A few comments: Most roof-rack tents seems to belong to the same design family: tent itself unfolds onto poles on one side of the vehicle forming a sort of verandah, where landlord puts his/her ladder to get home. We decided to turn our design 90 degrees and build our tent fully within footprint of car. We do not need any part of structure to touch the ground: roofrack and two slim poles supported by bullbar are sufficient. Access is from inside of car through open sunroof.
This system has number of advantages for us. The tent becomes an integral part of car volume, almost like a simple campervan. We do not have to "go outside" if we need anything from car: while sleeping in "upper storey" we are still in the car.
There is no ladder or poles touching ground and providing access path for creepy crawlies - not a single ant ever walked inside of our car, as long as tyres were the only access... We can also make our camp in many not very suitable places. Mud, rocks, tarmac - nothing is a problem. Dirty wellies can stay in lower level "hall" before we climb up into "bedroom".
And if we decide in the middle of the night that shifting of camp is necessary, it is possible to drive with erected tent a few hundred meters to a more welcoming spot.
As far as getting one - this one is my own design and I did about
30%
of work myself - structural part of roof rack was done by professionals
and the same applies to tent itself.
A few more photos with a new tent
Last Updated: 17/9/2004