How about a quick trip to a climbing area in your camper van for a few days? It would be a nice idea, if it weren't for the high entry price. Today we'll show you how you can turn your car into a camper for a fraction of the budget with an inflatable roof tent and other exciting products from Dometic.
Being able to set off at any time and always having the essentials for your basic needs with you is a tempting thought. Unfortunately, for many people, van life fails due to the cost of a camper van or the time and know-how required to convert it themselves. It is easier and much cheaper to convert your car into a camper with the help of Dometic.
In our experiment, we focused on the central features of a camper. In other words: sleeping area, cooking area including kitchen utensils, water supply, refrigerator, table, seating, light and power supply. Of course, Dometic also provides a variety of other Products for camping – but ultimately our modification from car to camper should also be realistic and quickly implementable.
Roof tent with all-round panorama
The most important product we tested is the inflatable roof tent for 2 people called Dometic TRT 140 Air. Central simply because it is a place of retreat when on the move and reliably protects you from wind and weather.
When packed, the roof tent measures a compact 148x79x31 centimeters. When unfolded and inflated, you have a sleeping area of 140x210 centimeters at your disposal, with a height of between 93 and 110 centimeters. This means that you can easily sit upright in all areas of the roof tent - a big advantage over other models that can only be folded up on one side, like a pop-up roof on a camper van.
Once you have lifted the tent onto the roof of your car and assembled it, setting it up at your destination is a matter of minutes: remove the protective cover, fold it out on both sides, connect the 12 V pump provided and enjoy how the roof tent pops up into the air with its air frame. That's it. Nothing needs to be tied down or additionally tied down.
The only downside is the noise level of the pump. If you arrive somewhere late at night and then blow up your little palace, you're not exactly going to make friends.
The inflatable roof tent is set up so quickly
Robust and completely waterproof
And what we can definitely confirm at this point is the weather resistance of the roof tent. During our test, it rained from all directions the first night and the wind blew so hard that you had the feeling you were about to take off. In the morning, however, we found ourselves in the same place and completely dry.
The breathable and robust polycotton material in the Dometic TRT 140 Air ensures reliable weather protection.
But what impressed us most about the tent was the panoramic view all around. The outer shell of the roof tent can be opened with a zipper on all four sides, so that you can have a magnificent view in all directions from your car and also enjoy the sun and wind. Robust mesh windows protect you from annoying insects.
Ample storage space
You climb into the tent via an extendable aluminum ladder. On the outside of the tent there are two large weatherproof pockets, for example for shoes, and inside there are the usual side pockets you'd find in a tent and - also pretty cool - a large net in the roof area, which can hold a cell phone, glasses, etc.
The first rainy night gave us an important lesson: With a roof tent, it's worth taking a moment to think in advance about which items you want to have up there and which in the car. When it's dripping outside, it's pretty unpleasant to peel yourself out of the cozy cave and get something.
Well, we can safely put a cross behind the sleeping issue. The roof tent works perfectly and will upgrade your car in no time. But what about food and drink? When it's not pouring with rain, the outdoor cooking and dining area we tested works perfectly:
Compact camper equipment
This consisted of a robust and height-adjustable Camping table made of bamboo, where two other people could have dined alongside us. The two benches, which can be folded up really small, offers space for two people each and can carry up to 136 kilograms.
The CFX3 25, the smallest version of the CFX3 cool box. And this is damn reliable and independent of the outside temperature. The refrigerator can be powered by the car battery, via solar panel or with the powerful Power Banks powered by Dometic. If you like gimmicks, you can even monitor and control the temperature via the app.
For us it was enough that the portable refrigerator did its job reliably. At this point we must emphasize again that the CFX3 has little to nothing to do with the cheap cool boxes that people used to take with them on long trips on vacation, for example.
With its integrated compressor cooler, this electric cool box from Dometic is a real refrigerator – simply in a small format.
Fresh water at the touch of a button
But our goal was also to put together a camper setup that would easily fit in the trunk of a car. And that brings us back to the topic. We didn't want to go without fresh water on our test weekend.
The water container with the somewhat cumbersome name Dometic GO Hydration Water Jug holds 11 liters and can be used with a Self-propelled faucet This means you have fresh water right at your table at the touch of a button - pretty fancy but also very practical. Just think of the chalky and sore hands after a long day of climbing.
Cooking and dining with sufficient light
While we are on the 2-burner gas grill Cook the paste with vegetables and tomato sauce, we snap the Dometic GO Area Camp Light Finally, the last daylight slowly fades and the multifunctional lamp provides a cozy touch - unless you choose one of the eight colored lights available.
On the second day, the weather is much more benevolent. The sun is shining from the sky and we use this opportunity for a climbing tour. When we return in the late afternoon, we chill out thoroughly and enjoy the 360-degree panoramic view. Pretty cool. Later, we cook something delicious and treat ourselves to a sip of wine to round off the day.
You only need roof rack and trunk
The second night, the second morning and it's already time to "break camp" again, as the saying goes. Our roof tent quickly loses its air and a few minutes later the only thing left to show is the small black box on the roof of the car that we have built ourselves. Even in the trunk, the cleverly packed camping equipment doesn't immediately give any indication of the comfort it brings.
Our conclusion on the dream of low-budget vanlife
Time for a conclusion: Can you turn your car into a camper on a low budget? We think so. As long as you are willing to make some compromises. What compromises do we mean by that? If the weather is bad, the roof tent quickly becomes cramped and you need additional "extensions" to be able to stand somewhere dry around the car. By the way: Dometic has also developed exciting solutions ready.
If the weather is good, there's nothing stopping you from spending a long weekend in a climbing area or another short trip with the setup we tested. The sleeping area is dry and protected. And if you cook and chill outside, you can enjoy nature and meet new people at the same time. So from our point of view, it's a clear thumbs up.
The most important tested products at a glance
Dometic TRT 140 AIR
- Inflatable roof tent for 2 people
- Stable AIR Frame air frame with single-point inflation system
- Powerful 12V pump
- Integrated foam mattress
- Breathable polycotton material
- Network window
- Convenient access via aluminum extension ladder
- Internal and external pockets for safe and dry storage
- Dimensions packed: 148x79x31 cm
- Dimensions unfolded: 275x140x110 centimeters
CFX3 25
- Electric cool box
- Powerful VMSO3 compressor cooling technology cools efficiently between +20 °C and -22 °C
- 25 l volume: for 40 cans or five 1,5l bottles
- Durable and lightweight ExoFrame construction. Edges with protective frame and aluminum alloy handles.
- Dynamic battery protection system to avoid draining the car battery and power consumption option through dual battery systems.
- TFT-LCD user interface
- Flexible power supply: with direct current or alternating current
- App for temperature control and function monitoring
