If you want to get up off the cold, uncomfortable ground and away from predators, a roof top tent is the way to go.
You will get efficient and thoughtful service from Sunday Campers.
Of course, roof top tents come in all shapes and sizes from manufacturers large and small. With so many options, it can be a frustrating and time-consuming process to sift through all the junk and find a high-quality rooftop tent.
That&#;s where this REI roof top tent buyer&#;s guide comes in&#;
Now, there are two things I want to clarify about this guide.
First, buying a roof top tent (or any gear, for that matter) from a reputable retailer is critical to your success. You&#;ll often find better customer service, a more forgiving return policy, and other customer support features when you shop from a respected store with a long-standing reputation of success. REI roof top tent certainly fits the bill as a reputable retailer!
SMRT Summit Suite
And second, I got my new roof top tent &#; the SMRT Summit Suite &#; from REI. For the purposes of this guide, I&#;ll use my experience in researching and purchasing this tent to make recommendations for your roof top tent search.
So, without further ado, let&#;s get to it!
SMRT Summit Suite
The first step in the process of finding and buying a roof top tent is to simply do your due diligence.
I get that spending hours and hours researching the specs and features of something before you buy it might not be the most fun experience. But as I&#;m sure you know, when you thoroughly research gear before you buy, you usually end up with gear that stands the test of time.
So, from a quality standpoint, doing some research will go a long way in ensuring you get a REI roof top tent that is well-made and has the features you need or want.
But spending time doing research also allows you to spend your money wisely&#;
Now, notice that I did not say &#;save money.&#; As with so many types of overlanding and off-roading gear, you really do get what you pay for when you invest in a roof top tent. Sure, you can limit your search to &#;DIY roof top tents&#; or &#;cheap roof top tents,&#; but in my experience, doing so usually ends in all sorts of troubles down the road.
I spent six months researching roof top tents before ordering the SMRT Summit Suite.
A cheap roof top tent, for example, will likely not have the same level of waterproofness that a well-made one will. It likely won&#;t have zippers that are as robust or a ladder that&#;s as sturdy or a mattress that&#;s as comfortable (if it even comes with one), either.
So, part of the task of doing your due diligence is to spend your money wisely &#; to invest in a roof top tent that provides you the highest level of functionality, utility, comfort, and longevity that you can afford.
The keyword here is invest. Getting a good night&#;s sleep after a long day of overlanding is paramount. You need to be comfortable so you can rest well and be recharged for the next day&#;s activities. Because sleep is so important, I always recommend that you invest in the best tent you possibly can. So, with that in mind, what features should you look for in your REI roof top tent search?
SMRT Summit Suite
As I mentioned before, roof top tents come in all sorts of sizes, which means they vary widely in their weight, too.
For example, the SMRT Summit Suite weighs 160 pounds. By contrast, the smaller SMRT &#;The&#; Softshell Tent weighs only 128 pounds.
SMRT &#;The&#; Softshell
Weight is important for a couple of reasons.
First, you have to consider the dynamic weight rating of your vehicle&#;s rack. Dynamic weight refers to the amount of weight the rack can support while in the act of driving. Obviously, having a tent that exceeds this amount is a major safety concern as it can make your vehicle top-heavy and more prone to rollovers.
This means that before buying a roof top tent or even buying an REI roof top tent, you need to check the owner&#;s manual of your vehicle to find out the dynamic weight rating of the factory rack. Alternatively, if you have an aftermarket rack on your vehicle, consult its owner&#;s manual for dynamic weight information. In most cases, aftermarket racks will have a higher dynamic weight rating.
&#;The&#; Softshell Tent from SMRT has a static weight rating of 661 pounds.
The second component of this is the static weight capacity. This refers to the ability of the vehicle&#;s roof and rack to safely support the load of the tent, all the gear inside, and the people sleeping in it when the vehicle is not in motion. It also refers to the weight that the tent itself can safely hold.
Again, this is a safety issue, so knowing ahead of time how much weight your vehicle and rack can accommodate will help you avoid buying a tent that simply won&#;t work with your vehicle. It&#;s worth noting that not all racks are compatible with rooftop tents in the first place, so perhaps start your research there!
The SMRT Summit Suite is a hard shell tent that has a roof capacity of 175 lbs. for adding additional gear like bikes or solar panels.
In terms of the design of the roof top tent, one of the biggest decisions you need to make is if you invest in a hard shell or a soft shell tent.
As I discuss in detail in this guide to hard shell and soft shell tents, there are pros and cons to both types.
On the one hand, hard shell tents are fast to set up and allow you to add a rack on top for carrying additional gear. On the other hand, soft shell roof top tents can be roomier and more affordable.
The SMRT &#;The&#; Softshell sleeps up to four people.
For example, the hard shell SMRT Summit Suite sets up in about a minute. But &#;The&#; Softshell tent from SMRT is larger and can accommodate up to four people compared to three people in the Summit Suite.
It&#;s worth noting that hard shell tents tend to be better from an aerodynamic standpoint as you drive down the road. By closing down into a low-profile design (the Summit Suite is just 6.3&#; tall when closed), you reduce drag and will improve your gas mileage.
The SMRT Summit Suite has a roomy interior for up to three people (or you and your dog!).
Whether you&#;re shopping for an REI roof top tent or using another reputable dealer to find the right tent for your needs, you should take some time to explore the various amenities that the tents offer.
For example, I talked earlier about the need for a good night&#;s sleep, so comparing the types of mattresses you can get in a roof top tent is a great place to start.
My SMRT Summit Suite has a 59&#; x 81.5&#; high-density EPS open cell foam mattress. The open cell construction enables mattress airflow so you don&#;t wake up gross and sweaty at night. And while it&#;s firm to the touch, it also adapts to your body for excellent support for your weary bones after a long day of trekking.
The SMRT Sky Loft has a 52&#; x 82&#; mattress for one to two people.
Consider the size of the mattress, too. For example, my Summit Suite can sleep up to three people. By contrast, the SMRT Sky Loft&#;s mattress &#; which is the same build and materials as the one in the Summit Suite &#; is slightly smaller at 52&#; x 82&#;. That size is more conducive to sleeping one or two people.
My tent&#;s mattress came with a removable polyester mattress cover, which is a Godsend after a long overlanding trip. Just pop it off, clean it up, let it dry, and it&#;ll be ready to go for the next adventure. I highly recommend keeping an eye out for that feature as you shop for a tent.
If you have your eye on four-season camping, be sure the tent comes with either an anti-condensation mat or quilted upper and lower components, that way you don&#;t have to worry about moisture and you can stay dry whether it&#;s summer, winter, or somewhere between.
The SMRT Summit Suite has a 7.5-foot telescopic ladder.
Look at the ladder for the tent, too.
While it might seem like roof top tent ladders should all be about the same, this could not be further from the truth.
I&#;m a big guy and weigh about 220 pounds, so when I step on a ladder, I want it to feel like there could be two of me on that thing with no issue! Now, obviously, if you buy your roof top tent online, you can&#;t exactly test out the ladder. But you can read reviews and see what other folks think before you buy. And, of course, if you get a tent and the ladder just won&#;t cut it, you can always send the tent back.
The SMRT Sky Loft pictured with a rear access ladder.
Look for tents that have adjustable-height ladders and different mounting points for the ladder as well. Having the ability to mount the ladder in different locations is a great feature of my tent and allows me to tailor my camp setup based on the terrain around my trailer and tent.
The SMRT Summit Suite and SMRT Sky Loft (pictured above) come with two shoe storage bags.
On the inside of the tent, you want some kind of storage for keeping your sleeping quarters a little more organized.
What I like about SMRT tents is that you get multiple pockets. In my Summit Suite, for example, there are two internal pockets for smaller items like my cell or flashlight, plus a large pocket on the ceiling of the tent for bigger items, like my son&#;s tablet.
The SMRT &#;The&#; Softshell has mesh panels that cover the windows to allow for airflow.
Ventilation is key as well. Check the tent&#;s specifications to see how many windows and doors there are, and that there are mesh panels that allow for airflow without letting bugs in.
Another key feature to think about is the interior dimensions of the tent. Since I&#;m tall, I look for tents that have good headroom.
The SMRT Sky Loft has 48&#; of headroom.
The Summit Suite, for example, has a high point of 54&#; inside. While I can&#;t stand up straight, it is more than enough room for me to crawl into the tent and have lots of headroom as I&#;m sitting down.
Even the smaller SMRT tents offer excellent headroom &#; the Sky Loft has a high point of 48&#; while &#;The&#; Softshell has a high point of 47&#;.
SMRT tents have impeccable build quality, as shown by the materials in &#;The&#; Softshell tent.
Naturally, you want to invest in a tent that offers excellent build quality and durability for years of use. This means that you need to inspect the materials that are used in the construction of the tent.
A good indication of the quality of a tent is in the hardware. If it&#;s stainless steel or aluminum &#; as is the case with my Summit Suite &#; you&#;re good to go. The aluminum handle, for example, is lightweight yet strong. The hardware is stainless-steel for weather-resistance and smooth functionality for years and years of use.
But if you find a tent that uses other materials &#; plastic, in particular &#; buyer beware. Plastic hardware can become misshapen in extreme heat, crack or break in extreme cold, and will certainly wear out much faster than metal hardware.
The SMRT Summit Suite has a heavy-duty outer shell for durability.
As for the tent materials, you want something that&#;s heavy-duty and designed to hold up to all sorts of weather elements.
For example, the SMRT Summit Suite has a powder-coated heavy-duty honeycomb and extruded aluminum outer shell, which makes it supremely durable while also being resistant to punctures.
SMRT uses materials like 280gsm ripstop polyester cotton canvas for long-lasting durability.
The body of the tent is made with 280gsm ripstop polyester-cotton canvas that has a PU coating of mm and a UPF of 40 plus, which gives it excellent weather resistance while also maintaining breathability. The same material is used on the Sky Loft tent body, while the &#;The&#; Softshell is made of 320gsm poly-cotton canvas with a 420D polyester Oxford rainfly that&#;s mold and mildew resistant.
Additionally, &#;The&#; Softshell&#;s seams are all coated for UV protection and waterproofing.
In other words, all three of these tents have been built with the highest-quality materials to ensure you are protected from the elements when you&#;re inside &#; just what you want when looking for an REI roof top tent or even from any other brand!
The SMRT Summit Suite is well worth the investment!
For more Roof Top Tent Off-Road wholesalerinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
REI Roof top tents or from any other brand run the gamut from ultra-cheap to extremely expensive. As we&#;ve already discussed, going the cheap route is not recommended because you just won&#;t get much durability and longevity out of the tent. Why buy two or three cheap tents over the years when one high-quality tent will last longer?!
So, with that in mind, I&#;ll repeat my earlier advice &#; invest in the best tent you can afford.
Now, I realize that not everyone can afford the $3,595 price tag for the SMRT Summit Suite. But if it&#;s possible to accommodate that price, I can&#;t recommend this tent enough.
The SMRT Sky Loft is a great option if the Summit Suite is too big for your needs.
Priced in the middle is the SMRT Sky Loft at $2,895. With many of the same amenities as the Summit Suite, this is a great option if you don&#;t need quite as much space and need to save a little money without sacrificing quality.
Get more space on a smaller budget with the SMRT &#;The&#; Softshell.
&#;The&#; Softshell tent from SMRT is the most budget-friendly at $2,600. It&#;s also the largest of the three options and sleeps up to four people.
Clearly, I&#;m a little biased here since I have an SMRT tent. For my purposes, there isn&#;t an REI roof top tent that meets my needs as well as the Summit Suite. And after so long researching roof top tents, there isn&#;t a company that I felt does as good a job of developing and manufacturing tents as SMRT. While there are cheaper options out there, in my opinion, SMRT tents are well worth the price of admission.
Taking your time to research tents like the SMRT Sky Loft will ensure you get the right tent for your specific needs.
As I discussed earlier, it&#;s better to take more time researching what you want and need in a roof top tent than quickly pulling the trigger on something that ends up not working out.
I&#;m not telling you to do six months of research like I did, but give it a good amount of time before you invest in an REI roof top tent or from any other brand.
Of course, reading guides like this will hopefully help, too. After all, running 4WDTalk requires that I field test a lot of gear. As such, I&#;m constantly getting new stuff to test and swapping out the gear that I use on my trips, which is done in large part to provide you with as much hands-on experience as possible.
So, as you work towards finding an REI roof top tent, I hope my recommendations regarding an REI roof top tent will help guide you toward the ideal option. To help in your search, try Googling &#;roof top tent dealers near me.&#; You never know how close a dealer might be that allows you to check out roof top tents in person.
Are you on the hunt for ideas on what rooftop tent (RTT) to buy for your vehicle? Look no further. Here you will find all the answers to questions that we ourselves had before we bought our own rooftop tent. As in other cases, there are so many options. Let's see what the world has to offer for your next adventure.
There are many ways to convert a pickup truck into a house on wheels. Not every conversion is a good option for a family, though. Some might even argue that any pickup conversion is not for families, but there are good examples that testify that this is not true. It gets even more challenging for digital nomads who travel slowly, working on the road, as we do. Car rooftop tents are an option, but there are others, some heavy and comfortable, some lightweight.
Prices start at around $900 for a budget tent and go up to $3,500 for the best tents on the market. Some tents also have various upgrades and extra options.
Also, check roof-top tents
on Amazon
At first, we considered fibreglass shell campers and various pop-up tent solutions for our Toyota Hilux. After months of research, we decided to go with a budget solution &#; we bought an aluminium hard shell roof top tent. There are also more luxurious solutions; I will mention those later in the article.
We need to go out and explore, as the folks from Overland Bound would say. So we thought: &#;Hey, let&#;s try something new! Let's scale down, even though we're a family of four.&#; And we're ready to explore all available options with you. Let's look at the best roof top tents the world has to offer.
There are two categories of pickup trucks. The first is a vehicle typically sold in North America, like the Ford F150, that runs on petrol and is typically very big. And then there's the rest of the world, where pickups are Diesel powered and smaller. Outside of the USA, the Toyota Hilux is the king of pickup trucks, followed by the Nissan Navara, the Mitsubishi L200 (now Triton), the Ford Ranger, and recently, the Volkswagen Amarok and the Mercedes-Benz X-Class. They're roughly the size of a Toyota Tacoma.
These are sometimes called Book Style Tents and they recall a traditional A-frame tent, with an internal pole and an almost triangular shape. They definitely look cool and attract attention. They are also lightweight, especially the Tepui roof top tents and the FrontRunner tents, even though they are usually made of the most robust canvas available. But from a usability point of view, they're pretty difficult to maintain, to dry, and to pop up and collapse. They're also less aerodynamic than hard-shell tents, which affects fuel economy.
Actually, these tents started it all, so they're made by the most experienced tent production companies. They play a role in the evolution from the ground tent to the hard rooftop tents that are popular these days.
Eezi-Awn (South Africa)
ARB (Australia)
Cascadia Vehicle Tents or CVT (USA)
Tepui (USA)
Front Runner Outfitters (USA)
Smittybilt Overlander available on Amazon (USA)
Mombasa (USA)
Yakima SkyRise (USA)
& there are more soft-shell tents
on Amazon
And finally, here's the solution where shape meets function. These tents are the most popular nowadays. They're a little bit more expensive because of the fibreglass shell, but they're highly effective from many points of view, sturdy, and well-manufactured. They're also aerodynamic and easy to carry on your roof year-round, without much risk of getting damaged by bad weather conditions.
This type of tent was our final choice among all 4×4 roof top tents we considered. At the time we were purchasing our iKamper Skycamp roof top tent, the product had just hit the market after a successful Kickstarter campaign (they gained second place of all-time campaigns at Kickstarter). So our order was shipped directly from South Korea to Europe. Since then, the tent has become more and more popular. They also started to make a smaller version (for two adults) and many cool options. So this piece of gear is really a solid choice that I'd recommend if you don't know what to choose.
We have also received great customer service after the purchase. Skycamp was also awarded the RedDot Design Award in . So, all in all, they really deliver quality rooftop tents &#;
Our iKamper Skycamp in Porto, Portugal (South Korea)
Alu-Cab Gen 3 Expedition (South Africa)
James Baroud (USA)
AutoHome (Italy)
Roofnest (USA)
& there are more clamp-shell tents
on Amazon
Car roof top tents, also called RTTs, have become more popular recently, as the overlanders community and overall availability of car camping gear is growing. The car roof top tent is a blend of a regular, less comfy, ground tent and a heavier, hard camper. They're easy to mount to virtually any vehicle, not just 4x4s and adventure vehicles.
The tent can be set up in minutes, and it is out of the way when traveling from place to place. There is a ladder included in the package; you just need to put it up to gain access to the tent. The tent offers significantly increased comfort over a ground tent but has downsides as well.
Because the tent can be set up and packed away quickly, you get more time to do the things you love and that's, I'd say, the best benefit and a solid reason why to buy this expensive tent.
Once you start traveling and meet other campers, you'll always experience that feeling of: &#;I might be better off and happier with a different set-up, like the one my friend has.&#; That happens to me all the time. We're constantly searching for a better rig. But the big risk of this is that I usually don't see the downsides of a different setup right away, so everyone else's solution looks better than what I currently have. Before we bought a rooftop tent, I had all these pickup or car camping options in mind:
I love our Toyota Hilux pickup truck. It's maneuverable, strong, easy to repair, high, and comfy enough to travel long distances. So I was searching for something compatible with the truck that our family of four travels in.
A pickup camper would have been a little bit of an overkill for us. It's too pricey and there isn't much space for working and cooking inside when the weather isn't good. Also, keeping our existing set-up would not be much progress. I personally love to increase my experience and knowledge &#; so I can keep owning the name GuruCamper &#;
Obviously, one option that we also considered for camping, many times, was a van suitable for stealth camping. That would probably work best, but it would mean replacing the Hilux and building the interior from scratch, like the MaliMish family and many others did.
So we've chosen a rooftop tent for now. That said, we don't know yet if that's our final decision for our travel vehicle. We're still looking around, attending events and meet-ups, so, that finally, one day, we can find the ideal camping vehicle, one that we can keep forever.
That said, let's sum up the pros and cons of rooftop tents.
One could say that these tents have some serious drawbacks, but if you are an expedition traveller and all you do is travel and sleep somewhere, then such a tent is a good choice, as it's a real improvement from a standard tent in which you sleep on the ground. Even then, it's good to keep in mind the downsides:
In this video, Andrew mentions many important decisions you need to make before buying a rooftop tent for you car, which would make it a breeze to use, rather than a pain in the ass.
Although the installation of an RTT might require some skill, and most likely some time and help from friends, once the tent is mounted on the vehicle, you can keep it on there for a few months, or even years. That's what we do. Obviously, you'd need to account for added fuel consumption, but I was surprised by how little the tent adds to our fuel bill. Also, you or your partner would look very cool while driving around town with an expedition rig &#;
There are also some more challenges to sleeping in a rooftop tent, such as having to park on a relatively level surface, if you want to sleep well. That applies to any camper or tent. There's also the challenge of climbing up the ladder every now and then, or getting your dog up there. The worst is when you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Compared to tents &#; with a fibreglass camper, you get the highest security, the best comfort, and the biggest price tag. But if you plan to do a lot of long overland expeditions, this is a great way to stay agile, even in the most hostile environments you can find on planet Earth.
This list of fibreglass pickup campers is sorted by what we feel is the best value for money, down to options that might be a little bit overpriced or undeveloped in terms of ergonomics.
Gazell (France, sold as EarthCruiser GZL in USA)
Kerouac 4×4 Camper (Czech Republic)
AeroOne (Poland)
Alu-Cab Ossewa (South Africa)
Four Wheel Campers (once owned by the MaliMish family)
Palomino RV Real-Lite (USA, cheap and good)
SVA Pop-Up Camper (Czech Republic, super cheap)
An off-road trailer is a popular camping solution in Australia and Africa. The biggest benefit of a trailer like this is that it doesn't add weight to the pickup truck, so you can take more gear with you by dividing it between the pickup and trailer evenly.
There are also many less popular rigs that you can fit on your truck bed. One of them is mounting a tent directly onto the truck bed. But that means losing all your storage capacity.
Another option is the Leentu Camper. This is a super lightweight camper that delivers a lot of space for camping but can collapse into a tiny shell for agile driving. It's somewhere between a tent and pickup camper. This piece of kit starts at the pretty high price point of $10,000. But for now, it's still just a concept.
Each tent has its own benefits, and this guide can only give you the basic information to make a comparison. You should make a shortlist and dig deeper. I usually head over to YouTube to watch reviews, then download the full price list and the options prices (such as an annex room, aluminum poles, a wind deflector or a rain fly). Finally, I compare each shortlisted item in an Excel sheet.
Cheap rooftop tents are usually lightweight, which means they may not survive the tough conditions your vehicle can get into. Moreover, car camping with kids might tire a rooftop tent quickly. On the other hand, all tents are waterproof and have mosquito netting.
It's also important to keep in mind that some tents have better high-density foam mattresses, some can easily store sleeping bags while packed up and everything stays clean up there, as they're far from the ground.
Roof top tents are usually made out of two fabric types: canvas or plastic. Canvas is usually heavier, needs more care, and it's the material that all traditional tents are made of. New materials are lighter, but they insulate you from the outside temperature less effectively.
Last but not least is the type of ladder to choose. If you're going to travel to dusty areas, such as a desert, the best option is a folding ladder, rather than a telescopic one. The dust can work its way inside a telescopic ladder, making it hard to use over time.
So a rooftop tent isn't cheap. A basic hard-shell tent, plus a roof rack, is worth over $2,500. For the same amount of money, you could buy a used van or truck and work some plywood magic. It may be even bigger and more comfortable. Or you could spend the money on some quality camping gear and a ground tent for sleeping in. They're all viable options. So think twice before you make a decision.
Here is a list of the gear we keep on our truck. Feel free to get inspired:
To install a rooftop tent you'll need to add a sturdy roof rack system to your vehicle. The weight capacity of a roof rack is usually around 176lbs/80kg in dynamic mode (when driving), and a few hundred kilos in static mode (when sleeping in the tent). There are several established manufacturers out there, such as Rhino-Rack, Thule, or Yakima. My personal choice would be FrontRunner, as they produce much cleverer gear.
To summarise, a rooftop tent allows you to sleep virtually anywhere while keeping your car or off-road vehicle agile on and off-road. A camping trip is more comfortable up there than in a ground tent, and it's faster to pop up, too. However, it's still not as comfortable as a camping trailer or a full-size RV.
So if you're getting into overlanding or you'd just like to escape to the wilderness from time to time, rooftop tents are a cheap and comfortable-enough way to sleep safely and easily in the forest or on the beach.
I'd definitely recommend you visit some dealers in your area, so you get a good idea of the size before purchasing. The tent doesn't offer a huge sleeping area, but it's usually big enough for two adults to spend a few nights. If you're a family, like us, I'd recommend the iKamper Skycamp for four, nothing smaller. The Yakima tent is a solid option, in case your budget is limited and you don't need as much space. That would be a solid choice for a beginner because it is easy to mount and remove when not needed. It doesn't need any bolts.
So, some people might like the super cheap price of a ground tent, especially for one camping trip a year. But if you're serious about exploring your area and beyond, a rooftop tent adds huge value to your travel experience, removing the hassle of finding a hotel, campsite, or a flat surface without rocks every night.
We like our tent so far, and we hope you will like yours soon too &#;
We not only search for the best spots. We had travelled around Europe and found unforgetable experiences and peace. Learn how you can do it too.
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