Best Roof Top Tent for the buck?

[JT4JT]

Howdy all,

I've spent a lot of time researching and testing different products that would suite my wants and needs for off-road travel and camping, so I figured I would share my experience here with the group. I have previously owned roof top tents from Yakima and Roofnest on my other vehicles in the past, but now I camp with wife and toddler, so a bit more space is needed!

Finding a balance between a large sleeping area while also being hard sided on the exterior without breaking the bank were the biggest hurdles to overcome. My biggest complaint for the Yakima RTT was the outer cover- setup and take down were kind of a pain trying to get everything snug again. The Roofnest Falcon tent (and most other brands' clamshell tents) maxes out at 55-60" wide, so sleeping 3 comfortably is out of the question. Those are just a few reasons why my previously owned tents don't suite my needs anymore. I wanted something larger and hassle free.

So, where does one find a roof top tent capable of sleeping 3 people comfortably, while also being easy to setup and stow, with a hard shell for less than $2,500?
The answer is... China. I really do my best to support US businesses as much as I possibly can, but when I can save $1,400 over anything comparable in the US market, you bet I'll take the savings. And when you compare most major RTT brands, it looks like they all come from the same couple of factories putting different branding logos on them. So I took a gamble, and ordered a tent from a brand called NaturNest. It arrived in less than 3 weeks and my goodness, the care they put into shipping the product shows! It arrived very well protected in a wooden crate with plenty of foam inside. Honestly, I was a little hesitant/skeptical making such a big purchase from a company I was unfamiliar with, but once it showed up I knew I made the right choice. The materials, fit, and finish leave nothing to be desired with this RTT. There are two built in LED strips on the exterior of the tent that light up the area around the ladder as well as an additional LED strip on the interior of the tent that spans the "ceiling". This feature is super handy because of the blackout material in the tent, its wicked dark without the LEDs. Oversleeping in this tent is the only issue because of how dark it is inside LOL. I have been incredibly impressed with the build quality so far and really don't see any downsides to this one.

For reference: the closest comparison I can find is the Roofnest Condor Overland 2 XL, and its $3,945. That's $1,400 more than the NaturNest! Not to mention the Roofnest Condor Overland 2 XL has a smaller sleeping footprint and is 60 pounds heavier than the NaturNest.

Here is another link to the Sirius 2 Roof Top Tent:
NaturNest Sirius 2 Roof Top Tent

This tent has been the perfect fit for me and my family of 3 on the Gladiator. Mounted atop a RSI Smart Cap, it looks great too. I think others might benefit from this info as I shopped around A LOT before finally pulling the trigger. I'm also happy to answer any questions about the RTT setup on my Gladiator.

Does anyone else have a contender for best bang-for-your-buck roof top tent?

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[CJ5w4wdSmokyOnMyTail]

Great size! Hard to find a tent that sleeps a few friends.

 

[RubiNewbCB]

That looks exactly like the Desert Armor Tank XL tent, at least the shell does...

 

[JT4JT]

That looks exactly like the Desert Armor Tank XL tent, at least the shell does...

That’s interesting… I don’t see the XL version available, but the rendering for the Tank V2 (and video) looks identical to my Naturnest, just scaled down a little.
After reading the description on Desert Armor’s website it sounds like the same product I bought, same accessory list and everything. Only difference is about $1,000 cheaper from Naturnest. My guess is that Desert Armor is buying them from the same Chinese manufacturer and having their own logo put on. Just weird that they say it’s designed in the USA by their in house CAD team. I call bs on that.

 

[RubiNewbCB]

The majority of rooftop tents are manufactured in China. The design may originate in the U.S., but they're built overseas. The U.S. companies just mark them up about 200-300%. I think Topoak and NaturNest will help stabilize the U.S. market and bring the overpriced U.S. tent prices down a notch or too. Topoak just released their Galaxy 2.0 for $1400 and $200 shipped. But it's a helluva tent. The product for value is great in all the reviews and comparisons. That's the route I'm going when I'm ready to buy a tent.

 

[JT4JT]

The majority of rooftop tents are manufactured in China. The design may originate in the U.S., but they're built overseas. The U.S. companies just mark them up about 200-300%. I think Topoak and NaturNest will help stabilize the U.S. market and bring the overpriced U.S. tent prices down a notch or too. Topoak just released their Galaxy 2.0 for $1400 and $200 shipped. But it's a helluva tent. The product for value is great in all the reviews and comparisons. That's the route I'm going when I'm ready to buy a tent.

Ah, I had not heard of Topoak but it looks like they have the same design as the Naturnest Polaris RTT for the same price. Naturnest offers a few more options than Topoak so it would be worth checking out.

The Topoak Galaxy 2 is too narrow for my family of 3 (mattress is only 52" wide vs 70"+ in the Naturnest). For one or two people I don't think you could go wrong with either brand at $1400 + shipping for that style of tent. I have personally dealt with Naturnest customer service and they have been truly amazing- replies within a few hours and shipped out a replacement part for me same day (my fault, I lost a latch) so I am a big fan.

When you are ready to buy your RTT shoot me a message and I'll share a discount code for Naturnest if you are interested.

 

[nanook12]

I went with the Swift, from Ironman. Well built front hinge wedge. I don’t care for the sideways tents in the wind, too much of a kite effect. Just point the hinge into the wind…The straight up all sides look like trouble also.

 

[JT4JT]

I went with the Swift, from Ironman. Well built front hinge wedge. I don’t care for the sideways tents in the wind, too much of a kite effect. Just point the hinge into the wind…The straight up all sides look like trouble also.

Glad to hear you have had a good experience with Ironman 4x4. While great for 1-2 people, the hinge wedge style and straight pop up styles are both too narrow to accommodate 3 people. I agree the pop up style looks suspect in wind . I've had no trouble with mine in wind- has supports that lock the gas struts in place so the tent can't close on you.
Also, the difference in price is wild. Naturnest sells that same wedge tent for $1,499 (Polaris Plus RTT) but if you want Ironman logo on it you'll pay $2,999 on their site.

 

[nanook12]

Was $2200 on sale, would sleep three if one was a youngster. You can also carry a canoe or kayaks on the top of the Swift, has a 100lb allowance on load bars

 

[NewGladdyOWNR]

There is a lot to unpack when comparing chinese and US made products. In this instance the tent material, rainfly, shell type, hardware, and WEIGHT play a huge factor, especially a RTT. This is where overseas products are able to cut costs, because well quite frankly they're using cheaper materials. Also, the US has put in the R&D and most chinese companies are a direct ripoff of US made goods. Point is, yea a $1999 price tag looks much better than $2999, but a standard nylon tent material vs Polyoxford cotton, 220lbs vs 120lbs, etc may play a factor in the long run. Only time will tell if the quality is there once they flood the US market.

 

[smlobx]

I have had several RTT’s and am in the market for a new one as well.

To my knowledge there aren’t any RTTs that are actually manufactured in the US.

One question to the OP… can you store your bedding inside? This is a non negotiable point for me.

One of my top contenders is this 4x4 Colorado rtt. But it is only for 2 people.

https://www.4x4colorado.com/collections/roof-top-tent/products/nimbus-hardshell-roof-top-tent

 

[PuddleJumper]

Depends on your needs. TBH i wouldn't know for you. But for me weight became the goal. I had a CVT 56 w/ extended fly and an Annex room. Its a lot of tent and it was cheap. Its also heavy AF and really bites into the Mojave's performance especially when your trying to use it as intended. A little suspension work and i managed to keep the ride and still run that CVT. I don't like it for solo trips though. I run it for others. For summer I'll start rocking a hammock only and winter I plan on sourcing a sub 90lb wedge and if possible single man width. As well as deleting the heavy steel back rack i have in favor of a lighter taller one. I'm 6'5" and while i like the room the CVT has, lets be honest if my wife ain't with me to justify that room and weight. Its lost performance. Not to mention its a PIA to get on and off the truck regularly. I have a multiple buddies running hard shells and they are all heavier than my CVT. So I won't bother with any of em. I also snow wheel so anything that is 100% reliant on gas struts is a no go as well. cus 3 ft of powder and sub freezing temps and you will be turned into a sandwich randomly in your sleep. I really like the idea of the GFC soft wedge, its 80 lbs and has actually bracing to hold it open. there's also Overland inspired new Carbon Fiber Wedge camper that might work. All i know is i need something different cus the soft shell CVT is too much work for one guy. Drying that sucker out not fun either.

 

[JT4JT]

Was $2200 on sale, would sleep three if one was a youngster. You can also carry a canoe or kayaks on the top of the Swift, has a 100lb allowance on load bars

With a 51" wide sleeping platform there's no way I'd put 3 people in the Ironman wedge comfortably, even if it was a child. Don't get me wrong, it has great (the same) features as most other wedges, but the point of this post was to bring attention to the value that can be found with a little research. I understand everyone's needs are different. This was based more so on dollars : square foot sleeping area. I can't say I was only looking at the sleeping platform either, as there were other features I was looking for (LED's, hard sided, rack on top, durability, etc).

 

[JT4JT]

There is a lot to unpack when comparing chinese and US made products. In this instance the tent material, rainfly, shell type, hardware, and WEIGHT play a huge factor, especially a RTT. This is where overseas products are able to cut costs, because well quite frankly they're using cheaper materials. Also, the US has put in the R&D and most chinese companies are a direct ripoff of US made goods. Point is, yea a $1999 price tag looks much better than $2999, but a standard nylon tent material vs Polyoxford cotton, 220lbs vs 120lbs, etc may play a factor in the long run. Only time will tell if the quality is there once they flood the US market.

You are correct, there are a ton of factors! My idea of "best" may not be your "best" and that is totally fine. My last RTT was from a premium domestic brand and I find the materials and workmanship to be right on par with my new one from Naturnest. One of my coworkers has a Roofnest that we compared side by side with my Naturnest- if you forget about the branding on the side you would think they were built in the same factory. He even commented how much easier it was to lift and install mine than his wedge from Roofnest. If nothing else, maybe some of these Chinese brands will help stabilize the US market and bring prices down as RubiNewbCB stated above. Only time will tell!

 

[JT4JT]

I have had several RTT’s and am in the market for a new one as well.

To my knowledge there aren’t any RTTs that are actually manufactured in the US.

One question to the OP… can you store your bedding inside? This is a non negotiable point for me.

One of my top contenders is this 4x4 Colorado rtt. But it is only for 2 people.

https://www.4x4colorado.com/collections/roof-top-tent/products/nimbus-hardshell-roof-top-tent

One of the biggest things to take into consideration is the width of the sleeping area. The Nimbus shows a width of 49" which is definitely on the narrower side- not sleeping any more than two average adults. Are you looking for something to sleep 3 people comfortably?

As far as bedding goes, I leave my sheets on and one blanket before closing up. You could probably stow a memory foam pad in there but I wouldn't go more than 2" loft on the pad as it might not close beyond that. The mattress pad it comes with is sufficient for me, but I'm really an easy sleeper.

Compare the 4x4 Colorado with this one and see what you think- Naturnest Polaris Plus RTT. You get just a little bit more headroom in the 4x4 Colorado for $2,695 vs Naturnest at $1499. That's a lot of money for some headroom. Other than that, they both have load bearing racks, interior LED's and roughly the same footprint.

Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions about the Naturnest tents. There are a few different styles worth checking out depending if you want to sleep 2 or 3. I think I still have a discount code if ya want it.

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