Spotlight on... RoofBunk

We started in late 2019 when I bought about 10 roof tents from a supplier using my personal bank account. The reason why we started was because we felt we could improve on what was currently out there in the roof tent market by increasing the size, the quality and offering a better price.

Road trips have also always been a passion of mine, so I wanted to improve my experience on them, so others could benefit, too!

Q2: What do you enjoy about running your business?

For me, it’s mostly seeing customers enjoying the product so much and hearing what they say about it.

Plus, meeting customers during viewings/collections and hearing about their plans, travels, etc.

I also enjoy implementing new product design improvements and the general process of taking an idea from concept into reality!

The main issue we’ve had to deal with in recent times has been a shipping crisis, which caused us to not be able to get any stock in for much of the summer months last year, and the prices we had to pay for shipping were at about 10 times higher than what they used to be, too.

Q4: Who are your main customers?

We have three main types of customers. There are regular campers that want to upgrade from using a tent, people choosing roof tents instead of a pop-top roof on their campervan, and people who are interested in overlanding in 4x4 vehicles such as the Land Rover Defender and camping out along the way.

Q5: What is a roof tent and what are the benefits?

Roof tents attach on top of your vehicle, allowing you to climb up a ladder and sleep in them. There are many benefits to them, but here are some of them: they can be set up and packed away really quickly and with your bedding left in, so you can stop over somewhere overnight and then set off straight away again.

Unlike with a tent, you don’t need the ground at a location to be flat, dry and soft, so you can camp in more places. They’re also stronger, warmer and more durable than regular tents because of their design structure and materials.

Q6: What makes your roof tent different to others on the market?

Ours is larger than most of our competitors’ at 140cm wide and 210cm long. We also use very high-quality materials like the 280gsm polycotton material on the tent walls, which should keep you warm, and the strong structural design of our roof tent should last for years without any problems.

Q7: Why would someone choose a roof tent over a pop-top roof for their campervan?

Roof tents are both larger and far less expensive than pop-top campervan roofs, so we really do feel they’re a better option. Aside from that, you also get the benefits of being able to move them to your new campervan if you ever change it. You can also store extra things in them, as they sort of double up as a roof box when closed.

Q8: Are roof tents easy to install, set up and remove?

The installation is easy, but some people do find it difficult to lift them up and down from their campervan with only two people. Ours is one of the lightest on the market, so it’s easier to lift than others.

Most of our customers either leave it on their vehicle all year round or only take it off in winter – after asking friends or family for a helping hand, so it isn’t much of a problem for them!

Q9: What advice would you give to someone thinking about buying a roof tent?

Before you buy a roof tent, make sure to look at the quality of the material it has on the tent walls and search for reviews to check for other people’s experiences with the product. Also make sure your vehicle is compatible. They attach via roof bars that need to be placed at least 70cm away from each other, so the weight of the roof tent is spread sufficiently.

Q10: Do you have any exciting plans in the pipeline?

We’re looking to launch new roof tents that serve the different needs for each of our main customers. We also plan to release new
accessories designed to improve people’s camping experience and eventually expand into both the rest of Europe and the USA!

The RoofBunk range

RoofBunk has its premises in Nottingham, where you can pop along to view the roof tent set-up and ask any questions. Viewing are on Fridays and Saturdays, and any evening after 7pm.

Contact RoofBunk