How to choose a tent on the roof of the car?

Recently, tents for cars installed on the roof of a vehicle are gaining more and more demand. This tent can become an ideal solution for those travelers who are not going to spend money on hotels, are unable or simply do not want to buy a camper van like a trailer, but at the same time plan to add more comfort to their tourist trips.

First of all, it is worth noting that the car tent - this is a car device for organizing a night's sleep in the bosom of nature, which is located on the roof of a car. Based on its variety, it can be made from: a frame with a canopy to protect from the sun and rain, a fiberglass box with walls or molded from plastic and equipped with specialized awnings.

Boxing is decomposed, depending on the modification, either into a parallelepiped or into a triangular house. Tents designed for installation on the roof are warmer than usual: the fabric on the walls is much denser, and the roof is perfectly insulated.

Companies producing tents installed in the back of a pickup truck have a completely different understanding of camping housing. They are very similar to ordinary ones, differing from them only in the features of the pattern. The same sample can be installed on different pickups, and its height in the ridge will depend on the height of the sides. Such a tent is also stretched in a peculiar way: for body components. Here are all the key differences.

There are no prototypes for the convenience and speed of mounting for these products. Perhaps it is really good to have a house with a mattress ready for use on the roof. However, why was it necessary to fence a tent on the roof? Everything is very simple - in certain states there are a lot of crawling creatures that, in the process of sleeping, can climb up to tourists. A car tent rising above the ground does not allow this possibility.

The advantages of a car tent are as follows:

• mount speed - a ground-type tent assumes that the tourist has practical experience; a beginner will need a lot of time to install and hammer in pegs;
• car trunk tent does not require level ground, as in the variant with a tarpaulin ground dwelling;
• if compared with an overnight stay in a car, then warm in the tent, but this has nothing to do with the season and even the ambient temperature; night - mostly cool time of day, and the metal of the car has the ability to give off heat, regardless of thermal insulation;
• vapor permeability of matter prevents the formation of condensate moisture on the walls of the tent, even with additional warming, manifestations of dampness are excluded or will be scanty;
• as opposed to a car in a tent can't run out of oxygentherefore, in the morning there will be no headache from carbon dioxide poisoning; the airspace in the tent is no different from the street;
• unhindered and quiet exit from the tent will not disturb the sleep of other tourists;
• no need to re-equip the car for overnight stayif there are places to sleep in a rooftop tent.

The disadvantages include the following:

• high price for materials: frame and fabric;
• limited number of places;
• uncertain use in harsh weather conditions; rain or wind is less sensitive in the passenger compartment than in a car tent.

Modern manufacturers offer a wide range of car tents. You should consider the popular options in more detail.

Large, not heavy, retractable tent. It is suitable only for equally large roofs. The single concept is made of Dralon waterproof acrylic material. It is allowed to install a cabinet inside and fix a surfboard. The tent is equipped with a mattress that retains heat and a ladder.

If you do not take into account the low ceiling, then a car tent for two for four seasons is not bad at all. To increase sales, the manufacturer saved a little, but not on the quality factor of the fabric. The water-repellent impregnation is resistant to fading and mold. The size of the folding copy is 2.1 meters in length, 1.2 meters in width, 1 meter in height, and the weight is 95 kilograms.

Low aerodynamic performance is the only flaw. In addition to the lightweight aluminum frame, there is fire protection, water resistance, a ventilation system and good lighting thanks to the windows. The tent is designed for long-term use. The weight in the layout is 97 kilograms. The size is 3 meters in length, 1.4 meters in width, and 1.2 meters in height.

A minimum of 2 people are required to set up this fold-out car tent. A full-fledged tent has a length of 2.4 meters, a width of 1.4 meters, and a height of 1.3 meters. This model is made of breathable material. It is the largest, equipped with an additional bulkhead. It suits even kids. They have a double mattress and two entrances.

The line of car tents of this brand has about a dozen different designs. However, they are connected by one thing - convenient installation and folding, as well as excellent aerodynamic characteristics. All tents of this modification are transported in a hard box, which, in addition, is able to play the role of a small trunk. The tent is made of polyester. It is UV reflective, waterproof, breathable and water repellent. In addition, the material has an impregnation with an antibacterial effect. The characteristic features include the following:

• box-shaped structure;
• automatic nesting is less than one minute;
• the set comes with a foam mattress with a fairly high density;
• fasteners are made of stainless steel.

This is a quick-unfolding tent with a plastic roof for mounting on the roof of a car. Climbing with pneumatic stops is a specialized development for autotourists who travel on difficult tourist routes, off-road and in virgin nature. The main feature of the tent is the rapid transformation from a solid, impact-resistant polymer box into a tent with a solid, strong base and roof.

It can be mounted on the rails of the car or installed directly on the ground when forming a parking lot. For car top tent application The set includes a ladder. The residential area has two windows and two entrances. The package also includes an air mattress.

Autotent from the Russian company Yuago (Yago) made of ABS plastic. The material of the tent is immune to the bulk of the varieties of chemical reagents: acid, alkali and fat. ABS plastic is a completely harmless material for use, which meets global environmental standards. Yuago is a tent and a versatile box in which you can transport cargo without cluttering up the cabin.

Buying a box is not so expensive if you hope to use it regularly for spending the night in the wild. The cost of a tent depends on the brand, quality and size. The approximate price is from 20,000 to 25,000 rubles.Only modifications for 50,000–100,000 are much better and more reliable. Here, everyone decides how much he intends to spend. It is necessary to understand in more detail the main intricacies of the choice.

• Machine characteristics. It must be understood that mounting a huge tent on a small city car is, for obvious reasons, not feasible. The roof of any car has specific strength characteristics, since the load will fall specifically on it. In the instructions for use for your car, there is such an indicator as the permissible load capacity. The roof can withstand approximately 30–40% of it. For example, if the instructions specify a load capacity of up to 500 kilograms, then the tent with people inside should not weigh more than 175 kilograms. Rely on the performance of your specific vehicle. Otherwise, you can vent your roof due to overload and doom yourself to expensive repairs.
• Dimensions of the tent and their correspondence with the parameters of the roof. There are tents, the dimensions of which do not exceed the dimensions of the roof. When the tent is larger than the roof, you will need to use extension cords. There are modifications with supports that are installed on the ground and can simultaneously serve as a ladder. Pay attention to height. You hardly need to stand in a car tent, and tall structures are more difficult to install.
• Design. Experienced hikers who are well aware of these tents find that the ideal design is a complex configuration with sheer walls and a sloping roof. They are distinguished by a large internal space, although they need to use a massive base, in other words, a skeleton.But the triangular options are the most ingenious and uncomfortable. For single trips they will do, but if you intend to often spend the night in a tent, it is advisable to immediately take a comfortable and large design. There are modifications that are mounted near the car and guarantee sleeping places for several people. They are the most expensive, but highly functional and comfortable, and also thoroughly protect from the wind, are resistant to mechanical stress.
• Mounting. Tents are mounted on roof rails, in other words, mounts for the upper trunk of a car. Immediately make a reservation that they must certainly be reliable and strong. Otherwise, after a series of trips to nature, repair work or replacement of components will be necessary. The optimal solution is considered to be structures with auxiliary supports similar to construction sheet piles.
• Matter. The most inexpensive samples are made on the basis of artificial nylon. Expert advice - buy car tents made of nylon. It is more durable, more reliable and stronger. But just about the tarpaulin, it is advisable to forget if you are not the owner of a bus or truck. Tarpaulin is heavy, difficult to set up a tent, and its service life is short. A huge advantage will be the presence of additional thermal insulation and silicone coating. This makes it possible to spend the night in it both in winter and in summer, without fear of frost.
• Individual tastes. In fact, the choice of designs is enormous, so you have the opportunity to choose an acceptable option that will one hundred percent meet your preferences, needs and financial capabilities.

In the next video you will find a detailed review of the Autohome Overland Large car roof tent.