Many holiday makers have come to find the rooftop tent as a flexible alternative for their road trips.
For US$250 (RM1,155) a night, a hotel stay in Los Angeles, California often comes with a glitchy air-con and a view of the parking lot. Unless you are among the extremely wealthy, there are better ways to spend the night in the Californian metropolis than overpay for a mediocre flophouse.
Brock Keen has found one of them. Spending about four months every year in his car, he has since turned it into an overnight penthouse on four wheels.
Though in theory one who could afford the luxury stays of which LA has so many to offer, the millionaire and influencer from Oregon prefers to sleep in a rooftop tent mounted onto his car, no matter where his travels take him – whether it’s the desert, the mountains or the city. This time, he has parked on top of the Hollywood Hills, overlooking LA.
Between two worlds
If you are now imagining a sturdy SUV or station wagon, you are in for a surprise. Keen’s tent is mounted onto a Porsche, a car that most people would probably not choose to take on a camping trip.
Keen says his unconventional choice is due to his love for driving. A comfortable motorhome would simply limit him too much in his choice of route, he explains. And his choice of car is precisely what has made him such a success on Instagram.
Three Porsches are parked in a half-circle high above the Pacific Ocean, but apart from the roof racks, nothing suggests that this is soon to turn into a camp site.
As the city disappears in the evening haze, Keen and his guests unfold their penthouses in a few simple steps, put on ladders, attach a few lines in the wind and get ready for the night.
Keen and his much-beloved Porsche rooftop tent. — Photos: BROCK KEEN/Porsche AG/dpa
Even before the distant sea of lights that is LA at night shines in its full glory, they climb onto the roof of their cars, crawl into their sleeping bags, loll on comfortable mattresses and sink into a tight, peaceful sleep.
With a rooftop tent, commuting between the buzz of the metropolis and the solitude of nature is easy as could be, Keen says.
A camping boom
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic, camping has seen a boom, according to German industry association CIVD, with more and more people longing to unwind in the great outdoors after being confined to their homes amid lockdown restrictions for months on end.
While motorhomes are expensive and have long delivery times, many holiday makers have come to find the rooftop tent as a flexible alternative for their road trips.
Apart from the pandemic, Paolo Tumminelli, professor for design, believes that this trend is also a way for many people to distinguish themselves from the ordinary camper.
As many hostels and campsites are now becoming more luxurious and chic, he says, the rooftop tent is turned into a hip new camping experience for the adventurous traveller looking for sustainability, but with a certain degree of style.
An array of set-ups
Rooftop structures have some advantages over the classic tent, says outdoor outfitter Globetrotter, pointing to the faster set-up, which rarely takes more than five minutes.
Depending on the region and the local fauna, the 2m between you and the ground can’t hurt either – especially in the mountains of Malibu, where pumas are sighted from time to time.
According to Globetrotter, rooftop tents now come in a variety of designs. Some tents have hard-shell covers that turn into a roof when pitched, while others work a little like a bouncy castle and are set up with the help of inflated tubes instead of conventional struts.
Some tents come with a double floor that only take on their full size when folded out to the side and then offer space for up to four people.Maximum load
No matter which design you choose, the main thing to watch out for is the tent’s weight, according to Germany’s huge ADAC motoring club.
When it comes to cars, there is a difference between the dynamic and static roof load. The former applies to the moving vehicle and must not be exceeded by the empty tent – which should not be a problem as the maximum dynamic roof load for a standard vehicle usually hovers around under 200kg.
The static roof load applies to the stationary vehicle, meaning you also have to take the tent’s occupants into account. If you are going on holiday with the whole family, make sure to know everyone’s weight and check the owner’s manual beforehand, to avoid unpleasant surprises during the night.
However, many manufacturers do not provide any further information beyond the dynamic roof load, German technical supervision body GTU warns. In such cases, if you don’t want to rely solely on your gut feeling, your only option with regard to the static roof load is to ask the dealer or manufacturer directly, search for info online or ask others with similar cars.Something for everyone
In Europe, prices for rooftop tents range from 800 euros (RM3,990) for hardware store and smaller models to about 2,000 euros (RM9,977) for versions from specialised dealers, according to Dag Rogg, head of Dusseldorf-based travel agency APS.
“But the sky’s the limit, especially if you want to add awnings to create standing room on the ground.”
Rooftop tents are not only available for classic off-roaders from brands like Land Rover or Mitsubishi, but other carmakers such as BMW, and even Porsche have long followed suit.
The Porsche version has been optimised in the wind tunnel and is particularly elaborately designed, according to the luxury sports car brand, but at just under 5,000 euros (RM24,942), this is really as far as you can take it when it comes to rooftop extravaganza. – dpa
