What is a rooftop tent and why should you buy one from AutoLeisure?
Roof top tents are exactly what it sounds like, they are tents that can be mounted on the roof of your car or vehicle and are a great alternative to a ground tent, motorhome or caravan. They are easily attached to your Thule roof rack (see below for more information) and provide incredible views from a comfy mattress.
Great adventures
Thule roof tents are a great and unique way to experience the outdoors. The tents are built to last and compared to ground tents handle bad weather well. As they can be attached to many different types of vehicles, unlike motorhomes or caravans, rooftop tents give you the added advantage of being able to use them on trick terrain.
Quick to setup
Once you find an epic location, have parked your vehicle you can deploy your roof tent in a matter of minutes rather than having to worry about connecting a ground sheet, bunch of tent poles and tent pegs to secure it to the ground. With the pop up like the Thule Basin and folding Thule Tupei tent options available setting up and packing away as never been so easy!
Keeping dry and clean
Being off the ground with Thule rooftop tents, helps keep you dry and clean, away from all the mud, sand, water, or snow. The Thule Tepui roof tent range is also waterproof. If there are animals on your outdoor getaway being elevated keeps you safe and has the added benefit of great view of the campsite or camping ground. Bot only that some of the Thule roof tents have built in sly panels so you can drift off watching the stars! Sounds romantic, does it?
Camping comfort
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Thule rooftop tents offer comfort with most of them coming with built-in memory foam mattresses. You are guaranteed a flat surface to sleep on with none of those knobbly stones poking into you back at night. There is plenty of ventilation, places to stash you camping equipment and these built-in mattresses are comfier than blow up camping mattresses (especially a deflated one!).
What is the difference between a caravan, motorhome, campervan, and rooftop tent?
Rooftop tents are more affordable than caravans, motorhomes, and campervans. Roof tents, like the Thule rooftop tents can be transported on any vehicle which makes them more flexible when you are deciding on your camping holiday or where to stay in the great UK outdoors. They are also a great bit of camping equipment for bumpy terrain making them the perfect companion for off-road adventures.
Caravans, motorhomes and campervans tent to be more for those while like being in a home away from home. These options usually have water systems, plumbing systems as well as in built electrics for cooking or other purposes. They are less flexible than a rooftop tent and not suitable for off-road adventures. At AutoLeisure we are one of the UK’s top online store for camping, caravanning and all things out door. Be sure to browse our range of caravan parts, camping accessories, caravan awnings, drive away awnings and much more.
How do I install a Thule Rooftop Tent?
Before you can embark on your adventure you will need to mount your rooftop tenet to your vehicle. Remember each tent are designed in a different way and have their own unique installation methods, but generally speaking the for most Thule rooftop tents the installation process is:
- Place the roof tent on your Thule roof rack of your car of vehicle, then slide it into place.
- Secure the rooftop tent by bolting it down on the provided mounting hardware.
Of course, for the most specific instructions please refer to the installation manual you will have received with the purchase of your Thule rooftop tent.
What is the difference between hard and soft-shell Thule rooftop tents?
There are many benefits to both hard and soft shell rooftop tents. When choosing the right one for you to purchase there are many factors to consider such as, how much camping gear are you bringing, how many people you need to sleep in your tent and the style of camping you like. We have given you comparison below of the main differences between the two types of rooftop tents to help you with you decision. The most common type of rooftop tent is a softshell tent. They are very easy to set up, as they fold in half and expand the roof tents canopy as they open. One half of the rooftop tent is mounted on your car or vehicle Thule roof rack and the other half is supported by a ladder which extents down to the ground from the tent. To open your roof tent simply pull down the ladder and the tent folds open. Similarly, packing up is just as easy – fold over the tent, collapse the ladder and replace the weather resistant travel cover. Soft shell rooftop tents are popular as they come in three main sizes which are two person, three person and four person tents. Also, some of these tents like the Thule Tepui Autana, can have an annex attached which allows for extra space or a private room below the tent.
Hard shell rooftop tents are even faster to set up and tear down than soft shell rooftop tents as they can be opened or closed by released or securing a few latches. These features make them ideal for stop and go camping which is very common with overlanding or off-roading adventures. Thule have designed their hard top roof tents so that they don’t overhang the vehicle making them great for tight campsites or taller vehicles. They are made from a sturdy material like ABS plastic or aluminium making them sturdy, a great quality to withstand wind and rain. If you are looking for a hard shell Thule roof tent we would recommend the Thule Basin.
Thule Rooftop Tents FAQ’s
To find out whether Thule roof tents are compatible with your vehicle you need to know the type of roof fixtures the vehicle has and the weight carrying capacity of the roof. Before purchasing a roof tent and fitting a rooftop tent, you need to check the vehicle manufacturers states roof carrying load limits and these should always be greater than the weight of the rooftop tent. Usually this is not an issue but please check before purchasing. When it comes to roof fixtures certain types of roofs are not compatible for example a pair of flush rails or a roof without dedicated fixed points are unlikely to have the strength to hold a Thule rooftop tent. In a nut shell fixpoints, flush roof rails, raised roof rails with structural support and t-tracks should work. Please do check out or Thule finder to see whether your roof is compatible or call one of our friendly AutoLeisure team members who will be ready to assist you.
The roof rack and your vehicle must have a minimum dynamic (driving) weight carrying capacity of 75kg. Remember it is important that the weight of the rooftent is not more than the vehicle’s carrying capacity weight. Please check your vehicles instruction manual for information on this.