This is our review of the Roam Adventure Company Vagabond Lite rooftop tent, which we purchased just over two months ago. We took this rooftop tent on a 2,500 mile, month-long trip throughout the western U.S. and slept in it all but three nights during that time. Our previous tent was a 4 person Big Agnes, which has served us well for many years. Searching for an easier way to tent camp, we decided to bite the bullet and try the rooftop route. Here is what we liked about the Vagabond Lite, as well as some things that what we didn’t especially care for.
Vagabond Lite Basics
The Roam Adventure Company Vagabond Lite is a two-person (plus one large dog!) rooftop tent with a capacity of 650 lbs and a sleeping area of 48″ x 85″ x 52″. It retails for just under $1,600 and is on a similar price point as the Thule x Tepui Explorer Ayer 2.
The tent is made of 280g rip stop poly/cotton, which is UV, water, and mold resistant and the rainfly is made from 600D PU-coated diamond rip stop nylon. It comes with a 3″ foam mattress and a 7′ ladder. The weight of the tent plus mattress is 110 lbs. The tent also comes with a heavy-duty, laminated, 720 GSM PVC cover that zips up around the folded tent. The Vagabond Lite comes with a one year warranty and is made for US-based Roam Adventure Company by their fabricator in China.
We Opted To Mount it Lower
We considered the various mounting options for the Roam Adventure Company Vagabond Lite. We ultimately chose a rack system made by US-based KB Voodoo Fabrications, which was compatible with our Tonneau cover. This rack allowed us to mount the tent about one and a half feet closer to the ground, making for a much easier entry and exit – as well as being easier for lifting our older dog up into the tent. The only downside to this configuration is that we’re unable to extend the poles that suspend the rain awning outward – on the cab side, though this is only a minor issue for us.
Sure Beats A Ground Tent!
We saw some YouTube videos with click-bait titles such as “Why I Hate My Rooftop Tent”, etc., and naturally had to view them before making our purchase. Some owners of rooftop tents complained about the extreme height of the tent, and having to climb so far up a ladder. Some complained about how the tent swayed with body movement as the whole vehicle moved, and others complained about having to be parked on completely level ground to be able to have a good night’s sleep. We’ve even heard some complaints that a rooftop tent can decrease your fuel economy.
Perhaps because we chose to mount the tent a bit lower on our vehicle, we haven’t experienced a single one of the above issues. You do need a fairly level spot to park, but other than that it’s much easier than setting up a regular tent every evening. Also, being up off of the ground and away from snakes, scorpions and other creepy crawlies is a big plus for us.
What We Liked About The Roam Adventure Company Vagabond lite
- Setup is easy and takes only about 10 minutes.
- The included foam mattress is very comfortable,
- Waterproof in heavy rain.
- Rain-fly has a see-through skylight.
- Better air flow and cooler in summer than a ground tent.
- Lightweight and doesn’t affect vehicle stability.
Some Things That Could Be Improved
- The price could be a bit lower. The similarly appointed Thule x Tepui Explorer Ayer 2 retails for about $200 less.
- The ladder will sometimes kick back out from under you as you’re climbing down it. Parking on perfectly level ground helps solve this.
- The entry way zipper seems unusually tight, with too much tension on it and is hard to pull.
- There isn’t much room to spare inside for bedding when it’s folded up. You’ll most likely need to remove pillows and heavy bedding to get it to close properly. We were able to keep 2 ultra-thin Ikea full/queen duvets (which we use instead of sleeping bags) and a bottom sheet inside the tent with it folded. We did need to make sure the bed was “made” before we attached the interior bungees that help collapse the tent inward. We kept our pillows inside the cab as these were too big and prevented the tent from folding.
- An integrated LED lighting system would be a nice addition.
- It would be nice if it was made in the USA.
The Bottom Line
So far we’re very happy with our purchase. Aside from the inconvenience of having to install it on our truck for the camping season and take it off afterwards, it’s way easier to set up than a ground tent, and much more comfortable to sleep in. (No more rocks under our sleeping bag or setting up cots.)
At only two months into our purchase we can’t comment on long term durability, but so far – so good. We’ll update this review of the Roam Adventure Company Vagabond Lite about a year from now, to let you know how it’s holding up. At just under $1,600 it’s much cheaper than a pop-up camper or overland trailer, and a great solution for those looking for a step up from regular tent camping.
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