How amazingly awesome is this? Roof rack tents FTW!

[dug777]

Can you think of anything cooler than sleeping high above your 4WD in the vastness of the Victoria Desert, well out of reach of ravenous dingos and incredibly poisonous snakes looking for somewhere warm to curl up and sleep...like your swag...with you?

I think one will look the duck's nuts on my Prado :ninja:

My pet hate is folding up and brushing down wet/muddy/gritty groundsheets while camping, and this certainly addresses that!

The missus even approves - I think my talk of dingos and snakes may have helped there

Anywho, I think one may be my Christmas present, just in time for the next big expedition in Easter 2012: the Gunbarrel Highway

 

[vshah]

damn, these are awesome. maybe i can convince my dad to put one on his prado too :awe:. Would be fun to sleep in, even in the driveway

 

[krunchykrome]

Link; id definitely consider buying one!

 

[herm0016]

camping lab and ARB are well regarded

also, maggiolina tents have a solid roof, pretty neat.

check out http://www.expeditionportal.com/

many members there have roof top tents and have much to say about them. they also have a great FS/FT section with people from many countries including AUS.

http://campinglab.com/

http://www.arbusa.com/Products/Touring-And-Camping-Gear/Rooftop-Tents/43.aspx

http://www.hannibalusa.com/

http://www.autohomeus.com/rooftop/maggiolina.php

also for pickup trucks there is the flip-pac

http://www.adventuretrailers.com/page/vehicles/at_flippac/

 

[Murloc]

if it's stable it's pretty neat to avoid snakes too.
I saw those in africa.

 

[JulesMaximus]

What is the floor of the tent made of?

 

[herm0016]

What is the floor of the tent made of?

i think most are fiberglass, I am sure some are wood or foam reinforced too.

 

[JulesMaximus]

i think most are fiberglass, I am sure some are wood or foam reinforced too.

Any idea what this whole kit would weigh? Seems like a pretty cool idea except many roof racks aren't designed to hold more than 100lbs.

 

[herm0016]

i really have no idea.

i have a slide in camper for my off road adventures.

many of the racks on the trucks that use these are rated for more weight. for example the one i have on my pickup is rated for 150 lbs and only has 4 mounts. the 6 mount version for suvs and such will hold 250 lbs.

 

[Bignate603]

There was a JP (jeep magazine) a month or two ago that looked at a ton of these, and also some mini-camping trailers that could be pulled behind a 4x4 on decent trails.

 

[JulesMaximus]

i really have no idea.

i have a slide in camper for my off road adventures.

many of the racks on the trucks that use these are rated for more weight. for example the one i have on my pickup is rated for 150 lbs and only has 4 mounts. the 6 mount version for suvs and such will hold 250 lbs.

Hell, the average sized American weighs that much and that's not even including his 200lb wife, 100lb dog, 80lb 4 year old not to mention the weight of the tent and gear.

 

[Throckmorton]

Usually you use an aftermarket roof rack that clamps directly to the edge of the roof so the capacity is way higher.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Usually you use an aftermarket roof rack that clamps directly to the edge of the roof so the capacity is way higher.

I have a Yakima roof rack for my Maxima that clamps directly to the edge of the roof and I'm pretty sure I couldn't mount one of these on it.

 

[Bignate603]

I have a Yakima roof rack for my Maxima that clamps directly to the edge of the roof and I'm pretty sure I couldn't mount one of these on it.

There are SUV roof racks intended to carry far more load than any sane person would put on a Maxima.

 

[Kadarin]

Hell, the average sized American weighs that much and that's not even including his 200lb wife, 100lb dog, 80lb 4 year old not to mention the weight of the tent and gear.

:biggrin:

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Hell, the average sized American weighs that much and that's not even including his 200lb wife, 100lb dog, 80lb 4 year old not to mention the weight of the tent and gear.

you forgot the fridge and tv

 

[JulesMaximus]

There are SUV roof racks intended to carry far more load than any sane person would put on a Maxima.

An average American family might have as much as 800lbs up there overnight though. Could one hold that much weight? I mean, this is America, the land of supersized everything so I'm sure it's possible. I may just trade in the Max for an Excursion with the 1,000lb roof rack option. I can always get a second job to pay for gasoline.

 

[Tristicus]

Hell, the average sized American weighs that much and that's not even including his 200lb wife, 100lb dog, 80lb 4 year old not to mention the weight of the tent and gear.

Do you think the average American is going to be camping in the wilderness with his fat family..?

Nope.

 

[Cogman]

Do you think the average American is going to be camping in the wilderness with his fat family..?

Nope.

Hey! The average american has absolutely no control over their weight and loves doing healthy activities.........[/sarcasm]



Lets just say I've never seen a fat guy in a tent. (though, I've seen plenty in RVs)

 

[ponyo]

Not cool as the Aztek tent

 

[SparkyJJO]

Yep I know a guy who has a GMC Envoy with one of those. He loves it.

 

[brblx]

i still like the fold-up boat more.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Do you think the average American is going to be camping in the wilderness with his fat family..?

Nope.

True.

That's why God invented the RV!

 

[herm0016]

dang. lots of hate for Americans in this thread. i don't know if this type of travel is that mainstream anywhere in the world. I would venture to guess that it would be most popular in Aus or here unless we are talking about very well funded expeditions.

 

[alkemyst]

waits for the first redneck to discover this and proceeds to flatten 20 other campers as he picks a prime spot to park his F350 in the middle of a campground.

He misses the 10+ signs stating "No Vehicles Beyond This Point".