roof top tent design ideas

[lx450landcruiser]

Well after countless hours of researching, pms, and emails i have a few design ideas or "wants" out of a roof top tent. Im thinking with great guys like mike with auto home tents maybe we can come up with some ideas that could be used in future tents.

so to start i love the concept of the auto home tents they seem to be the right design with the fiberglass top and bottom which i see to prefer over the other fold up canvas set ups.

My ideas
1. Make the tents thinner i understand some of the tents come with 3 in mattresses but i don't want a closed tent to be 11 inches off the top of my roof. these trucks have horrible gas mileage and i don't need another 11 inches of wind break on my roof. I want a good place to sleep but i wont be sleeping in my truck if i cant afford the gas to get some there.

2. when it comes to the 3 in mattress i don't need that much. how about a tent that incorporates a air mattress that way it doesn't interfere with the slim design. or if not how about an inch pad? when camping if i bring a pad its less then an inch so this should be fine. I know a roof top tent is all about comfort but i think most of that is just having a dry level place to sleep that's easy to set up.

3. perhaps something could be done about weight. as i said before i understand weight is simply a cost issue, now days carbon fiber is a done deal (as seen in some of the pics you posted) however with the air mattress idea weight could be dropped dramatically. when it comes down to it for our uses we wheel these trucks, now whether it be expedition of rock crawling having over 100 pounds bouncing around on your roof.

other possibilities

how about different packages such as

1. aero dynamic plexi glass cover that mounts to the front of the tent that off road lights could be mounted in.

2. how about a built in power inverter? doesn't have to be huge maybe 400 watts? those type of power inverters can be sourced for about $30. perhaps a built in water proof plug on the side of the tent that could be simply plugged into.


post what you would like to see in a roof top tent.

mike

 

[Biscuit]

Kinda a creepy coinidence, but I was just thinking about starting the same thread. Looks like I was beat to the good idea.

Here are major things I'm looking for:

1) Low mass. In place of using solid floors, use a honey comb type design with a thin sheet to seal it from the elements
2) Water proof. Both when closed and open. I like the hard shell idea as it will offer more protection when closed.
3) Stable when set up. I'm not just talking about attachements to the rack. It looks like a lot of the more tent like designs may get the sail effect going with strong winds. Could be solved with guide-lines that can be anchored to the ground if desired. With these lines I think a lot of mass can be reduced as the tent poles no longer have to take on all the force of the wind.
4) Ventillation. Helps prevent condesation when cold and keeps us from roasting when using it in the desert.

Minor things:
- Some sort of lighting inside.
- Moonroof. I have a backpacking tent with mesh on the top for when the rain fly is rolled back. It's nice to be able to look at the stars on a warm night.

I think this could become a very interestng Mud design effort/contest.

 

[rockclmbr]

I just installed the Columbus on the 80 and believe it or not, I can't even tell it is up there. The wind noise is negligable compared to the tires, and the drag is unnoticeable. They've done an excellent job of making the fiverglass shell very aerodynamic.

 

[Mike S]

Gentlemen - keep the ideas coming! It really helps to know what you are looking for!

Best

M

 

[lx450landcruiser]

i guess my question now is. if these are things that you would take into consideration when designing a tent when would we be able to see these on the market? that is if any of these ideas are worth putting into the line.

thanks
mike

 

[FirstToy]

Mike, I've looked at what's out there and the Columbus & Maggiola seem to be the best compromise of all factors.

It would be cool if they were lighter but even the carbon one doesn't cut too much weight ( I think about 20lbs?)
From what users tell me, there is no condensation problem in the columbus or Maggiola.

I've looked at the oasis as a uber-minimal choice but it doesn't have a flat floor and doesn't look too durable. It is light tho (like 40lbs).
A custom build would be really fun but I almost would rather just buy a good rooftent and enjoy the weekends w/ it instead... then there's all those mods I want to do to the 80 never enough time

Jasper, which size did you get? Really interested in your impressions of it on the road as you use it more. Sounds really great tho

 

[Mike S]

Hard to say what and when ideas would be adopted.

The idea of a slim tent (slimmer than the Maggiolina AirLand) could be marginally more efficient, but many people want to store their ladder and clothes in the tent while traveling. The tents, when properly latched, are water tight and dust proof already.

The weight issue is second only to comfort. Little point in having a 40 lb tent that you don't want to sleep in. That said, the closed cell foam mattresses that we use are pretty heavy, but they do last a very long time. We have been discussing removing the foam mattress and offering the option of an inflatable or pillow top type mattress that would provide good comfort and lighter weight, but at the possible cost of set up time. It is concievable that we could create a 50 lb. carbon fiber tent with lightweight mattress, etc. It would be relatively expensive, and would need to have durability = to 20+ years of product life. Still looking into this.

Low mass - these tents already employ a fibergalss - foam sandwich construction for the base platform. This is similar to the construction of a Boston Whaler hull. Very stiff and strong, and relatively lightweight. A homeycomb or balsa core might work, my concern would be that they would require more fiberglass and resin to attain the same qualities, so that might cancel out the advantages. The engineering group is constantly looking at these possibilities. The carbon fiber tent is the result of this development process, but not the end.

I like the idea of a combination spoiler and light bar. We are also looking at interior options - LED reading lights, 12V outlet for use with a laptop. One of our owners has a flat panel LCD screen that folds down from the roof for use with his compter for DVDs, web display, etc. A low wattage 110V power inverter would require some careful planning - wiring would need to be pretty robust, and safety/liability issues would probably trump the idea.

For the individual imagination and creativity are the only limits. But for us, we need to understand whether the effort in developing of sourcing these products will be paid back in sales. That question is always an issue.

We do like to hear suggestions, and we do listen.

M

 

[FirstToy]

50lb Columbus would be close to perfect but the cost/weight ratio... whew.

just a brainstorm-
if there was a low-profile ladder that could lock in between the Columbus and roof of vehicle, it could free up the tent to be a bit thinner...

honeycomb/aluminum laminate floor would be a ton lighter than glass... maybe a custom mod for an individual...

 

[lx450landcruiser]

It seems to me (and this is based off of experience) that if the concepts were easy enough to put into the tent, on a one to one basis then there would certainly be a possibility for more sales. for instance. offer the individual several options that can be incorporated into one tent. (packages) so to speak. In other words make things interchangeable, for example build the mount in the tent for the power plug (i.e. water proof trailer plug) however don't put the plug in if the person doesn't order it. This would allow a person to buy the tent the after some use when they decide "damn i wish i had a light up here" they could come back to you and purchase separately. all these things would allow the buy to "custom build" there own tent to there need using you as there source. For some having a tent a foot off the top of the roof is not a big deal. however for some they could purchase the low profile tent that is more conscious to the height. utilizing concepts as firsttoy had mentioned like a ladder that fits between he tent and the roof. Weight is always going to be an issue as mentioned however like i said make it an option, i can see those mattresses being a very large part of the weight issue as mattresses are just heavy. Now as some have mentioned "they could even feel the weight up there" but i have had a roof rack that weighed in at about 140 pounds and i guarantee you at relatively high speeds (45-50) you know that weights up there especially on turns. I too like the idea of the screen in the tent as that's what i have in store for mine when it comes time. this could also be a (entertainment package) I.e. the mount for the screen is there but you pay extra for the set up. I think this would allow people like me who really have a hard time dropping 2 grand on a tent to spread out the cost. i could purchase a bare bone tent and then as time and funds permitted me i could come back for all the options i want.

thanks
mike

 

[lx450landcruiser]

And another idea to play with is mounting solar pannels to the roof of the tent.
chances are if your using a roof top tent youll be away for awhile.

thanks again
mike

 

[rockclmbr]

James,

We picked up a used Columbus (small) from Mike. We are used to spreading out on a king; it may be a little narrow at times, but it is comfy. Aside from trying to park level, you are guaranteed a spot without rocks and roots poking you in the back!

I was amazed at the absence of moisture on the tent walls in the morning. My conventional 3 season tent always has dew all over it which makes packing away immediately an issue.

 

[Rubiconcruiser]

Roof top tents

Inverter, and an electric outlet for the mattress, Go to Wal Mart and get an Aero Bed. around $79.00 place it in the enclosure, plug it in air it up and have nice dreams. Simple and cheap.

 

[Mike S]

Lighter rooftop tents

Inverter, and an electric outlet for the mattress, Go to Wal Mart and get an Aero Bed. around $79.00 place it in the enclosure, plug it in air it up and have nice dreams. Simple and cheap.

Sleeping comfort, as I stated earlier is as important as weight. The mattress in our tents weigh in at 20+ lbs., depending on size and model. Replacing this mattress with a AeroBed or similar will reduce the weight bu prehaps another 15 lbs. For moderate climates this would work well. For colder climates, I would stay with the standard factory mattress. I have not tried this myself, but some of our users have done this.

So, taking an additonal 15 or so pounds out of a small Columbus Carbon Fiber (71 lbs with factory mattress) would get the weight down to about 56 lbs. The result would be a comfortable and especially light tent for three season camping.

It would be very hard to get much lighter than this without some very advanced (expensive) materials.

Mike

 

[stevezero]

I like the idea of solar panels, although you would need some form of battery to store the juice for LED lighting. Even a small 7amp/hr gel cell (or a 2.2 amp/hour 1/3 brick would work for LEDs. Would even handle a small, low draw fan for air circulation.

 

[lx450landcruiser]

I would like solar pannels built into the top. run a water proof plug to the truck battery and use that as your main power source. then run another plug to from the battery to the inverter in the tent. that way u can run laptops, alarm clocks, anything you want. This also allows the truck to have power inverters run with out the truck on but charged up by morining when the sun rises. solar pannels are quite cheap now days.

mike

 

[alia176]

Gentlemen,

I love the tent ideas but cringing at the total price that's slowly creeping upwards. If a decent tent now costs around $1400+, what'd a tent like what y'all are suggesting going to cost - $2,000+?

 

[cpg]

Also remember not only is the price creeping upwards. The more you add the more it will weigh.

 

[lx450landcruiser]

im not saying this is the only tent and you have to purchase all the acessorys. simply make a basic tent one that is cheap and basic, no "extra stuff" but the mounts will all be there. as time goes on you can build up a tent for you. you decide if u want solor pannels or not, or if you want an inverter. some dont and there tents will be cheaper in the long run, but for some of us who want fully loaded ones. my main issue is its hard for me to say heres $2000 ill take a tent please. a small pop up sent such as desertdudes is about $2000 anyways so why not simplify it and make it cheaper but with the possibility of options that are a gradual build. its the same thing for your cruisers, theres no way half of us are going to run out and buy a $40,000 built cruiser because frankly alot of us dont have that kind of money to just throw out at one time.

 

[sleeoffroad]

im not saying this is the only tent and you have to purchase all the acessorys. simply make a basic tent one that is cheap and basic, no "extra stuff" but the mounts will all be there. as time goes on you can build up a tent for you. you decide if u want solor pannels or not, or if you want an inverter. some dont and there tents will be cheaper in the long run, but for some of us who want fully loaded ones. my main issue is its hard for me to say heres $2000 ill take a tent please. a small pop up sent such as desertdudes is about $2000 anyways so why not simplify it and make it cheaper but with the possibility of options that are a gradual build. its the same thing for your cruisers, theres no way half of us are going to run out and buy a $40,000 built cruiser because frankly alot of us dont have that kind of money to just throw out at one time.

Cheap is a relative term. It seems like it doesn't matter what a product costs, how much it cost to produce, sell support, people always want something cheaper and at the same time they want more features. Those two does not go hand in hand.

There are cheaper options out there. There are some tents from China coming on the market that are cheaper, that could probably have all these features but then they are probably not the same quality. Any time you add an option to any product, even if you sell the base one without the options, you add to the complexity, fabrication costs, support and stocking issues. So the price will go up.

So the next thread would be. "Dont buy from WallMart, they use 12 year old kids to produce cheap tents."

Some products just cost what it costs because that is what it costs to make them and get them to market.

 

[kevinmrowland]

For what you are getting I think that the cost is actually quite reasonable, it is a lot of $ but you get a high quality tent, a shell, a mattress, pillows and a comfy place to sleep all in one water tight, self storing, quality package. Try and beat that.
Anyway, if they were cheaper everyone would have one and then you couldn't be the cool kid on the block.

So my design input, screw lighter, I want mine heavy enough so that I can put my bikes and kayaks on top and still crank the thing up.
Probably the only reason I haven't gotten one is that I don't want to loose my roof rack space.