Rooftop tents... what do you think?? (1 Viewer)

Well said, David. There's really no *best option*. FWIW, I also have a nice backpack style tent that I've taken on trips on which the trailer/tent wasn't a good choice.

My trailer requires minimum maintenance, although it does occupy 1/4 of my garage. It solves the issue of saving a campsite, you just unhitch and go. Perfect for wheeling/Cruiser events, where a large part of those attending show up with trailers, RV's or pop-ups. I've actually towed mine over some rough trails, or as rough as it gets for me. It's not like you're going to drive up Moab Rim towing it, and most people don't camp up there anyway. If you're really into the hardcore stuff, then one of these tents is not for you; on a trailer they add complexity and limit your reach, on the roof they can really throw your COG off. I prefer driving to see places than to spend a day moving over VW-sized boulders in a hot canyon to advance a couple of miles at best. Good fun, just not my cup of tea. The rooftent works in my application.

Yes, they're expensive, but you just can't compare the comfort level, ease/speed of setup, and improved security.

Tell you what, I hope to hit one more Cruiser event this year and maybe a couple in 2006. If you see me there, come over and check the trailer out, you can even climb into the tent and try it out.

Ditto that sentiment...'if you wanna play you gotta pay'...I mean if cheap was the order of the day I could have bought a much larger, newer vehicle (aka "Suburban") than the '99 LC 100 I bought this last February. The Maggiolina gets my nod...when I find a spare couple grand

This has been a great thread. I almost bought a Hannibal roof tent a few months back, but decided to wait and learn a little more. Mike, I assume this would work on a 40 or a 55 as well? Could you send me a link and I would also like to see prices.

just met in Moab a couple who had just spent 6 months in Costa Rica and Mex. and were on their way for another 6 mos in the US and Can. Had a LC with a rooftop tent. They said they did a lot of research and testing and concluded the Hannibal was the best one out there... FWIW.

fuelnjktr said:

This has been a great thread. I almost bought a Hannibal roof tent a few months back, but decided to wait and learn a little more. Mike, I assume this would work on a 40 or a 55 as well? Could you send me a link and I would also like to see prices.

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Jim: The AutoHome tents will work on nearly any vehicle, and can be moved from one rig to another, or stored in the garage. They mount securely using standard rack and bar systems, and will work quite well on any cruiser - 40, 55, 60, 80, etc.

Until I get the new website up and running, go to the current site LOFTYSHELTERS to check it out. Most of these tents are available to ship now, and prices are on the site.

Mike

I have mostly finished my custom rooftop tent rack project (aside from the front air dam and auxiliary mounting stuff)... Below are the updated pics. Basically it has four ball fast pins (one locking) that allow it to be put in three positions and it slides on needle bearing cam followers. This allows for easy mounting, removal, acting as a shade structure, or sliding forward to give you a little rear deck space for your shoes etc. outside the tent. Its also way lower to the truck than my old Thule rack set up. This is great for getting into parking lots with low overhead height, and makes for better overall aerodynamics.

closed and locked position


Attachment and fast pin detail


Slid back in shade mode


Slid forward in camping with deck mode

My wife and I debated on the price when we were looking into picking up Junk's Hannibal Tent, and went for it. (Got a great deal, thanks again Junk!)

Bottom line, our first two week jaunt into Baja proved that it was worth every penny. I will always own a rooftop tent, even if it does run $1500. The build quality of the Hannibal is excellent, the ease of set up and take down rocks, and comfort is above and beyond sleeping on the ground.

We refer to our set up as the "condo."

-H-

Zander, that is a way cool set up. Very flexable plan. I hate to be locked into one scheme

Exiled said:

Tell you what, I hope to hit one more Cruiser event this year and maybe a couple in 2006. If you see me there, come over and check the trailer out, you can even climb into the tent and try it out.

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Is that a come on?


Cant believe we did not actually meet at the roundup!

dd113 said:

Is that a come on?


Cant believe we did not actually meet at the roundup!

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Yeah, that was pretty dumb on both our parts....

So the invite (not come on) stands for the next event, if I ever get the old bitch back!

Sorry I missed the question earlier.... some responses:

1) humid conditions our Maggiolina was at least as pleasant as any 'normal' tent would have been. In fact, being up higher gains you more breeze and gets you off of the hot, damp ground. Major plus. Also, when you are right on top of the truck, it is easy to add a Hella turbo fan to the tent. Draw is less than 200ma (I think?) but the amount of air movement is enough to draw sincere envy from anyone camped nearby without a fan.

2) I wouldn't put more than 4 boards on the tent. I've had two 9.0's, a 7.7 and a 6.0 on our tent with no problems. Harder to lash them down well as there is some flex to the tent top... but not a problem. The shell is glassed just like a surfer, so neither one seems to really dent the other.

3) No heavy stuff on top of the tent. Bad idea. We had room behind our tent (on a 60) to fit a couple of jerry cans. It wasn't ideal, but they fit just fine. Or a toolbox, or something else of about that size (the Balum.com folk had their ladder mounted on two Thule bars..... could have been in some way related to a Thule sponsorship).

4) Camping on the truck isn't always perfect.... but you can also get a bivy sack if you really really need to be able to get some distance. Or another tent. We carried an extra tent for an entire year for just that reason. Never used it. Not once. Welll, ok, we did use it-- loaned it to someone else for a few days. While imperfect, camping on the truck almost always works just fine for the camping we did. dd113 mentions the mudhole-- to that I say: you'll never want a rooftop tent more than when you've just spent a few hours trying to repair your broken truck (in a mudhole) and finally give up... and all you want to do is crawl into a dry bed. But it is raining, and you are filthy. Pop the rooftop tent, climb up, towel off, crawl into a BED instead of a damp sleeping pad in a damp tent..... it is fantastic. Inclement weather makes you giggle over how happy you are to have a rooftop tent instead of a muddy, moist ground tent. I promise.

5) Level. We carried two redwood 2x6 planks that were about 6 inches long. Most of the time we could get level enough with some manuevering and the couple of inches of lift under one or two tires. Sometimes we couldn't get level. But sometimes you can't find a level tent site either. That's just the way the cookie crumbles. We all carry shovels too. Digging down two or three inches for the high tires works wonders to level out the car, but it cuts into the Corona time much more than a couple chunks of wood or some rocks. Coconuts don't work. Even if they survive the initial driving onto them, they might explode in the middle of the night and wake you up with a sudden "Is someone messin with my car?" panic attack.


In summary: I couldn't possibly endorse a rooftop tent more stongly than I have. For infrequent weekend camping it is probably overkill. I agree. If you camp frequently, or if you are on any sort of expedition where you travel, camp, travel, camp... a rooftop tent is FANTASTIC and well worth the expense. Oddly- I would say that on a smaller vehicle (40, or passenger car) a rooftop tent is even better as there is no option to sleep inside, which you CAN do on a 60, 80, or 100 series.

Whew. That's about all I have to say on that one. Here's a gratuitos photo of the tent on our fj60 and another on the fj40.

how good are these things in the rain?

they work at least as well as a traditional tent. Better in the sense that you only have to worry about rain coming in the side as opposed to from the bottom, from the top, and from the side.

For super-duty rain service, add a cheap tarp and some guy lines. You get absolute rain protection, not much extra heat, and you can get into the truck without getting wet too.

e9999 said:

how good are these things in the rain?

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Sancruiser,

How did you mount your surf boards to the top of the tent shell?

Steve:

Wow. Thanks for the endorsement.

I have a Maggiolina Extreme on my 60, and am waiting for a large OverLand to mount on my trailer. I am totally stoked on these tents, which is why I invested in creating a company to distribute them.


Mike S

I just took the plunge! Mike will be sending me an extreme in time for the Ramble. Feel free to stop by and check it out.

YES! I am really happy that David will have the Maggiolina Extreme on his truck for the Ramble. He will be dealer in the Atlanta area.

Check it out!

Mike S

Mike S said:

Steve:

I have a Maggiolina Extreme on my 60, and am waiting for a large OverLand to mount on my trailer.


Mike S

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What kinds of trailer do you have. How is it mounted? Got a photo?

You said "waiting for large Overland" you mean "medium" anyway?

Cheers,

I have a trailer built by Wayne Percival of Dixon, CA. It is a modern version of the miltary M416, but with some extra features. Axle is 59.5" WMS to WMS with 6 on 5.5 cruiser wheels, it is sprung over, has an aluminum top with dual gas rams, tailgate, a 38 gallon water tank, dual marine deep draw batteries, on board charger, electric pump, tool box and power outlets. I have a 1000W inverter. The top of the trailer is about 62" W X 73" long. The bed is 6 feet long and just over 4 feet wide, and 27" high. The entire trailer is powder coated.

The LARGE OverLand tent will go on top on either a Thule or Quik n' Easy rack system. The tent is in a container being shipped from Italy with about 50 other tents bound for our warehouse. All the latest models. The large OverLand is acrylic canvas and opens to 71" x 87" x 49.25" high. It opens to the side of the trailer. I should have it set up in a couple of weeks, once we recieve the new tents through customs.

Here is a photo of the trailer...

Here is the AutoHome OverLand tent in carbon...