When you have a roof top tent on your car, it usually occupies almost all the space, but can you still put more things there on top of the roof top tent? Find out here.
Currently, there is only one type of roof top tents that is designed so that you cannot put things on top of it. This is the inflatable roof top tents. But this may change in future.
All other types of rooftop tents allow for extra gear transportation on top of them. They can be described as roof top tents with cargo capacity.
Clam shell roof top tents with cargo features
There is no doubt the clamshell type is the best regarding cargo features. It is not only that you can attach bulky things on the roof for transportation, you can even keep it there while you use it for sleeping, no need to remove it at all.
The picture below shows this for the TentBox Cargo roof top tent:
Something similar you can see also in the 23Zero Kabari clamshell roof top tent shown in the video below, please have a look:
Pop up roof top tents cargo features
Pop up rooftop tents are also in the group of hard shell type, and this implies a large solid lid on the box. This free space is usually used with the help of extra cross bars, and in some designs you have them either integrated or removable.
One example of this is the Roofnest Sparrow Adventure XL which is shown in the picture, and this is a removable type
Soft shell roof top tents with cargo capacity
The term soft shell implies that the roof of such a shelter is not solid, so cargo features can be expected only when the tent itself is closed, i.e., ready for travel.
Most soft shell roof top tents have a soft cover, and you have no options to attach anything on it. Though some of these tents fold and become narrow on the roof so that you can put things next to it, like a bicycle for example.
You can see this in the picture that shows the GT ROOF MINI by GentleTent. Note that this is an inflatable roof top tent.
But this text is about attaching gear on top of the tent itself. So indeed there are some clever designs where the soft shell roof top tent has a sort of solid lid with integrated crossbars so that you can attach your bulky gear there.
One great example of this type is the iKamper X-Cover 2.0 roof top tent. The picture below shows what you can do with it, the same tent is shown in the top picture above.
From the picture you see how it looks when closed, it is similar to a hard shell roof top tent. But do not be mistaken, this is indeed a soft shell tent as you can see from the picture below.
You can see more about this excellent tent in the video:
Conclusion
In summary, you can indeed put things on top of a roof top tent. Some of them come with integrated cross bars, and in some cases this is an accessory element that you can order separately.
In any case, with such extra bars you can drastically increase functionality of your roof top tent, and transport various bulky items and use them when you get to your outdoor destination.
But if you ever decide to go through a carwash with your roof top tent, make sure you remove stuff transported on the top of it.
Thank you for reading. For more stuff of this type please check under the category Roof Top Tents. Read my text about technical aspects of choosing a roof top tent that will fit your car.
Bookmark this site and keep as a reference, it is all about off-ground tents, and you will always have new texts added here. Have a nice day.
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.