Rooftop tents... what do you think??

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The new AutoHomeUSA website is up...

Some of you have asked technical and pricing questions. The new site is up with lots of photos, technical specs, and user experiences....

see it at www.autohomeus.com

Mike S
AutoHomeUSA
 
wow! very professional-looking web site!
nice!
 
Mike S said:
Some of you have asked technical and pricing questions. The new site is up with lots of photos, technical specs, and user experiences....

see it at www.autohomeus.com

Mike S
AutoHomeUSA
Click to expand...


Site looks good! Too damned bad there's no pricing either on the site or any of the deaker sites other than the VW site which prices the Maggiolinas around $2500. Mudraks site doesn't even show them. He's got Hannibals listed on his site.
 
BMAN said:
Site looks good! Too damned bad there's no pricing either on the site or any of the deaker sites other than the VW site which prices the Maggiolinas around $2500. Mudraks site doesn't even show them. He's got Hannibals listed on his site.
Click to expand...

BMAN

Thanks for the compliment on the site.

Retail prices are on the site for each model and size. Look in the specs chart on the page with each model... Gary is busy, but is NOT selling Hannibal, he will put our tents up on his site with a link to AutoHomeUSA, as soon as he has time, I expect. He took a Columbus model on the Rubithon run, and reports that it functioned perfectly - even in the rain.

BTW - There is no list price on any of the tents as high as $2500. I have no control over what dealers choose to price products at, which is why I have posted the retail prices on the site.

I am happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the products. Please notice that we offer a 30 day guarantee of satisfaction and a 5 year warranty for each tent.

Mike S
 
on this shell one that goes straight up, what's the mechanism? is it levers ? cables?
 
e9999 said:
on this shell one that goes straight up, what's the mechanism? is it levers ? cables?
Click to expand...

It employs a stainless scissors type lift at each end of the tent with running gear in a recessed track. This is operated by a stainless crank handle that is inserted into an external fitting. Takes about 20 seconds to set up, and will pull the fabric tight.

The ladder is stored inside.

M
 
Your site is very professional looking and I know how much work it takes to launch this type of site

Please don't take this to harshly - but, if you want to sell these things you have to have prices more obvious and web ordering. I found the prices after your direction. Sending me to another website from the main site is turning me to your competition... Your prices are a couple hundered higher as well - why would I spend extra?
 
desertdude said:
Your site is very professional looking and I know how much work it takes to launch this type of site

Please don't take this to harshly - but, if you want to sell these things you have to have prices more obvious and web ordering. I found the prices after your direction. Sending me to another website from the main site is turning me to your competition... Your prices are a couple hundered higher as well - why would I spend extra?
Click to expand...
I don't think he is trying to "sell" them, he is the distributor, so if he sold them on his site he would be unfairly competing with his own (dealer) customers, and his dealer network wouldn't like that :) . The prices are MSRP, so each dealer should be able to determine their own pricing, ie. make a profit, or give away gifts ;) . Shop the dealers for their best deal.
 
Thanks for trying to clarify

Quote from the site " If there is no dealer in your area, we will be glad to work directly with you."

(and)

Or just call us…
You can reach us at our order line 800-251-6364. We staff the phone Monday through Friday between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM Pacific Coast time.

prices do not state MSRP ;)

kinda confusing
 
Thank you for your suggestions to improve the website. I will take them seriously.

As for the "competing with dealers", there are only a few dealers right now, and a large market. Many of our dealers specialize in certain segments of the market - Hummers, Cruisers, trailers, etc. If someone wants to buy directly from us, they can do so at the prices listed. They may also choose to buy through a dealer. The prices posted are the MSRP.

Setting up web-based purchasing is a little problematic, since we find that most people have a lot of questions, and/or want advice on selection and fitting. Therefore, we encourage people to call and discuss their needs, or to visit a dealer who can help them.

I fully expect the site to grow to accomodate the needs of the market, and that the dealer network will expand over time.

M
 
BMAN said:
A stack of rooftop tent sites I've found:

www.car-top-tent.com

And there's plenty more out there. The least expensive tent I've found is called the Mombasa Around $600. It was at one point carried by Cabella's but I believe there was a problem with importing them and am unsure of whether or not they ever actually delivered any of them.
Click to expand...
The Mombasa tent you were talking about is finally available. It is selling for $749 right now.
www.CAR-TOP-TENT.COM
 
hoser said:
The Mombasa tent you were talking about is finally available. It is selling for $749 right now.
www.CAR-TOP-TENT.COM
Click to expand...

wow! Probably not the quality of some of the other stuff out there, but way cheaper...!
Not too much info on that site, unfortunately.

ladder is 72", don't think that's high enough for my 80...
 
can the accessories be purchased with the same canvas color if you buy one of the other tents?
I noticed blue, grey and tan now..
 
e9999 said:
wow! Probably not the quality of some of the other stuff out there, but way cheaper...!
Not too much info on that site, unfortunately.

ladder is 72", don't think that's high enough for my 80...
Click to expand...



Funny that you brought this up because I had a discussion with Scott Brady at expeditions west about this very tent yesterday. He is currently testing one and is very happy with it. Apparently the quality of this unit is WAY up from the last batch and is comparable to a Hannibal unit. Very sturdy and well made. I approached the people at CAR-TOP-TENT about these units 2 years ago and they were $600 at the time but had no units to sell. Apparently this has changed according to Scott. I'll shoot him a PM to get him to chime in here.
 
tornadoalleycruiser said:
can the accessories be purchased with the same canvas color if you buy one of the other tents?
I noticed blue, grey and tan now..
Click to expand...

Yep. But I do not stock a full line of accessories - just the most popular ones. The rest come from the manufacturer via air freight.

M
 
Initial inspection and testing does look good. I need to get the unit out for an extended adventure and in inclement weather (rain and wind) first, before making final recommendations.

Here are a few initial thoughts:

Ladder does extend beyond 6', nearly 7' actually (I will take detailed measurements)
Pad is very supportive and comfortable
materials are of good quality (though not canvas), and fit and finish are good.
It is very easy to mount. Probably the easiest to mount of all of the units I have seen (it took less than 30 seconds to mount to my Thule load bars the first time)

Look for a complete review and final recommendations in the next month to six weeks.

I will post a teaser shot soon... ;-)
 
Mike, those tents look extremely nice. I'm very impressed and will be looking your way when i go to invest in a rooftop.

Expedition, do you think it's not canvas due to save weight, and do you think the "not canvas" fabric is sturdy enough?
 
Scott:
yes, I'd love to read/see some more on that one.
ask somebody to hose it down with you inside...!
how hot is it inside if sunny? seems pretty dark.
ventilation OK?
E
 
concretejungle said:
Expedition, do you think it's not canvas due to save weight, and do you think the "not canvas" fabric is sturdy enough?
Click to expand...

Fabric: 420 Denier Polyester with PVC Coating
Water Resistance: 1000mm

420 Denier is basic packcloth--similiar to what you would see on a regular ol' backpack. Not sure how much PVC coating there is to it though. Lightweight and dries fast. I'm not sure how its UV resistance compares to heavy canvas
 
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