Watch How Rooftop Tent Camping Is Done In A Tesla Model Y

Forget regular ground tents.

Michael Cantu

By: Michael Cantu

Apr 27, 2021 at 8:20am ET

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Rooftop tents have become more popular over the past few years. I first saw one about three years ago on top of a Subaru Crosstrek and was impressed. There are also bed-top tents for trucks, something the Rivian R1T will have as an accessory.

Tesla YouTuber i1Tesla made a video about his camping experience using a rooftop tent. This camping trip was a "shakedown" trip that's supposed to better prepare him for a much longer excursion to Montana.

Brian, the video presenter, took his modified Tesla Model Y to a camping spot off of Highway 105 in North Carolina. He mentioned he fitted a lift and an "off-road kit" to his Model Y. You'll also notice he added aftermarket wheels and off-road tires. He also has a neat-looking wrap.

Brian doesn't explain how to set up the tent, but by looking at the video, it seems pretty easy. Probably easier than a regular ground tent. Rooftop tents have some nice advantages since they're off the ground. Finding creepy crawlers in your sleeping bag will be less of an issue, and if you're in an area with dangerous animals roaming around at night, a rooftop tent is definitely a much better idea. It's also nice in situations when the ground is wet from rain or snow.

One thing he took advantage of was the hard shell of the tent. When he set it up, he faced the hard side of the tent against the cold wind. I'm sure that helped during the cold night he spent in the tent.

Instead of relying on the Model Y to power his electronics, Brian taped a solar panel on top of the tent's shell and connected it to a power bank. Although, he admits he used it all on his electric heat blanket.

What do you think?

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After he woke up in the morning, he said the Model Y's battery was at 51 percent when he went to bed. Before he drove back home, it was down to 46 percent. When he exited the park he managed to get 1 percent back thanks to downhill driving (the heater was on). He only needed about 25 percent to reach the nearest Supercharger station.