Three Things to Consider Before Buying an Overland Tent
If you appreciate a restful sleep on a road trip, a rooftop sleeper might be for you.
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Has the thought of slithering creatures inviting themselves into your tent kept you from enjoying a camping trip? Or have you suffered through a rainstorm with diverted water rushing through your tent? If so, a cartop tent might be for you. A shelter on the roof of your vehicle gets you off the ground, is easy to set up, take down, and transport, and can offer you a level of comfort you just can’t get with conventional tents. Before you buy one, here are a few other features and considerations you should mull over.
Check your vehicle owner’s manual to determine whether your vehicle’s roof and racks can support the size and weight of the overland tent you’re considering. If it will, then check the compatibility of your rack configuration with the mounting hardware of the rooftop tent. Installation is easy only if the components fit together.
Think about how much interior space you’ll need in your tent. Some toppers have enough room for four adults, or two people and a lot of gear. Create a list of tent dimensions you need to rest comfortably, but remember to take headroom and storage nooks into account as well.
Hard-shell car topper tents usually have a low profile when stored and traveling, so your vehicle gets slightly better gas mileage. They’re often easier to set up and resilient in rough weather conditions. Soft-shell tents often weigh less than hard-shells, but because the packed-down profile is larger and air resistant, your vehicle is less fuel-efficient. Soft-shells offer greater interior capacity but take longer to set up.