ROOF TENT BUYING GUIDE 2023
Roof tents are nothing new, they have been around since the 40s. But roof tents have been used for different reasons in different places in the world.
In Africa they sleep on the roof to protect themselves from predators, in Australia they sleep in roof tents to protect themselves from spiders and snakes.
We usually joke that we sleep in roof tents in Sweden to protect ourselves from ants and hard cones.
OutdoorDays has been selling roof tents since 2016 and is one of the oldest players on the Swedish market. With over 1000 rooftop tents sold, we can proudly say that we know what we are talking about.
In this guide, we will try to help you find the right roof tent for your purposes.
READY IN 5 MIN
YOUR MILLION STAR HOTEL®
WHAT IS REQUIRED OF MY CAR?
Step 1
To mount a roof tent on your car, some kind of roof rack is required.
There are different types of roof racks and the recommended ones are Thule Evo. (not Edge)
Another option is also a roof basket from, for example, Front Runner.
Your roof rail must have about 75 cm "clean rail" to avoid moving the rails in.
The roof rails that are "squeezed" in the car door are not recommended.
step 2
It is most common for the roof rails to handle between 75 and 100 kg.
That weight is the dynamic weight when you drive your car. (so that the railing can hold the load in the event of a collision/braking.)
Dynamic & static weight
Dynamic weight = when traveling
Static weight = standing still
In general, the static weight is 3-5x higher than the dynamic weight.
Step 3
When choosing a roof tent, the size of the roof tent can be difficult to judge.
You shouldn't compare a roof tent with your bed at home.
A 140cm wide roof tent is bigger than a 140cm wide bed. (you can use the entire surface)
In addition, you must not forget that to keep the heat, it is not good to have a roof tent that is too big. Large tents take longer to heat up – Just in time is best!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOFT & HARD SHELLS?
There are 2 types of roof tents - Soft shell & hard shell.
Both types of tents have their pros & cons. In the next chapter of this guide, we will go through our long experience regarding the pros & cons of soft shell & hard shell.
Hope you learn something :)
SOFT SHELL OUTDOORDAYS
We have chosen to invest heavily in soft-shell roof tents, this as soft-shell roof tents are generally more affordable than hard-shell tents.
SOFT SHELL OUTDOORDAYS
With long experience with roof tents, we have noticed that plastic hard shell roof tents in the price range up to SEK 26,000 do not maintain the quality we want. We therefore recommend hard shell roof tents in the upper price range. (SEK 30-50,000) (e.g. iKamper & James Baroud).
ADVANTAGES
- Takes up less space on the roof
- Weighs less per sleeping place
- Can be mounted to open either to the right or to the left.
- Safari / Safari Pro S / Diana mounts to open to both sides or back.
- Can be stored standing or lying down. For easier storage.
- More accessories. E.g. inner tent, air gap mattress & awning.
- Bedding can easily be stored in the tent even when it is folded.
DISADVANTAGES
- Gets higher on the roof.
- Plenty of tent cloth to dry if it gets wet.
- Slightly longer up/down folding time compared to hard shell.
HARD SHELLS IN GENERAL
With long experience with roof tents, we have noticed that plastic hard shell roof tents in the price range up to SEK 26,000 do not maintain the quality we want. We therefore recommend hard shell roof tents in the upper price range. (SEK 30-50,000) (e.g. iKamper & James Baroud).
ADVANTAGES
- Fast up/down time versus soft shell (about 30% faster)
- Slim design (lower overall height of the car)
- Removable ladder
- Can look better on passenger cars.
DISADVANTAGES
- Larger space on the roof
- Weighs more per sleeping place
- Must be stored lying down (not upright).
- Lower ceiling height
- Fewer accessories.
- Fragile plastic casing that breaks easily with temperature differences. (Applies to e.g. Not our Bermuda or James Baroud & iKamper)
