Did you know that 77 million households have someone who camps!
Crawling on top of the car, you look up and are met with more stars than you’ve ever seen! A rooftop tent on your car can take your camping trips to the next level.
This guide will help you build your own rooftop tent and get you out exploring!
How to Get Started?
This guide to bed racks will keep you safe and warm throughout all your adventures!
The first thing that you need to know is what kind of tent you are looking to create.
If you have roof racks on your car you can use them to house your tent. A simple one-person tent can be made in a few steps.
Your local hardware store will have plywood, which you will use as a base. By laying two pieces of plywood together you can create a base that you will lay on.
It’s also advisable that you get some foam to put over the plywood as the wood is quite uncomfortable!
From there a simple folding mechanism and some good tent fabric will create a basic tent that will keep the adventure moving!
Make Your Own Rooftop Tent
If you are looking to get more involved, you can create a pop-up tent to travel with you.
A tent of this scale will require some knowledge of building and power tools. You will be using wood to first frame the tent.
You will first make the base. After creating a base, you will make a pop-up plywood top. This plywood will eventually be hinged over the top of the base and the cracks will be filled with a marine-grade epoxy to stop any water from getting into your tent.
Be sure to be liberal with the use of your epoxy resin, and smooth it out after applying. Doing this will make sure that you stay dry on all your camping trips.
After letting your resin dry, bring both pieces together. You will roll more epoxy resin on both parts to waterproof them. Then they will be hinged together, so you can pop up the top and sleep inside it whenever you need it!
Marine epoxy is used to keep water out of boats, but it will also keep you dry! It’s never a bad idea to have extra epoxy, your warm dry body will thank you later!
If You Build It, You May Sleep Easy
There are a few things to consider when building your own rooftop tent.
It’s highly advised that you invest in a waterproof shell. This large bag will house all your tent materials keeping them safe from the elements and able to be grabbed at a moment’s notice.
Never skimp on a comfortable mattress pad. These pads will be useful. A rooftop tent can be convenient, but also quite uncomfortable without the right creature comforts.
Go Your Own Way
The best part of camping is the freedom to live as you want to.
Don’t be afraid to add your own personality to any rooftop tent build you decide. A rooftop tent will need love and attention. It will face the elements, high speeds of the car and general wear and tear. With the right build though you will have created a home away from home for yourself.
With a rooftop tent adventure is always just a drive away! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, you can create a rooftop tent.
Follow along, and you’ll be out in the wild before you know it!