Are rooftop tents worth it?

If you’re American, this may be the first time you’ve heard of rooftop tents. This is understandable since they first became popular in Australia.
Rooftop tents keep you off the ground and away from any multi-legged animals. Having grown in popularity in other countries with large insect populations over the past few decades, they are finally starting to show up in the United States.
So why camp on a car roof instead of just using a standard tent? We will discuss the benefits of owning a rooftop tent. Of course, no product design is perfect, so we’ll discuss some of the cons as well, so you’ll find out – are rooftop tents worth it?

where are you camping?
Rooftop tents offer you a different location option than traditional tents. Because it’s mounted on your car, you can use it in places where traditional suits are impractical or outright forbidden. For example, Walmart parking lots, RV parking lots, or highway rest stops. Why pay for a campsite when you can sleep anywhere and anytime for free?
On the other hand, rooftop tents are heavy. Even the lightest option weighs about 100 pounds, which is about 90 pounds heavier than the heaviest backpacking tent.
What are you doing camping?
Depending on what you’re doing, rooftop tents can be a great convenience or a dreaded neck pain. The reason is in the way they are assembled.
A rooftop tent needs a roof rack to support it. With the roof rack installed, the tent will fit on top and stay there as you drive to your destination. During travel, the tent is folded and you open it when you arrive at your destination.

So your tent takes a lot of effort to install on your vehicle, but can be opened in less than a minute. Rooftop tents are more convenient than traditional tents if you don’t plan to drive too much during your camping trip, or if you sleep in a different place each night.
On the other hand, if you slept in the same campground for several nights, you might want to drive. In this case, you will have to fold the tent. You’ll also want to leave something behind to make sure no one is occupying your campsite.

What kind of vehicle do you own?
Different vehicles will accept different types of rooftop tents. For example, a large SUV or pickup with a bed cover can accommodate a very large tent. Cars will have less capacity, although even small cars can usually support a two-person tent. There are also some cool options for pickup truck beds, and you can even use the top of the cab as a loft.
Another important consideration is the load-bearing capacity of the roof. Modern cars are designed to support the weight of the vehicle in the event of a rollover, which in theory means you should be able to install roof rack kits and tents on any compatible vehicle.
That said, safety is important, so check your car’s payload to make sure it’s big enough to support the shelving system, tent, but there will be a lot of people inside, and all your camping gear.

So, are rooftop tents worth it? It all depends on what you are looking for.
If you want to camp in the deep woods or leave your tent while you drive around, there are better options. They are also not suitable for vehicles that do not support roof racks.
On the other hand, rooftop tents are easier to set up than traditional tents. They keep you off the ground, away from bugs, and they allow you to camp in unconventional places.