Roof top vs quick erect tent

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

I have a question about the roof tents. Do you use stabiliser legs to stop the vehicle rocking whilst you are up top?

SOL.

Nobody does, because where would you put them???

you cant put them on the vehicle cause they would break off if you went 4b-ing, and you cant put them on the tent because that would look silly

[pete8205 Member Find all posts View Profile Close pete8205]

I never noticed the movement (rocking) of the car even while beeing naughty.

[Dueler120 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dueler120]

We have both setups and will use one of the other dependant on the type of camping we intend to do. One of my biggest draw backs of the roof top tent was that it had to be packed up every time we wanted to take a drive down to the beach or the shop if we ran out beer! It can still get very hot at night when there is no breeze around so factor in a fan like any other tent. Due to the fabric being semi canvas this has a habit of having hotter internal tent temps vs a nylon fabric which is found on our Black Wolf Turbo tent. The security of sleeping on top of your car is second to none but it does take up the majority of your roof rack capacity and creates drag when traveling. Ensure you have the correct suspension setup in the rear and go for the air bags to help out the rear coils with the extra weight. The roof top tent is imo ideal for those longer stays at one or two locations where you want to set up, fan all your camping gear out and stay put for more than one day.

Our Turbo tent weighs 14kg's and can fit across the back seat of the Prado or takes up minimal space on the rack. Its easy to put up and take down and has heaps of room for us and to place all our camping gear in when we jump in the car and take off for a fish. This setup is more ideal for day to day stop overs or when we feel like a spur of the moment overnight stay up the road. The tent is thinner but this lets it breathe better than the semi canvas material especially in the climate I camp in up here. Finding a flat enough surface that is free from sharp objects that may damage the turbo tent floor is sometimes a bit of a chore but I use a proper canvas tarp to lay out and create a second floor for the camp site.

All in all they both have their pros and cons but it comes down to what type of camping you want to do? If I was to buy another roof top tent id look at the capsule wind up system which looks to be the fastest out of all of them.

Cheers,

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

I never noticed the movement (rocking) of the car even while beeing naughty.

Noooo? We did. Want a copy of the video?

[Chris220220 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chris220220]

I have always had tents. From tiny hike tents to huge auto's. About 10yrs ago we got a camper and love it, always seem to take too much stuff now. I have looked at RTT but as others have said, packing up every time you want to use the car unless moving every day and then sitting would be a pain. In busy areas you wouls struggle to keep your spot. This would be a pain, unless others around you keep it for you. Up and down a ladder in the middle of the night could be "interesting".
However being off the ground and able to set up any where has a big advantage. Mind you there are not many spots you couldn't put up a little tent. I have not used the instant tents but they appear very bulky in comparison to another 5mins of pole threading.
That was however a great feature of the camper it's ready to go when flipped out.

I'd go the RTT if moving everyday and your unlikely to find good pitching spots.

[Kowolski Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kowolski]

FWIW We anguished over roof vs quick erect tents. After lots of research and speaking to both camps (so to speak) we went with the Blackwolf TurboLite 240 plus with three optional sidewalls for the front area. Absolutely the right decision as it turns out. Tent fits sideways in the rear so no roof rack required, better fuel economy etc. We can have the tent fully up in 10 minutes. The extra room of the plus is fantastic. We've weathered some really bad storms and it has a great secure feel even in strong wind and heavy rain. We can lock the tent and do day trips without packing up. I reckon for us about 85% of the time having a quick erect tent is the perfect option - incidentally we know two roof top tent owners who admit that more than half the time they wish they had gone the normal tent path.

[beached Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close beached]

I have the Oztent RV4 with all the extra add ons and it has worked a treat over the past few years. However, I have been looking into a roof top tent lately for the advantages already mentioned and have settled on the hard shell type like the XTM model from bcf.
Will mount this to my rhino platform rack(with roof rails removed) and I think that will suit me at the present time.
Sick of the swag on the ground and by the time you have the double swag, Oztent, camp bed there is not much room left for anything else.
I plan on still using the Oztent for extended trips and the rooftop for quick stays were we are only staying a night or two. Use the side awning for the kitchen area and have the best of both worlds!

[Ages Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ages]

Digging up an older thread here, but instead of starting a new one, just wanted to ask if anybody has had any experience with the kulkyne rooftop tents? looking at maybe going there tent and awning package. Price seems pretty good. Just wondering if they are any good quality?? http://www.kulkyne.com/au/Roof-Top-Tent-Deal.html

[karlmagoo Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close karlmagoo]

Spoke on the ph to tigerz11 in lawnton yesterday, will do the roof rack, rooftop tent with awning plus a 2.5 by 2m side awning package for $1600, reckon i can get it cheaper though, still, not a bad price for cheap setup.





Cheers

[prado2004 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close prado2004]

i've recently bought one of the 8 man coleman instant tents off ebay for $350.00. can be fully setup and ready to go in 2 mins and is a good size with two rooms, I have one with a queen air bed and the other for the fridge etc. I know there are better quality canvas ones out there but this is good value for money. Ive been cmaping in big winds and big rain and no leaks, I also wanted a roof top tent but decided to try this as didnt want to have to pack it up every time I wanted to take the prado for a play!

[farmernz Member Find all posts View Profile Close farmernz]

powerful4x4 had a kalahari rooftop (looks like all the others from the pics) tent for $699 a few weeks ago, its still only $899 on there site. i havent seen one in the flesh though.

[Ages Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ages]

hmm, sounds like good options, just wondering with the tigerz model, can you mount it so that it opens up to the back of the car and then have the awning section over the rear door?

that way wouldn't have to do the nudie run to grab another beer!

[prado2004 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close prado2004]

hmm, sounds like good options, just wondering with the tigerz model, can you mount it so that it opens up to the back of the car and then have the awning section over the rear door?

that way wouldn't have to do the nudie run to grab another beer!

pretty sure they come with a sunroom/annex for under the tent so you could put your fridge in there

[Dueler120 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dueler120]

Rooftops are great but like others have said its a pain to have to pack it up every time you want to go out for a spin. I have a rooftop and a turbo tent (Blackwolf) and I much prefer the turbo tent for the above reason and that it can be packed away small and then put back in the shed when not needed. My take on owning a rooftop tent is that they are better suited for when you plan to camp in one spot for a lengthy period of time eg. near the beach for a week when you only need to walk short distances to throw a line. Setup the solar panel, setup the rooftop tent and then your laughing for a few days.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Just don't go to Flinders Ranges during 120km/hr winds or your tent will last 2 days like mine did last year!