There Aren't Many Rooftop Tents for Side-by-Sides. This Could Change That

One of the big problems I encountered when I was looking to outfit my Can-Am Maverick X3 with a rooftop tent was finding a roof rack that would be strong enough for me to attach one to. Most had payloads of less than 150 pounds, while most tents sans people are already outside that range. Add a full-size adult human man with a bunch of hunting gear and Strawberry Sour Patch Kids, and you're looking at a night of collapsing onto the side-by-side's roof.

The whole thing ended up with me finding the folks over at Prinsu, who make a roof rack for my X3 that was strong enough for the Roofnest hard-top rooftop tent, myself, and all my gear. And this year, I really tested the strength of the rack, as I spent a lot of nights atop my Can-Am tracking, killing, and carting out my first bull elk. That search for Prinsu's roof rack, however, took a while for me to execute, as scrolling through the specs of countless Can-Am roof rack payloads was a chore. 

I spent hours looking through forums and threads and manufacturer specifications before I got the Prinsu. But maybe I wouldn't have had to search as hard as I did had the Groenberg Weekend rooftop tent been around. Why? Because this is a seriously ultralight rooftop tent, weighing less than my hunting pack when outfitted for a single-day backcountry adventure. 

Damn, that's light.

Groenberg markets the Weekend rooftop tent as "the world's lightest rooftop tent," and weighing in at just 30 pounds, the company is absolutely correct in that assertion. Hell, that's a light tent for any sort of tent, let alone one designed for your car, truck, or side-by-side's roof. But more than anything, because it's so lightweight, it won't affect your rack's payloads in the same way as other rooftop tents, meaning you have more access to other roof racks. 

According to Groenberg's Kickstarter campaign, which has already been funded, "Forget everything you know about rooftop tents. You don't need a garage, you don't need tools, you don't need strong friends. This ultra-light rooftop tent packs down so small it even fits in your closet. And it can easily be assembled by yourself without breaking a sweat. The Weekend is a revolutionary rooftop tent designed for modern lifestyles. Extremely light, compact and affordable – perfect for spontaneous weekend escapes, festivals, and road trips. Whether you live in the city or just want to travel light, Weekend makes rooftop camping finally accessible." 

Likewise, Groenberg claims to have solved one of the biggest issues for rooftop tent owners: removal. They might be right.

Currently, my Roofnest is still on my Maverick X3. And it will remain there for the foreseeable future, as it's truly a nightmare to remove and/or attach. It takes at least two people, and is easier with three, as the process is a pain and the whole thing weighs what feels like the sum total of a full-grown bull elk. It's about as easy to maneuver as a full-grown bull elk by yourself, too. But the Weekend can be removed by yourself because it weighs almost nothing. In fact, on the campaign's landing page, the designers show you can actually remove the whole structure while it's still erect. 

Because it's so lightweight, however, there is some setup required once you get to where you're going, as like a traditional tent, there are poles you'll have to thread, a mattress you'll have to inflate, and some rain flies to push outward. But for folks who don't mind that, and want something extremely lightweight, or easily stowed when not in use, damn, this looks like a helluva deal. 

As for price, right now, Groenberg is still in the production phase of the Kickstarter, but advertises that once early adopters and funders get theirs, the Weekend will cost 999€, which translates to about $1,100, which is considerably less than most other rooftop tents on the market, but way more than a traditional tent. There's also no word on whether or not Groenberg will sell the Weekend here in the States, but it would be rad if they do, as it could help out a lot of side-by-side owners with sleeping in the woods. 

Fingers crossed.