Up next Onboard Refrigeration: Smarter Than Coolers Published on September 04, 2025 Author Mark Wronski And Tread Staff Share article Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Mail 0 Elevate Your Camping Experience with Rooftop Tents Elevate Your Camping Experience In places such as Africa and Australia, camping with a rooftop tent has been a tradition for decades: There, sleeping on the ground is not only uncomfortable, but simply a bad idea with wild animals lurking about. Here in the States, rooftop tents are finding a following among offroaders, overlanders and weekend adventurers who want to maximize space and find a good night’s sleep, safe and sound above the rocks and mud. For weekend getaways, rooftop tents offer a great alternative to bad hotels, rvs and travel trailers. It’s a whole different experience to sleep up high, out of the dirt, with a cross breeze running through the tent’s mesh windows—all while enjoying a commanding view of the landscape. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter CASCADIA VEHICLE TENTS SEASONS: 4 base: Aluminum frame with insulated foam base internal frame: 1” aluminum tube construction fabric: 280g polyester cotton ripstop canvas, breathable, mold resistant, uv-protection, waterproof pu coating windows: Canopied and shaded on all three sides mattress: 2.5” thick high-density foam with removable/washable cotton cover rainfly: 420d polyester oxford fabric with taped seams and pu coating travel cover: 1000g heavy duty pvc ladder: Telescoping aluminum features: Annex/changing room URL: cascadiatents.com TREELINE OUTDOORS PHOTO CREDITS: ANDY BEST AND ERIN NEALE Seasons: 4 base: Lightweight aluminum honeycomb base internal frame: All metal frame and hinges fabric: 280g polyester cotton canvas with flame retardant, pu and mold/mildew resistant coating windows: Ultra-fine screens allow unrestricted views while keeping bugs out mattress: High density foam mattress includes a removable cover with a waterproof underside to keep condensation out rainfly: 420-denier waterproof diamond ripstop polyester travel cover: 2000d heavy duty pvc ladder: Telescoping aluminum features: Goal zero solar panel ready, ykk zippers, large utility net on tent base for extra storage URL: treelineoutdoors.com TEPUI TENTS seasons: 4 base: Aluminum tube frame with diamond plate cap sheets internal frame: 0.75” wrapped aluminum tube construction fabric: 360g polyester cotton canvas, 600d ripstop fabric with waterproof coating, taped seams, uv and mold resistant windows: Oversized awning windows can be rolled up. ultra-fine screens allow unrestricted views while keeping bugs out mattress: High density foam mattress with removable cotton cover rainfly: 420d polyester oxford waterproof fabric travel cover: 1000d pvc ladder: Telescoping aluminum features: Goal zero solar panel ready, ykk zippers, large utility net on tent base for extra storage URL: tepuitents.com LITCHFIELD/23 ZERO PHOTO CREDIT TO SETH JACOBSON, ADVENTURE DRIVEN. seasons: 4 base: Sturdy alloy plate with high-density polystyrene internal frame: 0.625″ diameter tube fabric: 320g polyester cotton rip stop canvas windows: 320g polyester cotton rip stop canvas, 1 sky view window mattress: 2.5” open cell high-density foam rain fly: 420d oxford polyester; pu coated travel cover: 600g heavy duty pvc ladder: 7′ aluminum features: Snow support kit included URL: 23zerousa.com OVERLANDER TENT/SMITTYBILT SEASONS: 4 BASE: Aluminum/polyurethane INTERNAL FRAME: Anodized aluminum tent poles with stainless steel hinges fabric: Waterproof, polyurethane impregnated windows: Mosquito netting mattress: 2” thick 60mm high-density foam, removable cover rain fly: 600d rip stop polyester travel cover: 600gsm, 500d pvc with uv-resistant straps ladder: Anodized aluminum, telescopic features: Sunroof, large door opening, adjustable mounting rails URL: smittybilt.com SIMPSON III ROOFTOP TENT/ARB seasons: 4 base: Abs plastic foam sandwich internal frame: 1” anodized aluminum fabric: Heavy ripstop cotton polyester windows: Two doors and four windows with fine screening and two ventillation ports on each side of the peak of the tent mattress: Thick foam covered in nylon rain fly: Oxford polyester flysheet, with excellent water shedding ability travel cover: N/A ladder: Aluminum retractable ladder features: Water shedding ability, easy mount to arb roof rack, bungee cord system assists when closing URL: arbusa.com Rooftop tent mounting options Rooftop tents are lightweight, and mountto virtually any car, truck, or suv with roof rack load bars from thule, yakima, or rhino-rack. We also discovered two pickup bed rack systems specifically designed for off-road abuse. LEITNER DESIGNS ACTIVE CARGO SYSTEM Incorporates a sliding center load bar that allows loading dirt bikes and other large cargo, and side-mounted, weather-resistant, lockable gear boxes. URL: leitnerdesigns.com WILCO OFFROAD ADV RACK SYSTEM Universal fit for most pickups. The wilco adv rack combines over-the-cab cargo management to keep the truck bed free for cargo. Securely haul extra gear and an oversize spare tire without losing cargo space in the truck bed. URL: wilcooffroad.com
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