Which is the best way to mount a rooftent?

[Bensouthall]

Planning to head off sometime late 2007 for 12 months around the African continent and thought I'd throw this one out to all of you accomplished 4x4 users!!

I'm about to go ahead and buy my rooftent to mount onto my Landrover Defender, but while I'm still at the planning stage I would welcome any thoughts/experiences on the best way round to mount it, do I:

(a) Have the tent opening over the bonnet with the ladder mounting onto the bullbar, or

(b) opening over the rear of the vehicle, offering protection for the rear door, or

(c) over the side of the vehicle???

Lets hear all of the pro's and con's of each way!!

Thanks, Ben

[roamingyak]

I would suggest not over the side - the people who I have camped with that have done this always have problems parking and folding the tent out in small campsites, tight spaces, when trees are around etc

I have mine over the back which is best for me - less drag when driving compared to having it over the front, but I guess the wieght would be better at the front. All relative, but the shade over the back is nice when cooking or just using the back area in general.

Cheers, dj

[Bensouthall]

Cheers Darrin,

I was thinking of going that way as the other thing it does do is free up the side of the vehicle which allows you to have an extendable awning for an even greater shade area. If I feel the money is there I may even buy a shower skirt to come off the base of the tent!

Will be putting those Michelin's on my Defender, which I bought from you, in the next few weeks!

****That reminds me.....has anyone got a good condition aluminium roofrack or rooftent that they don't use and would like to part with!!!**** answers on an e-postcard to me please!

Ben

[Runner]

Hi ben
There isnt really a right answer..... over the rear gives cooking space and shelter, over the front gives shade for the car and you can drive off in a hurry if you need to without the thing flapping about. I have mine over the rear, for what its worth.

[CornishDaddy]

........thats only for historic reasons, in that we bought it set up like that. It certainly does the job and I have no complaints. Its off at the moment, but die to be put back on in the next few weeks. If you wanted to take a look you can pop round. We're in Marchwood, just outside Southampton. Where are you?

[gilghana1]

Mine is off the middle which makes it easy to manoever round the sides stuffing it in before zipping up the cover. But I am probably going to move it to the back as it is then easier to position the car to suit the ladder on rougher ground... So my vote would also be back!
Gil

[Bundubasher]

I used to have a Howling Moon rtt and it used hang over the back. It gave great protection from the sun and rain with the shower skirt and - as my vehicle has a horiz split rear door - I could do all my cooking or repair work on the flat surface without being bothered by the wind or rain.

[Bensouthall]

Thanks for all of your answers, you have really confirmed what I was just about thinking.

I have rented 2 different vehicles each with different setups in the past and favoured the rear method too.

So no rooftents available on the forum-market then!?!!

Cheers Ben

[overland-underwater]

I have mine over the front. It's an Eezi-Awn and flaps around a lot less when pointing end-on into the wind rather than side-on. Being able to move the vehicle around with the tent erected is great. Also being able to camp in the footprint of the car is useful sometimes when you get caught out and bush-camp in a small lay-by!

[Toby2]

I have mine over the front - less aero dynamic - not sure that can be applied to a landrover but does mean one can either put the ladder down on to the bull bar or get up the back on to the roofrack then into the tent. Had it on the back for a bit but a) didn't find I was getting much cover from it, b) because of the large tyres, high suspension, rollcage and roofrack setup, the ladder barely reached the ground and was therefore vertical making it harder to climb up. c) was harder to put away - at the front you can stand on the bonnet, at the back its more difficult even at 6ft 4 and nigh on impossible for the 5ft 4 wife.