Roof top tents - Roof racks

I've been using my Roof Top Taj (an older model ARB Pilbara) for the past few years. Wouldn't be without it. Easy to set and pack-up, especially with two people. Advantage is you don't have to clear a site, worry about it being not level (just dig a hole under the wheels) or fear the critters roaming the spinifex.

Only disadvantage comes if you are in a park for a few days and need to drive the vehicle daily. I often use a ground based tent for those stays.

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Cheers Mick

G'day Lynz and Nath

I have a roof top camper on my 80 Series, the camper is used very often indeed and I can't crow about it enough, the idea of being able to park the vehicle up in the desired location and unzipping the outer cover and swinging the roof top camper open ~ instant double bed ~ plus.

We carry all our required bedding in the camper along with a change of clothes, so should we decide to stay away from home on any given outing, it really is just as simple as three to five minutes of setting up and we have a very comfortable camp, rain hail or shine, simply brilliant.

Rob and Justin Calcott (Father and Son) of Outback Campers are the men who own and build these units, Outback Campers are situated in Wangara, units 8~9 number 60 Dellamatra Road. 08 9409 7422

I would not recommend them if they were not decent people manufacturing and decent trouble free Western Australian made product. Simply Brilliant.

I would insert images of my roof top camper but ExplorOz is doing it's usual Sunday night slow motion run and the up load of a single image times out.

Somewhere, sometime, in the dim and distant past I recall seeing a roof top tent arrangement that could be erected in such a fashion that the vehicle could be driven away leaving the tent free standing.

Does anyone recall these?

cant rate my ARB Simpson II enough, love it

A rooftop tent is great if you're moving on every day or two, or if you stay in the one place and don't want to move the car - they're not so good if you tend to 'base camp' and want to take daily drives (you'd have to pack it up each time).

Mine's a Howling Moon Tourer and it was always very comfortable (I reckon I slept better in it than at home!) regardless of the campsite (no more trying to find a nice flat, grassy spot for the tent - impossible in most of Oz!). It's quick to set up and pack up - I can have it fully set-up in 10min (quicker with help) and packing up was the same (the worst part was zipping up the cover).

I mounted it on a pair of Rhino bars which were good (make sure you leave the rubber strips in them or they will 'sing' at 100km/h!). I was tricked into using the "Track-Mount System" (a couple of aluminium channels rivetted through the roof of the car) but would recommend against this because the car always smelled damp inside after rain since the tracks were installed (despite assurances from the installer that it wouldn't leak), and the rivets started to pull out of the roof during our Tanami crossing (we hadn't even reached the GRR or Bungle²s yet!).

If you've got the money, I'd recommend an ARB rack that is designed for the roof-top tent, or use 2-3 Rhino bars in gutter mounts (or factory mounting points).