Which type of car tent to hire in Namibia

Ok so I know there are zillions of questions about car hire (boring) but I've done loads of searches and I can't find the answer to my question. I want to hire a 4x4 with camping equipment to drive across Namibia in September and can't decide between a normal tent which you pitch on the floor, a roof tent or a bushcamper (where the tent seems to come out of the car!) My two considerations are firstly which is easiest to put up/take down and secondly which is the most comfortable to sleep in?! Please advise.

Also I'm going to go with Value as they really seem to be half the price of anyone else - but the age of the vehicles is worrying me. Has anyone had a bad experience with them? Thank you!

I am a fan of the roof top tent.

I can't speak for the designs in Namibia, but I've used one that folds open in less than a minute. It also has a thick foam mattress, already in place. You get better exposure to a breeze at elevation too. Only worry is getting too drunk and falling off the ladder when you are heading to bed.

Peace,

BB

Roof top tent is very comfortable to sleep in. Fairly quick to put up and take down after you've done it a couple of times. Probably a little bit harder to put up by yourself (especially if you're height challenged like me!) The only downside is that you have to pack it up whenever you go off for a game drive or whatever, but only a minor inconvenience really.
We had a good experience with Value Car Hire.

I found the roof tent a little bit more warm than our small tent - the canvas is really thick . Although it depends with what kind of normal tent you have. But then, I slept only one night in the roof tent and a couple of weeks in the normal, so I might not have the best experience to compare!
I think threedogs is right: roof tent very comfy ; floor tent a little quicker to pack (or not if you don't have to)

Last time we hired a 4x4 bushcamper from Bobocamper (Discoverer X). You sleep under a hardtop, there is no tent. It can get a bit hot but we had lots of rain in Namibia last November (very unusual, it was like England). Another plus, we didn't had to pack everything before moving the car. It's like a little camper very comfortable and when others had to wait in front of their car for dry weather, we just were sitting on our sofa and reading a book, or drinking a cappuccino.

On the negative side… it's top-heavy. No problem driving in sand but we couldn't do the Van Zyls pass.

Brilliant guys - thank you so much. Despite the very pertinent drunken ladder warning (I just know that's going to happen!) I think we'll go for the roof top tent. I was very tempted by the bushcamper (the cappuccino in the rain argument almost had me) but I think fuel economy is half that of a 'normal' 4x4 and it is more expensive to hire, plus it may restrict where we want to go.

I just couldn't believe that those things perched on top of the car were a. safe or b. comfy but thanks to you we're gonna give it a go! It will look cool in a photo too!!

Thanks again for the advice - as always, v much appreciated!
Lucy

Are you sure you need a 4x4? All the main highlights in Namibia are accessible in 2WD on the very well maintained gravel roads. The only exception is Sossusvlei proper but you can hitch a short lift from the 2WD parking lot at the end of the paved road. Last summer I drove across Namibia from Maun to Cape Town via Rundu, Tsumeb, Etosha, Uis, Spitzkoppe (often overlooked but spectacular), Cape Cross, Swakopmund, Nakluft Mts Park, Sesriem, Maltahoe, and Fish River Canyon (nice but out of the way unless you're heading south like I was; huge bureaucracy if you want to hike it).

I suggest getting an economical 2WD from aroundaboutcars.com almost anywhere in RSA or Windhoek. Get a cheap tent for the ground that is easy to set up. Doubt you'll see any rain.

Jon

#6
If you only visit the highlights, stay on the main routes you don't need a 4x4. But if you go in remote areas (like we always do) you absolutely need a 4x4 and some campgrounds are not accessible by regular car plus you sit higher and can see more. On our two trips to Namibia we really needed a 4x4.

We also chose a simple 2WD (Volkswagen Polo) and a normal ground tent (takes you 5 minutes to install). I was perfect for Namibia!

Tom

www.highlightsofnamibia.com</a>

Edited by: tommie_5

Thanks for being so honest guys but we learnt our lesson in Mozambique a couple of years ago. We turned up at Europcar in Maputo with a reservation for a 2 wheel drive. It was our honeymoon and I'd done loads of research and found out via the Thorn Tree that we didn't need a 4x4. The african guy in the hire shop laughed his ass off when we came in and I pointed out where we were going. I thought he was just trying to rip us off but we eventually relented and let him give us a 4x4. About 20 minutes in and 300 potholes later I was SO grateful that we'd listened. Yes we didn't NEED it (and if you're on a really, really tight budget don't listen to me - you'll be fine) but I have to say that over 2 weeks that extra couple of hundred pounds was blessed as a truly wise investment for our pampered western behinds! It sounds expensive but for others considering car hire reading this, think about it again before you dismiss it as a frivolous expense! That 4x4 actually made our holiday an infinately more pleasant experience and considering how much we'd spent on airfares, accomodation etc it was in my opinion definately worth it!

PS if anyone else wants to see how easy it is to put up a roof tent in namibia check out this youtube video (the tent erection is about 50 secs in!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuUUxxz3z3g

So excited about my trip now! Thanks everyone!

I would recommend a 4x4 if you are going for a roof tent, make sure you bring some form of puncture repair kit should you snag it on bushes!

A quick reply on Lucy_’s entry, the main subject is about Namibia and not Mozambique. Moz roads are totally different from Namibia. Namibia’s roads, tarmac and gravel is by far better than any of the Southern Africa’s countries. I live in South Africa, traveled extensively in Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, a bit of Zimbabwe way back and Mozambique.
I’ve driven thousands of kilometers in Namibia in a Datsun 1600 sedan and, yes, got stuck in the sand, trying to view a pool close to Walvis Bay. But did not try to explore regions off the beaten track e.g. Van Zyls Pass with a sedan vehicle!
Since the mid 90’s, all my travel is done in a Land Rover, by choice. Only few visits to Botswana I had the rooftop tent on the roof of the Land Rover. Yes, the view is great, yes you feel safe but if you are of average height, zipping and unzipping the rooftop does not take a minute, only the push open and the collapse. I’ve traveled alone in these regions as well and then it takes me much longer to unzip and zip. Yes, there are basically two models of rooftops with various manufactures and models; the “hardtop” more expensive to buy and hire, and the “soft top” cheaper and more available. The hardtop goes like one, two, three and off you go.
The other problem I had was visiting national parks. An hour or so, just before sunset, you receive a message that there are lions, 2-3 km away from camp and you want to go and see. But, your rooftop is already open for the night because to setup camp at night is problematic! Now you can not go a see the lions!
Getting dressed and undressed in a rooftop is for the young. My wife likes the wild bush but she still likes to dress in an upright position! When it rains, a rooftop is not a very pleasant place to be as you are limited with space.
Then my family grew and I removed the rooftop and fitted it on top of my trailer, what bliss. Now the Land Rover is available for any lion sightings. The kids were now sleeping in the rooftop and the parents in a 3m x 3m bow tent. No one “steels” my campsite anymore as it is marked by my bow tent, ok, including my trailer, which was not the case with the rooftop on top of the Landy.
Temperature wise, never felt uncomfortable in a rooftop or ground tent as both versions have adequate ventilation, keep in mind that my rooftop and bow tents are made of thick durable canvas. During daylight you do not spend time in any tent rather in the shade of the vehicle or underneath trees. Due to the thick canvas, I never had any problems with leaking, only along the West Coast in October while visiting the flower season. We were camping close to the sea and there was a strong icy wind plus the heaven opened. The tented started to leak at the seams facing the wind.
Conclusion, I will go for a ground and more precise; a 3m x 3m bow tent!