Roof tents - is it me? (1 Viewer)

[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...

 

[busbuddy]

They are a total fad......only been around for over 50 years

 

[Puddleduck]

We used to have a tent that fitted onto the tailgate of our Toyota minibus. Used it for several years.

 

[Guigsy]

We used to have a tent that fitted onto the tailgate of our Toyota minibus. Used it for several years.

Thule launched a tow ball tent this year. It's about £3k.

 

[lorger]

Our daughter has both a tentbox and tent, she uses the tent box for the odd night or weekend away where they won’t be using the car to get around once there. Their tent is used for longer trips to more remote sites where they have to drive to attractions, they actually prefer the tentbox with their quest pop-up. Just now it’s only the two of them plus their Golden retriever, her partner is a joiner so built a folding ramp but the dog just goes up the ladders just can’t get down he loves the tentbox.

Things might change next year as she’s expecting her first baby in January.

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[cyberyacht]

Thule launched a tow ball tent this year. It's about £3k.

Must need a good sense of balance to sleep on a 50mm hitch.

 

[SandKPhillips]

We've got both a motorhome and an off road pickup with a roof tent and awnings so understand the shortcomings of both types of vehicle.

The pickup will get to places the motorhome simply won't (I've given it a good go though!) and the motorhome gives us a level of luxury that the pickup simply cant. It's horses for courses really.
There are issues booking the pickup into sites, I always check that the site owner actually understands what a roof tent is as we've had two occasions where bookings were accepted and on arrival were instructed to unload and "pop the truck in the car park". I fully respect that some sites are simply not allowed tents, and, its a tent!

With respect to weight on the roof, ours in mounted on a roof rack on a South African made metal canopy which is actually capable of taking more weight than the truck can legally carry. Yes, they do rock a bit in high winds but then again so does our 7.5m motorhome.
On board it has full cooking facilities, a diesel heater for the tent, log burner and fire pit for the awnings (one on the side and one on the back), we carry a thetford portaloo, jerry cans for water and the truck has a full 12v lifepo4 battery system with dc-dc charger and inverter. so in essence, we don't rough it but have camped in some pretty hard to get at places.

Now we are both getting older (i'm approaching 65) and since I became disabled its been a bit harder to use the roof tent as it can sometimes take me a while to get up or down the ladder, but, we still use it a few times a year to camp with our bushcraft friends....often in places that we simply couldn't get the motorhome into (wish it was 4 wheel drive!).

Our motorhome gives us the freedom to get away all year round in a way that works constantly for my disability, yes we have equipped it with a few bits of our bushcraft camping kit such as fire pit/barbecue, waffle boards and to the disapproval of one or two rally marshals it also has all terrain tyres after getting stuck a couple of times on the Michelin motorhome tyres it had originally.

To be very honest, it really winds me up seeing roof tents on "ordinary cars" but then it's all about marketing. One or two roof tent suppliers are just into moving boxes, their entire knowledge of roof tents and using them can be written on an old first class stamp with a bingo dabber! (And I'll be the first to agree that some motorhome dealers don't know much in their field!)
Some cars are simply not designed to carry roof tents, but it doesn't seem to bother some vendors. Ive seen the aftermath of a tent coming off at 70mph, its not pretty......I've also spoken to people who were complaining that their insurance was invalid because the insurance company deemed the vehicle unsafe....

It is for many as has been said, simply a fad. A cheap way of getting away for a trip when overseas travel was not possible or very easy. Some of these tents come in at around £799 so I can understand.
I've seen posts on groups proudly displaying the new tent on Thursday or Friday and then a for sale ad on Sunday as "its not for them!"

If anyones interested, our set up (including canopy and equipment) was around 12k....but, at the time its what we wanted....It's still what I want, its just that the body won't play!

 

[gilbaro]

I was glad the guy opposite had one of these recently when the hab door locked behind me. (subject of an earlier post )
I used his telescopic ladder to get on my roof to gain access

 

[namwaldog]

A couple of vehicle just joined us at Kingsbarn Parking, Fife.

They have gone one further and hired a 4x4 with one on the top....


£1750 per week for a sample booking next week!!
2 adults and two teenagers in each mind, so compare that to an August Family holiday?

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

A demountable is the worse combination of them all, you have an off road vehicle that you now can’t take off-road, and a poor size camper that has an extremely high cost, and limited size. A caravan would be better and cheaper in that scenario. A roof tent, or off-road camping trailer allows you to explore whilst carrying your camping kit. Both have their downsides though.

Possibly works as a "camping car" thus allowed into the Aires network, rather than limited to camp sites
Mike.

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[Quackers]

There are issues booking the pickup into sites, I always check that the site owner actually understands what a roof tent is as we've had two occasions where bookings were accepted and on arrival were instructed to unload and "pop the truck in the car park". I fully respect that some sites are simply not allowed tents, and, its a tent!

It is a refreshing change to see an owner of a roof tent accept that it is not a campervan.
At Woodside Field we are fed up with these things turning up at our gate demanding that we honour the booking as they are not a tent. And when we ask where is your on-board toilet the "oh don't worry we will go in the hedge" response gets the appropriate answer.

 

[PaulyP]

I always have to go in the night ,I wouldn’t be very good coming down the ladder it would be a disaster unfolding especially after a drink

A funnel and a tube would be useful

 

[enark]

A couple of vehicle just joined us at Kingsbarn Parking, Fife.

They have gone one further and hired a 4x4 with one on the top....


£1750 per week for a sample booking next week!!
2 adults and two teenagers in each mind, so compare that to an August Family holiday? View attachment 937720

View attachment 937721

View attachment 937722

Good beer/heavy…

 

[SueMS]

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...

Agree with what you've said! We saw one of these parked in a layby near the beach where we live. I suppose they couldn't pitch a normal tent in a layby. There is no way that you would get me in one of these. My husband's comment, "Might be useful in Africa to stop the lions getting in the tent!", don't see too many lions here in Sussex.

 

[aaa001]

Seen these three guys in their homemade one a couple of years ago, camping stove in the boot, they were having a great time

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[namwaldog]

Good beer/heavy…

Yes, we like a pint of Best, especially draught!

Unfortunately, it is only a can of Doom Bar.
The glasses were gifted to us whilst having a pint of Bellhaven when we were in a Miners Welfare near to where we staying on a THS at the Drum Estate, Danderhall, Edinburgh.

 

[SandKPhillips]

It is a refreshing change to see an owner of a roof tent accept that it is not a campervan.
At Woodside Field we are fed up with these things turning up at our gate demanding that we honour the booking as they are not a tent. And when we ask where is your on-board toilet the "oh don't worry we will go in the hedge" response gets the appropriate answer.

We actually visited you a few weeks ago in the motorhome, lovely site. You were there with your other half!

 

[EuroTrotters]

A demountable is the worse combination of them all, you have an off road vehicle that you now can’t take off-road, and a poor size camper that has an extremely high cost, and limited size. A caravan would be better and cheaper in that scenario. A roof tent, or off-road camping trailer allows you to explore whilst carrying your camping kit. Both have their downsides though.

I quite fancied one. Until I saw some pissed up Glaswegians push one over on a campsite in the Cairngorms

 

[Quackers]

We actually visited you a few weeks ago in the motorhome, lovely site. You were there with your other half!

Thanks for your kind comment, not seen many Funsters recently.
Appreciate you did not bring your roof tent.

 

[our poppy llll]

For those that have not seen it, i thought you’d like to know.
You can lift the box tent off the roof of your vehicle, uncouple the ladder and set it up as a normal ground tent. The idea is, if you are out and about and you have had a long journey, you can set it up as a roof tent just about anywhere. Then when you hit a site and want to stay a few days, you can lift it off, set it up and go out and about in your car.

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[BooBooKing]

I had a very enjoyable time watching a Spanish family set up a fancy roof tent in a gale, in the dark. And rain. Most amusing as I watched from inside my van.

 

[SpeedyDux]

A demountable is the worse combination of them all, you have an off road vehicle that you now can’t take off-road, and a poor size camper that has an extremely high cost, and limited size. A caravan would be better and cheaper in that scenario. A roof tent, or off-road camping trailer allows you to explore whilst carrying your camping kit. Both have their downsides though.

I don't understand why a Defender can't be taken off road if it is fitted with a demountable camping module. As for size, compared to a roof tent it is positively palatial. Cost-wise you have the high end Bimobil* I mentioned earlier; at the low end there are much cheaper ones made in Turkey such as the fibreglass Hotomobil Gladiator. Most new caravans would cost much more, although I had the impression that the Polish manufactured Freedom caravans and the Hotomobils are in a similar price range.

Plenty of pics on their website and some even show roof tents on top of the demountable module:

Gladiator EU Size Caravan | Hotomobil

Karavan - Hotomobil - Restar - Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroen Jumper 15M3.

hotomobil.com

*I think there was a Funster who had a Bimobil.

 

[SpeedyDux]

A couple of vehicle just joined us at Kingsbarn Parking, Fife.

They have gone one further and hired a 4x4 with one on the top....


£1750 per week for a sample booking next week!!
2 adults and two teenagers in each mind, so compare that to an August Family holiday? View attachment 937720

View attachment 937721

View attachment 937722

Clearly, a 4x4 is essential for that Kingsbarn Parking area. You did really well to get on there with your MH!

 

[Landy Andy]

I don't understand why a Defender can't be taken off road if it is fitted with a demountable camping module. As for size, compared to a roof tent it is positively palatial. Cost-wise you have the high end Bimobil* I mentioned earlier; at the low end there are much cheaper ones made in Turkey such as the fibreglass Hotomobil Gladiator. Most new caravans would cost much more, although I had the impression that the Polish manufactured Freedom caravans and the Hotomobils are in a similar price range.

Plenty of pics on their website and some even show roof tents on top of the demountable module:

Gladiator EU Size Caravan | Hotomobil

Karavan - Hotomobil - Restar - Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroen Jumper 15M3.

hotomobil.com

*I think there was a Funster who had a Bimobil.

I suppose it depends on what you class as off road. Fitting a very expensive massive plastic box to the back would certainly rule out most green lanes in this country. The lanes are far too narrow, restricted in height and some too rough. It also massively effects how your vehicle responds.

 

[namwaldog]

Clearly, a 4x4 is essential for that Kingsbarn Parking area. You did really well to get on there with your MH!

Perhaps they didn't know that the potholes had been filled in??

In fairness to them, they parked there to enjoy the beach but didnt stay the night.

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[chesterfield hooligan]

I'm thinking of buying this what do you think pop top or roof tent, perhaps motorhome.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

I'm thinking of buying this what do you think pop top or roof tent, perhaps motorhome.
View attachment 938249

Top Gear special, back up motorhome for the "challenge ".
Mike.

 

[stewartwebr]

So what are the collective thoughts on them using Stellplatz and Aires because more and more seem to think it’s acceptable and are using them. In my opinion, and following the rules they are for motorhomes, unless stated otherwise. Too many entitled breaking the rules.

 

[SpeedyDux]

So what are the collective thoughts on them using Stellplatz and Aires because more and more seem to think it’s acceptable and are using them. In my opinion, and following the rules they are for motorhomes, unless stated otherwise. Too many entitled breaking the rules.

Someone needs to invent a minimum height barrier!

 

[our poppy llll]

I'm thinking of buying this what do you think pop top or roof tent, perhaps motorhome.
View attachment 938249

Can we have one Dad!

Do you remember that last century advert fir caravans!

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[cyberyacht]

Someone needs to invent a minimum height barrier!

Sounds like a job for Schrodinger's cat