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Roof Top Tents: A Better Investment Than You Might Think

Duncan Burke

Feb 22, 2024

Roofnest, RTT invetment

When considering the purchase of a new Roofnest rooftop tent, affordability springs to the forefront of most people’s mind. With a variety of models, Roofnest makes tents to fit almost any budget, but more than that, a purchase of a new roof top tent is a better value than you might think.

Let’s break down all the cost savings and benefits of a Roofnest versus traditional vacations and see just how much money a roof top tent can really save you.

Driving versus flying

This is a debate that vacationers have every year: Should we drive or should we fly? Flying is faster, but usually much more expensive, especially as you add more people to the trip. Most travelers will also need to look into car rentals after a flight, so that is yet another cost you need to consider when planning your vacation budget. Just in travel costs, you can quickly build a bill well into the four digit range. On top of all that, you still need to find a place to stay when you get to your destination, adding even more cost.

Where the cars struggle to make up the value difference is on longer trips with multiple stops. If you start factoring hotel costs into the mix, the math can quickly turn in favor of flying.

But, with a Roofnest tent, almost all of these issues are resolved. With a roof top tent, you don’t need to worry about a hotel. You can just park up somewhere for the night, pop open the tent and have yourself a snooze. When you get to where you are going, you can find an affordable campsite and save hundreds of dollars versus hotel costs.

How to Find Places to Car Camp in Your Roof Top Tent

Roofnest camping vs ‘traditional’ camping

If camping and driving is cheaper than flying, or road trips with hotels, and a standard tent is cheaper than a Roofnest, then surely the most affordable vacation option is to just go tent camping, right?

Well, not exactly.

Part of what makes a Roofnest tent such an outstanding value is a combination of factors that are hard to measure at first glance. A simple tent may be more affordable than a Roofnest roof top tent, but a Roofnest is more than a simple shell. Depending on your Roofnest model, you get a full complement of extra features and equipment like a mattress, LED lighting, ground mat, tent cover, secondary privacy tent, and more.

Start adding up the cost of adding lights, a good mattress, and more to your standard tent, and see what the cost difference really ends up being.

Then there are the less tangible benefits of a Roofnest roof top tent versus a standard tent. Because a Roofnest is mounted to the top of your car, you have more room inside for gear, luggage, and friends. Not only does this give you more options for packing, it means that everyone in the car is likely to feel less cramped on your road trip.

We also can’t forget about build quality and longevity. With rugged construction featuring durable materials for our tent walls, aluminum for our frames and ladders, and then hardy ABS or aluminum shell options, a Roofnest tent is designed to last for years to come.

For the enterprising RTT owner you can rent your rig with a Roofnest or other high quality roof top tent for $50- $150 per night on platforms like Outdoorsy and Turo. Yea, you need to let someone you don’t know drive your car, but those platforms do have good insurance programs, For some the $100/night is a healthy subsidy

4:0910 days a year is a free tent in 3-4 years

 

Finally, while it doesn’t have a true cost associated with it, you can’t ignore the ease of use that comes with a Roofnest roof top tent versus a standard tent. Being able to set up or break down your tent in mere minutes means you are more likely to go out and enjoy the wilderness. You have less stress and worry about the weather or the ground condition of the campsite.

That peace of mind alone is priceless if you ask us.