Are these new or used?  These are brand new tents

Is there a warranty?  Yes. In addition to  a warranty against shipping damage from the freight company, your tent is covered by a 30-day exchange warranty against manufacturing defects.  Returns must be pre-approved and shipped prepaid in original packaging.

I weigh 260 lbs, will this tent hold me? Yes. CarTopCamper here, I weigh 240 lbs (but am trying to lose it!) and have 'stress tested' this tent with two of my adult sized children, my 255 lb brother-in-law, and me onboard at one time - the tent held up fine with no noticeable floor sag, bowing of crossbars, ladder etc.

Will the car tip over with all that weight over the side? No.  Most of the loaded tent weight is directly over the top of the car.  The ladder also bears much of the weight of the fold over floor. Your car most likely weighs at least 3000 lbs, it would be very difficult to load enough weight onto the fold over floor to cause your car to tip.

Will a loaded tent cause my car roof to cave in?  No.  Hard top cars (i.e. not convertible) cars must maintain passenger space integrity during a rollover.  Therefore , your car roof must bear the weight of your car in an emergency - which is far more than what a loaded tent weighs.

Will the tent collapse if the ladder is removed? No. In addition to the ladder, the cantilevered folding floor  is supported by web straps that extend over the ceiling frame and are anchored to the non-folding floor.   Our tests show that an adult sitting completely on the folding floor will only drop a few inches when the ladder is removed.

Can my roof rack carry the weight of a fully loaded tent?  Depends. Generally your roof rack reflects a 'driving' weight limit.  Your roof rack system should be rated for at least 120 lbs to support this tent when driving.  When parked, your roof rack is capable of much higher 'static' loads, that generally will support the weight of a fully loaded roof tent.  To be safe, you should refer to your auto and/or roof rack system manufacturer to verify that it will hold the weight of a loaded tent.  If your factory rack isn't rated for 120 lbs or more, check out racks from Thule or Yakima for heaver duty rack systems.

Why are roof tents so expensive when compared to ground tents?  A safe well-designed roof tent is comprised of many custom engineered extrusions and mechanical parts, in addition to the sewn fabric tent shell.  This is a more complicated structure than most ground tents.  All of this expensive engineering and custom manufacturing is spread over a smaller user base, so the per unit costs are higher.   However, when you open the tent for the first time, you will be impressed by the value that has been engineered into this product.

Why are you selling these roof tents for so much less than others?  This is a high quality product engineered for standardized high volume production, the savings are passed through to you.   Our objective is to get lots of roof tents into the market quickly to build awareness for this product category.  We believe that you will be very satisfied with this product, and that you will refer new customers.

What customers are saying:   “The tent is awesome”, “Kids are digging the whole deal”      “Very happy with tent, see pictures!!”, “Excellent transaction”, “Great communication!”

More frequently asked questions are answered below...

Ask Car Top Camper a question...

Q:   Is there a dealer near me or can I see the Car Top Camper locally?

A:   Unfortunately I don’t have dealers; I currently sell tents direct through the Internet and occasionally through outdoor sports shows.  I also respect my customers’ privacy and wouldn’t impose upon them to show their tent.  However, you might post an inquiry on some of the off-road and outdoor recreation forums or ask an owner about their tent at when you see one in a campground.

Q:  Can I pick up a tent in California and save shipping costs?

A:   I ship from centralized fulfillment location in Texas, I only have demonstrator units in California that  I use for shows

Q:   I will be mounting this on a 1994 Chevy Suburban with factory roof racks.  Will this be enough or will the tent mount with this setup?

A:   Yes, this should work—I’d recommend mounting the tent to a set of sturdy crossbars from www.proline.com and mounting the crossbars to you side rails.

Q:   Will I need a ladder extension since to the top of my factory roof racks is 73"?

A:   I recommend getting the ladder extension for any vehicle 7’ or taller because the added length allows the ladder to slant a little less vertically—allowing easier access to the tent.

Q:   I’m a 5’5” 60-year old single woman—do you think this tent would work for me?

A:  It is hard to say—but I’d say this probably wouldn’t be a good solution for you.  Generally, you must have good strength and agility to set up the tent and climb up and down the ladder.  Also, you would need help with the mounting and dismounting of the tent to your vehicle.  Hint:  mount the tent on a lower vehicle such as a compact station wagon to simplify opening, closing and accessing your tent.

Q:  What is the shipping cost to Turkey, Israel, Brazil, Norway, Finland, France etc.

A:  Currently you must arrange your own pick up of the tent from Texas.  Your best bet is to contact a local customs broker to arrange import.  Duties, tariffs and freight range widely.  Generally airfreight to Europe is between US$500 and US$700.  You may also need to purchase an internationally approved pallet—approx US$50.  We will prepare a commercial invoice.

Q:   I'm trying to get ready for a road trip.  How long will it take to receive a unit once I order it?

A:   It takes one to three days to prepare the tent for shipping and another 5 business days or less to deliver the tent to the lower 48 states.  Alaska and Hawaii are more expensive to ship and take longer.

Q:   “I am interested in this item is it still available?”  Or  “Can I send you a certified check for more than the purchase price  and you can refund the difference to my truck driver when I pick up the tent?”

A:   Please don’t try these age old scams on me.  I only accept payment via PayPal to protect both my customers and me.

Q:   Wanted to know what type of roof rack do you recommend for a 2001 Discovery Series II, for this type of tent.

A:   I can’t make specific rack recommendations as there are way too many combinations available.  I recommend one of the rack specialty sites on the Internet such as Thule.com or RackNRoad.com

Q:   Can the tent withstand wind and rain?

A:   Yes, the tent can handle considerable wind and rain.  The tent is  supported by a sturdy internal aluminum frame and the deep awnings are supported by spring steel support rods.  I got into roof tents because the flimsy dome tents I used would cave in during the evening winds while beach camping.   The deep awnings over all windows do a good job of keeping the rain out while providing great ventilation.

Q:   Is the floor solid?

A:   Yes, the floor is built up from an aluminum frame.  It is skinned in aluminum and insulated with foam.  The floor feels as though you are on the ground—very solid feeling.

Q:   How many people will fit into your expedition series?

A:   The tent will comfortably sleep two adults and possibly one small child.  The mattress is 55” wide—approximately a full size bed width .  The mattress is almost 8 feet long.

Q:  Does the tent come with the ladder and rainfly?

A:   Yes, the tent is shipped with the ladder and rainfly.  The ladder extension is optional as is the  separately available changing room.

Q:   Will the tent fit a 2001 Toyota 4runner with factory rack?

A:   Yes, but you will need to get a stronger set of crossbars from Thule.

Q:   What's the approximate life of the hardware if used say 5 days out of each month in varying climates; Oregon coast, Idaho mountains, California desert?  Opening and closing the system seems like it might wear out in a year.

A:  The hardware is rugged.  I've not heard of any major hardware failures yet and this model tent has been out for two years.  Minor parts like the webbing clips may wear over time, these parts are available from many hardware stores.  With heavy use the tent fabric may show wear (including zippers, window netting and awning grommets.)  A replacement tent shell is available on my site.  The travel cover might also wear and this is available from my site.  None of these parts have yet been ordered due to being worn; although several travel covers have been replaced due to accidental rips.  I also see orders for awning rods - which are generally accidently left at the campsite.

Q:   How well does it "travel" over long distances?  We are planning a 2500 miles roundtrip car trip from Washington state to Colorado.   Does it get noisy--parts working loose and flapping around?

A:  The rig travels very well.  The close fitting travel cover is attached to one side of the tent, and zippers around the other three sides.  The cover is also secured by two nylon straps.  The tent cover doesn't flap at all.  I would expect this tent to survive an extended road trip.  Several of my customers leave their tents on their vehicles year round.  Nonetheless, if the tent cover does rip or wear out, I can have a replacement shipped within a week to just about anywhere in the country.

Q:   How easy is it to maintain?  Is there any special maintenance needed periodically?

A:  Inspect all fasteners to make sure things remain tight.  I'd recoat the tent and rain fly fabric with tent waterproofing spray every six months.  Also, keep the zippers lubricated with silicon spray to keep these functioning well.

Q:   You noted that an older, shorter woman (60 yrs @ 5'5") would have difficulty in using the tent.  I believe you indicated she would be too short and would need help.  What about folks with minor back issues?

A:  So much depends on the extent of your back issues.  I am 6' 3" and like many middle aged guys - my back isn't what it use to be.  I always request help from my family to install and remove the tent from my SUV.  I can generally always open and close the tent by myself.  Climbing the ladder and entering the tent requires a certain degree of agility.  There are two assist straps, but still some strength and climbing ability is required.

Q:   2nd part to above question.  How much strength is needed to open the tent?  Could a person (feeble old woman ;-P) unfold the unit.  Does the tent have anything like a spring door opener?

A:  Now you're making me a little nervous - I wouldn't recommend the tent for a feeble old woman or man.  One easy solution is to mount the tent to a shorter vehicle – a station wagon works great.  Realistically, on some SUVs you are sleeping 7 feet or higher off the ground.  I grew up with tree houses, so this doesn't bother me - but I'm always aware that one misstep could cause an injury.  Opening the tent requires that you find something to stand on to reach the zipper around the travel cover.  Opening the clamshell tent  is actually pretty easy - I extend the ladder first to provide a little leverage.  The fold-over floor is nicely balanced so it lifts without much effort.

       I generally am OK standing on the door sills, on top of the tires on the bumpers etc. - but you might want to bring a small ladder to extend your reach.  Also, the awnings are held up by 8 spring metal rods - I am able to reach some of these through my sunroof, but not everyone has a sunroof.  So in some cases you might have to almost climb on the roof to extend the awnings.  The door is zippered (not sure what a spring door opener is.)

Q:  Are there any models or other owners who live near Spokane Washington.  I'd love to have a look at the tent.

A:  I'm sorry, but I don't have a dealer network and while I do have customers in Washington, I respect their privacy and don't ask them to show the tent.

Q:   Do you have units in stock now?  If we ordered this week--would we have the unit before July 18th?

A:  Yes, I have tents in stock and can get a tent to you by your time frame if you order before July 9th.  It takes a couple of days to package the tent and 5 business days or less to deliver  anywhere in the lower 48 states.

Q:  I couldn't find anything mentioned regarding where it is manufactured. Usually, when that information is not available one is to assume its China?

A:  Yes, it is manufactured in China (but to US design and strict quality control standards)

Q:  The warranty seems to cover only shipment defects. If you have an issue who does one contact?

A:   Manufacturing defects are covered by warranty and must be communicated to CarTopCamper within 30 days of tent receipt.  Because of the cost of shipping and the need to properly package the tent for safe shipment, we make every effort to handle any defect (very rare) by shipping a replacement part - before authorizing return of the tent.  RETURN SHIPPING OF A TENT IS RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CUSTOMER. We generally require a picture of the part in order to ship the right part.  Shipping damage is an issue first taken up with the freight company.   

Q:  Do you offer any kind of a referral or affiliate program?

A:  Many people ask if they can earn a referral fee for new customers especially since they often provide an impromptu demonstration whenever they open their tent in a campground.   Contact affiliate@cartopcamper.com and we’ll see if we can set something up.

Q:  I have always used season ratings when buying a tent. I couldn't find a rating in the website. Is your tent rated - 2 or 3-season? 

A:  Sorry, can't help you there.  My customers tell me it holds up well in snow (see pictures on the site.)  But I don't make any assertions about season worthiness.

Q:  Unfortunately, the customer these days has to deal with word-play. After reading your site, can I come to the conclusion that your tent's fabric is "water resistant" not "water proof"? 

A:   As soon as I say 'waterproof' someone is going to try prove me wrong with a hose.  The standard rip stop tent fabric is polyurethane coated on the inside - it is about as water 'resistant' as you'll find in a tent.  Opening and closing the tent over time will cause the pinholes in the polyurethane coating - water could seep through these holes. The built-in rain fly offers another layer of protection from the rain.   As with most tents, a periodic coating of the seems with silicone waterproofing spray is warranted.  The cotton poly tent is less water resistant (but still holds up well to rain.)  As you've done, others can order a fabric sample of the ripstop tent and rain fly fabric for $2.00.