Prestige Auto and Toppers, Butte, MT
How To Choose  |  What Will Fit  |  Columbus |  Maggiolina  |  Overland  |  OverCamp  |  OverZone
How to Choose - Vehicle roof top tents for Car Camping, Expeditions, Off-Road
When considering the purchase of an AutoHome roof top tent, people often ask us what model is the right choice for them. We have to answer, “It depends.” Here we offer some guidelines and suggestions for choosing a roof top tent, based on our own experience, and on what our AutoHome users have shared with us.

Please note that all AutoHome roof top tents, regardless of model, are supplied complete—ready to use right out of the box, you just add bedding. Any of these tents will serve you well in any climate—from the tropics to the arctic. Specific points of comparison between the tents are in the table below.
 Overland
AutoHome roof top tent aerodynamics AutoHome roof top tents offer flexibility Roof top tent in Asia AutoHome roof top tent on Landcruiser
Side-by-side comparison
  Hard-shell tents— In general, fiberglass (hard-shell) roof top tents are better if you are going to leave the tent mounted on your vehicle all, or most, of the time. These tents deploy very quickly, provide comfort in any weather, and offer little air resistance when driving.
Maggiolina roof top tents Columbus roof top tent OverCamp
Designed for 4 season use and tested world-wide. Lightweight simple, hard-shell tent that's easy to set up. The world's most advanced roof top camper.
Maggiolina Columbus Columbus Carbon
Design Strengths Excellent for cold weather. Deploys quickly Low air resistance while traveling Light weight and simplicity of operation. Instant deployment. Low air resistance while traveling Super light  carbon fiber shell – tough as steel. Instant deployment. Low air resistance while traveling.
Weather Protection Excellent in cold, wet climates. Good in hot weather Excellent in hot, humid climates. Good in cold weather Excellent in hot, humid climates. Good in cold weather
Wind Capability
Excellent Very Good Very Good
Security when closed Excellent—crank handle acts as a ‘key’ Locking rear latch to secure contents Locking rear latch to secure contents
Storage space Excellent to good Good Good
Comfort Excellent Excellent Excellent
Interior Space Good - but Low ceiling f(35” to 38”) or warmth retention Good – excellent head room Good – excellent head room
Ease of Deployment Opens quickly – 30 to 45 seconds Almost instant – 5 to 10 seconds Almost instant – 5 to 10 seconds
Ventilation Very good—two doors two vent windows breathable fabric Excellent —three doors large vent window Excellent —three doors large vent window
Privacy Excellent, especially Grand Tour and Extreme Very Good – flexible door options Very Good – flexible door options
Access Two doors – Enter on either side Three doors – enter either side or rear Three doors – enter either side or rear
Insect Protection Fully screened openings – zip separately on doors Fully screened openings – zip separately on doors Fully screened openings – zip separately on doors
Fuel economy impact Low Low Very low
Wind noise when driving Very low – not noticeable Very low – not noticeable Very low – not noticeable
Bedding Carried in place Carried in place Carried in place
 
  Fabric tents— For maximum interior space in the smallest possible package, choose an all-fabric tent. They are also able to take a lot of abuse. These high quality tents do offer more frontal air resistance than our hard-shell models when driving at highway speeds.
  How to Choose - Vehicle roof top tents for Car Camping, Expeditions, Off-Road OverLand roof top tent OverCamp
  OverZone OverLand OverCamp
Design Strengths Maximum interior space. Rugged & durable. Good interior space Maximum interior space. Rugged & durable Good interior space Maximum interior space. Rugged & durable Good interior space
Weather Protection Very good all-around protection integral awning protects entry. Very good all-around protection. Excellent in warm weather. Good all-season
Wind Capability Very Good Very Good Very Good
Security when closed Good—but not lockable Good—but not lockable Good—but not lockable
Storage space None None None
Comfort Very Good mattress thickness is limited due to folding design Very Good mattress thickness is limited due to folding design Very Good mattress thickness is limited due to folding design
Interior Space Excellent Excellent Excellent
Ease of Deployment Good – about 3 minutes Good – about 3 minutes Good – about 3 minutes
Ventilation Excellent —two large doors and end vents Excellent —two large doors and end vents Excellent —two large doors and end vents
Privacy Excellent – awning aids privacy Excellent when doors are closed Excellent when doors are closed
Access Two doors – Enter on one side only Two doors – Enter on one side only Two doors – Enter on one side only
Insect Protection Fully screened openings – zip separately on doors Fully screened openings – zip separately on doors Fully screened openings – zip separately on doors
Fuel economy impact Higher at highway speeds Higher at highway speeds Higher at highway speeds
Wind noise when driving Moderate – depends on mounting Moderate – depends on mounting Moderate – depends on mounting
Bedding Most bedding can be carried in place Most bedding can be carried in place Most bedding can be carried in place
 
Roof top tents in caravan Sizing your tent
AutoHome tents are made in sizes and weights to accommodate almost any type of vehicle— large or small —car, truck, van, or 4X4…from a Hummer H1 to a Honda Element. While the Maggiolina and Columbus can be fitted when they are a little longer than the vehicle, if they are wider than the vehicle roof aerodynamics suffer. When properly sized and fitted, an AutoHome Maggiolina or Columbus will have only a slight impact on vehicle fuel efficiency. The Columbus and Maggiolina small models are just 51” wide—narrow enough for almost any small vehicle.

The keys to successful fitment to your vehicle is total vehicle rooftop load rating and cross bar load ratings. To determine fitment for your vehicle, see 'What will fit?' section, or click HERE
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