roof top tents

[QtheGenius]

I went up to Monterey for car week and ended up sleeping in the back of my wagon. It was fit, my 6'2" had to sleep diagonal, but I fit. I saw a few SUVs with a Thule or Yakami roof top, and was curious if our rail system is strong enough to not only hold the tent, but also an addition 400 pounds of people in the tent. Just thinking ahead. Camping was fun, would like to do more of it since my kids are getting a little older.

[Toby B]

That would make me too tense...

Roof tents are soooo Aussie poser. In this country, there's not much that's going to kill you, even sleeping in the Idaho high desert.
You might get skunked, but hang your food and pitch a car camping tent, complete with electric lighting.

Buy Thermarests, a good tent with a sealing perimeter and big fly, and spend a quarter of the money. And no, the roof rails won't take the load.

t
yes, slightly jelly, but good grief, you can buy a used RV for what some of those freakin' tents cost...

[QtheGenius]

roof top tents are only around $1500 or less for Thule/Yakima, so not bank breakers. I also ask because I've seen pictures of both e34 and e39 wagons with these mounted. Now is there a chance it was just installed and deployed for a photoshoot, then packed up and removed??? it's possible, yes.

Shame, I think it would be fun. But to your point, I can always just get a cargo box for the stuff and continue sleeping in the car.

[scottieducati]

There is a kid on an e39 Facebook group … he was somewhere in Europe, but had a solid shell rooftop tent (golia?), and he seemed to use it quite heavily and often.


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[KeysCoupe]

My biggest question would be how to climb up (and down) on the roof of an E39 wagon? Are you going to hang a side ladder for access? This is predicated on the roof being strong enough the support 1 or 2 persons, plus platform/tent.
A cargo box is the most I would consider for the roof, to leave room to sleep inside.
Back in the ‘90s, I spent 3 months traveling/living out of my VW T3 Vanagon. The E39 might be OK for a weekend.
-Donny

[QtheGenius]

My biggest question would be how to climb up (and down) on the roof of an E39 wagon? Are you going to hang a side ladder for access? This is predicated on the roof being strong enough the support 1 or 2 persons, plus platform/tent.

The roof top tents have a ladder built in, so when the tent is open, the ladder drops down to the ground. I believe it also supports some of the load that isn't over the car.

To be fair to everyone else, even a 3rd gen 4runner has a low roof weight capacity rating. All of these seem to be weight capacity while driving.

[BimmerBreaker]

The roof rails are rated for, I think, 200lbs - and that's when moving. Static load will be a multiple of that. So as long as the rooftop tent weighs less than ~200 lbs, I think you should be fine.

[Toby B]

Ok, fine, that kinda looks fun...
I particularly like the great big one that legs off the side of the car.
Does it have a jacuzzi?

t

[Frankie]

I'm confused: why the roof? Why not the ground? Is there some advantage to roof tents versus ground tents? Aren't roof tents are more susceptible to wind? Ground tents can be better secured, no? Until I saw these pictures, I never knew people put tents on the roof of their car. How goofy.

[BimmerBreaker]

It's very popular specifically within the overland community

I've been on a backpacking trip and while we were setting our tents up at a new campground, someone went to get something and a gust of wind came by - pulled the stakes up and blew the tent about 2 miles away. Rooftop tents have specially designed frames that the tent is attached to, they aren't just normal tents sitting on the roof of a car. It would take a really strong gust of wind to blow away a tent assembly bolted to the roof of a car.

After a long day of driving, people also don't want to spend a lot of time setting their tents up. Modern tents are a lot easier with the quick assembly poles that snap into place, but it still takes time to put together and take apart the next day. A rooftop tent you pretty much open and its good to go - close it and the car is ready to roll.

Depending on where you are camping, you also may want to avoid critters - bugs, raccoons, whatever - from having easy access to your tent. Elevating it is an easy way to do this. You may also not want to set up your tent on wet, muddy ground if it's been raining, especially if that means then packing up a dirty tent to put in your vehicle and have to unpack the next day.

For people going on long distance trips, space in the car is also very important - for storing food, water, gas, spare components, whatever it may be - space not taken up by a tent is space saved. On really long trips, every little bit of space matters.


Not everyone uses them for hardcore overlanding, some just want the convenience of a quick easy set up when they go to music festivals or whatever it may be. They do have their advantages.

[QtheGenius]

Adding a 100+ pounds to the top of the car will clearly affect handling, but you aren't putting the tent on your wagon then doing a track day. But if you're just driving to a camp site, I don't see how this would affect your driving. It also has the chance to reduce fuel economy since the air is hitting the flat front surface, so maybe if you add a wind deflector to the front, it could help get back to nominal MPG. As for noise, just turn up the stereo.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Man…. With all the alcohol me and my buddies consume, I’d sure hate to fall out of those stupid raised tents, middle of the mid-morning because I had to take a wizz…. Or…. Fetch another beer.

[3two5]

Man…. With all the alcohol me and my buddies consume, I’d sure hate to fall out of those stupid raised tents, middle of the mid-morning because I had to take a wizz…. Or…. Fetch another beer.

maybe just swap out the ladder for a slide. like that board game.... chutes and ladders! lol

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

maybe just swap out the ladder for a slide. like that board game.... chutes and ladders! lol

Yeah! With running water even!

[waldo9190]

I’ve had a rooftop tent on my Outback for about 2 years. The OEM rails were okay, but I upgraded to Yakima crossbars just to be safe. Static weight is typically not a problem. If you’re planning more camping trips with the kids, it’s a great investment. Visit the boutique for Bush Cruiser and Yakima—sometimes they offer bundles with ladders and awnings that make family setups much easier.