Roof tents - is it me?

[ManTheVan]

We're away in West Wales at the moment. literally LOADS of people seem to have these roof tent things. I just can't see the point of them. The review I've posted from CCC looks like many of the ones which are here where we are in a farmer's field. It says this one is at the "more affordable end" at around £1,250!!

So, you have to keep a large box weighing 52 kg somewhere, then find someone strong enough to help you to lift the thing onto the roof of your car. You end up with a structure, once folded out, which is the size of a normal £150 tent (which packs down into a relatively tiny bag). At least in a normal tent, you have access to your clobber wihout having to climb down an ally ladder each time you want a tea bag? You can no longer store anything in a useful roof box, because the roof tent is in the way. You can't really cook in it during crap weather, you can't really sit in it to wait out crap weather (such as we're experiencing at the moment), you can't leave the tent pitched and pop off in the car to the village for supplies. If you need to pee in the middle of the night, God help you if you've had a few, as you try to negotiate the ladder in the rain. In a gale, you're SOO much more exposed, especially as you can't park the car in front of the tent to shield it from the wind. The list goes on. I just can't see the point of them.

I suppose it's nice that people who have them are actually out camping and to each their own, but honestly, wouldn't it be cheaper, more practical and more comfortable just to buy a normal tent?

Just asking for a friend...

 

[Kirsten]

Totally agree, think people have bought them thinking it kind of turns day car into a camper, seen people working at festivals who have them - next year back in a tent .

 

[sedge]

Each to their own!

 

[Northernraider]

It's the latest fad that won't last the test of time. Most folk run around with them on the roof the whole time which must put their annual fuel usage up too.

But they're the in cool to have thing at the minute.. a few years time it will be something else and there will be hundreds of them for sale second hand

 

[Ravelin]

I just can't see the point of them.

Ditto. I agree with most of your points. Only exception may be if you had one on top of something like a Land Rover, and were out in some remote wilderness where being off the ground is an advantage. On a normal car, in a campsite seems strange. Not sure I'd want 200kg+ of weight on the roof bars of my car (tent weight plus 2 relatively slim people).

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[Jimbohorlicks]

Just for the youngster ones really
.A tent on a car roof. Too bl**dy cold for me. Brr. Cor blimey worse than camping on the ground.

 

[Quackers]

Recently had a few arguments regarding roof tents. Owners seem to think it turns their car into a campervan so they are okay booking a motorhome/campervan pitch. Refused entry to a few of them at our CL, we do not allow tents or vehicles without an on-board toilet.

 

[Minxy]

On our current trip in Scotland we've seen quite a few 'standard' cars with them on top, not in use just in traffic. Only ever seen one in use in n the UK when at Sweetheart Abbey car park, they were up and down the ladder like counters on a boardgame (think about it! ).

They just aren't practical for normal camping for all the reasons given, on safari, in areas with roaming animals etc, then I can understand the reason for them, but somehow I don't think the wild Scottish haggis would have been a threat!

 

[ManTheVan]

On our current trip in Scotland we've seen quite a few 'standard' cars with them on top, not in use just in traffic. Only ever seen one in use in n the UK when at Sweetheart Abbey car park, they were up and down the ladder like counters on a boardgame (think about it! ).

They just aren't practical for normal camping for all the reasons given, on safari, in areas with roaming animals etc, then I can understand the reason for them, but somehow I don't think the wild Scottish haggis would have been a threat!

There's a full on Land Rover with huge safari-type roof tent currently in the same field as us. The thing folds out into a veritable palace, but would hopefully keep you safe if a pride of lions came through. The guy has the complete off-road safari vibe going on and it makes sense. On a normal family car...errm, no? Another family of four with two young tiddlers was also here, with a VW caravelle-type (so not a pop-top camper). They couldn't all sleep in the roof tent, so I'm not sure how they organised to keep the kids safe at night. In a normal tent they could all have been in the same space...

Hey ho. As I've already said - to each their own. Glad they're here enjoying camping, anyway.

 

[Dall]

On our current trip in Scotland we've seen quite a few 'standard' cars with them on top, not in use just in traffic. Only ever seen one in use in n the UK when at Sweetheart Abbey car park, they were up and down the ladder like counters on a boardgame (think about it! ).

They just aren't practical for normal camping for all the reasons given, on safari, in areas with roaming animals etc, then I can understand the reason for them, but somehow I don't think the wild Scottish haggis would have been a threat!

We saw some taking the paid motorhome specific overnight spots in the car parks in Fife recently. In a way they are motoring with a home on their roof (a bit like a snail) but absolutely they are not a self contained motorhome that the council have made the effort to provide the parking spots for! And proper motorhomes could not stay because the roof tent people were in the dedicated overnight parking spots.

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[coroner]

Buy a motorhome problem solved.

 

[Lenny HB]

Only exception may be if you had one on top of something like a Land Rover, and were out in some remote wilderness where being off the ground is an advantage.

They have been about for that exact purpose since the 60's/70's. They have reinvented the wheel to sell to the gullable.

 

[jumar]

Seen many this year in Northern Spain...and a few using Free Aires with them...bit gimmicky, avoids paying for campsites...but rather tying...
Best we've seen was one fitted on roof bars of a German PVC...the teenage son of the owners slept up top..

 

[gpat]

Has anyone made a blow up one yet. I mean inflatable not like a bomb.

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

Do they leave the engine running to keep warm just asking for a friend keep nipping downstairs for a warm.

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[dryad]

am pretty sure if i was in one, i'd roll over in the night and end up trapped with the tent down the side of the car..

.

 

[Tonks]

So, you have to keep a large box weighing 52 kg somewhere, then find someone strong enough to help you to lift the thing onto the roof of your car. You end up with a structure, once folded out, which is the size of a normal £150 tent (which packs down into a relatively tiny bag). At least in a normal tent, you have access to your clobber wihout having to climb down an ally ladder each time you want a tea bag? You can no longer store anything in a useful roof box, because the roof tent is in the way. You can't really cook in it during crap weather, you can't really sit in it to wait out crap weather (such as we're experiencing at the moment), you can't leave the tent pitched and pop off in the car to the village for supplies. If you need to pee in the middle of the night, God help you if you've had a few, as you try to negotiate the ladder in the rain. In a gale, you're SOO much more exposed, especially as you can't park the car in front of the tent to shield it from the wind. The list goes on. I just can't see the point of them.

This!

They're an increasing trend in the small PVC world - ie. on VW campers. As said elsewhere on this thread, for the VERY few who have a genuine safari setup (and by this I mean more than AT tyres and some arch protectors), and who are greenlaner types it does make sense. However I've only ever seen a couple of vans which genuinely ARE such vehicles and are not just cosmetic off-roaders.

I don't really get them either, but I have a friend with one on his slammed T5 and he loves it and apparently his kids do too.

 

[Rudski01]

This was our set up many years ago, but as you say it started getting to be a pain in the night after a few sherbets trying to negotiate the ladders, and packing it was a pain in the arse so we sold it and kept the fox wing, have just sold the defender sadly and purchased a new shape.

 

[busbuddy]

So, you have to keep a large box weighing 52 kg somewhere, then find someone strong enough to help you to lift the thing onto the roof of your car.

You leave it on the car



At RIAT earlier this year we had a mid 40s couple in a new style mini clubman with a roof tent on it camp next to us.
This was their explanation (I'm nosey and I asked)....
They live in a nice apartment with one allocated parking spot and the mini/rooftent was quarter of the price of a pvc.
They sleep in it...that's it.....5 minutes after getting out of bed they are driving off site to eat or explore the local area.
They always do sites (even ccc/haven) with facilities even if they are basic.
They can go into a multi storey car park etc and their 'outfit' is still cheaper than using a hotel/air bnb

I can see their reasoning , it's not my idea of fun but glad they enjoy it

 

[PaulyP]

This!

They're an increasing trend in the small PVC world - ie. on VW campers. As said elsewhere on this thread, for the VERY few who have a genuine safari setup (and by this I mean more than AT tyres and some arch protectors), and who are greenlaner types it does make sense. However I've only ever seen a couple of vans which genuinely ARE such vehicles and are not just cosmetic off-roaders.

I don't really get them either, but I have a friend with one on his slammed T5 and he loves it and apparently his kids do too.

My neighbor has one on his off roader, a serious 4x4, makes my 4x4 look like a dinky toy, he goes of, with an off road group, to some really out of town places, he definitely makes proper use of it.

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[gus-lopez]

So, you have to keep a large box weighing 52 kg somewhere, then find someone strong enough to help you to lift the thing onto the roof of your car. You end up with a structure, once folded out, which

You have all missed the main problem with them.Any car roof has a load capacity of 75kgs so all adults using them are overloading the roof

Not sure I'd want 200kg+ of weight on the roof bars of my car

exactly / as above

Only ever seen one in use in n the UK

Here they use them to overnight on long journeys.

We saw some taking the paid motorhome specific overnight spots in the car parks in Fife recently. In a way they are motoring with a home on their roof (a bit like a snail) but absolutely they are not a self contained motorhome that the council have made the effort to provide the parking spots for! And proper motorhomes could not stay because the roof tent people were in the dedicated overnight parking spots.

In north devon this year I watched one get a ticket for doing that.

 

[gus-lopez]

You leave it on the car

which reduces fuel consumption by around 20%

 

[icantremember]

Do they leave the engine running to keep warm just asking for a friend keep nipping downstairs for a warm.

They leave the sun roof open then it's like under floor heating.

 

[The Wino]

When people say on a " proper" 4x4 they make sense in what way? In the UK

 

[tidewatcher]

It's the latest fad that won't last the test of time. Most folk run around with them on the roof the whole time which must put their annual fuel usage up too.

But they're the in cool to have thing at the minute.. a few years time it will be something else and there will be hundreds of them for sale second hand

Totally agree, never underestimate the power of fashion and trends. It’s the same in many areas including, in my opinion, medicine. I am of the tonsils out generation, our daughter of the ear grommet generation now trying to steer the grandchildren clear of an “intolerance” or as I used to say, “I don’t like that…” as for roof tents there are some parking in the area along our sea front which is designated for camper vans. Some people are now mentioning the bushes smell of wee. Perhaps they are on a “road trip” where that’s ok whereas I only tour……. Bit of a rant but what’s the point of getting older if you can’t have a moan.

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[Northernraider]

When people say on a " proper" 4x4 they make sense in what way? In the UK

Stops spiders getting in yer tent

 

[PaulyP]

When people say on a " proper" 4x4 they make sense in what way? In the UK

Those who go completely off road, not Chelsea tractors, they are really off grid, away from civilisation.

 

[The Wino]

Totally agree, never underestimate the power of fashion and trends. It’s the same in many areas including, in my opinion, medicine. I am of the tonsils out generation, our daughter of the ear grommet generation now trying to steer the grandchildren clear of an “intolerance” or as I used to say, “I don’t like that…” as for roof tents there are some parking in the area along our sea front which is designated for camper vans. Some people are now mentioning the bushes smell of wee. Perhaps they are on a “road trip” where that’s ok whereas I only tour……. Bit of a rant but what’s the point of getting older if you can’t have a moan.

Agree on the medical fashion although it's always been the same as knowledge increases what seemed a good idea goes out of the window ( like diesels being a good idea to encourage because of greater fuel efficiency before considering particulates).
On food intolerance it's not just a matter of not liking things it's eating the wrong things for some people seriously affecting your health we have a friend who is gluten and lactose intolerant it takes some thinking about but if you value your friendship just one of lives challenges and a much greater problem for her.

 

[Hezbez]

During a very windy and wet few nights on the west coast of Scotland there was a couple sleeping on the tiled floor of the toilet block as it was preferable to being in their roof tent.

 

[steve69]

It's drier up there when it rains - no chance of water creeping underneath you.