I’ve come across a rooftop tent set up on Reddit’s /r/Subaru subreddit and I’ll never be the same.
Could you sleep on top of your car for a week? This guy did. According to Reddit user DanBert88, after setting up his Subaru WRX with the right roof rails and a proper tent, he was able to camp out on top of his Subaru for more than seven days, no problem. Check out his setup in the photos provided below.
Slept on top of my WRX for a week. I am loving the Roof Top Tent life.
In the thread, Dan describes just how easy it was to get the right setup for this to work. By mounting a set of Yakima Corebars on a set of Skyline towers, he was able to fit his $1,600 Tepui tent on top of his car.
Traditional and roof top tents each provide different advantages. If you have to hike into your camp site a RTT is about as useful as t**s on a snake. It works well for me as I usually car camp with a large group of people so space to setup a traditional tent can be hard to find. With this I can back into my spot, unfold, and start drinking beer as I watch my friends clear rocks and debris from the site.
Although you might be wondering that this particular Yakima rack can’t support such a large tent with two full-sized adults, Dan assures you that for two people, the weight is just fine. Three or four and you’re pushing it. Allegedly the dynamic roof weight limit for a Subaru WRX is 150 pounds but keep in mind that’s with the car in motion. One Redditor piped in that the static roof weight limit on a Subaru Forester is 800 pounds and imagines it’s pretty similar for this Subaru WRX.
With such a large lump on your roof careening down the highway you also might think speed was affected, and you’re right but according to Dan, 80 MPH was no problem.
I think that has more to do with the Subaru having such a stout little engine more than anything. If you’re driving in a little 1.6 L Honda Civic, I’d probably say your experience may vary here.
Rooftop tents are downright cool. Wherever you park your car is your campsite.
Kudos to you Dan for such a sweet setup.
And if RTT’s are your thing, there’s a whole community out there just for you.
