Darche Panorama 1400 Rooftop Tent

G'day Tom,

The Eco version comes with a waterhead rating because its a polyester material so isn't naturally waterproof.  It has to have a waterproof coating, etc done to it which is why it then undergoes a waterhead rated testing.

The standard Panorama is canvas, which is fully seam sealed, and also fully waterproof when seasoned.  There would be no disadvantage in waterproofness between the two, its just the material types which require the specs to be presented differently.

Hope that helps!

G'day Charlie,

Nope - its not recommended to leave any self inflating mats inside a roof top tent.
Theres heaps of pressure on them, and it can damage the seams & bonding.
Warranty doesn't cover them being used in a roof top tent aswell, so you'll need to pull it out for pack up.

G'day Mel,

The Darche roof top tents do come with seam sealing, but it's a great idea to season any canvas tents or shelters regardless.

There's no reason why you should be hesitant to do this, it's a completely normal practice.  Best way to go about it is to set your roof to tent up on a sunny day in your driveway.  Remove the fly, and soak your roof top tent canvas with a hose, and leave it to dry.

Check out our blog on Seasoning canvas gear for more info - whilst the subject of the blog is a Swag, the same principle applies.

Hope that helps

G'day Mel,

At no point should you dismantle your roof racks or roof rack system to install the rooftop tent.
You need to make sure your racks and everything are in place before you mount and fix the rooftop tent.

Grab a good ladder or platform step ladder so you can work on the install safely, and at the correct height.
Might be worth getting an extra pair of handy hands to help out if you're not 100% confident - it can help having an extra person on standby in real life, if only to confirm what you're doing & give you the confidence.

G'day Mel,

Yep, you can remove the ladder & mattress to cut weight down. Bear in mind the ladder also doubles as the level for opening and packing the roof top tent though, so make sure you can easily access the roof to attach/remove the ladder when you're at the campsite.
In terms of installing the roof top tent, a popular way is like an ol' fashioned barn raising - chuck on a BBQ and invite a few strong mates over to help get the job done.
It's likely not something you'll be able to do yourself, and unless you have the means to lift or move it, you won't be able to take it somewhere to get installed for you.
Hope that helps!

They come separate, Ken, so you can mount them yourself at a distance that work best. 

G'day David,

The roof top tent is designed for the ladder and entrance to be at the foot or head end of the mattress (whichever way you want to sleep) so there shouldn't be any issues with access.
You can see a diagram of this in our final product image, which is a floor plan of the tent.
Hope that helps.

G'day Hamish,

Darche's Roof Top Tents are designed to mount simply on most capable after-market and O/E Crossbars and roof racks from any brand.  Usually fitting on utes requires rear mounting on a tub rack.
Whether or not your vehicle is suitable depends on the Static and Dynamic roof load rating. Darche recommend contacting your vehicle manufacturer or dealer for advice on roof load limits and factory installed bars and or racks before making a decision on the best Roof Top Tent for you.

G'day Amy,

In general, you won't be able to leave bedding in your rooftop tent, as it will be too thick to folded and secure safely. A sheet should be fine, but you might find that a doona will be a little too thick depending on how compressible it is.