Thule Acquires Tepui

[B^2]

Came across this post on a cycling blog and thought people would be interested: https://bikerumor.com/2018/12/18/thule-sets-up-camp-with-acquisition-of-tepui-roof-top-tent-company/

 

[Utah KJ]

Well, that's going to change the product significantly as they find a way to place it into Walmart.

 

[hidesertwheelin]

Well, that going to change the product significantly as they find a way to place it into Walmart.

Walmart sales Thule?

 

[moderndaynorseman]

Walmart sales Thule?

Thule is very widely distributed what with all of the different areas they can cater to (strollers, backpacks, car racks for bikes/skis/kayaks/cargo to name a few) so getting Tepui under their banner makes a fair bit of sense, especially given that Yakima has a roof top tent of their own to compete against.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Well, that's going to change the product significantly as they find a way to place it into Walmart.

I've always thought Tepui was part of the Walmartification of Eezi-Awn, Autohome and Maggiolina.

 

[Kevin108]

The price points of Tepui and below have allowed the market to explode. The competition has been good for everyone except those charging more for the same stuff.

 

[Utah KJ]

I've always thought Tepui was part of the Walmartification of Eezi-Awn, Autohome and Maggiolina.

Oh snap.

 

[RangeDrive]

I just want to brag a minute. I bought a Tepui Autana XL 4 person ( $2300 retail ) for $650 at a REI garage sale today ??. Not the tent I wanted but for $650 I couldn’t give it up, it’s in brand new condition, just returned by the original buyer. Now to find some roof bars for my camper shell to mount it to

 

[GB_Willys_2014]

What Thule’s Acquisition of Tepui Means for Overlanding

Is the massive rack-maker's investment in rooftop tents a good thing?

https://www.outsideonline.com/2379211/what-thules-acquisition-tepui-means-overlanding

 

[Cowboycove]

I just want to brag a minute. I bought a Tepui Autana XL 4 person ( $2300 retail ) for $650 at a REI garage sale today ??. Not the tent I wanted but for $650 I couldn’t give it up, it’s in brand new condition, just returned by the original buyer. Now to find some roof bars for my camper shell to mount it to

Where do you live. I'll come take it off your hands for double. Lol. Was it used or opened? My 2 locations just have them in stock regularly. So I don't see why the clearance.

 

[RangeDrive]

I’m in Tucson. It was a return, brand new tent and cover, but upon further inspection, it’s missing the annex and mounting hardware. But all in all it was a great buy

 

[NudeLobster]

I’m in Tucson. It was a return, brand new tent and cover, but upon further inspection, it’s missing the annex and mounting hardware. But all in all it was a great buy

wow and I almost went to that sale...but I was on my way out of town for Mojave. Good snag! jealous indeed.

 

[RangeDrive]

They had 2, a 4 and a 2 person. I’m definitely headed out to the next one, got to get there EARLY though, we showed up 1 hour after opening, and one of the RTTs was already snagged

 

[Gascan4X4]

What Thule’s Acquisition of Tepui Means for Overlanding

Is the massive rack-maker's investment in rooftop tents a good thing?

https://www.outsideonline.com/2379211/what-thules-acquisition-tepui-means-overlanding

The author of this article lost all credibility when I read his last paragraph:

But, at its worst, overlanding is just one more way to charge people way too much money for something they don’t need. I’d argue that rooftop tents are currently the worst example of overlanding’s excesses. They offer nothing but negatives over a well-chosen and expertly used ground tent, and are primarily sold to novice campers who don’t know any better. If overlanding is going to stick around, then it needs to focus on enabling adventures, not simply selling people on an image. And, if Thule wants to be successful at selling people rooftop tents, it has to find a way to make its newly acquired product range more functional.

As someone who has camped in both ground tents and now an RTT, my response is "********!" Bugs, critters and tracking in rain & mud are all a thing of the past. And that childhood feeling of sleeping in forts & tree-houses you build as a wee-lad (or lass) make an RTT worth its weight in gold... for me at least.

 

[GB_Willys_2014]

The author of this article lost all credibility when I read his last paragraph:



As someone who has camped in both ground tents and now an RTT, my response is "********!" Bugs, critters and tracking in rain & mud are all a thing of the past. And that childhood feeling of sleeping in forts & tree-houses you build as a wee-lad (or lass) make an RTT worth its weight in gold... for me at least.

Yeah. I caught that too.

I generally like Siler's articles, but I am not sure why he has such vitriol toward RTT's. Actually seems to me an atypical comment, contradictory to some of his previous articles. Cannot explain it.