Rooftop tent camping: equipment, setup, costs & tips – Holidays in Germany, Austria, Sweden

Rooftop tent camping – Camping with a rooftop tent is an ideal way to see a lot of the world, always be out and about in nature, experience the feeling of complete freedom and also have an enormously large and comfortable sleeping area at all times.
So if you want to buy a tent trailer or a roof tent, you are completely free to organize your trip as you wish.
You can find out how a roof tent is actually set up, what outdoor accessories you need and other tips for a roof tent vacation in Germany and Europe in general here.

Camping vacation with roof tent

First of all, a roof tent can be fitted to any car.
Whether Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes or VW – as long as your car has roof racks, you can buy a roof tent.
The whole thing can then be set up at any time and almost anywhere in just a few minutes and without any effort.
Once unfolded, you have a huge area for sleeping and living that can be used by up to 5 people, depending on the model.
While a roof tent for 2 people is more suitable for couples or solo travelers, a roof tent for 4-5 people is worthwhile for a family vacation.
If you want even more space, you can buy an additional tent trailer that can be attached to the back of the car.
Read more about different models, costs, roof load and advantages here:

Advantages of a roof tent

  • Large sleeping and lying area
  • Can be flexibly mounted on almost any car
  • No unnecessary transportation
  • Does not take up any storage space
  • Simple and quick assembly
  • Robust and waterproof
  • Window with mosquito net

Assembly and installation

Before you decide on a roof tent, you should first determine the roof load of your car.
You can then get the appropriate roof rack for your car roof.
A roof tent weighs around 50 to 80 kg, which you should definitely pay attention to when making your choice.
In general, a roof tent can be attached to any car that is equipped with roof racks – you just need to consider the roof load and the weight of the roof tent in advance and match them to each other!
The roof tent is then simply attached.
Most models have at least two rails on the floor of the tent.
With the help of these, the tent is simply pushed onto the roof racks already attached to the car and secured.
The specialists at the point of purchase will usually do this for you.
Then you can start your journey straight away.
On the road, all you have to do is unfold the car tent with one hand movement, secure everything and climb up.
Read more about the roof load, assembly and fastening on the roof here:

Instructions: Fastening the roof tent

  1. Determine the roof load of the vehicle
  2. Fitting the right roof rack to your car
  3. Coordinate roof load and roof tent
  4. Slide the complete roof tent onto the rails
  5. Fasten the whole thing securely (the experts at the store will help you)
  6. Then completely unfold and secure the roof tent at the campsite

Rooftop tent vacation: Germany, Switzerland, Sweden & Co.

With a rooftop tent, you can also go on longer trips lasting several weeks and travel to all the regions in Germany or Europe that you really want to see.
You are not tied to a hotel or vacation apartment, but can plan a longer route with several stops and see as much of the world as possible.
If you want to go on a vacation in Germany, for example, you can choose several cities and create a vacation trip that suits you.
Camping is not only suitable for couples, but is an unforgettable experience for the whole family.
Read more about popular vacation destinations in Germany and Europe here:

Popular destinations with a roof tent:

Video: Let’s go to Sweden

Here you can watch the following video to get inspiration and insights into an eventful road trip.
You will be taken on an exciting camping trip with the roof tent all the way to Sweden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aKbtvXz0fs

Camping packing list: Accessories for your vacation

What do I need for camping?
As with any trip, a proper packing list is essential before a camping vacation.
Regardless of whether you are traveling with a roof tent or folding caravan – when camping, a lot of outdoor accessories can come together, as you no longer travel with just the most necessary equipment, but also like to have a little more luxury and comfort.
From camping furniture to heating or air conditioning, there are numerous items that are useful on the campsite and help you get the most out of your time on vacation.
As always, documents and papers should be at the top of the list.
Kitchen utensils are also essential, as you usually have to cater for yourself on the campsite.
So what should not be missing when camping?
Here you will find a checklist of important camping accessories for your vacation so that you don’t forget anything:

Rooftop tent with the family

For a family vacation with children, you should opt for a larger roof tent model.
A roof tent for 4 people offers enough space so that each family member can spread out freely while sleeping and games can also be played sitting down in bad weather.
Depending on the model, families with small children can even fit 5 people inside.
If that’s not enough, you can of course add an extension tent, awning or a tent trailer so that parents and children can sleep separately, for example, and everyone has a little privacy in the evening.
Find out everything you need to know about a rooftop tent vacation with the family here:

Video: 1o Tips and tricks

Even if you might initially think that a camping vacation with children involves a lot of work and stress, a vacation in a rooftop tent is actually much more relaxed than a vacation in a hotel.
Simply because of the flexible and independent travel and daily organization and the simple set-up, which is mainly associated with fun, a camping vacation guarantees you a carefree and unforgettable time for the whole family.
In the following video, you will learn everything about the roof tent and 10 tips and tricks that will make your camping vacation with a roof tent and children a lot easier.
How a rooftop tent is actually set up and what you need to pay attention to and think about on the road is shown here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfjv8GSGckI

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Offroad
Raised and extra stable for road and off-road… What do you do if you are traveling in regions with poor roads or drive an off-road vehicle or SUV whose dome height does not fit conventional trailers? The solution: the off-road tent trailer from CAMPWERK – specially developed for extreme conditions. This unique model impresses with a raised and particularly robust AL-KO chassis that can withstand even the most demanding off-road routes. The entire body is made of lightweight but sturdy aluminum, reinforced with durable stainless steel components. So you are perfectly equipped for any terrain.
Black / Silver
Available now: The CAMPWERK Offroader in the exclusive Black/Silver Edition CAMPWERK is expanding its range and now also offers the popular off-road tent trailer in the coveted Black/Silver Edition. The high-quality aluminium body is completely anodized in matt black, while the mudguards are powder-coated in elegant “Gun Silver Metal”. An absolute eye-catcher on any road and in any terrain!
The off-road trailer from CAMPWERK impresses with its lightweight construction: Thanks to the aluminum body, the base only weighs around 300 kg when empty. With a permissible total weight of 1.5 tons, it offers an impressive payload capacity of up to 1.2 tons – ideal for small excursions, transport and even larger expeditions.

Visually, the trailer blends in perfectly with the appearance of an off-road vehicle or SUV with its coarse-tread MT tires and robust, full-length aluminium mudguards. The mudguards are also designed in such a way that they are ideal for the safe transportation of petrol and water canisters or gas bottles.

To ensure flexibility, the off-roader’s tyres can be individually adapted to the towing vehicle on request, so that only one set of spare wheels is required. The standard ball head coupling can also be optionally replaced with a DIN or NATO eye.
T-drawbar or V-fork ?
Thousands of trailer drivers know the problem of tight spaces only too well: if you drive into a narrow lane and have to turn, it is important to back your car as far as possible against the trailer in order to get around the bend without any problems. With a T-drawbar, you can utilize the maximum steering angle. This is precisely why we at CAMPWERK rely on this tried-and-tested technology – for optimum flexibility and maneuverability, no matter how tight things get.
T-drawbar
V-fork
T-drawbar
V-fork
Chassis
  • Extra strong square T-drawbar 100x100mm for maximum stability and best maneuverability
  • Axle up to 1,500 kg with maintenance-free hexagonal rubber spring axle
  • Optionally with watertight wheel hub
  • 2 crossbars
  • The chassis is exclusively from the renowned manufacturer AL-KO, market leader in the car trailer and caravan sector
  • Safety indicator on the clutch
  • Independent suspension
Aluminum body
  • Our aluminium trailers are equipped with anodized aluminium profiles
  • double-walled anodized aluminium side panels 30mm, 440mm high
  • Large emergency lighting with integrated rear fog light
  • Equipped with balanced tires as standard
  • Base plate stable screen-printed base, non-slip
  • Complete M8 stainless steel screw connection (V2A stainless steel)
  • Electrical system: Supply cable (wiring harness) standard with 13-pin plug
  • Tailgate latches very elaborate, made entirely of stainless steel
Wheels
  • Black powder-coated steel rim
  • 235/85 R16 tires optionally adaptable to towing vehicle
  • Mud Terrain tire tread
  • Special wheel connection for your towing vehicle on request
Terrain values
  • 350 mm ground clearance
  • 570 mm wading depth
  • 27° slope angle
Equipped for every situation thanks to the versatile accessories...

Raised dropside

20L canister

Towbar adapter for bike carrier with coupling connection

2-4 bike racks

Anti-drag clutch

Onroad

The perfect solution for your camping adventure:
Road trailer with tent
Imagine a first-class equipped road trailer that is ideal for camping trips in Germany and the surrounding countries.
This trailer comes with a sturdy holding device for a matching tent that can be set up in no time at all.
The result is your mobile home – ready for unforgettable tours!

Your decisive advantage: you are ideally equipped for your vacation in a particularly cost-effective way. And when you’re not on the road, you can use the trailer as a conventional utility trailer. We offer you the road trailer in two versions, depending on your needs: An unbraked version with a permissible total weight of 750 kg and the braked version recommended by us with a permissible total weight of 1,300 kg.
10-year guarantee
Our trailer base was not created in the laboratory – it was made for the real world. The robust construction is optimized for tough conditions. Oversized axles and virtually indestructible aluminum frames ensure exceptional durability. We are the only supplier in Germany to give you a 10-year guarantee on this unique quality!
T-drawbar or V-fork ?
Thousands of trailer drivers know the problem of tight spaces only too well: if you drive into a narrow lane and have to turn, it is important to back your car as far as possible against the trailer in order to get around the bend without any problems. With a T-drawbar, you can utilize the maximum steering angle. This is precisely why we at CAMPWERK rely on this tried-and-tested technology – for optimum flexibility and maneuverability, no matter how tight things get.
T-drawbar
V-fork
T-drawbar
V-fork
Chassis
  • 2 crossbars
  • Maintenance-free rubber spring axles
  • Independent suspension
  • The chassis is exclusively from the renowned manufacturer AL-KO, market leader in the car trailer and caravan sector
  • Safety indicator on the clutch
Aluminum structure
  • Our aluminium trailers are equipped with anodized aluminium profiles
  • double-walled anodized aluminium side panels 30mm, 440mm high
  • Large emergency lighting with integrated rear fog light
  • Equipped with balanced tires as standard
  • Base plate stable screen-printed base, non-slip
  • Complete M8 stainless steel screw connection (V2A stainless steel)
  • Electrical system: Supply cable (wiring harness) standard with 13-pin plug
  • Tailgate latches very elaborate, made entirely of stainless steel
Equipped for every situation thanks to the versatile accessories...

Raised dropside

20L canister

Towbar adapter for bike carrier with coupling connection

2-4 bike racks

Anti-drag clutch

Material and processing.
The tent fabric of our trailer tents is made from a high-quality, 450 g blended fabric, also known as canvas. This unique combination of cotton and polyester combines the advantages of a natural fiber with those of a modern high-tech material. The result is a robust, breathable fabric that impresses with its pleasant feel and high dimensional stability.

The tent fabric, which is also used by the military, is impregnated and particularly tear-resistant thanks to the ripstop process. In this special weaving technique, thicker threads are woven into the fabric at intervals of around 10-15 millimetres, giving the fabric its characteristic tiled structure and exceptional tear resistance. It goes without saying that our fabrics are opaque and therefore offer optimum protection and privacy.
The basis of our trailer tents is a robust stainless steel frame with a thickness of 3×3 cm. A 1.8 cm thick, water-resistant wooden floor panel is securely fastened to this sturdy frame with stainless steel screws. The frame of the trailer tents is also made of galvanized steel tubing and special stainless steel components that ensure maximum stability. The modern surface finish not only offers a high level of corrosion protection, but also gives the material a pleasant feel and ensures a durable, weatherproof construction.
We rely exclusively on yarn from the German market leader Amann. Thanks to the combination of a cotton core and a high-tenacity polyester core, this yarn is characterized by a particularly high tensile strength and excellent water resistance.

On contact with water, the cotton coating swells and closes the seam holes created during sewing. For additional protection, all seams in the roof area are fitted with a transparent sealing strip to ensure maximum waterproofness.
Less is sometimes more.
We are often asked: What about the water column? For tent fabrics, the impermeability of the fabric is specified in the form of the water column. For cotton tents, this value is usually around 300 to 400 mm. However, our tent fabric offers an exceptionally high water column for cotton fabric of around 750 mm. This means that theoretically more than 75 cm of water can stand on the material before the first drops penetrate.

A major advantage of cotton as a natural raw material is its ability to swell when it gets damp, which provides additional waterproofing. In contrast, synthetic fabrics, which cannot swell, must have a much higher water column (between 3,000 and 10,000 mm, depending on the material) in order to achieve comparable waterproofness.
Good night.
The comfort sleep set consists of a high-quality visco foam mattress that adapts perfectly to the individual body shape, ensuring a restful night’s sleep. The set is complemented by the innovative Froli bed spring system, which guarantees an exceptional sleeping experience. Perfect sleeping comfort in a well thought-out overall package.
Premium mattress.
An excellent mattress is the basis for healthy and restful sleep. Just as every person is unique, their mattress should also be individually tailored to them.
Our premium mattress adapts perfectly to the contours of the body and promotes orthopaedically correct positioning of the spine. Thanks to targeted pressure relief, back muscles and intervertebral discs can relax optimally. The innovative construction and high-quality materials create an ideal sleeping environment.
There are no compromises at CAMPWERK: We rely on flexible visco foam with memory function. The unique combination of supportive foam core and relieving visco foam topper ensures maximum sleeping comfort.
  • Visco-elastic mattress.
  • High-quality Tencel® cover (38 % Tencel®, 62 % polyester).
  • Four practical turning loops.
  • Four-sided zipper.
  • Removable, divisible and washable.
  • Four practical turning loops.
Suspension.
Good ventilation is crucial for your well-being and sleep hygiene. To ensure maximum sleeping comfort, we combine our mattress with an innovative Froli slat base. The flexible spring elements form a comfortable slat base with individually adjustable firmness zones. This combination ensures orthopaedically correct positioning of the body and provides targeted, pressure-relieving support. This effectively prevents tension and one-sided strain. The open, air-permeable cells also enable optimum ventilation and create a healthy sleeping environment.
Are you allergic or do you have special health requirements? No problem! We cooperate with a renowned German mattress manufacturer to offer customized solutions. Simply contact us and together we will find the ideal mattress for your needs.