Rhino-Rack Hardshell (61002) vs RoofBunk Roamer
The Rhino-Rack Hardshell (61002) and the RoofBunk Roamer are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Rhino-Rack and RoofBunk take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
The Roamer is 5 kg lighter at 60 kg against 65 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Floor area is close to identical at 2.73 m² and 2.94 m², so neither wins on sleeping room. Setup is not close. The Roamer opens as a pop-up in 60 seconds; the Hardshell (61002) takes 5 minutes. Over a trip with a new campsite every night, that gap compounds. List prices are within $184 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the Hardshell (61002) is a fold-out and the Roamer a pop-up. That is not cosmetic — it decides whether headroom is even across the tent or tapers towards one end, and how much of the roof the tent occupies when closed. Canvas differs too: 600D rip-stop PolyOxford body, 210D fly, PU coated (CPAI-84) against 320gsm poly-cotton blend ripstop canvas. Closed, the Roamer sits 11.100000000000001 cm lower on the roof — 27 cm against 38.1 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Rhino-Rack
Hardshell (61002)
Rhino-Rack's fold-out hardshell tent sleeps two on a 70mm HD foam mattress and opens with gas-strut assistance. Its published kit weight is 65kg (143lb), covering the tent, ladder and mounting system, and the hard lid is rated to carry up to 20kg (44lb) of gear. The body is 600D and the fly 210D rip-stop PolyOxford, and an LED strip light and boot bags are included.
- Gas-strut assisted fold-out opening
- Hard lid rated to carry up to 20kg of extra gear
- LED strip light and boot bags included
- Manufacturer does not publish a peak/interior height
RoofBunk
Roamer
The Roamer is RoofBunk's ABS hard-shell tent, a gas-strut pop-up that the maker says opens in 30-60 seconds and sleeps 2-3. RoofBunk lists open dimensions of 210 x 140cm, a closed height of 27cm, a 7cm memory-foam mattress and a 60kg weight excluding the ladder. The high-quality ABS shell tops a 320gsm poly-cotton ripstop canvas body rated to 3000mm HH and 4-season.
- Quick 30-60 second gas-strut pop-up setup per the manufacturer
- Thicker 7cm memory-foam mattress than the soft-shell Explorer range
- Bedding can be left inside when the ABS shell is closed
- Weight (60kg) is published excluding the ladder
Which one to pick
Take the Roamer if you move camp most days. Take the Roamer if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. Beyond that the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex, cargo rails — are where the remaining difference lies.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | RoofBunk Roamer
| |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Fold-out | Pop-up |
| Sleeps | 2— worst of the tents compared | 3— best of the tents compared |
| Season rating | — | 4-season |
| List price | $2,440— worst of the tents compared | $2,260— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 143 lb— worst of the tents compared | 132 lb— best of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 4 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared | 6 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 8 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 15 in— worst of the tents compared | 10.6 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 6 ft 11 in | 6 ft 11 in |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 29.4 sq ft— worst of the tents compared | 31.6 sq ft— best of the tents compared |
| Interior height | — | 3 ft 3 in |
| Mattress thickness | 2.8 in | 2.8 in |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 5 min— worst of the tents compared | 60 sec— best of the tents compared |
| Shell material | — | High-quality ABS |
| Fabric | 600D rip-stop PolyOxford body, 210D fly, PU coated (CPAI-84) | 320gsm poly-cotton blend ripstop canvas |
| Warranty | — | 2years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | — |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | — | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | Yes | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Rhino-Rack product page | RoofBunk product page |
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Or read the full spec sheets for the Rhino-Rack Hardshell (61002) and the RoofBunk Roamer.