ROOF TOP TENTS. I need some education.

[GariJ]

Okay so my front runner extreme slim line roof rack is on its way. Now I love the look of a roof top tent but they are more expensive than I had expected. Can anyone run me through the pros and cons of a rooftop? I have left this rather open ended in the hope of getting a wide variation of answers.

Thanks in advance

[warnabrother]

I cut my teeth 4wing in South Africa where the rooftop tent originated for obvious reasons i.e. Lions etc.. and used them for many years. In my opinion, unless you are sleeping in an area that you NEED to be off the ground, they are a pain in the ass..

They put weight where you don't want it, you have to climb a ladder to go for a pee at night.. the vehicle needs to be parked on flat ground else you roll around.. you also need to pack up everyday if you are base camping which can be a pain.. you are also driving around with a big box on your roof all the time which unless you remove and refit for every trip causes drag, increase in fuel economy etc.

I feel their only advantages are that you are off the ground in areas with wildlife and they are quicker to setup than equivalent sized domes etc..

[GariJ]

I cut my teeth 4wing in South Africa where the rooftop tent originated for obvious reasons i.e. Lions etc.. and used them for many years. In my opinion, unless you are sleeping in an area that you NEED to be off the ground, they are a pain in the ass..

They put weight where you don't want it, you have to climb a ladder to go for a pee at night.. the vehicle needs to be parked on flat ground else you roll around.. you also need to pack up everyday if you are base camping which can be a pain.. you are also driving around with a big box on your roof all the time which unless you remove and refit for every trip causes drag, increase in fuel economy etc.

I feel their only advantages are that you are off the ground in areas with wildlife and they are quicker to setup than equivalent sized domes etc..

Cheers Warnabrother thats exactly what I was looking for. Appreciate it.

[superchicken]

I cut my teeth 4wing in South Africa where the rooftop tent originated for obvious reasons i.e. Lions etc.. and used them for many years. In my opinion, unless you are sleeping in an area that you NEED to be off the ground, they are a pain in the ass..

They put weight where you don't want it, you have to climb a ladder to go for a pee at night.. the vehicle needs to be parked on flat ground else you roll around.. you also need to pack up everyday if you are base camping which can be a pain.. you are also driving around with a big box on your roof all the time which unless you remove and refit for every trip causes drag, increase in fuel economy etc.

I feel their only advantages are that you are off the ground in areas with wildlife and they are quicker to setup than equivalent sized domes etc..

I love this! On the roof so the Lions don't get you! That's great.

[warnabrother]

I love this! On the roof so the Lions don't get you! That's great.

LOL.. pretty much.. and the Leopards, Elephants, Wild Dogs etc.. and the fact a lot of the very popular 4wding in Southern Africa is in and around the Okovango Delta.. swampland basically where the ground is always soft and muddy underfoot..

[AroGantz]

You also want them if you are camping anywhere across the north of Aus as well.

[Abraxix]

i was about to say not owning one and askign the same thing to friends and family
everyone stated the same thing..

if you setup ready for camping... next thing you know you forgot something (at the bottle shop) i mean grocery shop. that's that you have to pack up everythign again all of it and then drive your self to the shop. i dunno about you but we frequently forget things. migth not be important but damn annoying if you do forget somethign super important to have to pack up all your gear and then drive some where...

where handy yeah doesnt' take up much room your not towing a trailer. when you stop you have to park your car and then your parked for the trip no usign your car for short trips around the township or to check out local look outs. nope your camped....

next is the same as others... - climbign a ladder to pee at 3:00am would be frustrating.... mo0re to the point having to climb a ladder at any time of day / night to pee would get average and annoying....

[warnabrother]

next is the same as others... - climbign a ladder to pee at 3:00am would be frustrating.... mo0re to the point having to climb a ladder at any time of day / night to pee would get average and annoying....

try it when you've had a few.. always fun to watch people fall out their tent or off the ladder