A roof top tent on the car becomes dirty on a long trip, covered with dead insects and such stuff, so it may be temping to go with it through a car wash. But can you really do this? Find out here.
There are several things to consider if you really plan to go through a carwash with a roof top tent:
- Check if it is allowed to do this in that particular carwash.
- Make sure this is physically possible regarding the height of your car together with the roof top tent on it.
- Think if you really want to do this.
Is it allowed to go through a carwash with a roof top tent?
There is no much difference here between a roof top tent and a standard car roof box. If you see the sign related to a car roof box, then most likely the same applies to a roof top tent.
In case of any doubt it is best to ask the staff. If you go through, it is also a good idea to make a photo of the car and the roof top tent before you get in the carwash.
What can go wrong?
You do not know in advance, but there may be differences regarding the type of the carwash. Regarding damages, it is probably less risky if this is about a touchless carwash.
In this case there are no brushes to snag on your box, and the issues can mainly be related to water pressure, and the roof top tent can be filled with water.
But there may be more chemicals used for washing and you cannot know how this may act on your roof top tent.
If this is not a touchless carwash, then there may be a risk of potential physical damages. There may also be damages to the automatic washer itself, so you can get in trouble if you ignore signs and instructions and go through even if this is not allowed.
Also, make sure that you know the warranty for your roof top tent and what it says about a carwash use.
Is it physically possible to go through a carwash with a rooftop tent on?
This is related to the height of the car together with the cross bars and the roof top tent on. These items are normally built to be thin and with a low profile, so most likely this is rarely a problem.
But a SUV can be high itself, so extra 20-35 cm or so from a roof top tent may indeed become an issue.
So it is important to know the numbers and compare with what you see at a particular carwash.
Do you really want to go through a carwash with a roof top tent?
Let’s assume that it is allowed, and there are no physical reasons mentioned above. Yet, if this is about a soft shell roof top tent with a soft cover, I do not think I would ever contemplate of going through a carwash with it.
Remember that all roof top tents come with a mattress in place. In some roof top tents you can have your bedding stored as well, so if it all gets soaked with water, this can ruin your trip.
With hard shell roof top tents, this might be a bit different. They are usually thin and with a smooth profile without many features from outside. Their solid body is either aluminum or some strong synthetic material.
So they could perform well in a touchless carwash. However, as you know these are expensive items, and I do not think I would easily decide to do this.
So the answer to the question in the title would be, most likely at many places you can go through a carwash with a roof top tent. But this does not necessarily mean that you should do this.
What do you think? Let us know, there is a comment box below.
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Hi, I am Jovo, the founder of this Off-Ground Tents site and several other outdoor sites. I have been mountaineering for almost 40 years already, and I have created this site to use as a reference for various types of above ground tents.