Hard shell rooftop tent

[Earthwatcher]

I thought about a rooftop tent quite a bit and had I lived in Oz, Africa (snakes), possibly Scotland (right-to-roam) and if I'd been 20 years younger, I might have gone for one. What's ruled it out for me is: extra height (would probably forget), lack of places to use it beyond camp sites, plus (and this is a biggie) all the stuff that goes with camping. I've decided that if I can afford a Grenadier, and I can, I can afford to stay in a decent hotel and have my meals cooked for me. The other thing is - you've parked up, got the tent out, put everything up, then you've got to run an errand to the nearest town. With a normal tent, you just leave the tent, but with the roof top tent you have to pack everything up again, drive off, then you might come back to find someone has nicked your pitch. I suppose it's the full lived-experience we're looking at here, roughing it in the outback, except we don't have much outback in the UK. I've done the roughing it bit and wouldn't knock anyone for enjoying it. I've just had to conclude I'm out of that demographic now, sad but true.

 

[Logsplitter]

I thought about a rooftop tent quite a bit and had I lived in Oz, Africa (snakes), possibly Scotland (right-to-roam) and if I'd been 20 years younger, I might have gone for one. What's ruled it out for me is: extra height (would probably forget), lack of places to use it beyond camp sites, plus (and this is a biggie) all the stuff that goes with camping. I've decided that if I can afford a Grenadier, and I can, I can afford to stay in a decent hotel and have my meals cooked for me. The other thing is - you've parked up, got the tent out, put everything up, then you've got to run an errand to the nearest town. With a normal tent, you just leave the tent, but with the roof top tent you have to pack everything up again, drive off, then you might come back to find someone has nicked your pitch. I suppose it's the full lived-experience we're looking at here, roughing it in the outback, except we don't have much outback in the UK. I've done the roughing it bit and wouldn't knock anyone for enjoying it. I've just had to conclude I'm out of that demographic now, sad but true.

We have done the roof top tent thing having had two. We are going back to the ground tent now along with ex army camp beds and self inflating mattress’s for comfort. We like safaris and moving on every two or three days so making camp with a ground tent makes sense for us. and as you say it’s a bit of a pain to pack everything up every time you want to use the vehicle as you have to when you’ve got a roof tent although fairly quick with the clam shell type
we’ve bought a second hand but perfect condition Campmor Belle Vista made in South Africa, very heavy but super durable as made for the rental safari / overland expedition market.
Would do have the occasional nights in nice guest houses and lodges as well as like a bit of comfort now and again. But for us camping in the wilds with nature all around us is our thing.

 

[grenadierboy]

I thought about a rooftop tent quite a bit and had I lived in Oz, Africa (snakes), possibly Scotland (right-to-roam) and if I'd been 20 years younger, I might have gone for one. What's ruled it out for me is: extra height (would probably forget), lack of places to use it beyond camp sites, plus (and this is a biggie) all the stuff that goes with camping. I've decided that if I can afford a Grenadier, and I can, I can afford to stay in a decent hotel and have my meals cooked for me. The other thing is - you've parked up, got the tent out, put everything up, then you've got to run an errand to the nearest town. With a normal tent, you just leave the tent, but with the roof top tent you have to pack everything up again, drive off, then you might come back to find someone has nicked your pitch. I suppose it's the full lived-experience we're looking at here, roughing it in the outback, except we don't have much outback in the UK. I've done the roughing it bit and wouldn't knock anyone for enjoying it. I've just had to conclude I'm out of that demographic now, sad but true.

I agree Earthwatcher, being up there off the earth has some advantages but considerable downsides as well.

There is empirical evidence demonstrating that both the benefits of and desirability for RTTenting tends to decrease the older one gets.

I'm also for staying at country pubs & guest houses with nice meals where I can.

However, even with 24 million people, (and with the current govt looking to bring in millions more), Australia remains scarcely populated (outside 2 mega cities and a few smaller provincial towns) and so after a few of hours driving you are usually in bum-f**k nowhere (the outback) and need either a tent to put on the ground, a camping trailer or caravan, sleep inside the car or on its roof.

I do the first two.

 

[globalgregors]

I agree Earthwatcher, being up there off the earth has some advantages but considerable downsides as well.

There is empirical evidence demonstrating that both the benefits of and desirability for RTTenting tends to decrease the older one gets.

I'm also for staying at country pubs & guest houses with nice meals where I can.

However, even with 24 million people, (and with the current govt looking to bring in millions more), Australia remains scarcely populated (outside 2 mega cities and a few smaller provincial towns) and so after a few of hours driving you are usually in bum-**** nowhere (the outback) and need either a tent to put on the ground, a camping trailer or caravan, sleep inside the car or on its roof.

I do the first two.

What’s your preferred ground tent?

 

[DenisM]

A member of our extended family has been resident in the USA for many years. He has a Jeep Wrangler and now that he and his wife are retired, he thought about a camping trip. His wife said she would never go camping....until she saw the inside of a late model Dutch Star 3736 motor home with three slide outs.
Rather than buy a holiday cabin they've become owners of a similar vehicle... with which they flat tow the Jeep...
My wife says she rather likes our cousin's idea of camping....

 

[DenisM]

What’s your preferred ground tent?

Oasis "expedition" RT tent which can be used on ground or on roof. 17kg weight. We try and travel as light as possible...

 

[grenadierboy]

What’s your preferred ground tent?

Just me - MSR hubba bubba solo (for hiking)

with wife/children - blackwolf turbo 300

 

[DenisM]

After my son's recent experience on the far north east Fraser Is./ K'gari we'll put the tent on the roof when we visit: He woke around 4am hearing a persistent rustling. switched on the torch and there was a large alpha male dingo "staring" at him through the mesh of the inner tent.. it had worked its way between the fly and the tent . He banged a saucepan and lid and it "sauntered" away!
Wife says she'll sleep IN the Grenadier!

 

[Loc Nar]

I'm trying to decide on adding safari windows to my build and would very much appreciate some second opinions on whether mounting a 2300mm long RTT flush with the rear on cross bars would still allow the windows to open. I plan for the RTT to be on there full time. I'm also curious about how far over the windows the tent would go. I've seen an estimate on this forum that the total length of the roof is about 2700mm and thanks to @Eniffer, we know the safari window measurements are about 620mm x 460mm. I'm thinking that due to the height of the cross bars and the front slope of the roof where the safari windows sit that a 2300mm RTT would not impede opening the windows and that the front edge of the RTT would extend to slightly over the mid-point of the windows. That's just based on napkin math and eyeballing the cross bar height and front slope. Am I on target?

One other thing to keep in mind I guess is that mounting a light bar at the front of the RTT could be an issue if I added safari windows.

Tough decision. I love the ceiling height cabin space added by the safari windows and some natural light coming in would be nice, but they would have to be tinted (I'm in Alabama) and with an RTT mounted, I would not be able to remove them to stand up, etc. I also recognize resale value would be higher with the windows, since it is considered a hallmark of the vehicle.

What would you do?

 

[das mo]

It very much depends on how high your overall rack / crossbars setup moved the the RTT. My tent comes with allow rails below that lift the tent another 3cm above bars.



You need around 8cm to lock the windows into open position.

 

[Schoeniman]

The Grenadier in tour in Puglia with an iKamper Skycamp 3 installed on a FR Slimline Rack

 

[Stu_Barnes]

The Grenadier in tour in Puglia with an iKamper Skycamp 3 installed on a FR Slimline RackView attachment 7812948

Great image, you know theres a monthly photo contest.......

 

[Schoeniman]

Great image, you know theres a monthly photo contest.......

thanks for reminding me of the contest ;-)

 

[das mo]

The Grenadier in tour in Puglia with an iKamper Skycamp 3 installed on a FR Slimline RackView attachment 7812948

Is that yours? I am super concerned with the gutter taking the weight. Would be great to exchange on your experience.

 

[Loc Nar]

It very much depends on how high your overall rack / crossbars setup moved the the RTT. My tent comes with allow rails below that lift the tent another 3cm above bars.

View attachment 7812946

You need around 8cm to lock the windows into open position.

Very helpful. Thanks. I had not seen the window opening height.

 

[jeremy_matrix]

Is that yours? I am super concerned with the gutter taking the weight. Would be great to exchange on your experience.

Gutters look to be designed like the Mercedes G-Wagen (thx Magna-Steyr). I forget the static and dynamic load ratings for IG roof (anyone have that handy), but IIRC dynamic was a few hundred pounds?

 

[Christoph]

Gutters look to be designed like the Mercedes G-Wagen (thx Magna-Steyr). I forget the static and dynamic load ratings for IG roof (anyone have that handy), but IIRC dynamic was a few hundred pounds?

The dynamic roof load is 150 kg - but I also wonder whether this is true for the rain gutter.

I am about to prepare my Grenadier for a roof tent and have bought the Thule ProBar Evo (https://www.thule.com/de-de/roof-rack/car-roof-racks/thule-probar-evo-_-39xx?fitassistant=make:INEOS|Ineos,model:Grenadier+5-T+SUV|Grenadier%205-T%20SUV,year:2022-|2022-,variation:roof-type-617954|Regenrinne) as
1. it is explicitly approved for the Grenadier by Thule
2. it seems to be one (if not the only one) available to order currently

Ordered it via Amazon and all pieces arrived today and I assembled it and put it up.

Now, I did read on a German reseller website (Expedition parts: https://shop.expedition-parts.de/detail/index/sArticle/362922/sCategory/2449 - they sell the exact same Thule kit), they recommend:

German original:

Hinweis: Die Querträger von Thule sind zugelassen, dennoch sollte man bei der breiten Regenrinne ein Blech zur Verstärkung in die Rinne legen. Am besten mit einem Gummi drunter, so das man den Lack nicht verkratzt. Damit werden die Kräfte dann besser verteilt.

English translation:

Note: Thule crossbars are permitted (for the Grenadier), but with the wide rain gutter you should still place a metal sheet in the gutter to reinforce it. Preferably with a rubber underneath, so that you don't scratch the paint. The forces are then better distributed.

So, I bought some metal sheets and 3 mm rubber plates and created the following:

So far, so good. But in practice it becomes this:

So, theoretically the suggestion was appealing to me, distributing the load better on to the rain gutter, but this does not look stable / reliable at all and I am wondering whether I should withdraw the metal sheets again and just use it plain as intended by Thule.

Anybody any thoughts or experience with this?

Best,
Christoph

 

[emax]

The only thing I can think of is that your steel inserts will invalidate the Thule approval.

 

[minidok]

The dynamic roof load is 150 kg - but I also wonder whether this is true for the rain gutter.

I am about to prepare my Grenadier for a roof tent and have bought the Thule ProBar Evo (https://www.thule.com/de-de/roof-rack/car-roof-racks/thule-probar-evo-_-39xx?fitassistant=make:INEOS|Ineos,model:Grenadier+5-T+SUV|Grenadier%205-T%20SUV,year:2022-|2022-,variation:roof-type-617954|Regenrinne) as
1. it is explicitly approved for the Grenadier by Thule
2. it seems to be one (if not the only one) available to order currently

Ordered it via Amazon and all pieces arrived today and I assembled it and put it up.

Now, I did read on a German reseller website (Expedition parts: https://shop.expedition-parts.de/detail/index/sArticle/362922/sCategory/2449 - they sell the exact same Thule kit), they recommend:

German original:


English translation:


So, I bought some metal sheets and 3 mm rubber plates and created the following:

View attachment 7818200

View attachment 7818201

View attachment 7818202

View attachment 7818203

View attachment 7818204

So far, so good. But in practice it becomes this:

View attachment 7818205

So, theoretically the suggestion was appealing to me, distributing the load better on to the rain gutter, but this does not look stable / reliable at all and I am wondering whether I should withdraw the metal sheets again and just use it plain as intended by Thule.

Anybody any thoughts or experience with this?

Best,
Christoph

Just don't

 

[Christoph]

The only thing I can think of is that your steel inserts will invalidate the Thule approval.

Good point. I didn't even consider this. Wondering what made Expedition Parts recommend this.