Advertisement: With the classic, boxy off-roaders, the days when high roof loads were a given are disappearing too. New models rely more strongly on lightweight construction, efficiency and more complex body structures. That shows up clearly in the technical specs. The permitted roof loads drop from year to year. One example is the new Ford Bronco, which is only allowed to carry fifty kilos any more. Anyone who wants to travel with a roof tent despite this trend will find in the Nakatanenga Roof Lodge Lightweight a solution that doesn’t overtax modern vehicles and keeps travelling in a roof tent possible.
Roof Lodge Lightweight roof tent. Less weight, same function
Nakatanenga calculated the Lightweight step by step and checked all the components. Wherever it made technical sense, lighter alternatives were used. For the tent fabric the choice fell on Oxford nylon with ripstop, which weighs just 102 g per square metre. By comparison: the Roof Lodge Evolution 2 roof tents use a material that’s around three times as heavy.
Despite the low weight, the Lightweight doesn’t do without weather protection. The fabric is impregnated on the outside and PU-coated on the inside. Rain resistance and durability thus stay at the level of the other Roof Lodge models.
Buy the lightest roof tent from Nakatanenga as a complete set
With the Nakatanenga Roof Lodge Lightweight you get a complete set that’s ready to use on tour straight away. The 3D mesh underlay, ten millimetres thick, ensures a dry sleeping surface and prevents condensation between the mattress and the floor. The ladder levelling feet stabilise the entry, even when the ground is uneven. A storage net takes gear that shouldn’t go in the tent. Added to that are LED lighting and a black PVC protective cover.
The construction itself is just as well thought-out. The tent skin and the sun canopy are made of 102 grams per square metre ripstop nylon with an Oxford weave and PU coating. The outward-curved 25 millimetre aluminium poles improve stability and reliably drain off rain. The floor consists of a thermoplastic honeycomb core made in Germany. Two sealable roof windows fitted with mosquito nets provide good ventilation. The aluminium sliding ladder is part of the equipment too.
Saving weight on the roof tent, the mattress and ladder as the adjusting screws
When we look at light roof tents, it’s not only the tent itself that matters, the equipment too significantly affects the total weight on the roof. That means if you want to put the Roof Lodge Lightweight on the roof in high-end mode, you’re at a maximum of 52 kg on the roof. That’s solid and bearable for many medium vehicles. In this configuration you use the firm foam mattress at around 7 kg, plus the 3D mesh at 3 kg and the ladder at 4.3 kg. That’s the heaviest variant, but you can easily save more weight there.
Instead of the foam mattress, take the self-inflating version, which weighs just 5.2 kg and which you can stow in the vehicle. That also does away with the mesh, because with the inflatable mattress you don’t necessarily need it. Another 3 kg saved. If you also put the ladder in the interior, you reduce the roof weight considerably again. In the end you land at just under 38 kg, which is even manageable for the Suzuki Jimny.
By the way, if you put the ladder in the vehicle, that lowers both the load on the roof and the vehicle height. In multi-storey car parks or on ferries that can make a considerable difference, on ferries even in your wallet.
And did you actually know that all Nakatanenga roof tents are made in-house in Berg near Neumarkt? That means real quality roof tents are made in Germany.
About Nakatanenga
Nakatanenga has developed accessories and technology for off-road, travel and expedition vehicles for over 30 years. The focus is on rugged components, high-quality materials and solutions that prove themselves in demanding off-road and overlanding use. The brand is today among the established suppliers in the German-speaking region when it comes to reliable gear for tours off the beaten track. Many of the products are made in-house or regionally.