The fuel consumption of the high-speed 120/km can be increased by about 1 liter compared to that without a tent, and the overall fuel consumption increase is not obvious, which is within an acceptable range.
How Much Does A Rooftop Tent Kill Your Fuel Economy?
22.3 MPG without Rooftop Tent
18.5 MPG with Rooftop Tent
17% Difference
It’s imperative to know how much carrying a rooftop tent will affect your fuel consumption before purchasing one for your next camping adventure.
Fortunately, some data is available that demonstrates an estimate of just how much more fuel your vehicle is going to use when hauling a rooftop tent.
Your car will likely experience a drop in fuel economy with a rooftop tent in place; however, how much it drops will depend on various factors.
You can expect to spend more on gas if you have a rooftop tent installed, in all honesty.
Below we have compiled a quick list summarising what you should consider when figuring out how much more gas you will be using and how much more you will be spending:
The main reason for a car’s gas mileage being affected by a rooftop tent is because of the wind resistance it creates.
Some rooftop tents are not as aerodynamic as they could be, and as such, the drag of the car is negatively affected, which causes an increase in fuel consumption.
So we know that a rooftop ten affects our vehicle’s gas mileage, but do we know why, and does a rooftop tent affect other areas of a car’s performance? Primarily a vehicle’s center of gravity is affected.
Regardless of the type of car you have, you will notice that your vehicle’s center of gravity is affected when a rooftop tent has been installed.
When a rooftop tent has been mounted, the vehicle’s height is increased, which causes the car’s center of gravity to be affected. When the center of gravity is altered, it reduces trail performance and the vehicle’s overall handling capabilities.
For some cars, driving around corners will slightly destabilize the vehicle, and extra attention would have to be paid to steer the vehicle.
However, it is beneficial to note that some cars retain their handling capabilities fairly well despite having a rooftop tent mounted to the roof.
As for whether to install a rooftop tent, it depends on your own needs. If you often go camping, installing a roof tent will be a good choice. But if you usually use your car for work, it is not necessary at all, because installing a tent will definitely increase the wind resistance of the roof, and the fuel consumption of the car will increase accordingly.
