This is how car camping works

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Camping is more popular than ever: there can be real hustle and bustle on local estates this season. In addition to the classic options – sleeping in a VW Bulli-style camper, a camper van or even a luxury mobile home – numerous manufacturers also offer cheaper alternatives for the camping experience: from bike trailers to folding campers to comfortable rooftop tents. Especially with the latter, the choice is getting bigger and bigger. Below we answer the most important questions about camping on the roof of the car:

Do roof awnings fit in any vehicle?

In principle, roof awnings that fold down like a roof rack can be mounted on almost any vehicle, be it a city car, an SUV or a sports car. Choosing the right roof rack and the right roof tent is important. For this, those who want to camp must first determine the maximum allowable roof load of the car, which is usually stated in the owner’s manual. This roof load must not be exceeded when transporting the tent – otherwise there is a risk of fines.

What should I pay attention to about the roof load?

Depending on the car model, the maximum allowable roof load is usually between 75 and 100 kilos, while commercially available roof awnings are usually between 25 and 85 kilos. Problem: As soon as someone spends the night in a tent, this roof load is overcome. But this is not tragic, because the roof load only indicates the maximum weight that can be carried. Weight doesn’t matter as long as the vehicle is stationary. Because when using a roof awning, if the vehicle is damaged due to exceeding the roof load, the manufacturers do not give a guarantee. Our recommendation: The heavier a roof tent and the more people in it, the more roof racks should be fitted to distribute the weight evenly across the roof rails. The traverse every 70 to 80 centimeters is a guide.

How does the assembly of the roof tent work?

Easiest to source directly from the automaker, the roof rack can be attached to gutters, fixed points, or, at best, even an existing guardrail on the roof of most cars. The roof tent is attached to the roof rack using mounting plates and profile rails made of steel or aluminum. The tent takes between one and ten minutes to set up, depending on its construction.

What different models are there?

There are basically two types of roof tents: hard shell and folding tent. Hard shell roof tents consist of a solid shell made of fiberglass or aluminum and this has a number of advantages: They can usually be set up in a minute, which is a huge advantage especially in bad weather. In addition, they are more stable, produce less wind noise while driving as well as when stationary thanks to their better aerodynamics (and thus provide greater sleeping comfort in windy conditions) and generally offer more storage space for sleeping gear.

But folding tents also have their advantages: They are better ventilated thanks to the structure of the outer and inner tent, and are significantly lighter at around 40 kilograms than hard-shell tents, which weigh at least 75 kilograms. And they take up significantly less space on the roof because, unlike the hard shell, they are mounted along the roof rack rather than lengthwise. This leaves room for additional equipment or even another tent next to the folding tent.

In addition to these two designs, which are also available as a hybrid of hard shell with folding tent, Austrian manufacturer Gentletent offers “Air” roof tents, the structure of which is directly inflatable like an air mattress. Via the 12 volt connection on the tent car. Swiss company Tenturi from Bülach ZH has also been involved in the booming roof tent business for several years.

How expensive are roof tents?

Like models, prices vary significantly. In terms of price, folding tents have a clear advantage over hard shells: although some folding tent models start at less than 1,000 francs, hard shells should cost at least double or even triple the price for a model of the same size. Hard-shell folding tents start at just under 2000 francs. The cheapest models from the two mentioned manufacturers, Gentletent and Tenturi, start at 2500 and 1600 francs, respectively. Other well-known roof tent manufacturers include Campwerk, iKamper, Primetech, Autohome and Nakatanenga.

Source: Blick