How long was your journey? Where did you go?
We drove about 5300 km, Poland and Austria, 2 adults plus 2 children - 3 and 8 y/o.
Did you stay only on campsites or did you sleep in the wild as well?
In the wild as well. We slept in the forest twice, on the campsite three times. We stayed 1-4 nights in one place. If the weather worsened, we drove only 500 km and instead of dealing with cold, rainy, 19 degrees, we enjoyed sunny and warm weather. It was possible to completely change the climate. Rainy campsite is not helpful when you’re trying to organize time with two little kids. That’s why mobility is a huge advantage.
One of the advantages of Fold tent is that it opens and closes quickly. How did it affect the quality of your rest?
You don’t have to spend much time setting up the tent and can spend it with your family instead. You also don’t need to worry about bad weather. Fully opening or closing the tent took maximum 5 minutes. We took the rooftop tent and a traditional tent on our trip. Fold was permanently on the car, used during short stops, and the ground tent was opened when we were staying longer in one place. Inside is was a place for bicycles, food preparations and so on. Big tent was our base. During 2 weeks of vacations we slept 6 nights in the rooftop tent.
Is it even possible to sleep comfortably in a tent?
Paradoxically, we slept better in Fold than in a large tent. 2 adults and 2 kids 8 and 3 years old, adults at the exit, and kids deeper in the tent. At 180 cm, there was no need to curl the legs, there is more space inside than you think. The tent was so stiff on the platform that you could sleep comfortably. The ventilation works fine and it was good to spend nights there.
Have you slept in a tent, when it was windy or rainy outside?
During our trip there was no major weather turmoil, it was raining maybe 1 night. The water ran down the tent nicely. The tent has a place in the roof for a special element, which looks like a rod, that stiffens the roof and prevents water from staying on the tent. It helped when it was raining.
Was there anything that bothered you? Something you would change?
Ladder – it would be good to mark which stairs are foldable and which are stiff, but maybe I just need practice. With the soft shell, everything is conveniently folded, the tent material can be stuffed easily and quickly. It would be nice if the window could be opened completely but then the tent would not be 100% waterproof.
Advantages?
A huge advantage is the height, the fact that you sleep high, nobody has a chance to look inside. The mattress is thick enough, it is also easy to keep clean, it fits well to the shape of the tent. Thanks to the high shell, you can fold the tent with blankets, pillows, sleeping bags inside. It makes free space in the car. When the tent is fully closed, it is dark inside, no lights or lanterns disturb.
How about air circulation and tent heating up in the morning (temperature in general)?
In Austria, the temperatures were lower than in Poland at the time of our trip, so we did not feel the tent heating up so much. The two children also did their job when it comes to getting up early, before the heat. Leaving the windows opened, air circulation was sufficient. The heat in the open sun would be much more inconvenient, so we looked for a place to park under the trees. During the day it was normal that the tent was hot, but it was possible to survive.
What the kids liked the most about sleeping in the rooftop tent?
Playing, as much as possible, the kids wanted to sit in the tent, play and spend time there. They were able to climb the ladder without any problems, of course we secured the 3-year-old, but a child from 4 years old can easily climb on its own. The greatest fear was that the child would fall out, so we closed the mosquito net and, under supervision, they could sit inside alone.
Has the tent aroused interest or it is already normal in Europe?
It has, people asked where are we from, if they can check our tent out, is it comfortable to sleep inside. In Austria, it was already quite a popular way of traveling, the same in western campsites. You stay 1 or 2 days and go on the road. Such way of traveling allows you to move more freely, you are self-sufficient.
Did you feel any discomfort while driving due to the increased weight of the car and the increased air resistance?
It’s possible to get used to it. The noise is heard only above 120 km/h. Much depends on the railings used for the assembly. With a large clearance between the roof and the tent, the sound will be louder.
The difference in fuel consumption is about 1- 1.5l / 100 km at the maximum motorway speed.
Something to finish with ?
+ If someone does not have a platform on the roof of the car, it is good to use 3 crossbars, if it is possible to add one, it is worth considering.
+ Entrance and morning dew. Water in the morning condenses at the entrance, it is worth getting rid of it.
+ Solar panel, attached to the roof of the tent, is an additional source of electricity, and the only one when you make a stop in the wild. The refrigerator was in use all the time. We had a kettle, hair dryer, phone charger and everything close.
Thanks to the tent on the roof of the car, the way you think about traveling changes completely, the freedom to stop and overnight anywhere is great. Sometimes you can even stop in the restaurant’s parking lot, of course with the permission of the host, which happened to us once. Some places allow entry only by car, not setting up a tent, so you can use use it to observe beautiful views from the roof of the car.
Car: Mercedes V class 2.0
Roof rack More 4x4 (Polish company)
