Bend, OR (The key to next year’s journey)
First off, let me begin by saying that I am thoroughly excited to be writing this in my home office again. We recently upgraded to gigabit internet at the apartment, and I made the mistake of assuming all modems have built in wifi when I bought a compatible modem, they don’t, so we have been without wifi at home for a few weeks while I was waiting for my Eero Pro 6 to arrive. My iMac isn’t exactly built for portability, so it’s nice being back at my home base. Lesson learned.
So let’s get into the exciting stuff! Where have I been? What have I been doing?
Short answer…working.
All of these weekend trips and random upgrades slowly took their toll, so I figured winter would be the perfect time to lay low, especially considering I haven’t gotten around to better tires yet, so driving in icy conditions hasn’t been high on my list of priorities. To be honest, I’ve been waiting for a specific upgrade to be completed before I even considered doing any kind of change to the wheels, and that upgrade just happened this week. To explain the story, let me back up a couple steps.
Built with purpose.
I have had a very specific goal with the forester. I want to make camping more accessible to my wife, so she can enjoy it as much as I do.
I grew up camping in Georgia and Alaska, two of the greatest places in America you could ever hope to visit, both on complete opposite ends of the spectrum from the other in literally every sense. I’ve missed out on a lot of camping over the past 14 years of being an adult because the vehicle I decided to cling to was a Scion xB. Practical in every sense, it had space to take whatever I wanted wherever I needed in the city and on highways, and I usually got around 37 mpg. It was a GREAT car, and the things I didn’t want were a car payment and a decrease in fuel economy.
As much as I hate the car payment and the ever decreasing mileage, I am glad that when it came time for me to buy a car I was firm with my decision to buy exactly what I wanted, because I would likely be keeping this car as long as I kept the scion. I wanted to be able to explore all of the Pacific Northwest, and eventually the country, from the car without needing to tow anything behind. I wanted to be able to go both on the highways as well as overlanding for multiple day excursions, but I needed to be able to accommodate my wife and I comfortably, both dogs conveniently, all of our supplies accessible, and I need to be able to have it all fit in the low clearance garage that is attached to my apartment.
I started with suspension and armor plates. This was the most important priority for me, protecting the vital parts of the car from what I may be driving over during a normal camp trip, and extra clearance to prevent those abrasions from happening in the first place. I also knew that I would potentially be putting a few hundred pounds of extra weight on the car, so I opted for King Springs at 1.25” instead of 2” spacers.
Now that I understand how much height I have to play with in getting into the garage, it was time to look at getting vertical.
I see TONS of crossbars in Boise. They’re inexpensive, they can attach oversized gear like kayaks, skis, snowboards, and they weigh next to nothing. They are not a great solution for piling a bunch of camp gear on top of your car to keep space for dogs. Thule roof baskets were my next consideration, but they seemed incredibly limiting for both oversized items and also if I ever wanted to permanently attach something to the rack, there weren’t many accessories. On the slightly nicer end of the spectrum, I was looking at both Front Runner and Prinsu. My preference would have been a Prinsu rack to support an Idaho based company, but they only offered options in the Crosstrek and nothing for the Forester. I’ve run into that issue a lot with the 2020 Forester, but fortunately, the Slimline Rack from Front Runner was available for my make and model, and it checked every box I needed marking. Added bonus, I get a badass minimalist design for an aesthetic I enjoy.
After a camp trip where I found out that my wife is too short to help me get anything off the roof rack, I tried a few solutions to see how I could assist the vertically challenged. I ordered a step stool that sat on the wheel, but it was bulky and one more thing to pack. I hate both of those descriptors. I found a fabricator in Oregon on instagram, and told him if he made a 2020 forester ladder I would be the first order to come through. This would make it so we could have easy access to all of the camping gear, while still keeping the back seat open for comfort boxes and cooler. A few weeks later, my ladder from NashFabCo showed up, and Satan gained +5 dex.
This solution has been working, and I am incredibly grateful that the dog’s bed fits perfect in the back behind their TravAll barrier, but I know that we can improve quite a bit. Our camp boxes are large and clunky, and there are so many moving pieces that camping almost becomes a chore for the only day we have off together. We’ll drive a few hours out to find a spot to spend another hour setting up camp, and that’s not including the time it will take to break everything down the next day. Again, having multiple bulky things to pack are at the heart of what detract from getting into nature when you go camping. Who wants to mess tent stakes when you can be hiking or taking pictures or relaxing.
About this point in the progression of the Forester is when I really started paying attention to some overland accounts on YouTube & Instagram, and I found that most guys were carrying rooftop tents on their trucks. They are the most ideal solution for backcountry camping, where the view is more important than the available amenities. This is ultimately the type of experience that I want to have with Hailie and Satan, so I started doing my research. Here are the highlights to know for those new to roof top tents from someone new to the world of rooftop tents.
Don’t have crossbars.
Crossbars typically only have the ability to hold around 150 lbs. MAX. Rooftop tents can weigh anywhere from 80-250 lbs, and that’s before you add your own weight into the mix. When adding that much weight to your roof, you need to ensure that your vehicle can handle the total weight, but you must also ensure your rack can hold the attached weight.
Be serious about it.
This is not a weekend warrior purchase. This is for the community that wants to be able to get into the most places possible with the least reliance on modern comforts. It’s a large financial investment that decreases the efficiency of whatever vehicle it happens to be attached to. You will lose gas mileage. They are an absolute pain in the ass if you decide to take them off in the off season, and if you find out the hard way that you can’t fit it in your garage while attached to your rig, you will be a sad panda for sure. There is regular maintenance as well. You need to wipe down condensation after every trip, air it out every week, and make sure you open it up at least monthly in the off season to prevent mold from forming. And one last thing, say good bye to automatic car washes. There are plenty of reasons for irregular campers to NOT get a rooftop tent, so if you are going to invest in one, plan on being serious about it.
There are three main designs that I have found, with variations within each category.
Soft shell tents typically offer the most space, as they fold out to twice the width of your vehicle. These are typically the least expensive, and therefore the most popular option. They offer the convenience of a traditional tent, only attached to your vehicle, so all you need to find is level ground to park. Typical setup and breakdown time is slightly more streamlined than a traditional tent, however you will be looking at around 10-15 minutes. Price range can typically fall anywhere from $800-$2,500 depending on build quality and features. The additional comfort and ease on the wallet these tents offer come at a cost of being the bulkiest option available.
The first category of hard shell tents is the pop up tent. Typically made of a hard plastic or polymer, these tents are designed by having spring assisted struts inside the four corners of the tent. When you unlock two latches at the rear of your vehicle, half of the tent pops up. When you unlock the hatches at the front of the vehicle, the other half pops up. Pull out a ladder that stays inside the tent to get up to the cabin, and once you enter the tent, you can lock the struts into an upright position to keep the tent upright. These tents typically are less bulky than soft shell tents, and have the convenience of taking around 60-120 seconds to set up. Because of their design naturally creating a pocket of air in the center when closed, these designs allow you to leave your sleeping bags and pillow in the tent at all times. Prices on these will range from $2,000-$5,500 and up depending on the features. These seem to be the more popular option of the hard shell tents, offering full 360 views of your campground.
The second category of hard shell tents is the clamshell tent. These are the most simple design, you simply lift up the handle on the back of the tent, and the clamshell opens up. That’s it, it’s done. These don’t offer a lot of space to hang out, since the angle of one side drastically reduces the overall space, but how much headroom do your feet need when you’re sleeping? Sitting in front of the large panorama side window offers great views to the front, and zip down windows to the side give adjacent views. This is the best option for convenience because the setup and break down time is typically around a minute. Because they are the most simple design, they also tend to be the most slim profile available. You can find them in plastics and aluminum builds, both offering their own series of pros and cons, but this category ranges slightly above pop up tents in price, and while they can start around $2,500, I’ve seen decked out James Baroud models go for over $6,000. This tent seems like the option for people who simply want to spend more time outside their tent than inside their tent, and want the ability to come and go as they please.
What I am trying to convey to you, is that I spent a few months obsessing over stats, prices, reviews, and real life experiences, all going down the rabbit hole of what the question, “is this the right decision for us?”
I found myself sitting at the checkout screen on the roofnest website, I had a falcon XL in my cart, all my credit card information filled out, and I was staring at the “submit” button for five minutes when I asked myself, “Do I REALLY want to make this decision?” So I totally second guessed my decision and decided to go further down the rabbit hole. One thing I hadn’t looked at previously were unboxing videos, and I found that a decent amount of people had issues with roof nest getting delayed because they originate from China. With covid restrictions adding to the delay, it makes the timeframe on receiving your tent a bit of a crapshoot. When the boxes did show up, a lot of the time they came damaged. Additionally, these people all had to figure out how to get a giant, 150 lb. tent on top of their cars to get it mounted…properly, might I add. I’m in my 30’s, and while I’m certainly no old man, I’m also no longer at a point in life where I can bribe friends with pizza and beer to do crappy work that we don’t really know how to do.
Oh man, I’m really glad I didn’t hit submit. I remembered something that James from Treasure Valley Subaru had told me when I went to get my car serviced last. There was a company in Bend that sells rooftop tents, called Cascadia Vehicle Tents, that had come out to their dealership last month, and they might have an option I hadn't yet considered. I had looked at RoofNest, Tepui, James Baroud, Osprey, iKamper, I had a laundry list off considerations that were necessary features of the tent, but one thing I hadn't ever even remotely considered was if a sales office could do installs.
I called the location in Bend and asked them if they had a Mt. Hood in stock, and while they didn’t have the sizes or color I wanted, they could get the two size options in the color I wanted up from their Las Vegas location there within a week, and that they would be able to get it installed as early as the following Tuesday at 1pm. That made up my mind. I can eliminate the possibility for me to fuck it up, so I told them to get me scheduled and I’d see them next week.
There are very specific reasons that I went with the Mt. Hood. but most of them are centered around the fact that Hailie and I are planning a cross country trip for 2022, and that trip will keep us in the car for what I anticipate will be about two months straight. There are a few things that were considered more than anything else.
Fuel efficiency. This is probably the most low-profile and aerodynamic rooftop tent on the market. At less than 7 inches, it will easily fit in my garage, and being able to keep it installed on my vehicle 24/7 & 365 will make camping significantly more accessible because it only requires the drive, not the packing.
Build quality. We are going to be taking it across thousands of miles and it needs to be able to take a beating. My decision was based on an aluminum build being prioritized over plastic as it will hold up to the elements better. Additionally, the Mt. Hood is 4 season rated, so it gives me additional options in the future, as well as the ability to withstand the unexpected weather that will inevitably show up at some point.
Convenience. I did cross country road trips many times growing up. I know what to expect, long hours on the road. The last thing I’m going to want to do at the end of a long day of driving, especially after day 49, is spend 20 minutes setting up a tent. Being able to simply open my tent and go to sleep will be a necessity. Another thing, Hailie and I can now take overnight trips on Tuesday when she gets home from work because even if we arrive at camp after sunset, we can still enjoy sunrise mornings across Idaho for our day off together.
I’ll be honest, I really wanted some of the features that come with James Baroud tents, but they simply aren’t worth the extra price of admission. With the stimulus, this became a luxury that would have normally been out of reach, but I wanted to invest the money in time together, and it made a seemingly unreachable option within grasp. This year, we are planning to get our mobile camping setup dialed in with the dogs so we can get everything ready for our first huge road trip.
Tuesday morning came early. On the road by 7am so I could get to CVT by my appointment. With no car to explore Bend, I walked around the two nearby parks and had a cup of coffee from a local coffee shop. Two hours later, I was quite the happy boy when I came back and saw my tent and awning installed.
Yeah, I got an awning, too. “Why” you ask? If I’m going to drive 12 hours round trip to have someone install an expensive purchase, I’m absolutely going to take them up on the upsell of the awning when they explain they can offset the install of the tent to counterbalance the additional width of the awning to have a perfectly centered set up. I was planning on getting an awning later this year anyway, and this would make sure the total setup would be aesthetically correct and installed properly. Plus, getting to surprise Hailie with a little extra something was fun for me.
My original plan was to drive out to Sisters to camp out by Spark Lake for the night to test out the cold weather, but I wound up taking a wrong turn and wound up at Mt. Bachelor needing to turn around. The whole situation wasted most of my available daylight hours, so I backpedaled to Pine Mountain Observatory and found a spot to set up for the evening to test out all of the camping equipment I had purchased over the summer.
The night was a freaking success. I am beyond excited for Hailie and I to get out for our first night together to start exploring Idaho with the dogs.
Until next time.
-Chris
