If you were looking over an SUV or truck trying to find the roof-top tent (RTT), the most logical place to look would be … the roof. But California startup Rubicon Expedition Products wants people to expand their idea of what a roof-top tent is and where it belongs on the vehicle. Its Hitch Tent system drops the roof tent down to hitch level, making it easier to load and unload and freeing up the vehicle for day trips. The integrated frame stands the tent above the cold, rocky ground below.
One advantage of towing a camping trailer versus sleeping in a roof-top tent is that you can quickly unhitch the trailer and leave it set up at camp while you take day trips in your base vehicle. With a roof-top tent, you have to pack down the tent every time you want to use the vehicle — the flip side con to the convenience of having the tent always at the ready atop your truck roof.
You could solve the problem by buying a utility trailer on which to mount the tent, but that may just be more bulk than you want to tow and more dollar than you want to spend. So Rubicon offers a lighter, simpler solution: a hitch-mounted frame that holds your roof top tent vertically behind the tailgate during the ride, then quickly drops down and unhitches so you can stand the tent up at camp. The four legs fold out and adjust in height to level the tent out on flat or uneven ground, and the platform holds up to 600 lb (272 kg).
