There are endless choices when deciding how you should camp. Customers have their pick of trailers, camper vans, overland vehicles, and full-blown motorhomes, but there are even simpler solutions. Rooftop tents provide a nice place to sleep without breaking the bank, and a new offering from SylvanSport called the Loft looks to turn just about any car into a camper.
This is SylvanSport’s first foray into rooftop tents, and it features a simple design that’s easy to use. The simple pop-up tent takes just 30 seconds to set up. All one has to do is unlatch the front and rear restraints, lift, and it’s deployed thanks to four hydraulic-assist arms.
Gallery: SylvanSport Loft Rooftop Tent
The tent measures 82.6 inches (2.1 meters) long and 50.7 in. (1.28 m.) wide. It’s 11 in. (27 centimeters) tall when closed and 41.3 in. (1.1 m.) tall when it’s open. The tent is large enough so that you don’t have to remove the bedding before closing, making setting up for the next night a breeze. Even the extendable ladder can store inside the closed tent. It weighs 117 pounds (53 kilograms) and can sleep two people.
Inside, the pop-up tent offers 41 inches of height space. It has two large doors on either side and two windows located on the front and back. The doors have windows that feature zippered privacy panels and screens. SylvanSport builds the shell from composite ABS and uses heavy-duty fabric for the sides.
The tent isn’t large, but it does provide two hanging organizer pockets, two bungee storage nets, an anti-condensation mat, and a two-inch thick mattress.
SylvanSport designed the Loft to fit a wide range of vehicles. The tent attaches to the vehicle’s roof crossbars. Those who don’t want to climb onto the roof can opt to tow the Loft on the company’s Go Easy kayak trailer. It can carry the Loft tent, two kayaks, and other gear, with the whole setup weighing 400 lbs (181 kg). The trailer lowers the tent, so it's just three feet off the ground.
The Loft has an MSRP of $2,795. SylvanSport’s Go Easy kayak trailer starts at $2,295.
