What To Know About Car and SUV Tents

Whether you want it on the roof, tailgate, sliding door or truck bed, car and SUV tents can up your camping comfort. Here's the scoop.

Growing up as a mountaineer’s daughter, camping discomforts like setting up tents in hail storms or cooking in swarms of mosquitos were understood to be part of the grand experience of being outdoors. In my family, no complaining is allowed.

Then I met my beau, who also loves camping. But after his time in the Army, he no longer feels like roughing it. So for the last decade, we’ve been experimenting with various camp setups, from vans and awnings to car and SUV tents. Through the process, we’ve learned a lot. Now I’m sharing that with you.

What Are Car and SUV Tents?

Unlike standalone camping tents, car and SUV tents connect to your vehicle. Some perch atop the roof, others nestle in the bed of a pickup, or seal to an opening like the rear hatch or a sliding door. They can be paired with awnings for additional shade, privacy and wind protection.

What to Consider When Buying a Car and SUV Tent

Besides where you want the tent to pair with the vehicle, consider:

• Climate: Do you need a three- or four-season tent? “If you’re going somewhere warm, a tent with lots of windows and an awning is better,” says Alyssa Gallop, an avid camper and outreach specialist with Napier Outdoors. “A tent with a rainfly [a waterproof cover over a tent] and thicker material is better for trips in the rain or snow.”
• Quality of materials and craftsmanship: Less expensive models may use materials that won’t last. Things like rugged nylon and thread that degrade more quickly with UV and weather exposure; tent poles with less tensile strength that may be more liable to snap; and mesh screens that aren’t dense enough to keep out smaller insects like no-see-ums.
• Cost: Vehicle tents range from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars. But in general, ground tents are more affordable than rooftop models.
  

Hardshell Rooftop Tents

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With these, you sleep on top of your vehicle. They come with a rigid floor and ceiling, canvas or nylon walls and anchor to a roof rack. While traveling, they folded into a compact rectangle about six inches tall. Then for camping, they pop open, usually with the help of gas-powered struts.

Hardshell rooftop tents come in rectangular shapes like the James Baroud Grand Raid; clamshell shapes like the Roofnest Falcon; and hybrids like the iKamper Skycamp 3.0 four-person tent. Some models fit smaller cars, like the iKamper Skycamp 3.0 Mini. Others with attachable ground tents and rooms, like the Roofnest Condor Annex, expand protected living and storage space.

“Rooftop tents are best for those who want to maximize their weekends,” says Nick Jaynes, camping enthusiast and director of communications at Roofnest. “With bedding inside the tent and a 120-second driver’s seat to sleeping bag time, campers can head out after work, hit camp after dark, quickly get to bed, and wake up in the backcountry ready for adventure.”

Pros of hardshell rooftop tents

• Quick setup, just a minute or two;
• Possible to camp on ground that’s muddy, rocky or covered in vegetation;
• Minimize encounters with dangerous or nuisance animals like scorpions and snakes;
• No need to drive stakes into the ground;
• More cargo space since your bedding is stored in the tent;
• Good views, because you’re up off the ground;
• Durable, since most have thicker walls than ground tents.

Cons of hardshell rooftop tents

• Smaller living spaces than ground tents;
• Worse gas mileage (you’ll probably lose at least a couple miles per gallon);
• Top-heavy, worse vehicle handling and wear on suspension;
• Expense ($1,500 to $5,000);
• Climbing a ladder to get to bed;
• Weight (100 to 220 pounds) makes them cumbersome to install and remove;
• Limited space for other roof cargo, like bikes and kayaks on some models.

Softshell Rooftop Tents

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These are similar to their hardtop cousins, but fold into a canvas or soft plastic case atop a rigid platform. Instead of popping them up to pitch them, you fold them out or accordion them upward.

Softshells of note include the Yakima Skyrise HD, which can be mounted on the roof or paired with one of their multi-level gear trailers; the Thule Tepui Foothills, which folds up smaller to leave room for other gear on the rack; the James Baroud Vision, one of the few softshells with gas piston-assisted opening; and the Smittybilt Overlander, a quality budget-friendly option.

Softshell rooftop tent pros vs. hardshells

• Usually weigh less (20 to 50 pounds);
• More spacious, because they fold out over the vehicle roof;
• Cheaper (roughly $1,000 to $1,800);
• Smaller footprint, so often better suited for cars and smaller vehicles.

Softshell rooftop tent cons vs. hardshells

• Take more time to set up, and with some you might need two people;
• Setup includes poles and sometimes guy lines and tent stakes;
• Less durable;
• Thicker folded profile (usually 12 inches), so worse gas mileage;
• Less weatherproof and insulated, so possibly noisier on windy nights.

What to look for and consider in rooftop tents

• If the tent doesn’t come with a roof rack, you may need to buy one.
• If you have an existing roof rack, check the specs to see if it can handle the weight of the tent and people (static weight), as well as the weight and wind-resistance while driving (dynamic weight).
• Integrated foam mattresses are quicker to set up than inflatables. Also consider mattress thickness and features like memory foam or extra insulation.
• Try to find a video of someone setting up the tent so you can see how easy the model actually is to deploy.
• Some tents include extra features like ladders, built-in lighting, USB outlets, gear hammocks and racks that let you put other cargo on top.

Tailgate and Side-Door Tents

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These resemble standalone camping tents, but attach to the back or sliding door to expand your living space into your vehicle. They’re often called SUV tents, but some models also fit cars, vans and pickup trucks.

Some models of note include the Napier Sportz SUV Tent with Screen Room, which connects to the tailgate and includes a 6-ft. by 7-ft. screened room for bug-free dining, an extendable awning and an optional footprint to keep the floor protected. There’s also the Overland Vehicle Systems Safari Quick Deploying Ground Tent, which detaches easily from SUV and van side doors. It’s also freestanding so you can drive away from it.

Pros of tailgate and side-door tents

• Usually tall enough to stand in;
• Can be roomy enough to accommodate larger families;
• Some double as standalone tents, so you can drive your vehicle without breaking down camp.

Cons of tailgate and side-door tents

• Can take a while to set up;
• Require a large, level area adjacent to your vehicle;
• Can leak and let critters in If they don’t fit your vehicle well.

Truck Tents

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Some truck tents pitch in the bed of your truck, like Napier’s Backroadz Truck Tent. They’re affordable options for reaping the benefits of sleeping off of the ground, but you’ll need a place to relocate the cargo in the back of your truck.

One solution: Combine a truck-bed tent with a tailgate tent for a larger amount of protected living space. Or you can mount a rooftop tent onto the cab or a rack mounted above your truck bed. Both preserve your cargo space, but cost considerably more.

Awnings

Vehicle awnings are a quick way to add shelter from wind, dust, rain and sun.

Some extend from the side, like the MoonShade Awning, which can mount to cars, SUVs and vans with an optional privacy wall. Others extend from the back, like the Kelty Waypoint Tarp, or retract and extend around a vehicle, like the Roofnest Litewing.