AUTONEWS

DIY rooftop tent sets up in a jiffy

[CraftAndu] shares his DIY car rooftop tent design that looks like a pretty accessible build. It allowed him to test drive the concept to his satisfaction while spending a fraction of what a commercial unit would cost.

The rooftop tent consists of a folding platform of sturdy plywood bolted to the roof rack. The tent is attached, with the support rods cleverly anchored to the hinges so folding the platform stows the tent and mattress, and unfolding deploys it. Doing this in a way that also leaves suitable clearance between the sections when folded requires a special hinge design, but it’s mechanically straightforward. According to [CraftAndu], it’s also plenty strong and he never had any worries about stability. The final touch is a rain cover made from durable waterproof fabric that buckles around the whole thing.

There are a few nifty design elements we particularly like. The integrated aluminum ladder is a nice touch, as is the little folding table on the inside of the ladder. Also, since the platform folds out to the side, one can have a small roof overhead while sitting below. Hanging a tarp around the perimeter also creates a what he jokingly refers to as “the livingroom”.

[CraftAndu] also shares his thoughts after using it for a two-week trip. Chief among them is that while it worked very well and shows no signs of wear, it’s still just a tent. It’s a bit cramped, cold, and like any tent it needs to be dried out in the morning due to condensation even if there’s no rain. On the plus side, it’s ridiculously convenient and easy to set up. Check it out in the video, embedded just below.

If you want to see some other DIY vehicle-camper projects, don’t miss this DIY pop-up truck camper, the Toyota Corolla that sleeps two, and for a little something different here’s a van converted to off-grid camper-slash-remote office.

Materials:

Decathlon 2-person Pop-up tent (50€)

Mattress for comfort (80€)

A sheet of plywood (3000X1500 mm, 18 mm thick. In imperial it would be 10x5 feet and 3/4 inch thick) (80€)

An aluminum ladder that is at least as long as the car is tall. (25€)

3 mm sheet metal for the hinges

4 small hinges for the ladder (around 25€ for all the hardware)

2 metal pins for connecting the ladder to the small hinges (these pins are used in trailer hatch hinges)

Bolts (16 pcs. M6) for connecting the ladder hinges to the plywood base.

Bolts (2 pcs. M12) for connecting the main hinges to each other.

Bolts (8 pcs. M10) for connecting the main hinges to the plywood.

Bolts (8 pcs. M10) for connecting the tent rods to the main hinges.

Bolts (4 pcs. M10) for connecting the tent to the roof rack.

Corresponding washers and locking nuts.

Paint for plywood and metal parts. (10€)

Heavy-duty buckles (2 pcs.) and angle aluminum for keeping the tent closed while driving

Wire clips, and a few panhead screws for connecting the tent to the plywood.

Rain cover material (further explained in step no. 6) (50€)

Buckles (8 pcs.) for attaching the rain cover to the tent

The prices included are what I paid for this stuff (august 2021, Estonia). Prices probably vary a lot in different locations.

Roofrack is needed to attach the tent to the car. If you do not have any I recommend building it as I did. I used two rectangular tubes and attached those to the car using muffler brackets. Cheap but very sturdy - good for hauling material as well!

CraftAndu