With the roof tent in America: “Freedom is addictive”

The two Belgians Adriaan and Isabelle traveled for 769 days with a roof tent adventure.
You can read about their best experiences and their tips and tricks for life as rooftop tent nomads – in the cold and in the heat – here.

Because a rooftop tent trip like this requires more than just the right tent, the right equipment and a great route.
Above all, it takes time and a little travel experience.
In this interview, Adriaan and Isabelle tell us what they experienced on their long journey, how they went about planning the route and what might be important for your next trip.

Camping Ratgeber:

Rooftop tent trip: Route through South America, the USA and Canada

CAMPWERK: How long have you been traveling with our Adventure roof tent?

Adriaan & Isabelle: We set off in 2018 and then traveled through South America for a year and a half.
Then we had to interrupt our trip in 2019.
We couldn’t travel for almost two years because of the pandemic.
Then we went back to America, but to the north.

Which countries did you visit during your trip through South America?

Almost all countries on the entire continent.
Only the two Guyanas (i.e. Guyana and French Guyana in the north of South America), Suriname and Venezuela we didn’t visit.
We also skipped Costa Rica and took the boat from Colombia to Mexico.

How did the journey continue in North America?

From Mexico we traveled to California and further and further along the west coast, all the way up to Anchorage/Alaska.
From there we traveled further southeast.
We have recorded the exact route in our travel blog .

Your rough destination for North America was Alaska, that’s where your route took you. But how had you planned your route through South America? We had no plan. And that was exactly the beauty of it! I have also recorded where we ended up in South America in our travel blog . Of course, you need time to travel like this. But for us, it’s the best way. In total, we covered around 75,000 kilometers in South and North America, traveled through 14 countries and slept at 267 campsites and 264 wild campsites. In general, you can say that places that are visited by a lot of people – the ones that can be found on Trip Advisor and in travel guides – are not the right ones for us. And only if you let yourself drift and try out new paths will you have such special encounters and experiences as we had in Ecuador.

What special encounter was that in Ecuador? We were driving along a dirt road in our Toyota looking for a place to spend the night. We accidentally drove into the yard of a house. We were about to apologize and drive on, but then the family, cocoa farmers, invited us in and asked us to stay. In the evening, our host cooked us fresh cocoa and went to church the next day out of gratitude. We didn’t go to church, but we too are very grateful for this encounter and the memory of it.

Wonderful experiences and unexpected challenges in America

Why do you prefer to travel in a roof tent?

It’s the freedom that changes everything and that you can only experience with a roof tent on the roof of a car.
In addition, our 4×4 Toyota made it possible to get to places where we were completely alone.
You can’t just do that with a motorhome.
And that’s what makes rooftop camping different from all other types of travel: There are virtually no limits.

Where did you become most aware of this feeling of freedom? Probably the most beautiful night in the roof tent was the one on the north side of the Grand Canyon – exactly the opposite side of the main tourist destination. We slept there in our roof tent with a view of the natural wonder, after the setting sun had bathed the canyon in the most beautiful colors. It was incredible!

But things didn’t always run smoothly, did they? In the USA, many people park their motorhomes at supermarkets when they travel. That’s common and once we had no other choice and had to sleep in front of a Walmart. But that’s not really nice with a roof tent. Also because we don’t have a toilet in the tent. It’s also important to know that in North America, camping is sometimes only allowed on some sites if you are self-contained. You should pay attention to that. (Note: “self contained” means that a camper can be self-sufficient for at least three days, i.e. it also has a toilet and a waste water tank).

Tips for rooftop tent nomads and the next trip

How did the roof tent survive such a long journey?

The tent has stood up well!
Of course, there have been individual wear parts that have suffered a little at some point, but we love the Adventure roof tent.
So much so that we have now bought the new generation of the Adventure for our next trips.

Our old tent didn’t survive the trip intact.
However, the tent was ultimately destroyed on the return journey to Europe by ship.
That was sad!

What happened on the ship?

We don’t know exactly, but when we went to pick up the car and roof tent in Southampton, we noticed that the floor panel and the tarpaulin were broken.
It looked as if someone had maneuvered the car and roof tent under a canopy at high speed.
That was the end of our faithful companion.

Speaking of wearing parts: What tips do you have for long-term travelers?

Whether car or roof tent: desert dust, heat and UV radiation will eventually take their toll on even the highest quality material.
And so it was the zippers that at some point no longer wanted to come to terms with the fine dust and could only be opened and closed very carefully.
The PVC window also became “blind” at some point and we replaced it.
I was also always worried about what we would do if we ever lost one of the window rods.
My tip is therefore to always have a package with the most important spare parts with you.

You have traveled through all climate zones. How did you cope with the heat and cold?

Yes, we have traveled through the cold and windy deserts of Patagonia, been up to 4,750 meters above sea level in tropical but cold Bolivia, on the beach in Brazil, in the rainforests of the Amazon and in the sweltering heat of Cartagena: We saw it all. And then we went to Mexico and cool Alaska.

Isabelle sleeps badly if it stays above 28°C at night. In the tropics, only the mosquito nets remain closed, so the slightest breeze can cool you down. When there was no wind, we used a fan. I can always sleep, but in cold regions (below 5°C) it takes effort to get out of the warm tent in the morning to make breakfast. If it was 0°C or colder, we drove first and then had breakfast. In cold regions, the inner tent and the ventilation mats in the Adventure are very important. They really make a big difference!

In conclusion, what can you say about your longest journey to date?

Freedom is addictive! (laughing)