The Roofnest Condor Car-Top Tent: What Do You Want to Know?
What would you like to know about this pop-up traveling setup? Photo: Roofnest
When a note came ‘round the Jalopnik office to see if anyone was interested in a few days camping in a car, it was met by stunned silence from most of my colleagues. Me? I was born under canvas, molded by it, so I was happy to try out some in-car camping. Or rather, on-top-of-car camping, as I now find myself in a Roofnest Condor tent mounted to the roof rails of a Kia Sorento. So, what do you want to know about it?
For anyone not familiar with Roofnest, they make a range of nifty tents that fold down into something the size of a typical roof-top cargo box. When you want to set up camp, you just push up the top, pull down the ladder, and out pops a fully-formed tent. Then, you climb up the ladder and into your little nest where you’re safe from all the bugs and creepy crawlies that spend their time on campsite grounds.
And it’s from that elevated vantage point that I now find myself, in a campsite in the Catskills. I’ve got three nights and four days to test out the Roofnest Condor, and would love to hear what you’d like to know about it.
The model I’m trying out is one of three tents offered by Roofnest. They do a lightweight Falcon series, which the firm says is good for overlanders, the easy-to-use Sparrow series, and this one, the Condor.
Just popping up to say hello. Photo: Roofnest
Once it’s folded out, the Condor has space for two adults to sleep, in an area measuring 83″ x 60″. It weighs 135 lb and has up to 50” of headroom once it’s popped up. The cost of all this traveling comfort: $3,395.
That’s a lot to spend on a tent, so what advantages does it have over a traditional camping set up? And, why would you opt for a car plus a pop-top tent when there are a lot of RVs and vans out there that can act as both, without any of the extra setup? That’s what I want to find out over the next few days. Leave your questions below and I’ll endeavor to answer them all.
