I often get asked about my AutoHome Maggiolina AirLander roof top tent, and I hope this page can answer some of those questions.
There are many brands of roof top tents out there, and a lot of them are good, they get the job done.
When I was shopping for one, a friend told me if I wanted to buy once and not have to worry about the tent or upgrading, then the AutoHome Maggiolina style models were the ones to go with.
In my opinion after owning one now since March of 2008, it is the best one on the market.
The model I own is an AirLander.
AutoHomes main site is in Italy, where these fantastic tents are made, and the USA site is the one I browse the most since this is where I live.
Italian site
USA site
I get asked a lot if these tents are warm in colder weather such as camping in the mountains or snow, and the answer is yes.
They have a low roof profile which means less space to heat, and what heat is inside escapes less.
Most of my camping is in the mountains at elevations between 3,500' and 5,000'.
While it can be quite cold out in the morning when I wake up, I am never cold inside of the tent with the flannel sheets and a winter weight down comforter that I use on the bed.
I get asked a lot too if you can use the factory FJ Cruiser roof rack, and I did run it that way for two years, but it is not the ideal way to run it.
For one, it is high up in the air and can effect your center of gravity more, and also the handling in a high wind situation.
This past spring (2010) I bought a newly designed rack from BajaRack that was made specifically for the Maggiolina style tents after a few of us on FJ Cruiser Forums asked for a low profile rack to hold the tent.
I highly recommned this roof rack for the FJ Cruiser if you plan on mounting one of AutHomes roof top tents.
I ordered mine from Mike at AutoHomes USA site too, he gets them direct from BajaRack, and you can also order from them too.
Here are a few threads from the FJ forum about this newly designed roof rack:
Thread one
Thread two
I also get asked how these tents do in the wind and rain, and the answer is fantastic, this is what they were designed for, to keep you dry, warm, and safe in the outdoors.
The material of my tent is made out of Dralon which is breathable, waterproof, virtually fade resistant, and very easy to maintain.
More information on the technical aspects of the tent can be found in the technical section on the Italian site for my tent.
Here are some excellent links from the USA site:
How to choose the model for you
What will fit
FAQ
The latter has some excellent advice to the advantages of roof top tents in general:
What advantage is there to having my tent on the roof of my vehicle?
The primary benefits in getting your tent up off the ground are…
- Your shelter is always with you and ready for a comfortable night’s sleep, which gives you a great deal of freedom
- Moving your sleeping quarters to the roof means that you have much more space in your vehicle, and no need to unpack to set up a comfortable place to sleep
- You don’t need a place to pitch your tent – so you can ‘camp’ anywhere – even RV parks that do not allow traditional tent camping.
- Fast and easy setup, even in the dark, equally fast and easy take down in the morning, even when the weather is wet and cold.
- Your vehicle stays cooler because the roof is shaded by the tent.
- Your tent also provides ready storage of your bedding and some equipment.
- AutoHome tents offer great ventilation and good view
- Fewer worries about insects, snakes, wildlife and other things that go bump in the night.
- Your tent – being up off the ground, will collect much less sand and dirt to contend with
- Sleeping on rocks or puddles is a thing of the past. Now you can camp anywhere your vehicle takes you – just park, pop open your tent, and get comfortable
- The list goes on, and you are only limited by your imagination.
I will add more to this page as time allows.
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