The pros and cons of rooftop tents and camper trailers for families
Is your family stepping up from standard tents and swags to a rooftop tent or camper trailer? Each has its advantages and hardshipsWe know it’s hard to decide what the best camping setup will be for your family when you move on from simple tents and swags. There are some fantastic alternatives like rooftop tents, soft-floor canvas camper trailers, and hard-roof campers, not to mention self-contained caravans and motorhomes. A lot depends on your budget but there are options for every family to get outdoors and enjoy camping together.
Each comes with its pros and cons, and it will depend on your family’s camping and travelling style to determine what setup best suits you.
As a mum of two, family car journalist and founder of BabyDrive.com.au, I have been road-tripping and camping with my family many times with various different setups, vehicles and locations. Here are my family’s pros and cons of rooftop tents and camper trailers compared to self-contained caravans or motorhomes…
Rooftop tent
Rooftop tents are a great compact camping option for families without the space to store a caravan or camper trailer. You can leave them on your vehicle so you can camp at any opportunity or take them off and store them in your garage. They also free up boot space otherwise used by swags or tents and some models enable you to keep bulky bedding inside them when packed away.
Rooftop tents come in various designs and for different budgets. Some have a fold-out design with canvas roof and wall construction and others are a clamshell style with a hard top and bottom with canvas walls that collapse into a self-contained box. Some have a bit of both.
You can read about our recent family camping holidays in the Thule Approach large family-sized canvas rooftop tent when we visited Lamington National Park and Springbrook National Park.
Rooftop tents are similar to motorhomes in their impermanence; every time you want to drive anywhere, you have to pack them up and take them with you, so they do suit more minimal or organised campers.
You will need to check your vehicle’s roof load rating to make sure it’s strong enough to hold the weight of the roof tent while travelling along.
It’s worth checking with your insurance company if your rooftop tent is classed as a modification and whether it is covered by your insurance if damaged in an accident or stolen from (or with) your vehicle.
Rooftop tent pros
- Like motorhomes, rooftop tents are generally quick and easy to set up and pack away
- All you need is in (and on) one vehicle like a motorhome, so you’re not towing anything
- You sleep up off the ground away from flora and fauna
- Rooftop tents increase fuel consumption less than towing
- No extra cost on barges and ferries like with a camper trailer
- Great elevated vantage point for stars, sunsets and sunrises from a rooftop tent
- Minimal equipment maintenance
- You can get extensions that attach on for weather protection or on-the-ground living space
- Great for road trips when you are moving regularly because of minimal set up/pack down
Rooftop tent cons
- Like motorhomes, you have to pack up camp whenever you want to drive anywhere
- Like motorhomes, the added height can make driving in some places difficult and prone to damage by low-hanging trees
- The ladder height can be tricky with kids; you have to take care getting them up and down, and some kids can be nervous of the ladder and height at first
- Limited indoor space for really bad weather
- Climbing up and down the ladder at night to go to the toilet
- Limited in-tent storage, so everything has to be stored in your vehicle
- Can make your vehicle more top-heavy
Camper trailer: fold-out canvas type
Fold-out canvas camper trailers are a great first step for families wanting a few more luxuries and space when camping. They have more waterproofing and permanence than a basic tent without being as big to tow or store as a caravan.
Available at varying price points new and used, there is a camper trailer for all budgets and sizes of family.
These often have great outdoor kitchens that pull or swing out from the trailer with an awning over the top for weather protection. It’s an iconic sight at all Aussie campgrounds.
Fold-out canvas camper trailer pros
- More permanent; like a caravan, you can set up camp, unhitch your vehicle and drive around
- A little indoor space during bad weather
- Packs down smaller than a caravan, so is easier to store
- Not as tall as a rooftop tent or motorhome, so easier to navigate under low tree branches etc
- Generally lighter than a caravan to tow
- Outdoor kitchen keeps cooking smells outside
- More rugged models are one of the best ways to enjoy comfort in remote off-road locations
Fold-out canvas camper trailer cons
- Camper trailers can take an hour or three to set up and pack away
- Can be hard for road trips when you are moving daily/regularly because of set-up and pack-down time
- Need a storage space bigger than a roof tent
- They add to fuel consumption, but less than towing a caravan
- Unlike a rooftop tent you have to factor in the cost of rego, insurance and maintenance
- Have to learn to tow and park a trailer
- Have to have a vehicle that can tow and has the correct trailer brake controller, etc
- A canvas roof is more susceptible to leaking in wet weather than a hard-roofed camper-trailer or self-contained caravan
- Packing it away wet and having to get it out afterwards to dry it out
Camper trailer: pop-up, hard-roof type
These are a great halfway house for families wanting much of the luxury, comfort and internal living space of a caravan but without the size, price and weight.
Available at varying price points new and used, there are a few brands of pop-up camper trailer that cater for all family budgets and have varying sleeping configurations depending on your family’s size and needs. They often have a seating area that can convert into extra single or double beds, for example.
You can read about our recent family camping holiday in a pop-up Goldstream Storm camper trailer towed by a Nissan Patrol Warrior to Mulgumpin (Moreton Island).
Pop-up, hard-roof camper trailer pros
- Fantastic storage; you can leave everything in the cupboards ready to go for each camping trip
- Can be quicker to set up and pack away than a fold-out canvas camper trailer
- Some models have both outdoor and indoor kitchen facilities, the inside one being great if the weather is bad
- More permanent; like a caravan, you can set up camp, unhitch your vehicle and drive around
- Proper indoor living space is a real bonus during bad weather
- The hard roof is waterproof in extreme rain
- Fewer wet canvas surfaces to deal with when packing down after rain compared with fold-out camper trailers
- Separate, caravan-like indoor eating and sleeping spaces
- Smaller than a caravan to store
- Not as tall as a rooftop tent or motorhome, so easier to navigate through trees etc
- Generally lighter than a caravan to tow
- Better visibility when towing than with a caravan
Pop-up, hard-roof camper trailer cons
- Takes longer to set up and pack away than a self-contained caravan or motorhome
- More things to go wrong and cost to fix than a rooftop tent or fold-out canvas camper trailer
- Wind-up roof mechanism needs regular maintenance and servicing
- Can be hard for road trips when you are moving daily/regularly because of set-up and pack-down time
- Need a storage space bigger than a roof tent
- They add to fuel consumption, but less than towing a caravan
- Unlike a rooftop tent, you have to factor in the cost of rego, insurance and maintenance
- Have to learn to tow and park a trailer
- Have to have a vehicle that can tow and has the correct trailer brake controller, etc.
- Packing it away wet and having to get it out afterwards to dry it out
Related: Which family caravan or camper should I buy?
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Related: Top 10 camping tips for families
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