheap fly from that down to long bungies pegged in groud OVER TOP of a dome tent and you wouldnt have to worry about wet tent at all.

They are great in Oz, where your biggest problems are either heavy rain/flooding or sand/dust and creepy crawlys like ants etc. plus all their other bloody wildlife that you don't wish to sleep with. I've done a little bit of camping out in different parts of Oz and never experienced wind, were as N.Z. wind would turn yah roof top tent into a awning.

Thanks all. That answers that question