Hilux Facelift Part IV: Rooftop tent

I've never been a big fan of rooftop tents. They're claim to fame is the fact that they are so "easy" to open and close, saving you lots of time setting up camp. There are, however, quite a few drawbacks to rooftop tents. For one, you need to close them every time you want to go on a game drive - something that can be extremely annoying when you are camping in one spot for a long time. Then there's a space issue - you can't stand inside and it gets very tight when you are two people inside. Despite my reserves about it, I decided to fit an old rooftop tent of my dad's, just for a test run.

Step one: Remove the canvas cover.

Step two: Pull the tent open by pulling on the ladder and pushing from the other side.

Step four: Pull the tent all the way open and fit the ladder and window poles.

Step four: All you have to do now is put your bedding inside and you're done!

Once it's up a rooftop tent really does look impressive, but I'm still not convinced that it's a better option than a simple three-man tent on the ground. Only time will tell whether we take the rooftop tent with to the Serengeti... Follow the Hilux's progress on the Hilux Transformation page.