A vehicle rooftop tent allows you to camp from a unique spot above your vehicle, which can make you excited to take weekend sojourns around your state or beyond. These tents are available in many sizes and with many features, so it's important to shop carefully to find the right model for you. Beyond assessing the individual features, there are many details that relate to the setup of a vehicle rooftop tent that you should learn about. Here are some setup-related details that you'll want to confirm before you make a decision about which tent to buy.

Setup Time

The time that it takes to set up your vehicle rooftop tent is perhaps the most important setup-related detail to figure out when you're shopping for this camping accessory. When you park your vehicle for the night, you'll generally want to be able to get the tent ready quickly. If it's late and you're tired, you'll want to be able to crawl into the tent and go to sleep as soon as possible. Similarly, if it's raining, you won't want to spend much time exposed to the elements outside of the tent as you get it set up. For each model that you're considering, assess its setup time — a detail that a sales rep or an online product description should provide.

Nighttime Setup

There may be plenty of times that you're setting up your vehicle rooftop tent after dark, so it's important that you assess which models are more conducive to setting up in low-light conditions. For example, one model of tent may have a large handle on each side that you pull to set up the tent, while another model may have a series of smaller handles. In the dark, it will be easier to identify and pull larger handles than those that are smaller.

Number of People Needed For Setup

Another setup-related detail to confirm before you identify the right vehicle tent for you is how many people are needed to set up the tent. Some of these tents are designed so that one person can set them up with ease. This option will be ideal if you anticipate plenty of solo outings. Conversely, there are models for which two sets of hands are best to ensure that the job goes smoothly. This is a type of tent to consider if you expect that you'll always be camping with another individual.