Roof Tent

[whydahdvr]

This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing.

In all the years I've done camping - granted, not nearly as much off-roading - I've never seen or heard of roof tents until I bought a Land Rover and started poking on on the internet sites. Now I see them everywhere!

I'm used to sleeping on the ground, outside, open air or in a tent, or at worst in the vehicle. But there seems to be a number of people with these roof tents.

So, how do they work? How much do people like them? What are the drawbacks or advantages? It seems to me that the concept is to get you off the ground in a compact footprint. What other reasons are there?

It's very interesting and normally I might be less inclined but as I sit here in the third day of drizzle and heavy rain it seems more appealing!

Thanks.

 

[jimbiram]

I used one for two weeks last summer in Colorado. I have to admit that it was the most comfortable night's sleep I ever had while camping!

Pros: Above the ground away from critters, flooding water, ants, etc., comfortable pad, usually 2 1/2 to 3" thick. Cozy room for two, but great for one.

Cons: Always have to take down to drive the vehicle, so not good for extended stay in one place. If tent is wet, in morning, then have to dry it off before packing for day trip. Ladder can be dangerous, and sometimes are short depending on height of vehicle.

Overall, it is a great tent for overland travel for one or two, where you pack up everyday for a new location, and is great for an overnight or two to a campsite someplace. At end of two weeks of going back to same campsite each night, and nearly two weeks of rain at night, it did get a little old, and a hotel was very appealing!

 

[whydahdvr]

You reminded me of one of the banes of camping - having to get out of your sleeping bag and tent in the middle of the night for a nature visit. I can see that negotiating the ladder, half asleep, middle of a cold night, would be a serious challenge.
But good to know the advantages/disadvantages of a roof tent. How does it set up on the roof? All the discussions about roof weight load capacity on this and the disco3.co.uk site make me wonder how the weight is supported. Two people, plus some gear, are well more than 158 lbs (load rating from my manual and dealership) no matter how skinny they are!

 

[gtc]

You reminded me of one of the banes of camping - having to get out of your sleeping bag and tent in the middle of the night for a nature visit. I can see that negotiating the ladder, half asleep, middle of a cold night, would be a serious challenge.
But good to know the advantages/disadvantages of a roof tent. How does it set up on the roof? All the discussions about roof weight load capacity on this and the disco3.co.uk site make me wonder how the weight is supported. Two people, plus some gear, are well more than 158 lbs (load rating from my manual and dealership) no matter how skinny they are!

The load ratings are all dynamic, not static - ie, when the vehicle is in motion and none of the other stats about the vehicle (most likely roll-over angles!) will be affected; thus, as long as you aren't driving with a tent full of people, you should be just fine! ;-) Someone here has a picture of a few adults and kids standing on their roof rack - it's a neat pic.

 

[SoCal LR3]

Someone here has a picture of a few adults and kids standing on their roof rack - it's a neat pic.

http://forums.landroverworld.org/showthread.php?t=17940&highlight=rack&page=2

check out post #16- is that the one you're referring to?

 

[crewcabrob]

I saw this one too:

 

[Boaz]

I've always had roof tent envy. Something about the nostalgia of my old tree house I guess. But the cost and hassle have always gotten the better of me. While awesome when you're actually using it, it can be a pain to get it on and off, and you have to have a big space to store it while not using it, which would be most of the year for me. That being said, they are so cool. Oh, I also have a larger family, so a two person tent doesn't cut it for me. Maybe I could make the kids sleep in the ground tent, and let the parents stay in the the roof tent.

I was on the trip with Jim. Here are a couple shots of the tents. Several guys had them that year.

 

[whydahdvr]

Very nice!
I like what I see but I think for now I'll stick with my ground-pounder gear. I generally do more camping in the Fall so have less of a bug issue. But I saw a tent that comes off the back of a LR that looked interesting too.
In the meantime I need to get a roof rack, something I can strap gear and cans too but also load lumber or plywood onto (and Christmas Tree) when I need to do that. Being able to take it off and store it relatively easily is nice, but not necessary.

 

[schafari]

I can understand the need for the safety of a roof tent in some more exotic locations on the globe, but I can't think of many/any in the US at all. If you can backpack and safely sleep in a tent. . .that pretty much negates the need for sleeping out of harms way on the roof. We have no lions, tigers, etc. . . That is the primary reason that they are used in other parts of the world. Put another way. . .if anyone can backpack/hike/camp anywhere near where you are driving your LR3, you certainly don't need the major inconvienence of camping on your roof of your truck.