Search results

Folding tents are designed to expand and have more room but are a pain on tall vehicles. They were originally designed when off road trucks went really slow, about as aerodynamic as a church, not a good choice for roadtrips. Hardshell tents were pretty much the same but have been redesigned to...

Years ago, Zifer in Italy developed the "universal" mount system that most all roof tents use today. It is a system and we would bring the sport bar manufacturers into the mix. It was developed with Thule in Europe. Here in the states we would work with Yakima, who didn't like the idea of...

Another idea ..... we never liked having the tents on the bed as it made it a hassle to get at anything. Years ago, Thule made a special tower that was designed to fit into the stake holes in the top of the bed. They were very light alloy and were intended as a ladder rack but made a great...

It might work but you really need to do some homework to make sure the top is well connected to the jeep and the gutters are structural so that the rack has something to connect to. Hard to tell by pictures. If the top is designed to handle a roll over, might be good to go. Ask the mfg for...

Machine shop, that looks welded or ask AutoHome to ship you whole assemblies. The rod is called an "acme" screw, like on jack to lift a car. This is a design for high loads. I've heard of chains skipping a tooth because of being over stressed lifting a heavy load or having something caught in...

You are right, that isn't working for you. A taller ladder will help a lot. I'd suggest starting with the folks at AutoHome and see if you can exchange your ladder for a taller one. They try to include a ladder that works for your intended rig. It is common to keep the tent when you change...

Myron, what exactly don't you like about your ladder? From what I can see in your picture, it may flex a lot because it is at its limit - stop against stop. You might want to exchange it for a longer ladder. Ladders seem to be an afterthought and not a lot of thought goes into them. I have...

There were some nice small Hardtop tents made by Zifer that you may find on the used market. They made a small Maggiolina "Adventure" that was designed for expedition use and very cold weather. If you are over 6'1" it is too short for you and the top barely goes high enough to sit up. The...

Years ago, a small Columbus was 95-100 Lbs with mediums running 115-120 Lbs. Large ones are stupid, they hang over the sides of the vehicle and mess with the aerodynamics. Maybe on a Chevy Subdivision .... If you put a nice 4" memory foam mattress in a Columbus and you will have a 150 lb...

Hi John, Your analysis and upgrade of the hardware is excellent, I don't disagree at all. The square holes in the brackets are made so you can replace with carriage bolts. When you get into the larger heavier tents the OEM hardware does get a bit wimpy. Personally, I like the original...

Or, just go with stainless and be done with it, and you can lock it. Use stainless pop rivets for extra strength and no corrosion

No, roof tents aren't over, they need to adjust to the mainstream. The trouble is that the specialty tents we all developed aren't well suited for the mainstream. I had my rooftent stolen, yes, I live in Portland, I don't blame Portland, my own laziness, it was a wakeup call. I left the...

Hi John, What is now called the "universal" mounting system was developed by AutoHome when they were known as Zifer. Before then, you mounted your tent to your expedition basket. This innovation saved about 100 pounds on your roof, The other development was having the rails let into the...

I wouldn't worry too much if the manufacturer is going to be around in 6-7 years. It is a cottage industry and expedition tents should be designed to be repaired anywhere. It is nice to have the support of an established manufacturer, sometimes they come up with accessories that can enhance...

I'm not impartial, long history with Zifer (now AutoHome) back when there weren't many roof tents. My current tent is a very old French rooftent that is like a zero gravity chair with a tent over it. Weight is 35 pounds so I can easily handle it. Has some limitations but I've been able to...

You are right, at 6' 5" length is going to be an issue. If you are looking at clamshell tents then I have to ask if you sleep on your side? If you sleep on your back then your toes will touch the roof on the narrow end which might be quite annoying. There are some longer tents that will work...

You guys bring up a good point. I see a lot of folks getting the wrong tents. Bigger isn't better as you describe. The Maggiolina you show is a good example, a specialty "Maggiolina" about 4 inches shorter than standard for cold weather. The rack on top is designed to put all your wet gear...

Yes, I know you are being humorous but you are right, you need to be careful. I had my rooftent stolen here in Portland. Last sighting about six months ago on a sketchy van. The real reason it was stolen was I left it on my Volvo full time. Only weighed 80 pounds, made of carbon fiber...

I might be able to give you a little insight into the "OverLand" History This is one of the first what we call "roof top tents", you will find it in the Whole Earth Catalog. Dates back to the early 50's. It is simply the Italian Air Camping tent with some modern advances in another color...

It was a kinder gentler time, when Jeep was commercial, Hummer was military. Brands didn't have so much importance....