Rooftop Tent Buying Guide: A Must-Read for Novices to Avoid Pitfalls

For novices who are new to rooftop tents, the variety of products on the market is dazzling. Hard shell or soft shell? Automatic deployment or manual setup? How to avoid buying a style that is not suitable for you? This guide will help you sort out your thoughts.

1. Hard shell vs soft shell

• Hard shell rooftop tent: The outer shell is sturdy and can usually be deployed within 30 seconds. It has strong wind and rainproof performance, but the price is higher (8000-15000 yuan) and the weight is larger (50-80kg).
• Soft shell rooftop tent: Made of canvas, it is lighter and thinner after storage, and the price is lower (3000-8000 yuan), but it is slightly slower to set up (5-10 minutes), and the wind resistance is slightly inferior to the hard shell.

Suggestion: If you have sufficient budget and pursue convenience, choose a hard shell; if you have a limited budget and focus on lightweight, choose a soft shell.

2. Restrictions on vehicle types

• Rooftop tents have requirements for roof load-bearing capacity:
• Ordinary cars: The dynamic load-bearing capacity of the roof needs to be confirmed (usually 50-75kg), and a roof crossbar may need to be installed.
• SUV/off-road vehicle: Generally, it can be installed directly, but it is recommended to choose a special car adapter.

Note: Be sure to check the vehicle manual before installation, as overweight may damage the roof structure!

3. Key functional considerations

• Waterproofness: Check the waterproof index of the fabric (recommended to be above 3000mm).
• Ventilation design: Are there screens and skylights to avoid stuffiness in summer.
• Insulation performance: Pay attention to the material of the insulation layer for winter camping.
• Ladder stability: Aluminum alloy ladders are safer than soft ladders, especially for children and pets.

Tips for avoiding pitfalls:

Avoid buying unbranded and unprotected products.

Before the first trip after installation, be sure to try to build it once in a safe place.