A hard shell rooftop tent opens in 30 to 60 seconds. That figure gets quoted
so often it sounds like marketing, so it is worth being clear about what it
covers and what it does not. It is the time to open the tent itself, by one
person, in ordinary conditions. It does not include choosing a site, levelling
the vehicle or setting up the rest of camp.
What actually happens in that minute
Park the vehicle roughly level. Release the catches. Gas struts take the
weight and lift the shell for you, so you are guiding it rather than hauling it.
Position the ladder, which on every On The Horizon tent is a 2.3m telescopic one,
and climb up. There are no poles to thread, no fly to throw over the top and
nothing to peg into the ground.
Because the bedding stays inside between trips, there is no making the bed
either. That is the part people underestimate. The tent is not just faster to
open, it is faster to be finished with.
Why level matters more than speed
The one thing worth doing slowly is parking. A tent on a slope is a night
spent sliding towards one end, and it puts uneven load through the mounting. Take
the extra thirty seconds to find flat ground or to put a levelling ramp under one
wheel. It is the difference between a good night and a long one.
Packing up takes longer, and that is normal
Closing a rooftop tent is slower than opening it, because the canvas has to be
tucked in as the shell comes down rather than tossed. Expect a couple of minutes
rather than one, and expect it to be quicker once you have done it a dozen times
and know where the fabric wants to sit.
If the canvas is damp, close it to travel and then open it again at the next
stop or at home to dry properly. Canvas closed up wet for any length of time is
how mould starts.
Where the time is really saved
On a single overnight the difference between a rooftop tent and a ground tent
is minutes. On a two week trip that moves camp most nights, it is hours, and it
is hours at the two moments they matter most, arriving tired in the dark and
leaving in the rain.
Common questions
How long does a hard shell rooftop tent take to set up?
An On The Horizon hard shell rooftop tent opens in 30 to 60 seconds, by one
person, without leaving the ground. Release the catches and the gas struts do the
lifting. Packing up takes a little longer because the canvas has to be tucked in
as the shell closes.
Can one person set up a rooftop tent?
Yes. The gas struts carry the weight of the shell, so opening and closing is a
one person job on every model.
Is a hard shell rooftop tent faster than a soft shell?
Considerably, and the gap is widest when packing up. A soft shell needs the
cover fitted and the fabric managed, where a hard shell closes into its own
shell. That is the main reason people move across.
Related guides
How a Hard Shell Rooftop Tent Sets Up in 30 to 60 Seconds
A hard shell rooftop tent opens in 30 to 60 seconds. That figure gets quoted so often it sounds like marketing, so it is worth being clear about what it covers and what it does not. It is the time to open the tent itself, by one person, in ordinary conditions. It does not include choosing a site, levelling the vehicle or setting up the rest of camp.
What actually happens in that minute
Park the vehicle roughly level. Release the catches. Gas struts take the weight and lift the shell for you, so you are guiding it rather than hauling it. Position the ladder, which on every On The Horizon tent is a 2.3m telescopic one, and climb up. There are no poles to thread, no fly to throw over the top and nothing to peg into the ground.
Because the bedding stays inside between trips, there is no making the bed either. That is the part people underestimate. The tent is not just faster to open, it is faster to be finished with.
Why level matters more than speed
The one thing worth doing slowly is parking. A tent on a slope is a night spent sliding towards one end, and it puts uneven load through the mounting. Take the extra thirty seconds to find flat ground or to put a levelling ramp under one wheel. It is the difference between a good night and a long one.
Packing up takes longer, and that is normal
Closing a rooftop tent is slower than opening it, because the canvas has to be tucked in as the shell comes down rather than tossed. Expect a couple of minutes rather than one, and expect it to be quicker once you have done it a dozen times and know where the fabric wants to sit.
If the canvas is damp, close it to travel and then open it again at the next stop or at home to dry properly. Canvas closed up wet for any length of time is how mould starts.
Where the time is really saved
On a single overnight the difference between a rooftop tent and a ground tent is minutes. On a two week trip that moves camp most nights, it is hours, and it is hours at the two moments they matter most, arriving tired in the dark and leaving in the rain.
Common questions
How long does a hard shell rooftop tent take to set up?
An On The Horizon hard shell rooftop tent opens in 30 to 60 seconds, by one person, without leaving the ground. Release the catches and the gas struts do the lifting. Packing up takes a little longer because the canvas has to be tucked in as the shell closes.
Can one person set up a rooftop tent?
Yes. The gas struts carry the weight of the shell, so opening and closing is a one person job on every model.
Is a hard shell rooftop tent faster than a soft shell?
Considerably, and the gap is widest when packing up. A soft shell needs the cover fitted and the fabric managed, where a hard shell closes into its own shell. That is the main reason people move across.
Related guides