Expedition Type Roof/Trailer Tents

[TeeDee]

Anyone know anything about expedition 'pop-up' roof tents that you see on the top of 4x4 and Exped type trailers?

Any good suggestions what to look for? Any UK manufacturers ? Any tents that are better suited to a more wet moderate climate.

Interested in this so please share.

 

[John Fenna]

I cannot give you the info you want but I do know that trying to sleep on top of any vehicle in a strong wind is akin to sleeping on a boat ... the rocking is enough to induce sea-sickness!
I guess stiff suspension would help....

 

[Robmc]

I once had an Autohomes Columbus;

http://www.autohomeus.com/roof-top-tent/columbus-tent.php

Very warm and comfortable, and made no difference to MPG on the car. I slept in it at -11 next to Loch Lomond. No problems.

Wish I had kept it now.

 

[Madriverrob]

Have a look at these ........

http://www.rooftentslimited.com/

I have a awning for my Landrover and have no issues with it .....

 

[TeeDee]

I cannot give you the info you want but I do know that trying to sleep on top of any vehicle in a strong wind is akin to sleeping on a boat ... the rocking is enough to induce sea-sickness!
I guess stiff suspension would help....

Got to admit I have considered that - I was thinking about mounting one on the back on the bed section of a Double Cab pickup - so the tent would be on a box section to contain cooking equipment and supplies but the actual tent section would be actually quite low and when 'closed' sit behind the head of the cab.

Not quite as jacked as that in the wheel area! but a similar concept. Tent on the back will fold out to double the foot print of the bed.

 

[Janne]

The last Defender I owned in UK was modified to tour the Scandinavian outback. I opted for a tent you attach on the back of the vehicle, as they are more spacious, quicker to erect and do not move.
I have forgotten the brand though. Was made in UK.

 

[stone monkey]

Years ago i spent several nights sleeping in a roof tent on a series 3 landrover and as John Fenna said it was like sleeping on a boat, not to mention the hassle of night time
" comfort " breaks
Love the pickup idea, got me thinking now !

 

[Nomad64]

Anyone know anything about expedition 'pop-up' roof tents that you see on the top of 4x4 and Exped type trailers?

Any good suggestions what to look for? Any UK manufacturers ? Any tents that are better suited to a more wet moderate climate.

Interested in this so please share.

I'm a big fan of roof tents and used one on top of a Land Rover 110 as my main accommodation during a three and a half year expedition around Africa and the Middle East and still use it for 30 plus nights a year in the UK. I can't say I've ever felt "sea-sick" in it although you are obviously a bit more exposed in a howling gale.

There are two (or three) main types;

1. The "traditional" type mostly South African (but increasingly the market is flooded with generic Chinese copies) made of canvas which have a cantilever hinged plywood base which hang off the back or side of the vehicle - I have a MyWay which I bought in South Africa but they do have a UK distributor. MyWay are a niche player in the South African market, well designed and engineered and a fair bit lighter than the competitors like Hannibal and Eezi-Awn.

https://mywayrooftents.wordpress.com

2. The Autohomes/Maggioloni tents on the link posted by Robmc which have hard (fibreglass/plastic?) shells either hinged as a clamshell or elevating vertically. No personal experience of this type of tent but they are probably quicker to put up (but are heavy and take up more space on the roof rack) and suspect that they may be a bit better insulated though I have heard people complain about condensation in them and they are a fair bit more expensive.

Its very much a personal choice and the ease of use depends on your vehicle and (with the tents that overhang the back/side of the vehicle) how you orientate the tent. I can put my MyWay tent up in about 3 minutes (packing away takes a bit longer) and with 400 nights plus in it, I have no complaints. I recently replaced the flysheet and tarpaulin cover which both eventually succumbed to UV but after about 8 years of heavy use.

It is a big investment and probably worth looking at a few in the flesh before choosing, the summer Land Rover, 4x4 and Expedition shows usually have a selection.

Let me know if you need any more info.

Cheers,

Jerry

 

[jandude]

An Australian company called Gordigear sells trailer tents to Europe via Germany. I was impressed but ended up getting a British made expedition trailer second hand which I'm delighted with but the company is no longer trading.
Go Gecko was set up in Yorkshire by a Brit who worked in the industry inOz. Sadly his company was only around for two or three years.
I as also impressed with Myway roof and trailer tents.

Canvas is great in dry conditions but needs a bit of care to dry out before packing it away to avoid mildew. We have camped in it in torrential rain in southern Germany during a heatwave which the canvas shrugged off with no leaks but I do worry about drying it out in uk weather.

A few pix of my trailer:

 

[bearbait]

I opted for a tent you attach on the back of the vehicle, as they are more spacious, quicker to erect and do not move.
I have forgotten the brand though. Was made in UK.

Maybe it was the Caranex? Made in Scotland.

There's also the Oztent.

 

[sunndog]

Too heavy and too expensive imo

i'd go for a caranex or oztent meself

 

[jandude]

Had a Caranex rear tent a few years back. It was well made.

Got a polysomething version that I have only used once: can't get on with it but I blame that on the model, not the concept.

There are so many options from roof-top tent, trailer, rear or even side tents that it's good to go look at them. All have their advantages and disadvantages. Then there's the tug on the heartstrings: what you fall in love with! Sound advice above to hit a show or two or visit dealers.

 

[Nomad64]

I'd go for a caranex or oztent meself

No experience of Caranex tents but I do have an Oztent with which I have a love-hate relationship. Clever design (perhaps too clever - see below) quick to put up (I'll leave the "erection" jokes to their advertisers) but heavy and at 2m long awkward to fit inside a vehicle and a PITA to put on a 4x4 roof rack if you are short/average height.

My main gripe with them is that the outer cover disintegrated after 6 months exposure to African sunlight (I can only assume that the UV rays in Australia are kinder than those in southern Africa!) and one of the guy line attachment points needed restitching after a breezy night in the Moroccan mountains.

The clever (for which read lots of complicated aluminium extrusions and plastic sliding joints/hinges) frame is great while it works (the tent goes up like a pram or convertible car roof) but if there is a problem then not easy to fix in the bush! Admittedly having a troop of baboons jumping out of a tree in the Botswanan bush and using it as a trampoline is probably a bit beyond the original design specs (no I was not in it at the time and had left nothing of interest to them inside it - they were just semi-habituated sh!ts) but if you do have a mishap in the middle of nowhere you could just be left having to poke a hole in each corner and sticking 4 branches through.

IMHO a nice bit of kit for weekends or short breaks but not really suitable for long term "expedition" use.

The OP seems to have bailed out of this thread a month ago but FWIW, there is a Land Rover show at Stoneleigh next weekend which should have a few dealers displaying their wares. There is usually an overland travel show at Stratford in September which may have the best selection.

https://www.countrysideonline.co.uk/news-views/news/stoneleigh-focus-for-land-rover-fans/

 

[sunndog]

Nomad, yeah i'd agree the oztent is not something i would take on expedition, caranex would be much more suitable for heavy duty use
Tbh though i'm just one of those guys that dislikes rooftents, something like a caranex just suits me much better for exped use or for weekends just a backpacking tent is fine for me

I didn't look at the start date of the thread but teedee does that, he might chime in again on page 3 or sommat