Sleeping well on a vehicle roof covers only part of a camping trip. Everything else happens at ground level: keeping food cold when it is 35°C outside, finding shade in the middle of the day, rinsing off the dust and having light after sunset. This November, while South African families put the final touches on their gear for the December holidays, Johannesburg based Cloud Camper is shining a light on that ground-level side of camping. The company supplies rooftop tents, awnings and vehicle camping gear.
A group of passionate adventurers and camping enthusiasts founded Cloud Camper after spotting a gap for camping that is both practical and comfortable. At the heart of its offering are Rooftop Tents, which fit onto a vehicle’s roof rack and unfold in minutes. The range has since expanded to cover the gear that makes a whole campsite function around the tent, and ahead of the year’s busiest travel weeks, it is this complete set-up the company wants campers to consider.
Keeping food cold through the summer heat
On a long summer trip, food and drink tend to be the hardest thing to manage, particularly for families spending a week or longer on the road. Among Cloud Camper’s stock is the AR-ON FSS-95, a mobile fridge and freezer with 95 litres of dual-zone capacity, built for both heavy-duty storage and daily use. Having two zones means a fridge and a freezer can run next to each other, keeping meat frozen while drinks and fresh produce stay chilled. According to one customer review on the company’s site, the doors open from either side and the unit has power points on both sides, so it fits more easily into a variety of vehicle layouts.
Shade around the vehicle
Across much of southern Africa, December camping means dealing with fierce midday heat. To create shade beside the car, Cloud Camper sells vehicle side awnings in two styles: a 270-degree free-standing awning, and a 180-degree free-standing batwing awning that comes with a side wall. Reviews on the site say the 270-degree awning goes up quickly, includes built-in lighting and has pull-down support legs that add stability when the wind picks up. For fixing an awning to the vehicle, a quick-release steel side awning mount is also on offer.
Washing in private
Some campsites have no ablution facilities, and the ones that do can get crowded during the holidays. The tent shower from Cloud Camper provides a private place for campers to wash. In one customer review it is called sturdy and well made, and a lid can be added on top for more privacy. Families heading to remote locations or overlanding across borders may find a shower tent makes an extended trip much more comfortable.
Lighting, airflow and sleeping comfort
Once night falls, it is often the smaller pieces of kit that count most. Cloud Camper’s portable camping fan also works as an LED lantern and a 20,000mAh USB rechargeable power bank, helping on warm nights and keeping phones topped up. For a better night’s rest, the company sells a self-inflating camping mattress designed with overlanders in mind, suitable for use inside a tent or directly on the ground. Also available is a heavy-duty metal jerry can for fuel, featuring a locking cap, a triple handle and mounting holes, for journeys where filling stations are few and far between.
Where the tent fits in
Every one of these items is meant to work alongside the tent. Cloud Camper’s selection of Roof Top Tents for Cars features a quick set-up two-person tent with a solar panel bracket, as well as the Kalbarri Z, a hard shell four-person model for 4WD camping supplied with a solar panel bracket, mattress and ladder. The company’s FAQ section notes that rooftop tents work well on SUVs, trucks and cars fitted with sturdy roof racks. It advises buyers to consider vehicle compatibility, how many people will sleep in the tent, its weight compared with the vehicle’s roof capacity, and the climate they plan to camp in.
Installation also needs some planning. The company says most rooftop tents attach to the roof rack using mounting brackets, and because of their weight, two people are needed to fit them. Before a purchase, Cloud Camper’s team can walk customers through compatibility, which is especially useful for vehicles with wider load bars or a non-standard rack.
Care matters too, particularly over a long summer trip. Cloud Camper recommends cleaning a rooftop tent after every use to clear away dirt and moisture, keeping it somewhere dry when it is not being used, and checking it often for any damage. Following that straightforward routine after a holiday on dusty or wet roads helps keep the tent ready for the next trip.
Feedback from customers
Reviews on Cloud Camper’s site come from customers who have taken its gear through all kinds of conditions. One reported two Karoo trips totalling about 1,000 km, with no dust getting inside, rain kept out and no bolts needing tightening after the first installation. Another took a Cloud Camper rooftop tent to Tarangire National Park in Tanzania, while a customer in Namibia said the tent was made to cope with harsh weather. A number of reviews also point to helpful phone support and fast delivery, among them a Cape Town customer whose order arrived three to four days after shipping.
Think beyond the bed
As school holidays and year-end leave draw closer, Cloud Camper is urging campers to plan their complete set-up now instead of leaving it to the last week before they set off. Fitting and testing a tent, awning, fridge and shower at home makes for a more relaxed first night at camp. Anyone looking at Rooftop Tents For Sale this month would do well to list each step of their campsite routine, from cooking and washing to charging devices, and put together a kit that handles all of them.
The complete Cloud Camper range of tents, awnings and accessories is available to browse at https://cloudcamper.co.za/.
About Cloud Camper
Based in Johannesburg, Cloud Camper is a South African supplier of rooftop tents, vehicle awnings and camping accessories. The company offers two-person and four-person rooftop tents, 180-degree and 270-degree free-standing awnings, mobile fridge freezers, shower tents, camping mattresses and other vehicle camping gear, and delivers throughout South Africa.
Media Contact
Cloud Camper
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +27 76 960 1598
Website: https://cloudcamper.co.za/
