OEX Roof Tents

OEX Roof Tents: Camping Above the Ground

A roof tent turns almost any car into a quick, comfortable place to sleep. Instead of clearing stones and hunting for flat ground, you pitch on your roof bars, climb the ladder and you are up and away from the damp. This category brings together six OEX pieces: the rooftop tents themselves, plus the awning and hub shelters that extend your space once you arrive. Prices currently run from $149 to $479, and every item is on sale.

The Roof Tents in the Range

The Vertex Lite Roof Tent and the Vertex Lite 130 Roof Tent are OEX's soft-shell rooftop tents, the models most people picture when they think of roof-top camping: they fold out over the car, sleep on a built-in mattress and pack back down under a cover for the drive home. If you are camping solo or want the lightest option, the single-berth Roof Tent is worth a look. It is a one-person rooftop tent with three windows and two doors, an inner sitting height of 90 cm, an outer size of 222 by 80 by 95 cm and an inner size of 212 by 74 by 90 cm, so you get real usable space without a bulky footprint.

Awnings and Hub Shelters

Camping is not only about where you sleep, so the range also covers shelter for the hours in between. The Foxwing 270 is a wide, wrap-around vehicle awning that shades a large area beside the car in minutes, which is ideal for cooking, changing or simply staying out of the sun and rain. The Vertex Hub 1.1 is a compact hub shelter that packs to 3 kg and 50 by 15 by 15 cm, then pitches to an outer size of 310 by 130 by 115 cm with internal storage pockets and a lantern hanging point. The Vertex Lite Hub adds a sheltered room that works alongside the Vertex Lite tent.

Why Choose a Roof Tent?

The appeal is simple. You sleep off the wet, uneven ground, away from insects and puddles, on a mattress rather than a thin mat. Setup is fast, because the tent lives folded on the roof and opens in a couple of minutes rather than being pitched from scratch. You also keep your boot free for luggage instead of losing it to a bulky ground tent. It also means you can stop almost anywhere flat enough to park, from a quiet lay-by to a festival field, without hunting for a manicured pitch. For weekend trips, festivals and touring holidays, that mix of speed and comfort is hard to beat.

Choosing the Right OEX Roof Tent

Start with how many people need to sleep and how you travel. The single-berth Roof Tent suits solo trips and lighter loads, while the Vertex Lite tents give you more room to spread out. Think about how often you will use it: a soft-shell tent packs smaller and costs less, which makes it a sensible first roof tent. If you spend long spells at one pitch, adding the Foxwing 270 awning or a hub shelter turns the setup into a proper basecamp with covered living space.

Fitting a Roof Tent to Your Car

Before you order, check two things on your vehicle. First, that you have roof bars rated to carry the tent, and second, your car's roof load. Every car has a dynamic roof load, which is the weight it can carry while moving, and a higher static load for when it is parked and you are sleeping inside. A roof tent is designed around this, but the bars and the fixings matter, so match the tent to bars that are strong enough and fitted correctly. If you are unsure, the specification on each product page and your vehicle handbook are the places to confirm the numbers.

Pitching and Everyday Use

Once the tent is mounted, the routine is quick. Undo the cover, unfold the tent, extend the ladder and the sleeping area is ready. Most soft-shell tents take only a few minutes, so you can arrive late and still be in bed without a struggle. The built-in mattress means you do not carry a separate one, and the ladder doubles as the support that holds the far side out. Windows and doors let you set the airflow, which keeps condensation down on cooler British nights. When you leave, the tent folds back down over the roof in minutes, so packing away in the morning is as quick as setting up the night before.

Care and Storage

A little care keeps a roof tent going for years. Let the fabric dry fully before you pack it away, as folding it damp is the quickest way to invite mould and smells. Brush off dirt rather than scrubbing, and reproof the outer when water stops beading on the surface. Store the tent and any awning somewhere dry, and check the fixings and stitching now and then so small issues are caught early.

Delivery and Returns

Orders are delivered across the United Kingdom, with the options shown at checkout. If a piece is not right for your setup, our returns policy explains how to send it back, and for anything you are unsure about before ordering the contact page is the quickest way to reach us.

OEX Roof Tent FAQ