The Thule Tepui Foothill Roof Top Tent is cleverly designed so it folds into a narrow box allowing for space on the car roof for extra gear. It is ventilated and with views on all sides.
Key features & benefits
- Soft shell type.
- Narrow box allows for extra gear on the vehicle.
- Vents.
- Roof windows.
- Openings on all sides.
What is in the name
This tent is at Thule site under the name Thule Foothill. However, practically everywhere around you will see the word Tepui added, so the name is Thule Tepui Foothill. I am not sure what this is so.
In any case, this is what is normally described as a soft shell type roof top tent. One could argue about this terminology as well because, when it is folded, you have solid material both on the top and on the bottom. The picture below shows how it looks.
This is a clever design and here is why. They have made it so that it folds into a very narrow and long box. Its length determines the length of the sleeping area.
But this is also an expandable (or extendable) tent which doubles its width when open for sleeping. They achieved this with a clever design of its support poles, all of them are telescopic, see the picture.
So when closed for transportation, the tent is on one side of the vehicle. Note that it cannot be in the middle because you have to attach the ladder.
This means that the other half of the car roof space you can use to transport some other gear as you realize from the pictures.
This looks cool and it is indeed practical. But there are two reasons why I dislike the design a bit.
First, the weight of the box is on one side of the car. So if you travel alone, I think it is best to place the tent on the opposite side, to avoid your own weight and the weight of the tent to be on the same half of the car. This would be better for the car stability.
Second, being a soft shell type, it has a cover which you have to zip and unzip. So it may be a bit difficult to get to the zipper because one side of the box is practically in the middle of the roof of the vehicle.
Windows & doors
This is what makes this tent great. You have openings on all four sides, and these are all double-layer structures with zippered mesh and zippered panels. The two openings on the long sides serve as doors, so you can access the tent from two sides.
But there are also two skylight windows here as well. They are also double layer, but note that they are under the fly which has no translucent sections to match these windows. The picture below shows the tent without the fly so you can see one of the roof windows.
Ventilation
With all these openings, the tent offers as much ventilation and air cross flow as you want. If you are forced to close this all in the case of rain, you still have wall vents, one is visible in the picture below.
The mentioned roof windows are under the fly, so you can keep them with mesh only if you need air, and they act as huge and efficient roof vents. So there is nothing to object to this design regarding ventilation.
Materials
The metal elements here are mainly aluminum. The inner poles used for the frame are a 16 mm diameter wrapped aluminum. There are several iron rods used to support awnings.
The canopy is is a water resistant 600D polyester ripstop with a 1500 mm waterproof rating. The fly is a ripstop nylon, but I could not find its waterproof rating.
The mattress: This is definitely not the best feature of this tent. You have only 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) thickness, and this is a foam. In a cold environment, such a foam tends to become stiff, so this will even more reduce comfort.
All the elements in package are shown in the picture below. Note that you need a Thule roof rack.
You can see more in this video, please have a look:
Who is this Thule Foothill Roof Top Tent for
Regarding seasons & climate, as usual with such roof top tents, it can be used year round. You have a very thick and strong fabric which is stronger than in many ground tents designed for winter use.
But the fly design is such that it would not last long in windy places. However, the fly can be closed, you have seen the tent without it shown in the picture above. In this case, the tent is far more smooth, and its fabric is also with some waterproof rating so you will have full protection.
Below you can see some precautions they suggest for using this tent. You can see more in their manual.
Regarding the area, the tent is officially for two people, but the width is quite modest 46.9 inches (119 cm). In fact the mattress is only around 45 inches (114 cm) wide. So I see it best suited for solo use.
Note also that it is quite low, the inner peak height is only around 36.6 inches (93 cm) or so. The mattress is thin, and this is not so great if you are a side sleeper.
Regarding the vehicle, in the mentioned manual you will see all the details regarding the roof rails on your vehicle and some other facts. For example, the minimum bar spread is 24 inches (61 cm).
Note that the structure is relatively light for such tents, it weighs only 122.4 lb (55.5 kg), so this should work with all cars. I have seen somebody using it on a car with a glass roof window.
Pros & cons
What I like:
- Clever design with narrow box.
- Windows.
- Skylight openings.
What I dislike
- Peak height.
- Thin mattress.
Specifications
- Weight capacity: 661 lb (300 kg).
- Weight: 122.4 lb (55.5 kg).
- Box closed size (L x W x H): 83 x 24 x 9.4 in (210.8 x 61 x 24 cm).
- Dimensions when open (L x W x H): 83.9 x 46.9 x 36.6 in (213 x 119 x 93 cm).
- Mattress size (L x W x H): 79.5 x 45.1 x 1.5 in (202 x 114.5 x 3.8 cm).
- Inner peak height: 36.6 in (93 cm).
Places to buy
Summary
In summary, this Thule Foothill Roof Top Tent is an awarded design and this is not without reason. The box width is one of its best features, but you have seen also its great windows and other details. However, note that the mattress is quite thin.
This tent has been on the market for a number of years already. Thule is a globally recognized brand so you know what you are buying.
For more stuff of this type please check under the category Off Ground Tents. Check and compare in particular this Yakima SkyRise HD 2 Tent with its great waterproof rating for full protection on any weather.
Let me know what you think. Did I miss mentioning something important? There is a comment box below.
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