Gone are the days when car camping required cramming into the back of a stuffy SUV or wagon. These days, rooftop tents and travel trailers are all the rage. With recent advances in tent technology, rooftop tents are now more spacious, durable, and convenient than their ground-based counterparts. With the debut of one of its largest-ever hard-shell tents, Roofnest is proving that rooftop camping can be every bit as comfortable as sleeping in your plush, queen-sized bed at home.
Last month, Roofnest expanded its lineup of premium rooftop tents with the addition of the Sparrow XL. This flagship version of the company’s Sparrow tent is designed for couples who frequently camp with a pet or a child, or for solo campers who like plenty of room to spread out. The Sparrow XL adds eight inches to the mid-level Sparrow’s overall width, plus four more inches of headroom. That translates to a spacious sleep space measuring 6-feet 10-inches long by 4-feet 6-inches wide.
Sleeping in the Sparrow XL is the next best thing to bedding down in a proper RV. From parking to pitching the tent takes less than a minute. Marine-grade struts and heavy-duty hinges mean setup requires simply unlatching the hard shell and flicking the top upward. The gas struts do the rest. Inside, a built-in, three-inch foam mattress offers best-in-class thickness, and an anti-condensation mat ensures that everything stays dry. There’s even enough vertical space to store all your bedding with the Sparrow XL closed. The 280-gram polyester-canvas cotton construction all around is waterproof, insulated, and quieter in the wind.
Like all Roofnest tents, the Sparrow XL can be mounted to any car, truck, or SUV with a roof rack. With the company’s universal mount system, installation is as easy as with any cargo carrier or bike rack. The low-profile shell features an ABS-Fiberglass construction that’s waterproof and durable. It’s also aerodynamic to reduce road noise and save gas. Atop the shell is a dedicated area with room for a 160W flexible solar panel. Plus, a second built-in space at the rear allows for stowing gear and other cargo in the included waterproof storage bag.
Colorado-based Roofnest launched in 2016 and, in just a few short years, has become a favorite among overlanders and hardcore campers. There’s a reason we ranked the gear-friendly Roofnest Sandpiper among our picks for the best rooftop tents of 2020.
The Roofnest Sparrow XL is available now for USD $3,095, including all mounting hardware, a telescoping aluminum ladder, and free shipping to anywhere in the contiguous United States.
