The rooftop tent market in Australia is booming! You have no shortage of options to choose from, regardless of your budget or needs.
I checked out the top contenders and rated them based on cost, quality, post-sales support, comfort and take into account real customer feedback.
Why do these attributes matter?
- Cost: You only have a finite budget. Getting the best bang for your buck is important. I look at the cost relative to what you get.
- Quality: When you are paying upwards of 1k on many of these tents, you want the best. You do not want to be paying for repairs down the track or paying for extras on top of the tent to make it “comfortable”.
- Post-sales Support: If things happen, you want to be sure the manufacturer is on your side and stands by their product. I look at the warranties + their reputation on how they handle issues.
- Comfort: No way do you want to pay this much for a glorified swag. I look at the comfort factor that takes into account materials used, mattress, ease of use and more.
- Feedback: I listen to the community about what is working and what is not.
Do you have feedback about a tent? Leave us your opinion via our online feedback form here!
Top 10 Soft Shell Roof Top Tents of 2021
Soft shell RTT’s are a great (and comfortable) alternative to lugging around a tent or swag. You will get a comfortable, elevated sleep and the whole process should be a breeze to set up and take down.
Lets check our the rankings.
| Rank | Brand/Model | Size (Open) | Materials | Comfort | Cost | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23Zero Stealth 1400 | 240L x 143W x 125H | 280gsm 65/35 poly cotton tear check canvas with LST coating | 9/10 | $1600 | 9/10 |
| 2 | Howling Moon Stargazer | 240L x 140W x 120H | 380gsm Canvas | 9/10 | $2525 | 8/10 |
| 3 | Howling Moon Tourer | 240L x 140W x 120H | 380gsm Canvas | 9/10 | $2375 | 8/10 |
| 4 | Darche Panorama 1400 | 240L x 140W x 125H | 320gsm ripstop polycotton canvas | 8/10 | $2080 | 8/10 |
| 5 | Dune 4WD Nomad | 200L x 140W x 120H | 210D Ripstop Polycotton PU 3000mm with silver coating | 8/10 | $999 | 7/10 |
| 6 | Yakima Skyrise HD | 243L x 142W x 122H | 600 D Ripstop polyester | 8/10 | $1999 | 7/10 |
| 7 | ARB Simpson III | 240L x 140W x 130H | Polycotton Ripstop canvas | 7/10 | $1922 | 7/10 |
| 8 | Front Runner RTT | 333L x 229W x 133H | 260g poly-cotton ripstop | 7/10 | $1530 | 7/10 |
| 9 | Adventure Kings | 310L x 145W x 134H | 320gsm Polycotton Ripstop canvas | 7/10 | $799 | 6.5/10 |
| 10 | TJM Yulara | 240L x 140W x 130H | 420D polyester ripstop canvas | 7/10 | $1399 | 6.5/10 |
Top 10 Hard Shell Roof Top Tents of 2021
Hard shells fall into a whole new league. There are extra accessories and benefits you get when you start looking into the hard shell market. You can now load things on to the roof, along the sides or mod them to be more comfortable than a regular soft shell RTT.
Lets check out the rankings.
| Rank | Brand/Model | Size (Closed) | Materials | Comfort | Cost | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bush Company Black Series | 225L x 140W x 25H | Welded 2mm aluminium + Heavy-duty 460g ripstop | 9/10 | $4250 | 9/10 |
| 2 | Alu Cab Gen 3 Expedition | 230L x 140W x 28H | Welded 2mm aluminium+ Dual-layer canvas | 9/10 | $5600 | 9/10 |
| 3 | Motop MT135 V4 Plus | 225L x 143W x 20H | Honeycomb Aluminium + 280GSM Poly-cotton canvas | 7.5/10 | $3799 | 8/10 |
| 4 | Bundutec Bundutop | 210L X 135W X 30H | Full aluminium shell + Riptech canvas | 10/10 | $5490 | 8/10 |
| 5 | Camp King Industries | 230L x 145W x 25H | 5005-grade Aluminium + Wax Convertor Coolabah Tear Stop Canvas | 10/10 | $6970 | 8/10 |
| 6 | Boss Aluminium RT1 | 230L x 145W x 270H | Aluminium + Wax Converters Coolabah Dynaproofed canvas | 10/10 | $6750 | 8/10 |
| 7 | James Baroud Evasion Evolution | 198L X 140W X ?H | Fibreglass fortified polyester + 6x Canvas with fabric coating | 9/10 | $5200 | 8/10 |
| 8 | Drifta Stockton Wild Land 1.4 | 220L x 150W x 16H | Aluminium honeycomb + 190g Rip-Stop Polycotton PU 2000mm | 8/10 | $3190 | 7/10 |
| 9 | iKamper Skycamp 2.0 | 217L x 140W x 32H | FRP Hardshell + Poly-Cotton Canvas | 8/10 | $5395 | 7/10 |
| 10 | Crazy Dog K9 Future-2 | 210L x 140W x 30H | Aluminium infused composite + Wax convertors 10.9oz Dynaproofed Billabong canvas | 9/10 | $5300 | 7/10 |
Participation award for an entry level hard shell tent that does the job but not quite in the top 10. See my review for further information why this might be.
| 11 | Kings Grand Tourer MK2 | 235L x 147W x 29H | 5052 Alloy + 320GSM polycotton ripstop canvas | 6/10 | $2495 | 6.5/10 |
