The Roam Adventure the Desperado Hardshell Rooftop Tent is very easy to use, built from high quality materials for full protection, with some rarely seen features, and bonus roof racks included.
Key features & benefits
- Clamshell type.
- Window on the side of hinges.
- Aluminum shell.
- Roof racks.
- Inner storage elements.
- LED included.
- 5 Years warranty.
What this Roam Desperado is about
So this is a new hard shell roof top tent on the market. It may look similar to many others, but there are some interesting features here.
According to their statements, its set up and tear down time is only 30 seconds. No doubt this is realistic.
The picture below shows its awning that extends on its three sides. So this is like an extra fly supported with four rods that you put in place manually.
Materials
The shell is aluminum, and the tent comes with two cross bars included. There are channels on the sides of the box where the cross bars’ holders slide in place.
From the top picture above you can see how you can transport some bulky items on the roof top tent itself.
The fabric used for the walls is a very dark and strong 420D polyester oxford. They claim it is UV, water, and mold resistant. I have not seen any statement about its dark rest design, but it looks like a dark rest type to me.
The mattress is a 2.75 inches (7 cm) high density foam. This should be good enough even for side sleepers. There is also an anti-condensation mat.
The box attaches via aluminum extrusions on base with universal sliding brackets and bolts. The included ladder is a 7.5 feet telescopic type and made of aluminum.
The doors and windows
This Desperado tent offers access from three sides. So no matter how you use it on the vehicle, you will have several options to attach the ladder and to get in and out. All these openings are double-layer, with a mesh and a panel.
But there is something extra here. Observe that the lid on the right in the picture below is not close to the bottom. This would be so if the tent would have standard hinges.
This side where you normally have hinges is usually very low. You do not have enough height in standard clamshell rooftop tents. But here, they have a specific set of inner “hinges” that are on the sides, and they are X-shaped, roughly speaking.
You can see them in the picture below. This is a view inside and you see the mechanisms on the sides. So with this, when you push the lid up in the usual way, it raises due to gas-assisted struts. But the rear side also raises for around 10 inches (25 cm).
This adds volume in general, and it is most visible in that feet area which is usually almost useless because it is low.
This rear side is normally always purely ventilated, because it is under two solid elements, the bottom and the lid. But with such a lifting mechanism, you have enough height. So they have added a long but low rear window. In other words, this tent has windows on all four sides.
The picture below shows that rear window. It is double layer so you can use it as a vent as long as the sky is clear.
Other details
This tent comes with a large and removable storage organizer shown in the picture below. Note that one of its sections is with a translucent material deigned as a media pocket.
You also have:
- Boot bags.
- LED light.
Who is this Roam Desperado tent for
Regarding capacity, the tent is officially for two people. With its 51 inches (130 cm) width, this can be described as realistic, but the actual mattress is narrower, you have 49 inches (124 cm).
Note that total length is 82.5 inches (210 cm), so this should be perfect for most users.
Regarding weight, this tent is quite heavy for its size and in general. With 180 lb (82 kg) it is one of the heaviest you will find. To realize what I mean, you can compare it with these Roofnest Sparrow Eye and TentBox Cargo.
But its weight is the same as in the Roofnest Falcon Pro. So of you plan to use it on your car’s roof, it is best to check the roof’s weight capacity.
Regarding seasons, this is a fully closable structure with a high waterproof rating fabric, so I have no doubts that it can be used year round in any season.
Pros & cons
What I like:
- Ease of use.
- Mattress thickness.
- Cargo features.
- Integrated light.
What I dislike
- The weight.
- Not particularly wide for two users.
Specifications
- Person capacity: 2.
- Weight: 180 lb (82 kg).
- Box thickness: 10 in (25 cm).
- Box closed size: 82.5 x 51 in (210 x 130 cm).
- Interior dimensions: 80 x 49 in (203 x 124 cm).
- Area: 27 in² (2.5 m²).
- Mattress: 2.75 in (7 cm).
- Cross bars capacity: NA.
Place to buy
Final thoughts
In summary, on the first look, this Roam Adventure the Desperado Hardshell Rooftop Tent may appear to be similar to many other rooftop tents of this type, but it has some special features.
The rear window on the side where you normally have only hinges, is one them. There are no many of such non-expandable clamshell rooftop tents on the market with openings on all four sides.
Let me know what you think. Did I miss mentioning something important? There is a comment box below.
For more stuff of this type please check under the category Off-Ground Tents.
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