ARB Rooftop Tents

Hi TrishP
I have an ARB Simpson Rooftop tent.
I have owned it for about 4 years, It has been great so far in varied conditions .
2 problems I have encountered thus far :

1) Zip on the cover came off , easy repair
2) Matress is quite thin (would asume all models be the same), have overcome this by carrying another matress from our sofa bed at home which fits easily on the back seat. When combined with the matress in the tent its super comfortable .I tried to pack the extra matress away when folding the tent up but will not fit as it then becomes too bulky.
ARB manufactures a large range of diverse products and thats why I chose the brand ahead of the others as the company would appear to have a good reputation in regards to any warranty issues.
Hope this helps
Dough boy

I had the ARB Pilbara RTT. It was an older model and was of very good quality. These days most tents are sourced from the same overseas location and use the same materials. You are better off spending half the money and buying an Ironman unit or similar. They come from the same factory, just badged differently. Best way to compare is to simply head to the next caravan and camping show in your capital city or 4x4 Leisure show and check out the various brands. You'll be hard pressed to identify a difference other than the price.

This search of the forum might be of interest to you.

ARB Roof top tent search

Cheers Mick

P.S. Yes the mattress is very thin. I put a Clarke Rubber latex overlay on it to make it more comfortable. Very hard to fold up with the bedding on as well meaning you usually have to take the doona and pillows out each day when packing it away.

I looked at most roof top tents and they all seemed similar except for the Oasis brand. I bought one and it really suits me. It is very light at about 17kgs so I can lift it onto the car on my own. It takes about 5 minutes to set up and has a hammock style floor, not solid. The downside is there is no annex extension. I paid under $700 for it new so the price was right. Cheers.

G'day, an Australian made roof top tent to consider. Haven't got one, but looked at them and seem well made and are not chinese. Cheers, John






Dingodoza

Hi Trish,

I have been sold on the Ezi Awn tent.

Just ordered a brand new one for my troopy.

My girl spent 6months in an Ezi Awn in Africa and could not fault it.

I think it is the only tent on the market that has buckles to pull its sides down instead of a zip.....hence no broken zips.

They are expensive but the guy we bought it off has had his on his Defender for 13 years and never had a problem.

We have been told that the mattress it comes with is not too great but we will see.

Good luck with what ever you do.

Gaz.

I personnaly would not buy one but have no experience really to comment about the ARB tent sorry.

Go for the Ezi Awn.......

I know they cost a bit more but I believe that we got our money's worth with the Hannibal. It's 1.6 wide and when folded out there is enough room for my wife and I and two grand kids sleeping feet to feet. No! Not my wife and I. The bed measures 2.4 by 1.6 when folded out. There are narrower models.

The canvas feels heavier and stronger and it has a full four wall annex that matches the rear of the 100 series to a tee with a section that can be unzipped. Not cold in the High Country and not hot in the tropics. A full "dished" waterproof floor clips on to the walls.

Proof of the quality and comfort lies in the fact that more members of our club seem to be going the same way if they do not already have a roof top tent.

Phil