Who has made a rooftop tent?
- Thread starter DiscoJon
- Start date
Eezi-awn also offers a roof top tent that you don't need a rack for. They sell a pair of crossbars that it can sit on. I imagine you could use that design and just make your own crossbars and mount them on top of your exising rack. I have been thinking of that myself. Then you would still have some storage under the tent.
http://www.eezi-awn.co.za/rooftents.html
Cheers,
Mike
http://www.eezi-awn.co.za/rooftents.html
Cheers,
Mike
dont know if you are still looking discojon, but i built this set-up to put a tent platform over a thule loadcase: http://www.flickr.com/photos/taciturnal/sets/72157594259099369/
i dont have all the pics of it up on my flickr account right now (nov 16) but will add a few more over the weekend so you can see it in action better.
it sits just above the thule case, but will open to allow access to the case.
i dont have all the pics of it up on my flickr account right now (nov 16) but will add a few more over the weekend so you can see it in action better.
it sits just above the thule case, but will open to allow access to the case.
Man thats high......how many feet of the ground is it.. ?
I think I'd of put the platform on the load bars and simply swung the Thule container out of the way when sleep was required...
Hate to think of your gas mileage or wind noise...
But hey it serves your purpose and you built it yourself..so good on you
I think I'd of put the platform on the load bars and simply swung the Thule container out of the way when sleep was required...
Hate to think of your gas mileage or wind noise...
But hey it serves your purpose and you built it yourself..so good on you
There is one on Ih8mud for $225 or so closeout in the vendor merchandise section.
http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=119667
Ron
http://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=119667
Ron
What's the big advantage about sleepin on top of your car? I mean, it looks cool for a picture, but not necessary in MY opinion. Just pitch your tent on the ground and save your money for other Rover mods.
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S
syoung
Guest
It has advantages- just ask the hundreds of people at MAR who had rivers flowing through their tents. 
Snakes, scorpions...
It's nice to have a comfy place to nap at a rest stop when doing major long distance too.
Snakes, scorpions...
It's nice to have a comfy place to nap at a rest stop when doing major long distance too.
as per above mud-snakes/scorpions, add bufalo/hippos lions etc when in Africa...or any large unwanted beast
then there's the easy rig and pack....no mud-dirt-sand etc to wipe or bush off
The security, your on your truck, anyone try and break in you'd either hear or feel...
On the ground someone could quite hapilly bundle you up in your tent and then rob you blind....
The average thief probably won't want to climb the ladder and find him looking at a gun/knife-large dog in his face
It normally has 2-3 " matress no blowing up beds and punctures in the night...
its great for animal watching
you have good views.
you won't get washed away during the night......
theres more room in the truck as the tents outside...
It does'nt wet the inside of your truck
theres no lost tent pegs and the extreme stuffing require to get the tent back into the original bag
Under the fold out bit you have protection from vertical rain......not the horizontal type however.......
issues however are the late night runs, the extra height and weight while off roading.
So I put mine on a trailer.....
I'm sure other users would agree
then there's the easy rig and pack....no mud-dirt-sand etc to wipe or bush off
The security, your on your truck, anyone try and break in you'd either hear or feel...
On the ground someone could quite hapilly bundle you up in your tent and then rob you blind....
The average thief probably won't want to climb the ladder and find him looking at a gun/knife-large dog in his face
It normally has 2-3 " matress no blowing up beds and punctures in the night...
its great for animal watching
you have good views.
you won't get washed away during the night......
theres more room in the truck as the tents outside...
It does'nt wet the inside of your truck
theres no lost tent pegs and the extreme stuffing require to get the tent back into the original bag
Under the fold out bit you have protection from vertical rain......not the horizontal type however.......
issues however are the late night runs, the extra height and weight while off roading.
So I put mine on a trailer.....
I'm sure other users would agree
syoung said:It has advantages- just ask the hundreds of people at MAR who had rivers flowing through their tents.
Snakes, scorpions...
It's nice to have a comfy place to nap at a rest stop when doing major long distance too.
I guess torrential downpours are kind of a concern... ??? but It's not hard to stay dry unless you're sleeping under a tarp held up by dental floss.
Snakes, scorpions, whatever, will not get in your tent if you zip it up!!! This is with the exception of grizzlies, black bears, polar bears, or any other large animal in Africa or something... But you'd really need to be out in the bush for that to be a factor and as smart as I've seen bears to be up here in AK, they can climb, open doors, pop tops of soda cans and drink them, etc. If a large animal has it out for you and is curious of your scent... you've got bigger problems... but yes, I would prefer to be on top of my car, or in my car for that matter, as opposed to on the ground in that type of a situation.
I'll take a garden snake vs. a bunch of highway psycho's preying on my nice rig parked at a rest stop on a major highway ANY DAY... I would DEFINITELY prefer to sleep in a quiet KOA campground or something... they're all over the place if you're traveling through the lower 48 and you could easily map out a long trip and have your own space to camp SAFELY.
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it was like 9 feet i think... and because it was pretty thin in profile, there was no extra noise and gas mileage was not really any sh1ttier than it already is...
i liked it in sandy conditions because up high, there was a lot less sand blowing into the tent. also, that was moab in august so it was easier to get a breeze blowing through the tent when you were up above the shrubs and rocks. i was not worried about snakes ~in~ the tent, but i was also not worried about bitey things making their morning home under the flaps nooks and crannies around the tent while i was exiting the tent. if there is a place flat enough to park the truck, there is room for the tent. it was nice to have the fly off and be able to see 180 degrees of sky instead of bushes, the truck, the guy next to me, whatever. it was like being a kid again and having top bunk on the coolest bunkbed in the world...nuff said?
i liked it in sandy conditions because up high, there was a lot less sand blowing into the tent. also, that was moab in august so it was easier to get a breeze blowing through the tent when you were up above the shrubs and rocks. i was not worried about snakes ~in~ the tent, but i was also not worried about bitey things making their morning home under the flaps nooks and crannies around the tent while i was exiting the tent. if there is a place flat enough to park the truck, there is room for the tent. it was nice to have the fly off and be able to see 180 degrees of sky instead of bushes, the truck, the guy next to me, whatever. it was like being a kid again and having top bunk on the coolest bunkbed in the world...nuff said?
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AlaskaBound said:
well the animals of africa walk around at night on the ground
but really the biggest advantage here is you only need the space the truck is sitting on and you are good to go.
I cant tell you how nice it would have been up in canada a number of times, in places other then the 2 track your on everything is covered with little trees 8' a part.
MUSKYMAN said:well the animals of africa walk around at night on the ground
but really the biggest advantage here is you only need the space the truck is sitting on and you are good to go.
I cant tell you how nice it would have been up in canada a number of times, in places other then the 2 track your on everything is covered with little trees 8' a part.
:yawn: Look, everybody knows where everyone else lives on these boards and I'm not sure I have EVER seen anyone with a Rover in Africa rolling around amongst the lions and rhinos and stuff OK? Most people only get as close to those animals as the pictures on their spare tire cover :smilelol: So.... who on this board really capitalizes on THAT advantage?... Clearly, people in places like Africa who have Rovers find advantages for these types of tents but not "the rest of us"...
And honestly, who the hell would park their Rover in the middle of the African wilderness and NOT sleep in their car? You gotta be crazy to be in a place like that and sleep outside... but then again... I knowingly camp out here in AK with really large bears around me all the time... but Africa? I don't know how much that applies here.
*Point taken on only needing the space the truck is sitting in... didn't think about that, but yes, that is certainly a viable advantage for practical purposes... :applause:
My opinion: My rover is meant to take me places so I can experience the ride and experience life and cool places outside of the vehicle. To me, these cars are not meant to be like transformer vehicles that pop open all doors and a wrap around couch falls out with a pool table and air conditioning... If you're so worried about "bitey things" being outside your tent so much that you have to spend $1,000 or so to sleep in the sky... just take day trips and sleep inside your home where you can watch the discovery channel...
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FIVESPDDISCO said:
How do you get in and out of the tent. I have thought of doing the same thing but haven't figured out a good way to enter and exit. Charles
AlaskaBound said:
#1: i spent about 100 bucks to build the set-up for my tent.
#2: i slept outside in utah in august and i will sleep outside in new mexico this year in january. i am not a delicate little flower and i dont need to be advised to stay home and watch the discovery channel. you dont want to sleep on the roof, dont. i do and i will.
"Look, everybody knows where everyone else lives on these boards and I'm not sure I have EVER seen anyone with a Rover in Africa rolling around amongst the lions and rhinos and stuff OK? "
err sorry I have....want pic's ?
Plus I just spent 6 years in southamerica with wild pigs / caimens / 3 minute snakes / anaconda's and robbers with guns at every stop.....
Roof tent.......safer...
err sorry I have....want pic's ?
Plus I just spent 6 years in southamerica with wild pigs / caimens / 3 minute snakes / anaconda's and robbers with guns at every stop.....
Roof tent.......safer...
UK 4X4 said:
Your the first one I've known then on this board to wheel their Rover with lions and rhinos... like I said before, "Clearly, people in places like Africa who have Rovers find advantages for these types of tents but not "the rest of us"...." You must have missed that comment...
and save your pics, I believe you. You can hang em in your bullet proof/snake proof roof top chalet...
mikeyb said:
Sorry dude... don't get bent out of shape
You sound like you are a proven and consumate outdoorsman... I stand corrected... Touche... :fencing:
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