Thule Rooftop Tents

A great local option is The Roofpod. Its clamshell design means it takes less than 1 minute to set up or pack down as opposed to fold over models. It's also designed to fit on standard roof racks, which means it can fit on any vehicle with standard roof racks.

https://theroofpod.co.za/

Thule make great products.

They also acquire great companies.

I don't doubt they have the mounting part of this right.

I'm scared to ask the price, however.

2 minutes ago, Shebeen said:

Thule make great products.

They also acquire great companies.

I don't doubt they have the mounting part of this right.

I'm scared to ask the price, however.

35 to 60k ...

Oooo... thats before the list of extras .....

But going by the brands reputation it should be top quality .....

It would probably be cheaper to buy a caravan second hand than a Thule tent, they arent know for being value for money.

1 hour ago, Rocket-Boy said:

It would probably be cheaper to buy a caravan second hand than a Thule tent, they arent know for being value for money.

 

have you seen the price of used caravans ?

I only know this because I dropped a car off at a panel shop that is next to a caravan place and saw the prices. eye watering. I only paid a fraction more for my house.

30 minutes ago, ouzo said:

have you seen the price of used caravans ?

I only know this because I dropped a car off at a panel shop that is next to a caravan place and saw the prices. eye watering. I only paid a fraction more for my house.

Yeah I do a lot of camping and 4x4 and there are some very fancy caravans that are very expensive, there are also smaller more budget friendly ones though. The one thing most people agree is that rooftop tents are not always practical. If you go away every weekend and spend more time away then home then sure, they can be good for that, they are also good for places with animals if you want to be off the ground. What they suck for is fuel economy, road noise and generally needing to find a flat space the size of the car they are attached to. 

I think the sweet spot is a high clearance trailer with a fold out rooftop tent and all of the kitchen/fridge etc in the trailer, you get to drive a normal car in the week and then hitch up the camping rig on the weekend. Not the cheapest either unfortunately.

5 minutes ago, Rocket-Boy said:

Yeah I do a lot of camping and 4x4 and there are some very fancy caravans that are very expensive, there are also smaller more budget friendly ones though. The one thing most people agree is that rooftop tents are not always practical. If you go away every weekend and spend more time away then home then sure, they can be good for that, they are also good for places with animals if you want to be off the ground. What they suck for is fuel economy, road noise and generally needing to find a flat space the size of the car they are attached to. 

I think the sweet spot is a high clearance trailer with a fold out rooftop tent and all of the kitchen/fridge etc in the trailer, you get to drive a normal car in the week and then hitch up the camping rig on the weekend. Not the cheapest either unfortunately.

With a trailer you need to find as large a flat surface, but it needs to be accessible to connect/disconnect the trailer. 

A trailer is also less fuel efficient, super uncomfortable to drive on rough roads and brings a whole new world of maintenance etc...

If I'm going to Elandsbaai to surf, taking my boy away for a night camp out, quickly getting out of town for something etc the roof tent is awesome. It's also warmer than sleeping on the ground.

Like anything, it depends what level of luxury you need to take with you. A small fridge run off a duel battery and a roof top tent is a win for weekend getaways.

As with most things, there is no right or wrong answer, but roof top tents done right are awesome and make going away far less of a hassle than caravans and trailers. IMHO

BUT, toys are expensive and whether it's a fancy trailer, caravan or roof top tent, if you're only using it sporadically, you have to ask if it's not just worth buying a nice ground tent and good quality camping bed at a fraction of the cost for the 'odd trip' you might take.

My wife and I considered ourselves fairly avid campers, until about just under 2 years ago when we hired a campervan to do an awesome 2 week road trip around NZ's South Island. With Covid in full swing we managed to get one of those fully kitted Merc Sprinter campers for a steal.

After the convenience of the van, we struggled to motivate ourselves to camp "conventionally". We also cannot warrant spending $150k - 200k on that type of camper (we're way too far from retirement for that, haha).

So maybe these Thule tents are the middle ground. I'll have to show my wife the pics of how they might look on her XC40.

34 minutes ago, patches said:

My wife and I considered ourselves fairly avid campers, until about just under 2 years ago when we hired a campervan to do an awesome 2 week road trip around NZ's South Island. With Covid in full swing we managed to get one of those fully kitted Merc Sprinter campers for a steal.

After the convenience of the van, we struggled to motivate ourselves to camp "conventionally". We also cannot warrant spending $150k - 200k on that type of camper (we're way too far from retirement for that, haha).

So maybe these Thule tents are the middle ground. I'll have to show my wife the pics of how they might look on her XC40.

My mrs and I are saving for a 2 year "gap year" for when the kids are in University and no longer living in the house. Our plan is to tour Canada, Alaska, The rest of USA and Mexico in this...

https://www.winnebago.com/models/product/motorhomes/class-c/ekko

The reality is that you can buy 3-4 tents for the price of a roof top tent, especially when you consider roof racks/mounting etc.

1- good tunnel or 3/4 season tent for 1-3 nights where you need good waterproof comfortable option

2- lightweight hiking tent, for when you don't feel like sleeping in a glorified 4x4 carpark.

3- big canvas tent for when you need to escape the city for a week or 2.

4- Gazebo because they are always handy

That combination is far more versatile and as comfortable. Also usually has less road noise, doesn't need to be packed up when you want to pop to the launch ramp/pub/start line etc.

7 hours ago, patches said:

My wife and I considered ourselves fairly avid campers, until about just under 2 years ago when we hired a campervan to do an awesome 2 week road trip around NZ's South Island. With Covid in full swing we managed to get one of those fully kitted Merc Sprinter campers for a steal.

After the convenience of the van, we struggled to motivate ourselves to camp "conventionally". We also cannot warrant spending $150k - 200k on that type of camper (we're way too far from retirement for that, haha).

So maybe these Thule tents are the middle ground. I'll have to show my wife the pics of how they might look on her XC40.

Patches for a roof top tent a lot of the previous comments holds true ...

The BEST we have seen thus far is the "clamp shell type".  It pops up in seconds and you are ready to camp.  If you want to drive out of camp, it takes less than a minute to close the clam-shell. Your bedding is always ready.

As for what you do with the tent for the other 355 days of the year .... http://www.fredlin.co.za/

It takes about 10 minutes to fit or remove the tent.

Top tip - once you have the perfect allignment ... mark the spots where the vehicle should park .....  believe me, you dont want to lower that tent when the vehicle is off-centre .... no danger, just a pain to man handle the tent into position.

1 hour ago, dave303e said:

The reality is that you can buy 3-4 tents for the price of a roof top tent, especially when you consider roof racks/mounting etc.

1- good tunnel or 3/4 season tent for 1-3 nights where you need good waterproof comfortable option

2- lightweight hiking tent, for when you don't feel like sleeping in a glorified 4x4 carpark.

3- big canvas tent for when you need to escape the city for a week or 2.

4- Gazebo because they are always handy

That combination is far more versatile and as comfortable. Also usually has less road noise, doesn't need to be packed up when you want to pop to the launch ramp/pub/start line etc.

It is horses for courses. A ground tent takes a little more time to set up but doesn't have to be packed up each time you move so ideal for a few days in one spot (Kruger Park) and the lightweight or pop up type is great for quick, just sleeping (Namib dune trip). A little disconcerting when wild camping; somehow you feel better in an RTT when buffalo, lion, elephant and baboon are around the camp (Chitake 2 in Zim).  Has to be heavy canvas as Mr Monkey and Baboon can rip the lighter nylon etc tents (Third Bridge Bots).

If an RTT as ChrisF notes, clamshell is best (we have an AluCab; not cheap) as previously had a fold up hardshell and the 15 or 20 minutes (and 250 calories ) getting it squeezed together on a frosty Botswana morning is painful (particularly while others wait, twiddling thumbs). Does impact fuel consumption but was quick and comfortable (as far as such a thing can be). Quite heavy, leaves no firewood etc space on the roofrack and a 2 man job and half an hour to remove or replace (I have the FRedlin but AluCab will not get into the garage door👺). Did well for a month in Bots and Zim now. If one is considering AluCab try fit only the roofbars; a roofrack is wasted.

Tentco also locally made and good quality for much less.
The Thule one is really nice but overpriced IMO.

On 7/23/2022 at 10:50 AM, Rocket-Boy said:

Yeah I do a lot of camping and 4x4 and there are some very fancy caravans that are very expensive, there are also smaller more budget friendly ones though. The one thing most people agree is that rooftop tents are not always practical. If you go away every weekend and spend more time away then home then sure, they can be good for that, they are also good for places with animals if you want to be off the ground. What they suck for is fuel economy, road noise and generally needing to find a flat space the size of the car they are attached to. 

I think the sweet spot is a high clearance trailer with a fold out rooftop tent and all of the kitchen/fridge etc in the trailer, you get to drive a normal car in the week and then hitch up the camping rig on the weekend. Not the cheapest either unfortunately.

There are tradeoffs for all options here. I have borrowed a camping trailer with rooftop and all the fridge/lighting gizmos. It is awesome, my friend lends it to me for free because he wants it to be used, having all the capital tied up in something that only gets used 6/7 times a year irks him!

The rental model should be a no brainer here, but it's really hard to get them for just the weekend, the minimum is normally a three day. If you don't use it a lot, then this makes more sense than owning. So there's a reason why it seems you can rent a basic trailer from plenty of locations per day, but not a camping one. (there's a shop down the road who rents out roofboxes, also seemed like a good idea but never needed one that badly).

BUT back to the thule rooftop option advertised here. I now see the pricing, it's on the high end, but most of their products are aimed at the "quality is worth it model". With so many local options available, I wondered if they might have bought into one of our manufacturers, but it's an international product so global pricing.

I'm sure they will sell a few locally, many people swear by their products for a reason. It's a competitive market and I can't think of major improvements on a very mature product category.  

I have 2 roof top tents as well as 2 canvas bow (ground) tents. There is no ideal tent, they are all compromises. On some trips the rooftop tents can be considered near essential (Move every day, never stay long, big 5 country and wild camping with big cats.) Other times ground tents are more practical. (Stay for a few days or a week at a time. No predators, more amenities.)

Generally, on cycling or paddling expeditions, we use the ground tents because we usually carry 4 bikes or 2 double kayaks and the only good way (rough dirt roads and tracks) is to stack them on the roofrack..........thus no place for rooftop tents. On the Landy I can fit 1 rooftop tent and bikes, but it is a squeese. On most other cars the rooftop tent take up too much space to allow for more than 1 bike. 

On 7/23/2022 at 11:07 AM, Jewbacca said:

With a trailer you need to find as large a flat surface, but it needs to be accessible to connect/disconnect the trailer. 

A trailer is also less fuel efficient, super uncomfortable to drive on rough roads and brings a whole new world of maintenance etc...

If I'm going to Elandsbaai to surf, taking my boy away for a night camp out, quickly getting out of town for something etc the roof tent is awesome. It's also warmer than sleeping on the ground.

Like anything, it depends what level of luxury you need to take with you. A small fridge run off a duel battery and a roof top tent is a win for weekend getaways.

As with most things, there is no right or wrong answer, but roof top tents done right are awesome and make going away far less of a hassle than caravans and trailers. IMHO

BUT, toys are expensive and whether it's a fancy trailer, caravan or roof top tent, if you're only using it sporadically, you have to ask if it's not just worth buying a nice ground tent and good quality camping bed at a fraction of the cost for the 'odd trip' you might take.

Yup, exactly why I prefer the tent option. I generally go every second weekend for a night or two.

My wife and I can get the tent pitched in a few mins and everything setup. I have a queen sized inflatable mattress and a nice down duvet to go with it, so we camp comfy in the winter. 

Our kit is mostly down to what we need and we have a system of packing and unpacking which makes it quick and easy. When we get home its 5 mins to put everything away and we carry on with the day.

I would only look at bigger setups if I was going to be overlanding for extended periods but Im happy with quick getaways for now.

7 minutes ago, mazambaan said:

It is horses for courses. A ground tent takes a little more time to set up but doesn't have to be packed up each time you move so ideal for a few days in one spot (Kruger Park) and the lightweight or pop up type is great for quick, just sleeping (Namib dune trip). A little disconcerting when wild camping; somehow you feel better in an RTT when buffalo, lion, elephant and baboon are around the camp (Chitake 2 in Zim).  Has to be heavy canvas as Mr Monkey and Baboon can rip the lighter nylon etc tents (Third Bridge Bots).

If an RTT as ChrisF notes, clamshell is best (we have an AluCab; not cheap) as previously had a fold up hardshell and the 15 or 20 minutes (and 250 calories ) getting it squeezed together on a frosty Botswana morning is painful (particularly while others wait, twiddling thumbs). Does impact fuel consumption but was quick and comfortable (as far as such a thing can be). Quite heavy, leaves no firewood etc space on the roofrack and a 2 man job and half an hour to remove or replace (I have the FRedlin but AluCab will not get into the garage door👺). Did well for a month in Bots and Zim now. If one is considering AluCab try fit only the roofbars; a roofrack is wasted.

Lion, baboon and elephant can all get you in a RTT anyway and chances are they will all get you going for a pee early morning or before bed outside the tent anyway so I really don't get the need for a RTT. Hyena and croc are 2 that you can probably be safe from in terms of being off the ground and being animals known to attack people inside tents. But really dragging some thorn trees or a temp paddock fence system will work as well, and you can pee safely in the dark as well. We have cleaned hippo poop off our tent after staying at our spot on Kariba dam, it is part of the experience. If it were 100% safe would it be as much fun?

As for the comment on monkeys and nylon tents- Monkeys go for food, which should be secured in a hard box or cooler box in monkey areas anyway so really again sales talk.

Horses for courses, there is a cheaper better horse for almost all courses in terms of tents and you can have multiple horses- one for each course for less than a single rooftop tent and that is before you start considering roof racks and alu cabs to support it. The best camping I have done is still sans tent, in a bivvy...

On 7/23/2022 at 11:07 AM, Jewbacca said:

With a trailer you need to find as large a flat surface, but it needs to be accessible to connect/disconnect the trailer. 

A trailer is also less fuel efficient, super uncomfortable to drive on rough roads and brings a whole new world of maintenance etc...

If I'm going to Elandsbaai to surf, taking my boy away for a night camp out, quickly getting out of town for something etc the roof tent is awesome. It's also warmer than sleeping on the ground.

Like anything, it depends what level of luxury you need to take with you. A small fridge run off a duel battery and a roof top tent is a win for weekend getaways.

As with most things, there is no right or wrong answer, but roof top tents done right are awesome and make going away far less of a hassle than caravans and trailers. IMHO

BUT, toys are expensive and whether it's a fancy trailer, caravan or roof top tent, if you're only using it sporadically, you have to ask if it's not just worth buying a nice ground tent and good quality camping bed at a fraction of the cost for the 'odd trip' you might take.

I've borrowed one of these a couple times. It's super light with the shell being made of canvas, so it's easy to lift on/ off the vehicle, and takes literally 10mins to mount on the car. Once you're there it's just a matter of unzipping the sides and opening the latches. At around the R 25K mark, it's an absolute steal compared to what else is on the market. It also means you have way more space in your car for toys such as bikes  

3 hours ago, Rocket-Boy said:

Yup, exactly why I prefer the tent option. I generally go every second weekend for a night or two.

My wife and I can get the tent pitched in a few mins and everything setup. I have a queen sized inflatable mattress and a nice down duvet to go with it, so we camp comfy in the winter. 

Our kit is mostly down to what we need and we have a system of packing and unpacking which makes it quick and easy. When we get home its 5 mins to put everything away and we carry on with the day.

 

I would only look at bigger setups if I was going to be overlanding for extended periods but Im happy with quick getaways for now.

Be wary of the quick pack away, stored a damp blow up mattress once, when we next wanted to use it it was covered in mould unfortunately. Bleached it to death and worked perfectly fine just always looked a bit miff. It has been retired since though.

21 hours ago, dave303e said:

Lion, baboon and elephant can all get you in a RTT anyway and chances are they will all get you going for a pee early morning or before bed outside the tent anyway so I really don't get the need for a RTT. Hyena and croc are 2 that you can probably be safe from in terms of being off the ground and being animals known to attack people inside tents. But really dragging some thorn trees or a temp paddock fence system will work as well, and you can pee safely in the dark as well. We have cleaned hippo poop off our tent after staying at our spot on Kariba dam, it is part of the experience. If it were 100% safe would it be as much fun?

As for the comment on monkeys and nylon tents- Monkeys go for food, which should be secured in a hard box or cooler box in monkey areas anyway so really again sales talk.

Horses for courses, there is a cheaper better horse for almost all courses in terms of tents and you can have multiple horses- one for each course for less than a single rooftop tent and that is before you start considering roof racks and alu cabs to support it. The best camping I have done is still sans tent, in a bivvy...

Sure but no one I have heard of has been "attacked" in an RTT. Ground tents; quite a few hyena (Croc Bridge KNP and Umfolosi) and one or two leopard attacks (Mabua). Elephant not heard of; they walked between the tent guy ropes at Savuti. You just feel better. Hard containers; monkeys yes, baboons maybe. We had tents ripped and ammo boxes opened at Third Bridge and lots of stuff eaten, and drunk; wine and all the malaria tabs 😁.

I'm impressed if you sleep in a bivvy at Chitake Springs 2 between July and October.

What a long time African overlander said about this camp site 

"However Chitake is by a long shot the wildest place we have visited. As you report, the noise at night is scary to say the least. I will never forget the nocturnal chaos of the lion pride hunting the large and stampeding buffalo herds plus the elephants screaming their outrage and other animals stampeding around your campsite. All of this makes one very reluctant to go on any walks which are allowed in Mana." and "This camp site is also where a tragedy occurred in late 2010. This is where Pete Evershead from Bulawayo was killed by the lion pride". He wasn't sleeping but showering after dark.

We ate our evening meal around 5pm on this site, lingered around the fire, even when an elephant came to tidy up the figs dropped by baboons, performed our ablutions in front of the cars, went to bed about 9pm and only alighted after 6am. Plenty elephant, lion and buffalo racket during the night.

We bought a Bundutop RRT, and one of the best parts of the package is the mattress. Full-length thick comfy mattress for a great night's sleep. 😊 

Only thing that wasn't  to my liking was the electric winch for opening/closing the shell, but there wasn't a manual option available. I am not a fan of battery/electrically operated equipment in the bush.

One thing I like about the Thule RTT is that it hangs over the side of the vehicle: shade during the day, and space for Thule roof box (check), kayak (check) or bicycle (check). 

Not sure where to jam the wife's kayak and bicycle in though ... 😆

5 hours ago, mazambaan said:

Sure but no one I have heard of has been "attacked" in an RTT. Ground tents; quite a few hyena (Croc Bridge KNP and Umfolosi) and one or two leopard attacks (Mabua). Elephant not heard of; they walked between the tent guy ropes at Savuti. You just feel better. Hard containers; monkeys yes, baboons maybe. We had tents ripped and ammo boxes opened at Third Bridge and lots of stuff eaten, and drunk; wine and all the malaria tabs 😁.

I'm impressed if you sleep in a bivvy at Chitake Springs 2 between July and October.

What a long time African overlander said about this camp site 

"However Chitake is by a long shot the wildest place we have visited. As you report, the noise at night is scary to say the least. I will never forget the nocturnal chaos of the lion pride hunting the large and stampeding buffalo herds plus the elephants screaming their outrage and other animals stampeding around your campsite. All of this makes one very reluctant to go on any walks which are allowed in Mana." and "This camp site is also where a tragedy occurred in late 2010. This is where Pete Evershead from Bulawayo was killed by the lion pride". He wasn't sleeping but showering after dark.

We ate our evening meal around 5pm on this site, lingered around the fire, even when an elephant came to tidy up the figs dropped by baboons, performed our ablutions in front of the cars, went to bed about 9pm and only alighted after 6am. Plenty elephant, lion and buffalo racket during the night.

Look in a place like Mana you need to be prepared, and like I said you may as well drag around the thorn trees or put a basic paddock fence up, because you are at risk from 5pm untill you get into the tent(if you think the rooftop tent is 100% safe). And while sitting eating by the fire you are not in a tent and making lots of good smells.

That being said I watched an Elephant pull a fiberglass canopy off a bakkie to get a sack of oranges at Charara New years (now that is a wild new years party). If it wanted to get at you in a rooftop tent it would. Having seen Lions on bonnet/roof of cars I think the 'safety' of being high up helps for some animals, and gives peace of mind for most. But it is a bit like the first time you kit up fully on a motorbike, you crash hard because you feel invincible.

I am not saying bivvy everywhere(learned that at Torridin with midges) but there is a time and a place for almost every type of tent and for rooftop tent money, wind noise, fuel economy and loss of roof rack space, you can get a lot of really good specialist tents, which open up a far broader array of destinations.

Especially when you realise that while a few like you venture to places where it is recommended to have a rooftop tent. 90% of them venture no further than forever resorts Warmbad...

6 hours ago, tinmug said:

One thing I like about the Thule RTT is that it hangs over the side of the vehicle: shade during the day, and space for Thule roof box (check), kayak (check) or bicycle (check). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not sure where to jam the wife's kayak and bicycle in though ... 😆

 

We did a few trips likie this. Two double expedition kayaks on the roof and 6 bikes on the trailer (3 road and 3mtb). Paddle Keurbooms and Robberg at Plett and ride both the road and mtb Knysna challenge. Or paddle the Gariep and ride the Richtersveld. It was a bit crazy and we stopped trying to do too much all at the same time (I suppose sanity prevailed in the end.)