The Finest Roof Prime Tents of 2023

Roof prime tents (RTTs) are a mode of tenting tent that’s designed to be mounted onto the roof of a automobile. They provide campers comfort, consolation, and security. The most typical fashions include both a hardshell or softshell roof. Hardshell roofs supply a stable construction however add further weight and drag to the automotive. Softshell roofs are a lighter and typically extra spacious possibility for campers. Every model can excel in numerous conditions relying on the automobile and tenting type. We researched and examined each designs to search out the most effective roof prime tents in the marketplace—listed here are our favorites.

How We Made Our Picks

When testing and researching the most effective roof prime tents, quite a lot of issues had been saved in thoughts. Right here’s how I evaluated these merchandise.

• High quality: I selected tents which might be made to face up to climate, intense UV publicity, and common use. The tents on this listing are confirmed long-term investments.
• Set up and Setup: Straightforward setup is a vital deciding issue when roof prime tents. I selected merchandise which have self-explanatory installations and easy setups within the discipline.
• Worth: I regarded for RTTs that provided the most effective bang for his or her buck.

Finest Roof Prime Tents: Opinions & Suggestions

Finest Softshell: Yakima SkyRise HD

Key Options 

• Sort: Softshell
• Tent Weight: 101 lbs for small, 114 lbs for medium
• Capability: Two choices: 2-person or 3-person
• Supplies: Aluminum body, 600D ripstop polyester cloth with 3000 mm waterproof coating

Execs

• Straightforward meeting
• Weatherproof
• Quiet in wind

Cons 

The Yakima SkyRise HD softshell roof prime tent makes use of a tool-free mounting system with 4 clamps that slide right into a crossbar roof rack and tighten. It’s also the one RTT I researched that features a locking system, so you already know your tent gained’t stroll off when you find yourself away out of your automobile. The simple set up, mixed with the light-weight design, makes this an ideal possibility for weekend warriors or those that might want to steadily take the tent on and off their automobile. 

To arrange the Yakima Skyrise HD, merely take away and roll up the protecting cowl and pull down the telescoping ladder. Then connect the rainfly with the included poles, and the tent is able to go.

The HD within the identify stands for “Heavy Responsibility,” which refers back to the upgrades within the supplies from the unique Skyrise. The bottom canvas is made out of 600D ripstop with a 3000mm PU coating which suggests you’ll be dry even with out the rainfly. All sides of the tent has home windows, together with two on the roof. As well as, the doorways on each ends present a number of factors of entry. I discovered the mattress to be extremely comfy in comparison with a few of its opponents. The one concern is the meeting shouldn’t be appropriate with all roof rack platforms since crossbars are required.

Finest Hardshell: James Baroud Odyssey

Key Options 

• Sort: Hardshell
• Tent Weight: 150 lbs
• Capability: 2-person
• Supplies: Shell is ABS plastic, 3-layer canvas cloth

Execs

• Quick arrange/take down
• Comfy
• Air flow: panoramic home windows and ceiling fan

Cons 

The James Baroud Odyssey is a brand new launch and redesign of their already top quality Frontier fashions. The roof shell is fabricated from ABS plastic that’s aerodynamic and proof against UV, wind, and rain. This four-season hardshell RTT units up in seconds with 4 hydraulic articulated arms popping right into a field form. 

One welcome enchancment to the most recent mannequin is the choice so as to add crossbars to the highest of the tent. This permits customers to hold further gadgets like bikes or kayaks. Photo voltaic panels may be connected to the crossbars and keep on when open. The two.5-inch foam mattress is extremely comfy. I additionally love the included solar-powered roof prime fan in addition to the rechargeable LED mild. For my part, the most effective a part of this tent is the 360-degree visibility. Open up the home windows for an incredible view of your environment, or zip up the weatherproof insulated blackout masking for full safety. It’s a four-season tent and ideal for winter tenting. The one draw back is that the odyssey is among the costliest roof prime tents in the marketplace.

Finest Funds: Smittybuilt Overlander

Key Options 

• Sort: Softshell
• Tent Weight: 144 lbs
• Capability: 2-3 folks
• Supplies: Aluminum body, 600D ripstop polyester

Execs

• Reasonably priced
• Spacious
• Comfy

Cons 

This softshell roof prime tent is spacious and reliable. With a barely extra cumbersome setup than others, it’s nonetheless pretty simple to get the Overlander able to camp. Merely take away the velcro cowl, undo the tie-down straps, open the ladder, after which connect the poles to carry up the rainfly.

The inside is spacious, with home windows on all 4 sides in addition to on the roof. Created from heavy responsibility 600D ripstop polyester, the tent is sturdy and climate resistant. As for consolation, it has an honest foam mattress. At the same time as a price range tent, it comes with a couple of bonus options inside, together with an LED mild strip and shoe bag that hangs from the door so campers can depart their soiled sneakers exterior the tent.

If you’d like a price range tent however want extra room, Smittybilt has an Overlander XL, which is a bigger 3-4 particular person model however requires three crossbars in your roof rack (versus the 2 wanted for this one). Packing up the Overlander takes a bit of extra time than a few of its softshell opponents. The duvet makes use of a fringe of velcro, which is cumbersome and could be annoying to get the right match.

Finest for Small Vehicles: Roofnest Meadowlark

Key Options 

• Sort: Softshell
• Tent Weight: 90 lbs
• Capability: 2-person
• Supplies: Aluminum alloy body, handled canvas 

Execs

• Light-weight 
• Straightforward arrange
• Comfy

Cons 

• Few/small home windows
• Shorter size

The Roofnest Meadowlark was designed to supply clients with a light-weight tent that might be simple to retailer when not in use. This 90 lb tent shouldn’t be as cumbersome as its opponents to carry on and off the automotive. Along with this comfort, it has some considerate design components that make it an ideal selection for a solo or couple’s tent. 

For starters, organising could be very simple for a softshell RTT. To assemble, you solely must take away the duvet, unstrap, and pull down the ladder. The rainfly is pre-assembled and flush with the tent, so merely pull out the U-pole on the door and click on it into place. It’s quick and straightforward. Whereas I really like how there aren’t any further poles to connect, it additionally signifies that there’s restricted visibility throughout the tent. The Meadowlark is fairly closed up from views—with small home windows on the facet and no roof home windows. Nevertheless, I just like the included removable pockets for soiled sneakers, and the included LED mild strip. The froth mattress was comfy, however it’s a little on the quick facet. At 80 inches lengthy, it’ll swimsuit most adults however is shorter than many different competitor mattresses.

Finest for SUV: Thule Tepui Ruggedized Autana

Key Options 

• Sort: Softshell
• Tent Weight: 169 lbs
• Capability: 3-person
• Supplies: Aluminum body, ripstop polyester cotton canvas

Execs

• Comfy
• Spacious
• Included further annex

Cons 

• Longer arrange/take down than others

Because the identify implies, this softshell roof tent is a good match for rugged SUVs and 4x4s. It’s spacious, sturdy, and comfy. The Autana is my first selection for extreme climate tenting. Its sturdy rain fly supplies full protection towards rain and wind. As well as, it comes with a large, weatherproof annex that zips into the tent and hangs from the tent ground. The annex covers and protects the ladder in addition to supplies a “lounge” of personal, protected area. The Autana can be longer and has extra headroom than most roof prime tents. Lastly, many think about the Autana mattress some of the comfy within the trade. 

Due to the sizable rainfly and awnings, the visibility and views from this tent aren’t nice. However on clear days, the highest rainfly roof could be eliminated for some sky views. Set-up and take-down of the Autana could be extra time-consuming than some. After unfolding the tent, the window awnings require further pole meeting, rainfly meeting, in addition to zipper attaching, and staking down the annex.

Due to its dimension and the steps to arrange/take down, this RTT is an effective selection for individuals who plan to remain at their vacation spot a number of nights with out packing up. It’s going to maintain you dry and comfy regardless of the climate.

Finest for Households: Roofnest Condor XL

Key Options 

• Sort: Softshell/hardshell combo
• Tent Weight: 160 lbs
• Capability: 4-person
• Supplies: Aluminum body, 600D ripstop polyester cloth with 3000 mm waterproof coating

Execs

• Weatherproof
• Spacious
• Sturdy

Cons 

Meeting of the Roofnest Condor XL is pretty simple. The hardshell lid opens like a clamshell, after which the ladder pulls all the way down to fold out the second half of the footprint. This makes the Condor a hardshell/softshell hybrid. Whereas the hardshell case serves as a wall of the tent, the roof remains to be a softshell. As soon as opened, further poles should be connected for the rainfly and awning. There are additionally a number of hanging baggage and storage items that connect to the edges. Whereas all these options are good, the extra attachments enhance the setup time. This tent is extremely weatherproof and reliable. The fabric is a sturdy coated polycotton canvas with a coated polyoxford rainfly.

The place the Condor XL actually outscores its opponents is in area. Its spacious inside makes it one of many solely choices for 4 or extra folks. Home windows can be found on three of the 4 sides in addition to the ceiling. Just like the Thule Autana, the awnings hinder among the visibility. 

Among the bonuses to this tent are the included inside and exterior lighting, a number of exterior storage baggage, floor fabric, and a patch package. A pleasant characteristic is that, just like the James Baroud, it has sufficient room to shut the tent with bedding nonetheless on the mattress. This protects room in your automobile and could be very handy.

Finest for Low Profile: Thule Tepui Low Professional

Key Options 

• Sort: Softshell
• Tent Weight: 98 lbs for small, 114 lbs for medium
• Capability: Two choices: 2-person and 3-person
• Supplies: Thermoplastic honeycomb fiberglass, 600D ripstop polyester cloth

Execs

• Low profile when closed
• Light-weight
• Visibility: home windows on all sides

Cons 

This low profile roof prime tent options two sides—one 7-inches excessive and the opposite 10-inches excessive. To assemble the tent, unzip the duvet, connect the telescoping ladder, unclip, and deploy the tent by opening its different half and securing it. Then set up the poles and rainfly.

The Low Professional is designed to be small, light-weight, and low profile. The advantages are a lighter and easier-to-move tent, however the restrictions embrace a small inner space. The 84-inch size is not going to work for taller adults. With the intention to hold the profile so low, the ladder doesn’t match within the collapsed tent and can should be transported within the automobile.This topper tent is a good selection for small autos in want of a light-weight tent or those that need a low profile for higher gas economic system. It is available in 2 and 3-person fashions. Thule is a grasp in cargo carriers for vehicles, and we see this translate to their automotive tents as nicely.

Issues to Think about Earlier than Shopping for the Finest Roof Prime Tents

Take into consideration what you need out of your tent, what your automobile is able to, and the way usually you’ll use it. From there, you’ll be able to start to slim down your choices. Think about the next to search out the suitable tent in your automotive.

Capability

Roof prime tents usually are available two, three, and four-person variations. As a result of the true property on the highest of a automobile is proscribed, the roof prime tent will virtually at all times be a tighter squeeze than a standard tent. As well as, in case you’re tall, check out the size specs. Not all 2-person tents are the identical size. For instance, the Yakima SkyRise HD has a size of 84 inches, however the Roofnest Meadowlark is simply 80 inches, which is a good match for anybody over six toes tall.

Car Compatibility

Earlier than buying a roof prime tent, ensure it’s appropriate together with your automobile. Think about the burden capability of your automobile’s roof rack and the scale of your automobile to make sure that the roof prime tent will match and be safely supported. We discovered all of the manufacturers listed above have good customer support and sources that may enable you discover the suitable tent in your automobile.

Setup and Takedown

Search for a roof prime tent that’s simple to arrange and take down. Some tents have a easy mechanism that enables for fast and straightforward setup, whereas others require extra effort and time. Basically, a hardshell roof prime tent goes to be a sooner setup and takedown. Field-like roof prime campers just like the James Baroud take solely seconds for setup and takedown. Moreover, you’ll be able to retailer your sleeping baggage, pillows, and extra inside.

FAQs

The Finest Roof Prime Tents: Remaining Ideas

Roof prime tents don’t supply the area you will get with a standard tent, and set up on a automobile is a chore. Nevertheless, improvements in roof prime tent expertise have made for an incredible number of merchandise for overlanders, world vacationers, and campers who prefer to be on the transfer and protected against the weather. Whereas the worth of a rooftop tent is greater than their conventional tent counterparts, you get the worth of a extra sturdy tent that’s off the bottom.