Rooftop Tents - Hard Shell
Tough Touring continues to test and stock Australia's highest quality hard-shell roof-top tents.
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We test and rate Many brands of Roof top tents and we judge their performance on the below qualities:
Tough Touring continues to seek 'The worlds best Roof top tent" - to be true - the worlds best roof top tent is going to be different for everybody... We get it. We may be able to steer you along your path a little bit though as we have litterally fitted 1000's of tents to vehicles and have ongoing relationships with many of our customers - as well as many of the roof top tent manufacturers building quality tents.
We rate a roof top tent on how well it does as below:
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Comfort / Mattress and Airflow
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Comfort in strong wind (over 40 km/h) - Flapping
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Comfort in Rain and ventilation vs drying times
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Comfort in Humidity / 'Breathability' Canvas quality vs Polyesters
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Zippers accessability Getting in and out /Ladders
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Features for Cold weather camping (zero to -5 degrees Celsius) and how much bedding fits. Insulation around floor and roof.
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Fitting versatility and quality - How well it can be secured to vehicles as low as possible, and also fittment of awnings and solar panels, Shovels etc.
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Safe Roof load carrying capabilities - Especially wood and extra gear / chairs
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Set up and pack down Speed.
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Interior finish, vibe, internal storage of gear.
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Supplied Mattress Comfort or ability to upgrade
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Overall cosmetic appeal on vehicle.
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Resistance to mould and moisture repelling qualities.
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Longevity and quality of of construction /materials used.
Roof Top Tent Installation Tips
Roof top tent installation varies dramatically from vehicle to vehicle, We have listed 10 + years of experience on fitting combinations of Roof tents and Awnings to vehicles on our 'Vehicle set up pages' - Information is vehicle specific.
See help here
As probably the worlds most specialized Roof tent fitters - we would caution customers around purchasing Roof tents that they have not inspected personally in person.
Below is a list of reasons you should always inspect a product before you buy it online.
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MATERIALS USED
In photograps - Materials used on the Tent fabric all look the same. If your tent has polyester 'canvas' (It comes in many names) the chinese manufactured varieties typically have a waterproof membrane on the inside. This material holds water in its body when packed, leading to premature mould and a damp mattress. They don't 'breathe' and this is a major problem with condensation in tents in hot / wet or cold climates.
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FITTING COMPATABILITY
While all roof tents will come with rudimentary fitting kits, using these will mean the tent needs to be mounted very high on the vehicle. The Fitting rails will be 30 - 40mm, The CRoss bars another 25 -0 30 mm s