Why are Roof Tents/Oz Tents so Expensive?

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bankz5152

bankz5152

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South London/North Kent
Hey,

On looking at roof tents (Hannibal) and Oz Tents I was wondering why they where SO expensive.

£2K for a Hannibal seems a hell of a lot for what is basically a fancy tent with some ladders.

Oz Tents are cheaper but still £500 - £600 a pop seems pricey too.

For that kind of money I could buy a few Vangos pop ups with a wheel barrow spare!

Am I missing somthing? Is there somthing particular that make these tents amazing for overlanding?

Would a simple pop up surrounded by a car awning not do the trick especially at the price difference £80 as opposed to £2,000. Even If I where to buy a spare it would be miles cheaper.

Finally can a regular tent be placed on top of a Defender 90? (for living/sleeping) Not just 'placing' it up there!

Please enlighten me!

Josh.
 
Last edited:
Im guessing the tents are designed to spread you weight to avoid damage to roof , which I'm sure would be a problem if you tried to put a normal tent of roof with tent pegs ;)
 
I assumed as much, though with a roof rack fitted and say a peice of wood/plastic/metal/other material laid across which in turn should also spread your weight across it too?
 
I think you are paying for the name a little but also what your paying for is the bolt on and off and the years of time and research into what makes a good roof tent.

There is factors like weight and being robust but there is also being both waterproof and breathable(most normal tents that are both are gonna be extensive), there canvas. They fold down into the width and length of your roof rack(you couldnt do that with your £100 vango! ;) )

You need some one like Griffdowg here to explain the real differences but the main ones i can see are above.
 
It'll also have a lot to do with quality of manufacture and economies of scale. There canna be that many roof / Oz tents made compared to the mass produced nylon jobbies.

I shelled out for a canvas bell tent last year - cost the same as ten Argus tents but will probably still be giving good service when I'm six ft under!
 
OK I dont do overlanding or even camping if I can help it. But I would love one of those tents. My reason for this - wildlife.

Its bad enough in this country thinking about what might be squirming under or worse still finding a way into your tent. I imaging this is much worse in hotter countries.

If I had to camp regularly, it would be well worth £600 or even £2000 to avoid this.
 
bankz5152 said:
I assumed as much, though with a roof rack fitted and say a peice of wood/plastic/metal/other material laid across which in turn should also spread your weight across it too?
Click to expand...

yeah i would guess so but as has already been said bolt on bolt off and a tent of good quality and right dimensions , £600 doesn't seem that bad considering the amount of engineering gone into it, the cost of a roof rack buying a tent that will last and fit on properly and the hasstle of it not being designed for a roof e.g. Putting away and all the lines off the tent (cant rembre what they are called ) :)
 
I don't need a roof tent, but was looking at the Oz Tents but can't justify the costs and the size of them is just too big to carry around in the back of my 90.

The Vango Pop-ups and other like them are 'cheap' and they do not last and I am informed that you will regret using them in anything but the best of conditions!!

I am therefore looking at a Kyham Igloo dome tent with erects as quickly as an oz tent, but is much better quality than your cheap festival pop-up tents, they are also used by the Royal Marines and on the Land Rover G4 Challenge so guess they must be pretty good:

Igloo (110042) - Khyam - Flexi-dome
 
bankz5152 said:
Hey,

On looking at roof tents (Hannibal) and Oz Tents I was wondering why they where SO expensive.

£2K for a Hannibal seems a hell of a lot for what is basically a fancy tent with some ladders.

Oz Tents are cheaper but still £500 - £600 a pop seems pricey too.

For that kind of money I could buy a few Vangos pop ups with a wheel barrow spare!

Am I missing somthing? Is there somthing particular that make these tents amazing for overlanding?

Would a simple pop up surrounded by a car awning not do the trick especially at the price difference £80 as opposed to £2,000. Even If I where to buy a spare it would be miles cheaper.

Finally can a regular tent be placed on top of a Defender 90? (for living/sleeping) Not just 'placing' it up there!

Please enlighten me!

Josh.
Click to expand...

Its a quality tent... material etc.... I know camping folk who paid over 2k for their ground tent..... you can purchase cheap roof tents for 30 percent of Hannibal cost but the material just isnt up to it.

Its expensive to have a waterproof, breathable tent.

Of course their is a premium added as its "Expedition" so expect to pay a bit more in relation to ground tents.
 
I've got a 2 man pop tent from GoOutdoors (cant see it on their site now). It is a lined version, bit better than the standard festival tent and about £40.00. Been using for a couple of years now. Quick to put up, don't take much room and never get wet.

I camped in it last weekend, during the major downpour, no probs.:)
 
I paid £250 for my oasis 2 roof tent. It only weighs about 20kg which means that i can fit and remove it on my own and it kept myself and the Missus dry during the heavy rain at the Bristol and west landrover show.
 
I was also wondering about sticking a'normal' ground tent up on the 110 roof.. can be easier when the terrain is crap and the back is full of junk. Would a roof rack hold two people? Would I need some kind of structural support?

:hijacked:
 
haha, i haven't ate that much cake!

The rack is some secondhand galv jobby with no markings.. it's pretty chunky and doesn't bend on the ground. Planning to fit it to the gutter. I was thinking more about the sides of the hardtop as they don't seem that strong
 
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