What you need to know about Rooftop tents?

Rooftop tents are a great option for a fun weekend away camping but they're not for everyone,for examplein the Australia, Rooftop tents have been on the market in Australia since the mid-1980s but became more popular in the early 2000s as many new brands began to flood the market. There are now more than 20 brands and many models on the market ranging from less than $1000 to more than $5000, with some fully optioned models approaching $10,000.

Rooftop tent advantages

There are many good reasons to buy a rooftop tent, with a primary one being that it's relatively quick and easy to set up, so you can hop into your already made-up bed in a matter of minutes at the end of the day.

Compared to tent camping, you’re sleeping off the ground so you don’t need to worry about nosy animals or reptiles and spiders, and damp and cold is less of an issue. You also potentially get less sand and dirt in your tent.

Rooftop tents also deliver a nicer, elevated perspective of your surroundings, and are more likely to catch a cool breeze on hot summer nights. Having all your bedding and tent on the roof allows use of cargo space in your vehicle for other camping gear too.

A roof-top tent fitted to a 4WD can also be easier and more convenient than dragging a camper trailer or caravan when on difficult off-road terrain – or even when trying to park when restocking supplies at a regional shopping centre. However, a roof-top tent and a trailer are not mutually exclusive. Due to the roof-top tent’s versatile and lightweight structure, many people and camper-trailer manufacturers have opted to fit one to a suitably fitted-out trailer.

They're also a relatively cheap way to provide extra bedding on camping trips for family members or friends, even when towing a trailer, and allow you to ditch the big caravan and head off-road for a few days without slumming it too much.

Rooftop tent disadvantages

It’s not all smooth sailing with a rooftop tent though. One of the main issues to consider is that these are generally bulky, heavy tents that are difficult to fit and remove on a vehicle’s roof racks by one person.

They'll also restrict entry into height-restricted multi-level carparks or even your own garage due to the extra travelling height a roof-top tent adds. The height issue can also become a problem on some bush tracks with low-hanging branches.

When travelling, the increased wind resistance from the often bluff rooftop tent can increase fuel consumption, although probably not quite as much as towing a trailer would.

With typically more than 60kg added to the highest point of the vehicle, a rooftop tent can alter driving dynamics on the road, increasing body roll and, ultimately, the risk of a roll-over. When you’re side-sloping off-road, you need to be conscious of the rooftop tent as it can also increase the risk of a roll-over. However, better-damped (than standard) off-road suspension can help reduce this risk.

Like all vehicle-based camping, you also have to consider the fact that once all set up at camp, you can’t easily move again. If you need to jump into your vehicle to make a quick late-afternoon dash for firewood, or want to leave your base camp to explore nearby tracks, you’ll have to pack up camp each time.

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