Tepui FAQs
WHO ARE THE TENTS MADE FOR?
Many of our customers are outdoor enthusiasts who like to enjoy their activities in a more comfortable and convenient and safe way than the traditional ground tent. Tepui Tents are perfect for surf trips, mountain biking excursions, 4x4 expeditions and simple weekend family getaways. The flexibility to travel to remote locations and camp wherever and whenever without worrying about finding a dry, flat spot to setup your tent has been invaluable to our clients.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A ROOF TOP TENT?
Fast and easy to set up. Better wind and rain protection than a conventional tent. You are off the ground and away from any animals and insects. Great for 4WD vehicles. Better view and ventilation than camping on the ground. Your tent will not collect as much dirt or sand as a conventional ground tent. You do not need a flat spot to set up your tent. Rocks and mud are no longer a problem. No extra cost for an air mattress, this tent comes with a high density foam mattress. Less expensive than a caravan, trailer or motorhome and takes up less space! You can leave the Tepui Roof Top tent on all year long so you will always have a campsite wherever and whenever you need one. Extra shade and/or privacy area with the annex and awning.
How long do the Tepui Tents take to setup and take down?
Without the Annex we find that it takes about 10 you can be lying down in the tent relaxing. It takes about the same amount of time to take it down.
WILL MY RACKS WORK WITH A TEPUI?
Tepui Tents are designed to fit on most vehicles with roof racks. The general rule of thumb is to make sure that your rack has a Dynamic Weight Capacity of at least the weight of the tent. This is the weight that the rack can physically carry while the vehicle is in motion. When the tent is in use, the weight of the tent plus the weight of it's occupants is effectively dispersed over the entire frame of the vehicle, as well as the tent hinge and ladder, also known as the Static Weight Capacity. This is in theory much much greater, as the frame of the vehicle needs to be strong enough to protect the occupants in the case of an accident or rollover.
That being said, our tents weigh between 100 lbs and 220 lbs, so what model tent you decide on will depend on how much weight your roof rack can carry. Most aftermarket racks, like Yakima and Thule, have systems that are specifically for most vehicle makes and models, and generally have a higher Dynamic Weight Capacity than most factory racks.
In regards to tent weight capacity, we average 200 lbs per occupant. In the case of the two person Ayer, the total weight capacity would be 400 lbs. Our three person tents, the Kukenam and Autana, have a capacity of 600 lbs, and our largest four person tents, the Gran Sabana and Kukenam XL Ruggedized, max out at 650 lbs. It is also worth noting that the ladder itself has a weight capacity of 320 lbs.
Our stock mounting hardware will fit rack bars with a cross-section of 3.25" width x 2" height. Be sure to mount your racks 32"-48" apart on your vehicle!
Ultimately, we will work with you to determine if your vehicle can work with a Tepui Rooftop Tents.
Are Tepui tents waterproof?
We've spent over 48-hours in steady rain and were completely dry along with our gear. Once the rain stopped and the sun came out, the tent took about 2 hours to completely dry. We'd say that yes, these tents are waterproof.
We would however recommend going with the Weatherhood, which we can supply, for extended trips where extreme weather is in the forecast. While the tent keeps you dry, it is however wet until it's dried out. When you're on the go a wet tent means you have to wait, or put the tent away wet to deal with later. The Weatherhood allows the tent to stay dry so that a wet tent won't delay the next days journey.
Will the Annex work on my vehicle?
We have found that the Annex works best on vehicles that have a rack height minimum of 80". Below that height, the annex sags on the ground and can be ineffective in certain conditions. If the height is less than 6', we will withhold the Annex as it could cause excessive wear or damage.