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It seems that if you see any kind of built-out overland SUV, be it a 4Runner, Jeep, or even a new Bronco, it will likely have a rooftop tent (RTT). Those builds have spent thousands of dollars on the purchase price, along with shipping and the LTL freight delivery. Those that don’t have an RTT mounted are likely saving up to drop a similar amount of cash, and most of the name brands feature a price point that’s unrealistic for many builds out there.
I was in the latter camp. I had seen RTTs all over the place and looked at so many review articles on rooftop tents, always dreaming of when I could get my own. I’m a young guy and not fully established in my career field yet. That means that I didn’t have thousands of dollars to purchase the type and style of tent that I wanted.
What Is Alibaba & How Does It Work?So how do you order an RTT through Alibaba? If it’s cheaper, why doesn’t everyone just buy their goods directly from China, instead of from a US Retailer?
To summarize, it’s kind of a pain. Alibaba is a website that allows direct B2B connections. They facilitate negotiations between manufacturers and sellers and oftentimes you deal direct with the manufacturer. There are many rooftop tent websites out there that specialize in tents, however, they really just specialize in ordering rooftop tents through Alibaba or direct with the manufacturer. Once the companies agree on how much a product should cost per unit, they make a deal, and process payments.
Ordering sounds pretty easy, right? Well yes and no. The next thing you have to worry about is how you are going to get your new products from a manufacturer all the way in China to your door in the United States.
Why Alibaba?After all of the research that I had put in, I decided that the Condor from RoofNest would suit my needs the best.
The only problem was that the tent retailed online for about $3400. That was before tax and shipping. I was at a loss. That was more than I spent for my bumpers and full skid plates combined, and it was just a folding piece of fabric and aluminum. I love camping and off-roading and would love to just set up wherever I park and pass out until the morning. However, I could never justify spending that much money on something that will probably only last 5-10 years.
So, I sat down at my computer one night, thinking, “Maybe someone bought this tent and it didn’t fit their car. Now they need to sell it quickly because their spouse is angry that it’s taking up too much space in the garage.”
Basically, I was hoping for a miracle. I searched ”Used Hardshell Rooftop Tent”. I immediately saw ads from Alibaba. My friends and I had played around on Alibaba once or twice thinking that we could buy bulk goods and sell them at markets or on Amazon as an easy side hustle, but I’d never seen a posting for something this big.
As I scrolled through all of the manufacturers, I stopped on a set of photos of an RTT that I would recognize anywhere. This tent looked exactly like the RoofNest Condor. This was nuts! I went into a frenzy comparing the exact dimensions, materials, waterproof ratings, struts, and colors. I was certain that this was the RoofNest Condor.
Finally, I decided to look up where RoofNest manufactures its tents. Lo and behold, they were made in the same province in China where this manufacturer was posting their ads from. This was my chance to get an RTT! The same tent that was listed for over $3000 was being shown for a mere $800.
The ProcessAfter all of the details with the manufacturer have been hashed out, you’ll then need to find yourself a freight forwarder. I’ll skip international business and shipping lectures and just say that there are many ways to get stuff from one place to another.
If you are buying an item for yourself and not looking to distribute it across the country, you are looking for a DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) Freight Forwarder. They will get your tent from the manufacturer onto a ship, through customs with all of the fees and documentation, onto a domestic carrier, and direct to your door.
Once you find the manufacturer you want, expect about a dozen quotes from different freight forwarders. You can then wire the money and begin playing the waiting game.
I will warn you, this is not a fast process.
My first experience took roughly a week to organize everything and negotiate rates. That was followed by two weeks for the company to assemble my tent and get it to my freight forwarder. After it reaches the shipper, you then have to wait for the next ship to leave for the US. I was lucky and the ship left that same week. However, it had to turn back due to COVID, where it sat in a Chinese port for another week.
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On the day it finally set sail for real, I was excited and would check the position of the ship twice daily. The thing is, the average sailing time for a large cargo ship from China to Long Beach Wharf in LA is about 25-30 days. Patience is key here.
Once the ship finally reaches a port stateside, it takes time to unload, clear customs, and get picked up by the local carrier. For me, this process took about another two weeks.
All in all, I would say the process from start to finish was about 2 months. I also had no idea what I was doing, aside from a few international business classes I took in college.
Once you have paid your manufacturer and organized with your DDP Freight Forwarder, it really is just about patience. What’s great about this process is that once all of the work is done upfront, you really do just wait until it shows up at your door.
Notes & Good-to-KnowsSo was it all worth it? Absolutely! I got a solid tent on par with popular US brands and saved myself over $2000 by just putting in a little research and waiting patiently. To me, the process was fun to be a part of. Seeing what really goes into the global market that we live with was eye-opening. I’ve already gone on three trips with the RTT and I am so happy to have it.
Set up and take down of my RTT take less than 5 minutes. Now, I spend my nights on a king-sized mattress up and away from everything on the ground. I am now the envy of all of my friends. They’ve already asked me to walk them through this same process so they can get their own. I only wish that I had a friend with a traditionally purchased Condor RTT to see how closely they compare! For the time being, I’ll just have to wait until I run into someone on the trail.
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SunPilotOriginally Posted by
I'm in the market for a roof top tent for my 4th gen 4Runner. I've done extensive reading in all the threads I can find about these tents. I am getting frustrated that there is such a limited chance to see different models in person. Spending this type of money is something I don't do lightly, and when I can't see a product it makes it hard to justify the cost. My only real recourse is to rely on reviews and recommendations from people that have them. Every manufacturer touts their own product, of course.
I would appreciate hearing from tent owners of as many different brands as possible. I'd love to know what you like and dislike about the brand you have, or have used and if you would buy it again. If there are features you like or dislike, I'd love to hear about them also. I think this info will help me and anyone else contemplating buying a RTT. I realize brand loyalty is a powerful thing, but I am asking for honest opinions of quality of materials, warranty issues, customer service, durability, protection from elements, etc. Anything you can share would be helpful.
I promise that as soon as I get a tent mounted on my rig I will post some reviews to help others. Thanks for any info you feel like sharing.
I have owned several roof top tents both hard and soft shell throughout the years including CVT, Tepui and Denver Outfitters. There are pros and cons to hard and soft shells, and I will touch on a few to assist in your decision. I have spent over 100 nights this year in a rooftop tent in over 23 states. I spent 38 days straight living in a rooftop tent. We were snowed on, stayed in 117 degree heat of death valley, and relentless wind of the grand canyon. If I am not credentialed enough to give you an educated opinion, i don't know who is!Disclaimer: I have NEVER received compensation, discounts, or free tents from ANY tent manufacturer.Let's get started.Lots of space, good quality for a cheaper price, well-known makers in the American market. Comparable quality in all makes. When opened, they provide a sort of awning, available annex room.Much harder to set up/ tuck away. Much less aerodynamic when mounting to a roof. If time is an issue, you'll often have to factor in 10 to 15 minutes to pack up.Extremely easy to set up and take down, they look better, and stay warmer during the cold. Very aerodynamic. The fabric is thicker and therefore stays darker in the mornings. Usually have better storage such as coat hangers, ceiling nets and wall bags.Price. They're expensive, and unless buying from a reputable hard shell company such as James Baroud, AutoHome, AluCab etc the quality will not match that of their softshell counterparts. They get hot quickly in the mornings. This can be good on sunny winter days.Overall and in my opinion, I like soft shells SLIGHTLY more than the hard shell. I currently own one of both. Two companies that I trust and like very much include GoFSR, and Tepui. While on our 38 day trip, the constant use of our tent took its toll on the zippers as well as a few straps of our tent. When we finally reached Santa Cruz, CA, we posted up in the parking lot of Tepui Tents. We awoke to the business open and nobody woke us up or asked us wtf we were doing. Then, I asked one of their employees (for the life of me can't remember his name) for a quote on the repairs of our tent. After fixing the tent, he told us we didn't owe them a dollar. Mind you, this is a tent that had been heavily used and abused and was well outside their warranty period. He said "you're from TN, and drove all the way to California, slept in our parking lot, and are using our tent. This is the least we could do"You can spend more and Australian Bushmen, and Africa overlanders will argue with you until their heads fall off but you do not need a tent made in south Africa or Queensland to get a quality tent. We have proven that, and I will continue to buy tents from American companies who source their tents from China.I was previously a happy camper while using CVT tents. The tent was good quality, and we were happy. However, the owner of that company is someone I will NEVER do business with again. I will not get into details about this but I have very good reason.This is my opinion and my opinion only but I believe that most of not all soft shell tents come from the same manufacturing plants in China. Tent companies will refute this, but the stitching, machine marks, and materials are just too similar.If you have any questions regarding rooftop tents feel free to yell at me on here or instagram for a faster reply. My instagram is overland_tennessee
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Last edited by Porqupine82; 10-28-2017 at
10:04 PM
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