Roof tent
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A roof tent or rooftop tent is an accessory that may be fitted to the roof or bed of a motor vehicle that allows the users to sleep in relative safety and comfort above the vehicle, and leaves the internal load-space free. The first example of roof tents appeared in Western Europe in the 1930s.[1]
Rooftop tents are available in a range of sizes but most are designed to accommodate two adults comfortably. Some models have room for a 3rd occupant like a child, small adult or pet. Based on their size and relative ease of setup, rooftop tents are popular with solo campers as well as couples that enjoy camping.
Designs and styles
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Roof tents have traditionally taken the form of a conventional ridge-pole tent which can be folded into a compact package, resting on marine plywood, and mounted on a roof rack. Beginning in 1958, more modern tent designs appeared - housed in a waterproof, moulded fibreglass or carbon fibre box, and are erected and taken down more quickly using a simple crank-operated cantilever arrangement or gas rams that automatically erect the tent when the latches are released.
There are three types of roof tent available:
- Softshell - A soft removable canvas cover which opens likes a pop-up book into a traditional looking canvas body tent.
- Hardshell - A hard shell cover made of fibreglass, aluminium or ABS which opens vertically to form the roof of the tent with canvas sides.
- Hybrid - A hard shell cover made of fibreglass, aluminium or ABS which opens like a pop-up book with a canvas body, some hybrid roof tent designs use the top shell to form a wall of the tent body.
Each of these types have their advantages and disadvantages[2] and with the advances in manufacturing and materials, new variations of these types are being designed year-on-year.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Car Top Carries Collapsible Tent". Popular Science. January 1937. p. 38. Retrieved 2025-06-30 – via Google Books.
- ^ d'Almeida, Chris Martins (2022-03-31). "What makes the best roof tent?". Tent & Trail. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
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