We love camping in our rooftop tent, which is actually set up on a low profile rack made from KB Voodoo Fabrications, just above our truck’s bed, and not our vehicle’s roof. The two person Roam Adventure Company Vagabond Lite suits our needs perfectly and having it mounted closer to the ground even allows us to lift Stevie Ray, our senior border collie – Australian shepherd mix, up into the tent with us at night.
We’ve camped out in our rooftop tent somewhere around 50 nights so far, and some of those sleeping experiences were better than others – mainly because of where we parked and how we configured the tent.
Your Rooftop Tent Camping Location Should Be Fairly Level
A nice level parking spot can make all the difference in whether or not your bed is level or not, or if you feel like you’re rolling downhill as you try to fall asleep. If you can’t find a level place to park your vehicle, at least use some flat rocks, boards, or better yet, a leveling system such as the one below made by Kohree, which are made of a tough fiber/polymer material and use interlocking pieces that cradle your tire. These don’t take much room and are easily stowed away for travel. When leveling your truck and rooftop tent, always block each wheel, and to set your vehicle’s emergency brake after you’ve got everything good and “level-ish”.
Avoid The Highest Camping Spots
When choosing a place to set up your vehicle’s rooftop tent, avoid the temptation to camp at the highest point. We’ve had a few uncomfortable nights when camped near ridge tops, not realizing how strong the winds would get at night. Being at the tallest point also can be dangerous during thunderstorms, which is why you shouldn’t be the highest object around.
Don’t Camp Near Dead Trees
Because of the many species of pine beetles, spruce beetles, etc. that are now consuming our forests, there are now millions of dead trees, still standing upright in our forests, waiting to come down at some point. Be sure to camp far enough away from standing deadwood so that if it falls, you’re not in its path.
Avoid Steep Drop Off’s
Any potential locations for placing your truck and rooftop tent should be away from steep drop-off’s. Unfortunately there have been far too many cases where campers have woken up in the middle of the night to relieve themselves, etc,. and stepped right off a steep cliff edge in the dark.
Be Extra Cautious When Camping Near Arroyos and Creeks
It’s tempting to camp near a stream for of the availability of water, but avoid doing so if there is any chance of heavy rains in the area. Be sure to avoid dry creek beds or arroyos, which can also flood with little warning.
Shelter In The Lee Of The Wind
Sailors have always known to anchor their boats on the lee side (away from the wind) of an island. Rooftop campers should use similar tactics when setting up camp and let large natural objects – such as hills or even large boulders – block strong prevailing winds. You can get an idea of which way the prevailing winds blow the strongest at a potential campsite by noticing which way most trees are bent.
Be sure to secure any parts of your rooftop tent that might flap in the wind and to tie tent cords down snug to stakes that have been driven deep into the ground. Almost nothing is more annoying than having a part of your tent flapping in the wind in the middle of the night.
Snakes and Other Wildlife
We once camped at an old abandoned homestead in New Mexico, where we were excited to do night photography around some old adobe structures. Rattlesnakes were the last thing we were thinking of, yet we soon found that we’d camped near a den of them, finding two slithering by our campsite just before we set up to cook dinner. Anywhere there are lots of old debris, including pieces of rusty roofing tin, piles of brush and old boards, you’ll probably have a few snakes and scorpions, so try to avoid camping these areas, no matter how photogenic they might be!
Large harvester ant mounds can also be a problem when camping in the Southwest. In the photo below, we used this ground tarp to cut down on dirt tracked into our tent, and to make it easier to spot ants and remove them.
If you have any tips on how to choose a good campsite for your rooftop tent, please drop us an email at [email protected].
See our road trip safety gear list for more safety ideas to consider for your next off-road camping adventure.
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