Rooftop Tents

During our first cross country trip in 2016 we used a couple of budget tents from Costco. After that experience we thought it was time for an upgrade. We decided to go with a roof top tent. In particular, this one: Tuff Stuff "Delta Overland Rooftop Tent, 3 Person.

Tuff Stuff "Delta Overland Rooftop Tent, 3 Person

PROS

This decision wasn't made lightly as it is a completely different set up and comes with a higher price tag (this particular one is less expensive than most others). This brand of tent came highly recommended by some friendly seasoned campers we met at the Overland Expo in 2017. There were a couple of things about our Coleman tents (and tents in general) that we were hoping would be solved with a rooftop tent.

Faster setup

The first thing to note about a normal ground tent is it takes time to set up and tear down (we even had the bulky fast pitch style Coleman tent). You still have to unroll sleeping pads and unpack sleeping bags as well as store them as you travel. This rooftop tent has a built in pad, and you can leave your sleeping bags laying flat in it (pillows too if they are small enough). There is no doubt a rooftop tent is a much faster set up which is important when you are driving across the country like we were doing. Sometimes you get to your site late, and you've got to pack up first thing in the morning to get back on the road. I also like the idea of a faster pack up when we are at mountain bike races. Race day can be quite hectic when you have to pack up your site and drive home afterwards. One thing to keep in mind with leaving your sleeping bags and/or pillows in the rooftop tent. If you decide to stay in a hotel, cabin, or a friend's house for the evening you won't have easy access to them.

Durability

The next reason we went with the rooftop tent was durability. These tents are made with a thick canvas and heavy duty aluminum tubing which is why it weighs about 135lbs. The Coleman tents kept breaking. I haven't tried a more expensive tent from REI, but those tents can start getting close to the rooftop tent prices. So far so good on this tent. I've seen a little wear on the purple fabric near the zippers but it's nothing to worry about.

Climate Control

This gets tricky when you are bringing little ones on your camp adventures. You only have to try running a heater once in a thin tent to know they don't increase the temperature much. With the thick canvas on this tent, you can leave all the windows zipped up and it does a pretty good job of holding in the heat. I was a little concerned this tent wouldn't do well in the summer heat when I was first setting it up at the house, but it did surprisingly well. There was plenty of ventilation with just the front and rear windows open. Add in a fan and the low humidity of the west, and you should be fine. I was wondering if the tent might be cooler because it isn't sitting on the warm ground. When it was 100 degrees in Grand Junction, CO the back of the truck, where we had 4 other beds, took until about 10 pm to cool off. The tent seemed to cool off instantly.

Blackout

We were hoping that thicker canvas would block some of the morning light. It was better than a thin tent wall, but nothing like the blackout I could do in the back of the truck. It's hard to force your kids to go to bed on time when they are having so much fun with new friends or out chasing fireflies together which is why this is important. Some mornings you just pray they will sleep in.

Treehouse factor

Finally, kids love this tent. It's like a tree house to them. Our kids have so much fun climbing up and down the ladder of this tent. Even our 3 year old Aubrey was able to do it without assistance or falling. I can't say it didn't make me nervous however, and I did try to avoid putting it on cement pads.

CONS

Wind

Wind was something we didn't really think about, but you have to consider when you travel out west. Our first experience with high wind was in Eastern Oregon. I could see the windstorm rolling in so I had time to get back to the tent to observe. I had the rain fly on the ladder side of the tent stretched out with the steel poles and this just acted like a sail. If I hadn't been there to remove them I'm pretty sure I would have had a damaged tent. It was lifting up the ladder half and dropping it back on the ground. Then the aluminum poles on the tent started coming apart because the rainfly straps weren't tightened down. Finally my wife and I both had miserable nights of sleep one night in Idaho due to bad winds. They were so bad the guy in an RV next to us decide to pack up and leave. I thought for sure the loops that hold the rainfly were going to rip off, but they still appear to be holding strong. It was the wind noise in the tent that was so bad. With a simple tent on the ground we could have used the truck as a buffer against the wind. I'm planning to move the rooftop tent off of my bike rack on the truck to a ladder rack on the gear trailer. This might help since it gives us some different options for positioning. We'll probably go ahead and pack our old ground tent for the next trip as a backup plan. If you can't beat the wind, you can always enjoy it like my son below.

UPDATE: I was able to speak with a sales specialist at Tuff Stuff 4x4 in regards to the issues we encountered with the wind. He suggested using one of the steel bars to hold up the rainfly versus having them both in and acting like a sail as I described above. I thought this was a good idea and will definitely give it a try. He also suggested removing the rain fly completely which makes sense if you don't think you will be dealing with any rain. His final suggestion in regards to the wind noise was always have a pair of ear plugs in the tent. I always have earplugs on hand for any campground.

Grant catching the wind with a board in the baby stroller

3 person (more like 2 adults and a toddler/baby)

When this tent says 3 person it's more like 2 adults and maybe a toddler or a baby. There is plenty of room lengthwise in the tent. I'm 6 feet tall and you get about 2 feet of space at your feet or head depending on your positioning. You could possibly have a bassinet at your feet for a baby or the toddler could rest in between. You could always opt for the larger version of this tent if you need more room, Tuff Stuff Elite Rooftop Tent with Annex Room, 4 Person Tent. Keep in mind the larger tent only mounts in one direction and cannot be configured in two ways like the 3 person.

Thin sleeping pad

The reviews on the tent said the built in sleeping pad was a little thin (although thicker than most of the other tents in this price range) and I agree. I was able to get used to it, but my wife has a past back injury and ended up using a self inflating sleeping pad as well. We didn't get the condensation pad that many suggested. We didn't have any issues with the condensation, but then again, we were camping out west most of the time.

UPDATE: The Tuff Stuff sales specialist recommended I purchase the Anti Condensation Mat in order to assist with the thin sleeping pad. He said the 1/4 inch think mat will help with the hardness of the aluminum floor. I'll give it a try for this reason and provide another update.

Limited Manual

The only manual that came with the tent really dealt with assembly and installation to your roof rack. That's one of the reasons I decided to write something about it. It really needs a user manual. The tent has a couple straps inside it with loops on the end. I'm still not sure what these are used for. Maybe clipping a carabiner to the loop and hanging a light or something? Also, it came with a big net with 4 straps that did not hold very well. I'm assuming this is for storing coats and clothes in while you sleep underneath? I felt there was plenty of space at my feet to store coats and clothing. There were plenty of pockets on the sides of the tent for storing headlamps, wallets, keys, etc. Finally, I didn't think I would have any use for the black shoe bag attachment but we found it useful for storing the powerstrip that would run our fan and charge our cell phones.

UPDATE: The Tuff Stuff sales specialist has finally helped me solve the mystery of the straps in the tent with the loops on the end. These are for pulling yourself into the tent from the ladder. I'm not sure I needed the assistance but maybe it will help when my feet are dangling trying to find one of the ladder rungs.

Conclusion

I'm glad I purchased this tent instead of the used pop up camper we were thinking about buying for 6k. 900 bucks is a lot less expensive, and I hope this tent lasts us a long time. The only regret I have is not buying the larger one since our family is growing in size and numbers. Tuff Stuff Elite Rooftop Tent with Annex Room, 4 Person Tent

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