Thule Approach Roof Top Tent Review – The Most Luxurious 3 Person RTT We Have Used!

 

We love RTT camping and have been testing them for years. The Thule Approach Roof Top Tent is certainly the biggest and might also be the easiest to set up we have used! I was reluctant to try a soft sided roof top tent as I rely on our hard sided RTT year round and love the durability and simplicity of setting them up.

I was pleasantly surprised with how easy the Approach roof top tent (size large) was to deploy (under 5 minutes on my first attempt) as well as how quickly it closed back up.  I found that making sure all the tent materials are pressed into the tent, and the velcro patches were used, I had no issue with zipping the cover on.

However, the very first time I put the tent away I did not make sure the materials were tucked away and I snagged the heck out of the tent in the zipper.  Lesson learned – just tuck the material in and you are good to go.

Installation of the Approach was pretty simple.  I have put on several RTTs on our 4Runner and am used to the workflow.  What you should expect is ~30 minutes of attaching the ladder to the tent, laying out the mounting hardware and all that.  On the ground, you assemble the tent, ladder and two brackets.  Once that is set up, grab a friend and lift the tent (160lbs to keep in mind) onto the vehicle.

 

In our case, the tent went onto of our 4Runner with after market Yakima HD bars.  You can use other manufactures of crossbars, but not factory installed bars tat terminate at the rails (if that makes senses) When in doubt, contact Thule or your local rack installation company.

Once the tent is placed on the crossbars, line it up with where you want it. I scooted it as far back as I could so that my sunroof/moonroof was still functional as well as my tailgate could fully open.  It was very nice to be able to use the sunroof again!  All my hard side RTTs were a few feet longer than the Approach, and therefore covered the sunroof up. I was so thrilled at being able to look out the moonroof that I saw several shooting stars on the first night of camping!

Now that the tent is in place, use the very well made mountain hardware (make sure to use the 2 locking pieces together!) and the provided 4Nm torque wrench to properly tighten the 8 bolts. You can use a 1/2″ socket to speed the process up. Just use the torque wrench at the end to ensure proper tightness.

Zip the burly Cordura cover on and place the zipper pull in the white slot to store it at the end.  Now, pack up your bedding, food and gear and get out on an Adventure!

 

Using the Thule Approach Roof Top Tent in Colorado

I camp year round here in Colorado.  Summer as well as Winter (I think there are two other seasons, but they only last a few days here in Colorado LOL) What I like about the hard sided RTTs we have used in the past is that they can usually handle snow and cold well.  The Approach is rated as all season on the Thule website.  But 3 season on REI.  So… I will report back on how it does in winter.

From my experience with it this summer, I can say that it handles wind and weather very well.  The coldest I have had it to is only 30F.  I will be pushing that much lower here in a few months.  One of the advantages of a RTT is that they are generally warmer than ground tents.  As they are off the ground, you don’t lose as much heat to the earth.  Plus, this tent comes with a cushy 2″ foam mattress.

At first, the 2″ mattress did not impress me on paper.  As I am used to sleeping on the EXPED MegaMat Duo pad that is 4″ thick and rated to -40F.  I imagine I will add that to the tent on colder camping trips this winter, but at the moment, the stock 2″ mattress is actually quite comfortable. I was surprised!

One thing that I used to do with my hard top tents, is store all the bedding and pillows inside.  This makes it super simple to set up.  You can not store bedding or pillows in this RTT.  Not a big deal – I created a system! I use the large cotton storage bags for down sleeping bags and stuff two person sleeping bags and pillows in them.  Then smush them behind the driver side seat and there you go.  Portable bed system.  Throw the bag up into the tent and you can set up in a minute.

Skylights and windows

There are 4 large windows / skylights.  They are mesh backed so you can open the tent material door and have a very breathable and bright set up.  There is a mesh backed window at the back and one mech backed zippered door to access the tent. On either side of the tent are 2 bifurcated storage pockets.  Several lash points and hooks throughout the tent as well, for hanging lights and things to dry.

Properly using the ladder

The ladder is built in (no more needing to haul around a ladder in the vehicle!) and is also load bearing. Keep that in mind when setting the tent up.  I find that pulling the ladder all the way out then pushing it back into itself 2 or 3 rungs is the sweet spot.  They suggest 75 degree angle for best setup.  I left my protractor at home and just used common sense to find the best andgle that 1) supported the tent 2) was comfortable to climb up.

Overall impressions on the Thule Approach Roof Top Tent

I have been pushing off testing soft sided RTTs for years as I love how simple and strong hard sided tents are.  But I am glad I tried this one out.  It has surpassed any expectations I have with roof top tent camping.  As you can see in the video – there are so many great things going for this tent.  The folding form factor, amber light in the morning, massive windows, space, ease of use, looks and build quality are all great.

I can not wait to use this tent in more conditions and lend it to fellow Engearment Teammates for them and their families to enjoy.  Highly recommended! Two big thumbs up from Engearment!

 


Thule Approach Tent - Large | REI Co-op