Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Hitch Tent Is a Clever, Non-Rooftop Platform for Your Rooftop Tent

Mike Richard
By
Rubicon Expedition Products

To camp in a tent is glorious; to camp in a rooftop tent is sublime.

The ability to park your ride and set up your tent site in minutes offers one of the easiest, most convenient methods of tent camping. However, it’s not without its shortcomings, namely having to climb up and down to get into bed and the risk of potentially caving in your vehicle’s roof. Hitch Tent,  a clever automotive hitch-mounted tenting platform, is designed to combine all the utility of a rooftop tent with the stability of a traditional tent system.

Recommended Videos

The new Hitch Tent Rack System from Rubicon Expedition Products is unlike most any other car camping product we’ve seen. It mounts to a traditional, two-inch automotive trailer hitch, standing flat vertically against the rear of your car, truck, or SUV. Upon arrival at your campsite, simply fold down the Hitch Tent platform wherever you plan to sleep for the night. The four built-in legs and feet are fully adjustable to effortlessly find the best, most level sleeping position. Then, mount a standard two- or three-person canvas-style rooftop tent to the platform and — voila! — your outdoor bedroom awaits. Hitch Tent’s built-in rails are designed just like those of a traditional roof rack, so tent setup is identical.

Rubicon Expedition Products

After setup, the platform can be unmounted from your automobile’s hitch or not — your call. This versatility means trips into town no longer need to involve breaking down your tent first. The rear-mounted design frees up the entire roof to make room for all the toys that outdoor lovers typically pack: kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, skis, or a luggage box. The design also reduces wind resistance, which can be a huge boon for long-distance road tripping.

Related

Hitch Tent is constructed of ultra-durable CNC machined aluminum and hot rolled A36 steel to ensure it’s ready for the worst outdoor conditions. While the platform is lightweight, it’s built to support up to 600 pounds — plenty of capacity for your significant other and the dog.

Hitch Tent doesn’t come cheap. Interested buyers will need to fork over $2,000, not including the tent. The first units aren’t scheduled to ship until mid-September 2019 at the earliest, but at least that gives you plenty of time to start planning your fall camping trips.

If you’re also in the market for a rooftop tent, check out our roundup of the best rooftop tents for sleeping off-grid and off-the-ground. You could alternatively splash out on an all-in-one, portable, hitch-mounted “hotel room” like Hitch Hotel.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
The ultimate guide to choosing the perfect one-person tent for your next outing
This is what you need to know to pick the right one-person tent
Person camping on a river using a one person tent.

So you've made up your mind and you're ready to commit to the one-person tent lifestyle. Good for you. These bad boys are faster, lighter, and more efficient than anything else on the market. And while fast and light are always nice, take it from us: You don't want to get caught up simply chasing the lowest weight and smallest packed size possible. Don't get us wrong, both are important aspects of a one-person backpacking tent, but they aren't the end-all-be-all factor in the segment.

Any solo backpacking tent worth buying is both small and compact. Why else would you buy one? With that being said, unless you've got strict goals for total pack weight and/or volume, neither one should be your primary concern when choosing a one-person tent. So what makes a one-man backpacking tent a winner? Simple: Livability.

Read more
Go green and save with the best places to rent your outdoor gear in 2023
Save the hassle and expense of buying expensive outdoor gear and apparel. Opt to rent instead!
Find the best places to rent outdoor gear.

Adventure sports can be expensive hobbies. Everything from mountain biking to scuba diving to kite surfing requires hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars worth of new gear to get started. And that's saying nothing of any costs associated with taking lessons from a pro, too. That’s a lofty investment for something you might not even like doing. But, why buy when you can rent?

Thanks to the sharing economy—where you can rent everything from houses to cars to boats—a growing number of outdoor companies are getting into the pay-per-use game for outdoor gear and apparel. These are the best places to rent outdoor gear in 2023. And if buying all-new equipment is too pricey but renting isn’t for you either, finding a good place to buy used outdoor gear can be a more affordable alternative.
REI

Read more
Nemo Dagger OSMO 2P Review: Why I Love This Do-It-All Tent
A Nemo Dagger OSMO 2P backpacking tent out in the backcountry.

I got a chance to spend the last month or so with the latest iteration of the Nemo Dagger 2P backpacking tent. The Dagger has been a beloved tent in the Nemo lineup for years, most notably because it pulls double duty as a solid camping tent for two that also happens to be fast and light enough for proper backpacking duty. The "new for 2022" model, the Nemo Dagger OSMO 2P, packs all the same features of the old Dagger, but brings a new standard to the table: It's made from Nemo's new 100% recycled OSMO fabric.

Light and compact, impressively weatherproof, and made from premium materials throughout, the Nemo Dagger OSMO 2P is arguably the best Dagger yet, and if you're looking for that "one tent to rule them all" the new Dagger should be on your shortlist. Here's my take on the Dagger OSMO 2P after a few nights in the woods.

Read more