Rooftop Adventures

Various — 15 July 2021
Rooftop tents are the independent camper’s dream.

You’ve been travelling all day. The weather is hot and all you want to do is sit down with a cold drink and enjoy the tranquility and beauty of your surroundings. But it’s time to set up your tent or your camper. For those of us with complex or even standard campers, this process can be time-consuming and frustrating. However, those with rooftop tents will likely be relaxing in their fold-out chairs within minutes. After all, there’s no precision reversing or towing required. Just park the car and fold out your tent.

Rooftop tents have many advantages, particularly for offroad and spontaneous campers. Because they’re so quick to assemble and pack up, intrepid travellers can jet off on spur-of-the-moment trips with their beds ready-made on the roof of their car. The fact they’re lighter than conventional camper trailers means better fuel efficiency and easy travels, particularly for 4WDs.

While some models are quite basic, others feature USB points to charge your phone, lights and extra protection against storms.



Of course, there are some things to consider before investing in an RTT. While some models are as light as 50kg, others are considerably heavier. Many regular cars will be unable to support an RTT, leaving them the domain of 4WDs. Make sure you check your vehicle’s roof loading limit. This weight will also include the roof racks that are in position to anchor the RTT. You can rest easy knowing that rooftop limits apply to driving time only, so your body weight won’t be an issue on a stationary vehicle; you don’t need to include the weight of the people sleeping up top in this math, unless you plan to sleep up there while driving!

One disadvantage of an RTT is the need to pack up your quarters every time you want to drive somewhere, rather than just unhitching a camper and leaving it set up, but this is somewhat offset by the ease of setting up and packing up. Also, it’s important to do your research to ensure that your RTT is right for you.

Of course, you aren’t limited to your 4WD when it comes to mounting a rooftop tent. Many camper manufacturers are partnering with RTT designers to expand the sleeping space on their trailers.

In this month’s Camper, we have four new RTT reviews. But to demonstrate just how many options there are out there, we decided to take a look back at some of the best tents we’ve reviewed recently. Check out the summarised reviews below — and if one of them intrigues, be sure to take a look at the full-length version at camper.hemax.com.


ALU-CAB GEN 3 EXPEDITION 

Reviewed by Glenn Marshall

Alu-Cab began life in South Africa in 2000, having seen overlanders in Africa explore further and longer by travelling simply, lightly and with resourcefulness. This led the company to develop a lightweight aluminium canopy, before deciding, after more refinement, that it needed accessories to fully complement its revolutionary canopy. This led to its hard-lid RTTs, eventually allowing it to expand distribution into Australia. They are now available nationally through Ironman 4x4. The latest version, the Gen 3 Expedition, is the most innovative yet and is certainly gaining popularity in our overlanding market. 

What makes touring more enjoyable? Having quick set-up and pack-down times, and the Alu-Cab Gen 3 delivers this in spades. It is as simple as releasing two latches on the end of the RTT and lifting the lid using the attached handle. 

With gas struts on each side providing assistance, the lid lifts easily, even with a load on top. After pulling the paracord used to hold the canvas section down to the tent base, slot the two spring poles into their holes, attach to the storm cover and the tent is ready. Attach the ladder and you can be lying relaxed in bed within a minute. 

There is only one storm cover, however, that provides shelter for the rear window. This means if you access the tent via the side windows during wet weather, your bedding will most likely be affected. Side awnings can be added as optional extras at further expense; however, this is a disappointing solution. 

Packing up is the reverse of setting up — unhook the spring poles, move the paracord up to hold the canvas tight, close the lid and remove the ladder. It is beneficial to have the rear window unzipped a little to make opening and closing the tent easier, as it is almost impossible with all the windows zipped up.

Something that could be annoying, especially for light sleepers, is that the cord used to pull the lid closed hangs loosely when the tent is open and can blow around, scraping against the canvas or lid of the tent.

The Gen 3 has had some tweaks that improve its design. The front section of the lid now tapers and is 7cm lower than the rear of the shell, improving its aerodynamics and providing a sleeker look. At 230cm, the tent base will fit neatly on most 4WDs and is narrower in the front than the rear by 10cm. 

The rubber seals perform an admirable task in keeping dust and water out when travelling, even in the harshest of conditions. Installing gas struts inside the lip of the lids is a good move, as they won't get damaged by tree branchs.

The roof of the tent is rated to carry 50kg, turning it into a mini roof rack. There are two rails on the roof, making it easy to attach tie-down points or install solar panels. Ironman 4x4 does not recommend that you load gear directly to the roof; it recommends using cross bars or installing a flat rack. The rails only extend 150cm from the back of the lid to the fold in the shell, which means if you want to install a solar panel on the front section of the lid, you’d need to screw into the aluminium to do so. 

The cargo railing that runs down either side of the shell only extends 150cm. If it continued all the way around, it would provide an easy way of mounting lights, shovel mounts or high-lift jacks. 

It’s important to know the roof weight limits of your vehicle. The Gen 3 weighs approximately 80kg empty and each Alu-Cab load bar weighs 3kg. Add your bedding and gear loaded on the lid of the RTT, and you may exceed that limit, so take care. 

The Alu-Cab Gen 3 Expedition is a good-quality RTT and one of the more expensive hardtop tents on the market, with a starting price of $5600. It also has a few minor flaws, but that could be because I’m a hard reviewer, or that I know what I want in a hard-top RTT. However, what you get here is a well-constructed bit of kit, designed specifically for Australian conditions, unlike some other RTTs. 

A big negative of an RTT is that when you want to go for a drive or pop down to the pub, you’ve got to close it up and then open it all again. However, the ease in which the Gen 3 can be set up and the simplicity in which it can be packed down makes it an absolute winner. 

The comfortable interior offers excellent insulation, functional storage and ample room to move. Whether you’re a weekend camper or someone who loves extended touring, this RTT will certainly fit your requirements.

SPECS

Weight 88kg

Shell Material Aluminium

Canvas Material Dual layer 400gm UV-resistant rib-lock waterproof canvas with sealed seams

Ladder 2.1m straight ladder that can be lengthened with a 600mm extension or optional 2.6m telescopic ladder 

Mattress 75mm high-density foam with zipped cover

Roof Cargo Area Carrying Capacity 50kg

Style Hard top

DIMENSIONS

Travel size 230cm (L) x 140cm (W) x Front 21cm (H), Rear 28cm (H) 

Sleeping area 210cm (L) x 130cm at the shoulders (W) x 160cm (H)

Internal volume 4.4 cubic metres approx.

INCLUDED ACCESSORIES

Led bed lights and LED roof light; internal 12V plug point and dual USB points; ladder; storage pockets 

OPTIONAL UPGRADES

Ladder extension for taller vehicles; Side rain entrance cover; Alu-Cab Shadowawn 270-degree awning; Load bars; Roof rack tray with table bracket

PRICE

$5600 plus fitting and freight if required

MORE INFO

Alu-Cab Rooftop Tents

Australian Dealers Ironman 4x4 

E hello@alu-cab.com.au

W alu-cab.com.au


The Maverick Hornet all set up

MAVERICK HORNET CAMPER

Reviewed by Sam Richards

Anything with a tare of 920kg, and a corresponding ball weight of 92kg, has a huge head start as an offroad-capable RV.

The Maverick Hornet connects with a flexible McHitch coupling at the front of the 150 x 50 x 4mm drawbar, back to the chassis of the same dimensions. This chassis is galvanised inside and out and overpainted for additional protection. Maverick weld fissure plates over stress points for added strength.

This chassis is overkill, like bringing a flamethrower to a family BBQ. Yes, that extra metal adds some weight, but with a tare that low, it clearly hasn’t adversely raised the numbers. I’d take that extra brawn for the confidence (and huge payload) it allows.

For a small camper, the drawbar is of a good length and retains this style’s agile manoeuvrability while also preventing the camper from overreacting when reversing. Besides, when the trip is up, owners can most likely push the camper into their garage to save themselves highly strung reversing manoeuvres, the sort that reveal cracks in a marriage.

The Hornet is a small camper, so it’s inherently disadvantaged when it comes to storage space, but Maverick has done a great job creating as much as possible for its size. You certainly won’t be limited by weight; the ATM of 2000kg permits 1080kg of load above the tare (though some of this may be consumed by optional extras).

RTT campers are as easy to set up as hard body or pop top campers. Set up, if you bother to unhitch, first involves putting down the jockey wheel and four stabiliser legs. If you’re staying overnight, all that is then required is to set up the RTT, and the awning if needed.

Maverick have their own awnings and RTTs, though they’re happy to supply tents from other brands, too. The soft RTT on the review model was similar to many on the market, such as Darche and 23 Zero models.

To set up, you undo two straps buckled in to hold the tent down, unzip the cover and fold it over the tent, then either leave it hanging, or remove it completely from the slide tracking. You then complete the folding motion, either using the ladder as a lever or by stepping onto the Hornet’s rear platform and lifting the folding side by hand.

The tent folds from a central hinge and the canvas is held in place by the three internal U-shaped poles requiring no adjustment. The entry awning has its own U-shaped pole that self-tensions the canvas here; its corners are best pegged down. The final step is to insert the flexible metal bars to the window awnings by bending them back and hooking them onto eyelets.

As is normal with RTTs, the ladder supports some of the weight when in position. Pack up is facilitated by internal bungee cords pulling in the canvas.

The canvas is grey, which offers an alternative to widely used brown tones. A permanently attached fly ensures the interior remains bone-dry. There’s a 75mm foam mattress in the RTT, which, like all RTT mattresses, could benefit from an eggshell topper for added comfort — unless you’re a badarse. There’s plenty of mesh windows for good ventilation and you can have your devices in the tent charging, courtesy of conveniently placed cig and USB plugs on the rear of the camper.

The RTT is connected to two crossbars. These crossbars are themselves connected to the cage and both attachments utilise bolts in the crossbar channels. Apparently, the camper’s roof can take about 150kg (dynamic weight), which is more than most cars.

Another option for the tent is the Maverick-branded hard-top tent seen on the tow vehicle. This camper has a fibreglass lid, which you unlock on one side before giving it a nudge into place on gas struts. You then lift a hinged floor extension up and over to extend the bed space. You tension out the window and entry awnings with flexible metal rods, as with the soft tent. Apparently this RTT hadn’t been set up since October, but the canvas was in good condition, showing no mould or dust.

Both tents have optional annexes you can attach to extend internal living or sleeping space. If you add these on, you can bring the kids, as you can if you add an RTT to the car, too. For couples, though, there’s the ability to spare your car the extra weight up top. That way, your 4WD is more capable and economical when not towing and is better balanced. You also potentially save yourself about $1000 by not having to get a roof rack system installed.

The soft tent costs about $1300, the hardshell about $2500. The value of the latter is striking given its similarity to costlier iKamper and James Baroud designs.

Structural warranty is five years, RTT warranty three, and Maverick says it has a network of over 100 repairers represented in every state and territory in case you run into trouble when on the road.

This camper is quite adaptable, so its audience is fluid. In basic mode, it suits a single traveller or a couple on a budget keen to access attractions found at the end of testing tracks. But with the addition of the RTT annexe or a Maverick RTT onto your towing vehicle, it can be made to suit a family.

When fresh air finally calls your name again, the Maverick Hornet will be ready and raring to support your adventures. 

SPECS

Tare 920kg

ATM 2000kg

Payload 1080kg (calculated)

Ball weight 92kg

Suspension Independent trailing arm suspension with dual shock absorbers both sides

Brakes 12” electric

Coupling McHitch

Chassis/Drawbar 150mm x 50mm x 4mm, galvanised inside and out

Body Aluminium

Wheel/tyre 16” rims with Goodride Mud Terrain 265/75R16

Style Rooftop tent camper

DIMENSIONS

Travel 1790mm (W) x 1750mm (H) x 3810mm 

(L, hitch to rear)

Mattress 75mm high density foam

PRICED FROM

$16,990 at time of writing (normally $19,999)

CONTACT

Maverick Campers

Address (SA) 491 Grand Junction Rd, Wingfield, SA, 5013

Address (Vic) 1920 Hume Highway, Campbellfield VIC 3061

P 1300 628 494

E hello@maverickcampers.com.au

W maverickcampers.com.au


QUICK PITCH ROOFTOP TENT

Reviewed by Glenn Marshall

When it came to adding an RTT to my camper trailer, a hardtop RTT was the only way I was going to go. Having dealt with Quick Pitch in Western Australia a couple of times over the years, I was excited to be able to purchase its RTT, which had only just hit the market. 

The sleek design of the Quick Pitch now sits perfectly atop the camper trailer and the speed in which I can now set up camp is awesome. Within a couple of minutes, with the tent set up, I’m enjoying a cold beverage under the 20-second Weathershade awning. 

This could have become challenging, as the installation notes were missing, but thankfully I was able to phone Quick Pitch and the manager talked me through the process. The first job was to bolt three load bars evenly along the camper roof and because this meant drilling 12 holes through the roof, I measured each hole 15 times and drilled once. Although not required, I siliconed a piece of rubber between the roof and each of the brackets so that it wasn’t stainless steel mounted onto painted steel. It’s these load bars that the RTT is bolted to using M8 stainless bolts and nyloc nuts. 

As I was installing the tent so the rear end lined up with the back of the camper, I had to measure the distance between the back of the trailer and the middle of the first load bar to fix the first of the tent brackets to the load bar. The second bracket was then loosely fitted to the middle load bar. With the help of my wife and a mate, we lifted the tent onto the roof and bolted it to the brackets. Once lined up and seated evenly, the front L-brackets were bolted to the third load bar and the RTT was finally secured. In the end, the installation was quite straightforward, but I sense that most of the time the RTTs are installed by Quick Pitch or its distributors. 

After a long day on an outback track, my preference is for simple and quick set-up and pack-down times, and the Quick Pitch RTT certainly fits these criteria. It’s as simple as releasing the two latches on the end of the RTT and lifting the lid using the attached handle. 

With gas struts on each side providing assistance, the lid lifts easily, even with a load on top. After pulling the paracord used to hold the canvas awning down to the tent base, slot the two spring poles into their holes and attach to the 13mm stainless steel grommet eyelets on the awning and the job is done. Attach the 2.6m telescopic ladder to its bracket and you can be lying relaxed in bed within a minute. 

The canvas awning is riveted to an internal roof frame and covers the three sides of the tent preventing rain and dew shelter from dripping onto the tent. 

Packing up is the reverse of setting up, unhook the spring poles, move the paracord up to hold the awning and tent sides tight and then close the lid and remove the ladder. It’s better to leave the windows unzipped a little to make opening and closing of the tent easier as it is almost impossible to perform this function with all windows zipped up.

The internal space of the tent is cavernous for a clamshell design, measuring up at 215cm long by 128cm at the shoulders wide and 160cm height at the tallest point, providing loads of room to change clothes. The insulated roof holds six storage pockets for your books, pj’s or even to hang your tablet to watch Foxtel. A shade cloth bag can be zipped to the external wall to hold your boots, preventing mud and sand from entering the internals of the tent.

It’s a real bonus being able to keep your bedding in the tent, including pillows, when packing up as it makes it so much easier to set up. With a volume of 4.4 cubic metres, the tent is extremely spacious with plenty of room for getting dressed, sitting up to read a book or just relaxing. Tucked away nicely you’ll find 2 x 12V power points and a dual USB power point, but sadly only one LED directional stork light for reading, although it does have a red-light option, the best colour to deter bugs. 

The Quick Pitch is a great example of a top-quality RTT and is well priced, starting at $4800. It does have a couple of minor flaws, but nothing that makes me regret my purchase. I like that this tent is well constructed, brilliantly designed with its unique front extrusions and suitable for conditions in Australia. This RTT is also extremely popular in the US, South Africa and parts of Europe. 

The comfortable interior offers excellent insulation, functional storage and ample room to move, everything that you want in a pop-up bedroom. If you’re a weekend camper, someone who loves extended touring or enjoys being parked up beside a beautiful river, this RTT is certainly one that will fit what you’re after. 

SPECS

Weight 85kg

Shell Material Aluminium

Canvas Material 400gm UV-resistant rib-lock waterproof canvas with sealed seams

Ladder 2.6m telescopic ladder with a canvas bag

Mattress 75mm high-density comfort foam with a removable heavy-duty cotton canvas zipped cover

Roof Cargo Area Carrying Capacity 40kg

Style Hard-top

DIMENSIONS

Travel size 2300mm (L) x 1425mm (W) x Front 210mm (H), Rear 260mm (H) 

Sleeping area dimensions 2150mm (L) x 1280m at the shoulders (W) x 1600mm (H)

Internal volume 4.4 cubic metres approx.

INCLUDED ACCESSORIES

White/red LED stalk bed light; internal 12V plug point and dual USB points; ladder; storage pockets; boot bag 

OPTIONAL UPGRADES

Quick Pitch Weathershade 270-degree awning ($1790); Load bars ($100 each); Quick Pitch Ensuite ($550 soft bag or $640 box unit)

PRICE

$4800 plus fitting and freight if required

MORE INFO

Quick Pitch Australia

P (08) 9409 1959

E admin@quickpitch.com

W quickpitch.com


DARCHE INTREPIDOR 2 1400

Soft-shell RTTs are a common budget choice, a few week’s pay cheaper than the exotic hard-shells washed up from France and South Korea. Most soft-shells bear a family likeness; the competition boils down to the finer details. Darche thrives on these, as I’ve discovered since purchasing their Intrepidor 2 1400 RTT.

The Intrepidor 2 1400 comes put together in all the important ways already. After unboxing, you attach the ladder brackets, the ladder and the mounting channels using nuts, bolts and washers, before lifting the tent onto your roof with the help of one or two mates.

A two crossbar set-up is all your vehicle requires. To secure the tent, you drop bolts through holes in plates and slide these plates along the grooves in the tent’s mounting channels. You position these suspended bolts either side of your crossbars and place curved mounting plates onto them, which you secure with nyloc nuts. These nuts are hard to screw on, but for that reason they’re more likely to stay put on corrugated roads.

You could secure the tent to a third or fourth crossbar if you sourced additional parts from Darche. If you have a roof platform, enquire with Darche and the roofrack manufacturer to determine suitability.

The mounting plates are approximately 18.5cm long, with the M8 bolts (55mm long as provided) sitting about 15cm apart. These plates have a hat-like profile and the flat part in the middle is about 8 or 8.5cm wide, meaning a bar of this width or narrower will work best.

Initially, the 55mm bolts fouled on our Mitsubishi’s factory standard roof rails (our roof rack system doesn’t utilise these rails). We fixed this car-specific issue by substituting in shorter high-tensile bolts from Bunnings.

When set up, the tent’s window awnings are held in place by metal rods that slot into the base. If you have a touring awning and its L-brackets are installed to point upward, you may not be able to set up the tent window on that side (the awning may block you from inserting them).

We solved the issue by flipping the awning’s L-brackets to face downwards but check whether you’ll be able to do this and still open your car doors.

An advantage of the Intrepidor, which doesn’t travel full length but measures 121.5cm by 143.5cm when packed away, is that there may be left-over room for MaxTrax, a storage tub or similar, if your car has a platform on the roof.

Another advantage is that you can install the tent to fold either side of your car or perhaps even over the boot or the bonnet. The aluminium mounting channels always run parallel to the vehicle but if you orient the tent vertically like this, you’ll have to cut them to length to prevent overhang.

At 52kg, the Darche Intrepidor is the lightest tent we found in the soft-shell style (apart from the more expensive James Baroud Vision Horizon). Two-person soft-shells tend to be the lightest; it’s hard-shells that really push the scales. But even within the genre, Kings and 23Zero models weigh 57kg. Other models weigh more.

Carrying less weight up top equates to better fuel economy and closer-to-standard handling. That said, all RTTs affect the driving experience. The Intrepridor, like most soft-shells, is not sold on the promise of aerodynamism. It presents wall-like upright surfaces (fortunately only 35cm tall at most), so as a driver you can occasionally feel the lewd suggestions of strong gales.

But in regular conditions, you don’t notice the tent’s presence. It remains quiet and doesn’t flap, thanks to the snug fit of the tonneau cover and a Velcro tab securing its zipper pull. This cover is made of laminated 600gsm PVC and thoroughly protects the interior from sun and water exposure.

The sky roof isn’t the only way the Intrepidor puts you in touch with space. There’s 115cm of head height under the central bar and 85cm under the side bars. A vaulted ceiling like this can offer more room than a flat one and is a lot easier to move around under than an angled one. You can sit up or kneel and put on clothes without ducking. I’ve found the folding side to be pleasantly steady when you move around on it.

The base measures 240cm by 140cm. There’s no bumping of your head or toes and there’s room at your feet for shoes, clothes or valuables. At 1.4m wide, the mattress is only a tad narrower than a standard queen (1.52m). A lone wolf can luxuriate, while a couple can enjoy a restful night without getting in each other’s way.

Huge windows with canvas and mesh layers extend on all four sides of the tent. Both layers can be rolled up and secured with rings and toggles. With them closed, the walls block light, keeping the interior dark. With them up, the ventilation and the view are exceptional.

I love lying in the tent at night with the canvas cleared from the windows. The widely cast silhouette of the awnings forms a massive sombrero of protection. Extending for 360 degrees, the dimly perceived landscape comes alive with the noises of feeding fish and rustling animals. When a breeze soughs in the trees, I feel it too — unimpeded by low-lying obstacles, it enters freely, carrying in the Aussie bush, wafts of wattle.

For $1599.95 and with a two-year warranty, it’s a stand-out in the soft-shell market, a mouth-watering claw among legs in the seafood basket of RTTs. Your return on investment is the great outdoors itself.

SPECS

ROOFTOP TENT

Weight 52kg

Frame 25mm internal aluminium 

Canvas material 260gsm poly/cotton ripstop canvas with 1500 PU waterproofing

Fly material 210D Oxford Polyester Ripstop

Cover material Laminated 600gsm PVC 

Ladder Alloy 2.1m square slide ladder

Mattress 65mm high-density open cell foam mattress with a water-resistant cover

Style Folding soft-shell

DIMENSIONS

Travel size 1215mm L x 1435mm W x 350mm H (including ladder)

Sleeping area dimensions 2400mm L X 1400mm W x 1250mm H

OPTIONAL UPGRADES

Telescopic ladder $179.95

Self-inflating mattress $299.95

PRICE AS STANDARD

$1599.95

MORE INFO

Darche

HQ Address 75 Heyington Ave, Thomastown VIC 3074

P 1300 367 695 

W darche.com.au


Bushwakka's RTT set up at camp

BUSHWAKKA NEST RTT

Reviewed by Matt Williams

‘The 360 Nest’ from Bushwakka is a pretty apt example of the term ‘nest’. A snug retreat or refuge; a resting place; a home. Well, that sums it all up very nicely, and I'm sure you could hazard a guess at what the 360 means? That's right, from perched up high you have 360-degree views.

The first thing that you need to know is that you just can't go putting one of the Bushwakka RTTs on any vehicle. They weigh in at 90kg, which is by no means a lightweight unit. 

So, you are going to need a vehicle that can handle that sort of weight up on the roof. A larger 4WD should do the trick. And you're going to need a solid roof rack or heavy-duty cross bars to mount it on. If you choose the roof bar option, I would recommend going for three.

The underside of the RTT has four ribs running along the entire length for maximum support. These ribs are used to mount the tent to the crossbars or roof rack with stainless steel brackets.

One thing to note is that with most RTTs, you do lose all of your available storage space up top. However, this is not the case with the 360 Nest. An aluminium rail runs around the perimeter of the lid, allowing for storage space on top. Perfect spot for a solar panel or a kayak.

In fact, the top of the RTT is rated to 100kg when it is closed. When opened, the heavy duty gas struts will still support a load of 40kg on the roof.

OK, so you've got it all fitted up to your roof and you're heading off for an awesome adventure. 

You're going to notice the weight on the roof and you'll also notice a little extra drag, which will make a difference when you're at the bowser. While every effort has been made to make the aluminium shell as streamlined as possible with a tapered front edge, the tent still sits 350mm high and disturbs a lot of air in transit. It still won't be as much as if you were towing a trailer though.

That's the other benefit of an RTT. Not having to tow means that you only have to worry about the vehicle, and whether it can get past, over or under an obstacle. Actually, travelling under the obstacles is probably going to be your biggest challenge. Best to keep away from undercover carparks! The good thing is, you don't find many of them in the bush.

Here's another bonus of an RTT: you only have to find a spot for your vehicle. No more worrying about whether the trailer will fit or having to reverse it into a tight spot.

Because the tent rises straight up above the vehicle, you are not increasing your footprint. Except if you decide to put out an awning, of course. Once you've found your spot, setting up is like a scene from a magic show. Hey presto and you're done. It really is that simple.

With the help of your side steps, rear steps or a tyre for a bit of extra height, it's a matter of opening the two rear latches first to allow for the back to rise up thanks to perfectly valved gas struts. Then, moving to the front, repeat the process and watch the tent erect to its full height. This double-action opening gives plenty of head height inside.

If you had your stopwatch going, you'd barely be in double figures.

Next, grab the telescopic aluminium ladder and attach it to the side of the tent and climb on up inside. On our test vehicle, the tent was fitted up 'back to front' and only allowed access from the side. As standard, you can enter via the side or one of the ends.

When you crawl inside, you'll notice that the bed is already made up, pillows and all. Being able to travel with all of your bedding inside the tent and not taking up valuable space in the vehicle is an absolute must with RTTs.

All you have to do now is erect the awning that would normally cover the rear access and roll up the canvas windows to let in the smells of the Aussie bush. There's big windows front and rear, and four triangular windows on the sides give plenty of cross ventilation.

Keeping you comfy is a 75mm high-density foam mattress. I had a bit of a lay down (for testing purposes only) and even with it only being 75mm thick, it felt pretty good underneath me. If you were chasing a bit more cushioning, a mattress topper could be added. The double bed-sized mattress will easily handle two adults and doesn't feel cramped at all. That's due to the open style of the tent, plus the fact that there is heaps of head room. Fully opened, the tent is 1200mm tall, so not much chance of banging your head here!

Making sure your phone stays charged so your alarm goes off, the Nest comes pre-wired with a pair of USB outlets in the corner. There's also a bi-colour LED light in the roof for a spot of reading before bed.

After a cracking sunrise and an awesome feed of bacon and eggs, it's now time to head off for another day of adventures. Thankfully, the 360 Nest packs down in not much longer than what it takes to set it up.

When packing down, there is no need to zip your windows up first. You just need to drop the front awning and pull the elastic bungee cord up. These are provided on both openings and help to draw the canvas in when closing it up.

A long nylon webbing strap is used to pull the rear down first, before latching it up and then doing exactly the same at the front. It really is that simple. And quick! 

SPECS

Weight: 90kg

Shell material: Aluminium

Canvas: 380gsm Wax Converters Ripstop Canvas    

Mattress: 75mm high density foam with removable cover

Roof Load Capacity: 100kg (closed) 40kg (open)

Style: Rooftop Tent

DIMENSIONS

Travel size: 2100mm x 1400mm x 350mm

Open size: 2100mm x 1400mm x 1200mm

PRICE AS TESTED

$ 4500

PRICE

$4800 plus fitting and freight if required

MORE INFO

Bushwakka Campers

5/2 Kohl Street

Upper Coomera

QLD 4209

E enquiries@bushwakka.com.au

W bushwakka.com.au

Tags

Review Camper Rooftop tents Camping Offroad