How (And Where) Are Rooftop Tents Made?

Rooftop tents can improve the quality of camping.

These tents are mounted on your car’s rack system and are an alternative to a field bed, RV, or camper.

They make any vehicle-car, SUV, crossover, wagon, pickup truck, bus, or trailer easily transformed into a mobile camp that is always ready for adventure!

Where Rooftop Tents are Made:

Rooftop tents are made all over the world through brands like iKamper, Tepui Thule, and Roofnest. These tents are made from acrylic, polyester, cotton, aluminum, meta47750ls, and plastics. Their products are manufactured in the U.S., Sweden, and South Korea.

Online Roof-Top Tent Stores:

Here are some of the most popular online stores to buy roof-top tents:

Stores	Price range	Models	Visit
iKamper	$$-$$$	4	Visit here
Thule	$-$$$	7	Visit here
CampSaver	$-$$$	24	Visit here
RoofNest	$$-$$$	7	Visit here

Here’s a list of the most popular roof top brands today.

What Materials are Used in Rooftop Tents?

Rooftop tents come in different shapes and sizes.

For rooftop tent makers, there is an assortment of fabrics available. From rip-stop acrylic, poly-cotton blends, and exclusive materials used on tents, we see it all.

As customers, we need to know how weight, longevity, breathability, water resistance, strength, and a tent’s cost can be influenced by fabric choice.

We discuss a few of the fabrics which are used in the rooftop tents below:

1. Cotton

100% cotton fabric is entirely breathable, highly durable, and abrasion-resistant.

If the thickness of the cotton increases, the breathability reduces, and the added weight increases with the doubled thickness.

Cotton absorbs moisture, and some have inherent water resistance caused by swelling and tightening of the woven thread.

2. Polyester

100% polyester fibers are light, reliable, and appear not to stretch.

A polyester tent has natural water resistance, is comfortable to dry, and tear-resistant due to its elasticity.

Polyester, however, cannot breathe very well and is not immune to abrasion.

3. Poly-Cotton

These fabrics are a mixture of both cotton and polyester fabrics, which prove to be breathable, tear tolerant, and abrasion-resistant.

Each material’s ratios differ, with a prevalent mix being 65% cotton and 35% polyester.

4. Nylon

Nylon was first developed as a cheaper, more durable alternative to silk.

This effort’s happy outcome was that nylon, cotton, and wool were more durable than silk. Nylon is resistant to abrasion and is fire retardant.

This has the strength, flexibility, ease of drying, water resistance, and abrasion resistance that we’re looking for in a cloth. It can also be spun to create a breathable cloth and treated for UV resistance.

5. Strong Shell Rooftop Tents:

Strong shell rooftop tents are a commodity that is comparatively younger and more sophisticated than their soft shell rooftop tent counterparts.

These are usually made from plastic and cover your tent during transit, while others are soft fabric materials that you zip your tent into during driving.

The aerodynamic potential while driving is one of the major advantages of the plastic shell platform.

How are Rooftop Tents Supported?

The rooftop tents are supported by a roof rack structure that sits at the top of your car.

To keep the tent safely fixed, the roof rack framework must have crossbars.

Rooftop tents like iKamper come with “Mounting Brackets 2.0,” which makes installation faster. The brackets can be tightened quickly and are compatible with a maximum crossbar height of 3cm and a width of 9cm.

Check out our article about mounting brackets and preventing the theft of your rooftop tent!

At the end of the day, roof racks of any brand can support almost any rooftop tent.

These tents can be installed in different positions even if it’s the cab of the pickup, the trailer, the UTV, or anywhere else you want to attach your tent.

The tools you can use to install your Rooftop tent are infinite.

What are the Best Brands to Look For?

There is a wide variety of brands you can go to if you want to buy an excellent rooftop tent.

We mention a few of them below:

Thule X Tepui Rooftop Tents:

Thule is one of the brands which has been in this business since 1942!

The Hardshell tent from Thule X Tepui HyBox is among the popular choices among the customers. These hard shell tents allow you to set up camp quickly and efficiently while having space to hold extra equipment.

It features a versatile configuration that switches from a freight carrier to a rooftop tent.

The interior is lined with insulation to help maintain the temperature inside the tent.

Capacity: Up to two individuals/ 400 lbs/180 kg

iKamper Rooftop Tents:

iKamper roof tents take very little time to set-up.

These campers come with ample space; thus, more than four people can stay in it. Aerodynamically & aesthetically pleasing, iKamper tents look fantastic and suit most of the cars.

1. Customizable: For the best camping experience, choose your hard shell’s color and the accessories you want.
2. Breathable: iKamper uses insulating tent cloth from Poly-Cotton Cloth.

Roofnest Rooftop Tents:

Another famous brand is Roofnest.

Although the roof tents are costly when compared to other brands, these tents are premium. They are waterproof, super durable, and easy to install within an hour.

The mattress is way more comfortable than what we find in other brands, LED lights can also be found in most of the models, which is an excellent addition, and the added accessories like bags for storage are just the cherry on the top.

In Which Countries Are the Thule and iKamper Brands Produced?

iKamper:

iKamper products are made in South Korea.

However, while the products are manufactured in South Korea, most of them are shipped and warehoused in the US.

Thule:

Thule groups are a multinational business.

The head office of the Thule Party is based in Malmö, southern Sweden, and their products are present in every corner of the world.

You can find them on Australia’s distant beaches, in the streets of Boston, on the roads of the Andes, and in the ski resorts of the Alps.

Final Thoughts:

Rooftop tents have their benefits.

To enjoy a cup of coffee while watching a beautiful sunset from a rooftop tent is an out-of-this-world experience, which not everyone is lucky enough to enjoy.

You can’t go wrong with any of the rooftop tents from Thule, iKamper, or Roofnest; all these brands are some of the most famous rooftop tentmakers in the world today!

Sources:

Expeditionportal

Backcountry

Rooftentinsider