Which 4×4 roof tent to choose?
Comparative soft shell vs. aluminum vs. fiberglass
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Ground or roof tent? Ground tent or rooftent? It is sometimes interesting not to be on the ground: rocks, pebbles, roots, non-flat ground, mud, small floods will make you regret not having chosen a roof tent. Another factor to take into account is the animals that roam the camps at night, especially in Africa. Being able to put your nose outside the tent without coming face-to-face with a hyena is not negligible. They also offer good protection against snakes and scorpions, which sometimes tend to crawl under your ground tent. Being high up insulates you from the cold of the ground. And of course, it’s great to be able to sleep in a spacious roof tent with a panoramic view! Without spoiling anything, here’s our favorite roof tent. In this article, we’ll only be talking about car-related equipment, so we won’t go into detail about the choice of floor tents. See our selection of floor tents here.
Criteria to consider when choosing a 4×4 roof tent
Size
Whether you’re traveling alone, as a couple or as a family, you’re bound to find something to suit you. If there are more than 4 of you, depending on the size of your vehicle and the first tent, you may also want to consider two roof tents.
Weight
Check that your vehicle’s roof bars can support the weight of the tent, both when stationary and when driving. The vehicle also has a maximum permissible laden weight, beyond which safety is no longer guaranteed.
The price
Before embarking on a comparison of different roof tents, it’s important to set a budget. You’ll be amazed to see prices ranging from 800 to over 5,000 euros. In fact, thehe price of roof tents depends on many parameters (dimensions, accessories, design material, brand…). Certain details can make all the difference to the price: storage compartments, repair kit included, adjustable ladder…etc.
New or used
If the tent you’re dreaming of isn’t in your budget, don’t hesitate to take a look at second-hand offers.
The materials
If the quality of the materials used by the manufacturer has an impact on the price, it also has an impact on your comfort and the durability of the tent. Your tent fabrics must be UV-resistant, waterproof and breathable.
Waterproofing: refers to the ability to prevent the penetration of water from the outside. It would be a shame to wake up to water seeping into your tent. Waterproofness in excess of 1500 Schmerber is the upper limit for minimum breathability.
Breathability: The breathability of the fabric prevents condensation forming in the tent. When we sweat or breathe, we generate a lot of moisture in the air, and this moisture has to be able to evacuate. The fabric of your tent has to be able to “exchange” with the outside and thus evacuate moisture. Breathability is therefore essential.
The balance between breathability and waterproofing is difficult to achieve, which is why some manufacturers opt for a non-breathable but totally waterproof “over-roof”!
Type of tent: flexible or rigid
There are two types of roof tents: The soft-shell roof tent and the rigid roof tent. Everything you need to know about these 4×4 tents is described below.
The soft-shell roof tent
Advantages and disadvantages of a soft-top tent
Soft-shell roof top tents are an excellent option for first-time buyers. They are often more spacious and affordable than their rigid counterparts.
Lighter, they also take up less space on the roof, leaving room for accessories such as water or fuel jerry cans. It’s also possible to put up two tents to sleep 4 people, which can be interesting if you’re going away as a family.
Folding/unfolding is mainly done manually. Bedding can be left in place when the tent is closed. The mattress is cut in two, but this is not generally noticeable. It generally takes a little longer to open and close than with hard-shell tents, but no more than 5 to 10 minutes, which is still reasonable.
You can’t put any accessories on top of the tent when it’s closed, so no solar panels or luggage. When unfolded, the tent forms a kind ofawning, useful in rainy weather or for shade. When folded, the tent is covered with waterproof canvas for protection.
There are two types:
– The bi-fold tent: this is the most common model, with the entire tent sandwiched between the two floors. This means that in the event of deployment, the usable surface area is double the stored surface area.
– The pull-up tent doesn’t fold in half. Only the roof supports are pulled up like a fan. The floor, and therefore the usable surface area, is the same whether the tent is stored or deployed.
“In South Africa, we opted for a second-hand Hannibal Safari 2-seater tent. We’re really happy with it! Of all the roof tents we’ve come across, it’s always the most spacious and sturdy. It’s a South African brand made for safari, so the canvas is very solid. We’ve never had any problems, which is certainly due to its simplicity. The mattress is very comfortable. Only once did we have a scare: we were in the desert in Iran and a sand tornado formed. The wind blew so hard that the tent folded up. Honestly, this had never happened before, even during storms.”
Tent fabrics
The canvas of your soft-top tent must be made of a breathable, waterproof and UV-treated main fabric . a heavier, fully waterproof over-roof to protect the outside of the tent from wind and rain. A heavy, thick fabric is used to cover the tent during transport.
In most cases, the materials proposed are :
- for the tent’s main fabric: a breathable yet waterproof fabric, generally made from polycotton (a blend of polyester and cotton), from 220 gr/m² provides a good balance between breathability and waterproofing. Beware that over 320 gr/m² you lose breathability, which can be compensated for by air vents.
- for the over-roof: a thick 100% polyester fabric, totally waterproof and weatherproof, which can be installed or removed as conditions dictate. Top-of-the-range tents will have heavier, more resistant fabrics.
- for the carrying case: a sturdy, waterproof PVC case with weatherproof zips.
Pay particular attention to the finish, especially the seams. In terms of waterproofing, heat seals are more resistant and more effective. Super-strong YKK zips guarantee long-term use. Check customer reviews whenever possible.
Rigid roof tent
Advantages and disadvantages of a rigid roof tent
Hard-shell rooftop tents are made of a hard material on top and bottom which, when closed, forms a protective layer over the canvas and bedding sandwiched inside.
They come in two main styles:
- The Wedge style opening
- Vertical deployment or “Pop-up style
They can be opened mechanically using a crank handle or an assisted mechanism.
Fiberglass and aluminum are the main materials used to form the outer layer.
While the hard-shell roof tent is a little heavier and takes up more space on the roof, you can still fit accessories on top: solar panels, luggage or even mountain bikes and kayaks. Be careful not to exceed the weight recommended by the manufacturer. It opens and even closes in less than a minute. You can leave the bedding in place and find it exactly as you left it.
If there are 4 of you, you’d better bring an extra ground tent. It is not possible to install a second roof tent (even a “softshell” type). If you haven’t installed any accessories, you can use it as an observation platform, very useful on safari.
In the event of a strong gust of wind, we advise you to put the car into the wind, using the shell as protection. In the jungle, where you might be afraid of falling branches, the shell offers extra protection.
“In June 2018, I equipped my Jeep Commander with a hardtop tent to start a long road trip from Canada to Argentina. I’m completely satisfied. Being able to install my bed on the roof of the 4×4 gave me easy access to remote areas while keeping space inside the vehicle. Thanks to its rigidity, I was able to install solar panels above it. The interior is equipped with a few lights and sockets for plugging in a computer, telephone or fan when it’s hot. Simply push the back of the tent upwards, and the bed is ready in seconds. After a good night’s sleep in the heights, it only takes a few seconds more to close it and set off on your next adventure! On the downside, I’d say the humidity that penetrates after a few days of rain or the fact that it’s complicated to open in the city (discretion level…).”
Wrap-around or vertical opening?
A horizontal opening takes a little longer than a fan-shaped one. However, this offers the possibility of opening all 4 sides of the tent, as opposed to 3 for tents with a fan-shaped opening, so generally more ventilation. In the event of strong gales, this tent has maximum wind grip.
“Before we left for Africa, we bought a James Baroud recovery roof tent with our vehicle. It’s a second-hand tent that’s over 15 years old, and we’re really happy with it! Unlike soft tents, which take 5 to 10 minutes to fold up, ours takes 30 seconds to close. It’s spacious, so you can sit down and change easily, for example. It’s perfect for Africa, because it’s airy. It’s much cooler than a converted van. For insects, this roof tent is really ideal: you can go in and out of your vehicle in the evening without letting insects into the tent, and you only have to open it when you go to bed. The fan or wallet opening is perfect for strong winds. You position the vehicle facing into the wind when there are gusts, and you don’t feel a thing, unlike with canvas or vertical-opening tents. We once had a problem with waterproofing during a huge storm, but we’ve never had a problem with seepage.”