Car Parts and Accessories

These tents have become very popular in Southern Africa as they are easy to erect and store, and safe from prowling wild animals and crawling insects.

• The attaching brackets that hold the roof tent to the vehicle’s roof should be flared and delta-shaped, as these are stronger. The frame should be made from aluminium.
• It is advisable to mount the roof tent so that it opens towards the side of the vehicle. If you mount it so that it opens towards the front of the vehicle, a boot must be welded to the bush bar (denoting, of course, that you must have a bush bar). As the ladder then sits high on the bush bar, it become difficult to climb in and out.
• If you mount the roof tent so that it opens towards the back of the vehicle, it will impede access to the loading bay (or loading box). Mounting it so that it opens towards the side is the best solution, as the tent then supplies an area of shade, or even an area for ablutions.

• You can make a handy cubicle for ablutions by sticking a broad strip of Velcro to the underside of the portion of the tent that protrudes over the side of the vehicle. Cut a light, PVC canvas to size, add Velcro to the top, attach it to the tent, and you will have a private enclosure.
• It is advisable to reinforce the underside of the floors with a couple of extra channel-shaped aluminium struts (for some manufacturers’ products). The folding floor is made from high-quality, marine-ply veneer, but, in the dry climate of Southern Africa, the veneer can develop cracks.

• The ladder that supports the folding half of the tent floor should be made of a thick, strong aluminium or from lightweight metal tubing. If you have to make one, construct it in such a way that the ladder’s legs consist of two sections which telescope into each other and can extend for quite some length. Make holes at the bottom through which you can push sturdy pegs to support the ladder.
• Some roof tents have a single- layered, canvas roof which may leak in heavy rain. It is therefore a good idea to make a fly sheet out of UV-stabilised, PVC canvas to put over the roof when it rains. Fix it to the frame of the tent with elastic bungie cords (also known as bungies).
• Bungies can also be used to stretch over the roof tent once it has been zipped up in its carrying bag to stop the tent from flapping while you drive. Over time, the
• Tent’s waterproof carrying bag tends to stretch and become loose.

• If you have to buy a mattress, do not buy one that exceeds the suggested thickness as specified by the manufacturer. A too-thick mattress, together with bedding, makes it difficult to fold up the tent, and also stretches the tent bag. In the end, the zips will burst.
• An air-mattress is ideal to use in a roof tent, but this is the only time that I would recommend using one. The downside is that you will have to inflate it every evening, but this should not be a problem if you have an electric air pump.
• Do not put a roof tent on top of a trailer, as it could easily be damaged by flying stones and grit when you are driving over gravel roads. Trailer manufacturers promote this tent-and-trailer idea as a selling point, but I do not recommend it. The exception is a roof tent that is enclosed in a glass-fibre shell. Even so, these too should be mounted as far towards the back as possible.

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