Thread: Has anyone in Sydney got an Austrack roof top tent?

The only mod I'm toying with is a DIY light weight reflective fly to lessen the heat and also to keep it as dry as possible (morning dew/rain) when you need to move on the next day...to save packing a wet tent.

Last year I left it up in the rain for a few days and it leaked a bit as I expected until the thread had swollen, I then ran one of those water repellent sticks along the offending seams ...been fine since

The hinges arefit for the task. You can remove the ladder during the day for more room in the annexe... the whole thing is easily self supporting...

you may need to drill a few more height adjustment holes in the sides of the extension ladder to accommodate your vehicle's preferred height and maintain an even floor level in the tent

Sounds like a good tent, for the money, it's not in the same league as Hannibal, but. Then again that's going to cost you $1000 more. But you gets what you pay for. What's the warranty period on this one.

Do they do more than one size?

The transit cover is the first thing that looks worrying.

Juddy it comes with a 12 month warranty, only one design available, and yes - it is substantially cheaper than Hannibal / Howling Moon etc! I'm expecting the quality to be less, but from what I have read it is still more than acceptable.

As for the transit cover, what looks worrying about it? Doesn't look any different to any other RTT cover to me...?!

Looks interesting and a copy of the Howling Moon and ARB units.

Where does the annex go when not in use and how does it fit to the tent? Presumably in a bag inside the car / on the roofrack and zips to the tent? - If so thats a ball ache for longer trips and a nihgtmare in the wind, especially if you travel alone! I suspect it does not all pack up and site within the cover.

Is the tent double skinned, ie. internal liner or not?

The big problem with the single skinned tents (Howling Moon tents especially because they have the insulated composite floor) is condensation buildup under the matteress. I have put many of those type of tents onto customers new roofracks to find wet, mouldy matteresses on the underside.

My advice would be to take time to consider the practicality of the "features" you are initially sold on. Examples:
1. The detachable but included annexe is initially considered good, but can soon become a heavy bag that wastes space inside the car on a trip because its a ball ache to install for an overnight stop.
2. The tent is waterproof. Great, doesnt mean you wont get wet! Can air flow through the tent and still be waterproof. It needs to otherwise you'll wake up in a soggy damp mess!

This one looks good value for money though. You pays ya money, ya takes ya chances!


For the record I dont think anyone has yet designed the "perfect" rooftent, they are all a comprimise somewhere. Hannibal, Howling Moon, ARB, Beduin (German) all have there plus points, yet they all fall short of being perfect for prolonged use.

As Juddy said, the Hannibal is probably the best of the bunch in terms of whats readily available here in Oz, but is more $$.

hth
J

if that is going on the top of ambrose suggest you option the firemans pole for exit and elevator option for access.

Originally Posted by Yorkie

if that is going on the top of ambrose suggest you option the firemans pole for exit and elevator option for access.

Slippery dip down the windscreen!

Before I settled on the Austrack I had a real good look at Howling Moon and the ARB offering..they looked remarkably similar in their detailed design and finish. When I spoke with the chap who owns/runs austrack he told me that he visits the manufacturer in china several times a year and that they all come from the same factory and the manufacturing standards are identical. They do production runs with small changes to suit the specific customer's brand

The Austrack has a good fly and solid window covers. Got over the condensation issue by using those interlocking mats from camping stores under the mattress....

The Hannibal was too heavy on the roof rack and too many $$ for our intended use

Thanks all.

For longer trips or overnighters I'd probably just leave the annexe at home, but I can see it being handy for longer stays. From what I understand, it does go in it's own bag in the back of the truck, but I'm not too worried about that. It's only me in my big ol' 110! (Parted ways with Mrs Shonky a few months ago, and the prospect of kids in the foreseeable future by default )

In terms of water resistance, I'm expecting condensation. It's an inherent issue with breathing while camping, and I don't plan on stopping either. Certainly it happens with the higher end units also. Sure, it can be minimised, and Hoges has had some success with matting under the foam, and in terms of breathability it is basically the same design as most of the others so I don't see it being any worse in that regard.

I guess it's all compromise. The compromise in this case is the price - which means the difference between RTT and no RTT. That said I have come across a second hand Howling Moon for a fair chunk more, but I don't know if the budget stretches that far - I still have other toys I want to put on!