The 9 Best Rooftop Tents for Awesome Car-Camping Trips

Sure, those #vanlife humble brags look great on Instagram (it’s downright inspiring when you see people like this couple who take dream trips on four wheels), but living free doesn’t always come cheap. Lurking beneath the hood of a converted Sprinter van can be tens or thousands of dollars in retrofit or vehicle costs, all for something you’ll likely park alongside your house when it’s not in use. Instead, consider a rooftop tent. GoFast Campers cofounders Graeme MacPherson and Wiley Davis took inspiration from a simpler era of exploration, when Westfalias and VW buses traversed the West in search of adventure. “I had so many friends who wanted a camper that didn’t suck for less than $10,000,” says MacPherson, who launched the company in 2017. “I wanted something that was high quality, American-made, and the kind of thing you could drive every day.” Fast-forward to today, and GoFast has equipped hundreds of trucks, SUVs, and even vintage low-riders with a lightweight system inspired by pop-top Westie ceilings. Set up for the two-person sleeping cabin is as easy as releasing two pins and letting the hydraulics deploy the translucent ceiling and side walls with a whoosh. “It’s something you drive every day,” says MacPherson of the topper, which starts at about 130 pounds. “You’ll always have a place to sleep no matter where you’re heading, and it’s not a full-on quarter-million-dollar van. I call it the people’s version of #vanlife.”

The largest of them all, this massive 4-person rooftop tent has a 6×8-foot sleeping space and a spacious removable annex so you can stretch out and stash gear. The tall A-frame design makes it easy to move around and sit up straight. Large windows, covered in tight no-see-um netting, provide ample air circulation and stellar views. The tent comes with universal mounting brackets that easily attach to most roof racks and bars.

Outfit your truck as the ultimate escape pod without the hefty cost or complicated rooftop assembly. The Backroadz Truck Tent fits in the bed of a pickup so you can comfortably camp anywhere. The tent has a full floor so you don’t have to worry about a dirty truck bed or rain seeping in. Solo travelers take note: You can set this one up by yourself. Four sizes fit beds ranging from 6 feet to 8.2 feet.

Think your little car can’t handle a rooftop tent? Think again. This small but mighty tent includes a roof rack that can hold up to 100 lbs. of gear. The aerodynamic design saves on fuel consumption and reduces wind noise. The walls are three times as waterproof as the typical backpacking tent, so you don’t have to worry about the weather.

This highly customizable rooftop tent got its start by raising over $2.3 million on Kickstarter. It’s the ultimate family pad with enough room for 2 adults and 2 kids (or 3 adults) and countless add-ons to make your tent into your dream destination. From the color to the hard shell to the length of the ladder to fabric for every weather, there isn’t much you can’t control. Expand your living space with an Annex Room or keep out the sun with a massive awning.

Snuggle up under the stars inside this cozy rooftop tent. Large mesh roof panels keep you cool while providing unparalleled views. However, you won’t be awake long thanks to the 2.5-inch wall-to-wall foam mattress. The two-person tent doesn’t require any tools to mount it on your car or to set up.

You won’t notice this soft-topped 2+-person tent while driving–it has the lowest profile of all car-top tents currently available. At less than 100 pounds, it’s also easy to get it set up, even on taller vehicles. Adjustable tent rails let you mount the tent on most roof racks and bars. Want a little more luxury? Snap on an outdoor shower, perfect for rinsing off the dirt and getting dressed in privacy.

Unlike most hard-shell rooftop tents, the Evasion lifts up fully so you can sit up anywhere in the tent. Even better, it has struts that take the weight off you to make set-up a breeze. In less than 30 seconds you can climb into your fully ready tent. A solar-powered fan means you can sleep soundly even when the temperatures rise. The 100% waterproof, breathable, and solar-reflective tent walls will keep you comfortable no matter the conditions. Comes in regular and XXL.

Say hello to the off-roader and gear junkie’s dream. This rugged tent is made from aluminum and is easily customizable to become the ultimate base camp. Optional load bars can carry surfboards, kayaks, and other gear on top of the open or closed tent so you can bring along all of the toys. The tent sets itself up (seriously) and has room to leave your bedding inside when you close up to head to the next campsite.