Thule Foothill roof top tent – 12 ½ roof top tents in direct comparison

At 61 cm, the Thule Foothill is only half as wide as most of the roof top tents currently available on the market. This leaves plenty of room for bulky equipment like bikes, kayaks and other luggage on your roof. On our epic road trip, we found out how Thule’s € 1,699.95 half-size roof tent fares in real-life scenarios, and whether it’s worth its price

We tested 12 ½ of the most exciting roof top tents in a direct comparison and took along 20 roof tent newbies and experts, 2 small kids, 2 dogs and 1 giant teddy bear on an epic road trip – here for our buying advice, and an overview of all the roof tents we tested.

That’s supposed to be a roof tent? With a width of just 61 cm, the Thule Foothill shows that roof tents don’t all have to follow the same basic design. Since 1942, Swedish outdoor specialist Thule have been designing and developing products that help you carry your gear, from bikes to skis and kayaks, offering a wide range of products for true nature lovers. Thule also offer countless roof tents, and they’re one of the more innovative brands in the wider automotive accessory sector. The Thule Foothill roof top tent is the narrowest roof top tent in this test, and still offers space for 2 people. As a result, the Foothill not only impresses with excellent aerodynamics, but also takes up less room in your garage or basement when not in use. However, the biggest advantage of the narrow design is that it leaves enough room on the roof to carry a bike, kayak or other heavy luggage items. Sooner said than done, Benedikt mounted not only the Foothill on his streamlined 996, but also his Atherton Enduro bike – definitely a hot combo! The only question is, where’s Benedikt’s left sock!?

Thule Foothill roof tent: preparation and installation

The good news first: the Foothill doesn’t require any additional preparation or set-up time, because the rails are already fitted. All it takes is two people to put the narrow, elongated Thule tent on your car roof. And you don’t need any tools either – everything’s included in the box, even an open-end, ratchet spanner. The disadvantage of the narrow shape becomes evident during installation, as you have to lean very far over the car roof to tighten the internal bolts. We also noticed that the standard steel brackets for the roof bars aren’t pre-moulded or coated, which means that the tent doesn’t exactly rest on the roof rack seamlessly, thus inevitably scratching the bars. The brackets are very basic, almost rudimentary, failing to match Thule’s standard quality. You can fix this issue for an extra € 199.95 by purchasing the pre-moulded Thule Mounting Brackets. We definitely recommend spending the extra money if you’re planning on setting up and taking down your tent on a regular basis. The set also includes a torque ratchet wrench.

Thule Foothill roof tent: assembly and disassembly.

As soon as we start with setup, we come across a well thought-out detail: the zip for the tent cover has a long cord, which makes it easy to open the cover without reaching across the car. The tent’s narrow shape is a disadvantage during setup – but also the only one. While the Thule roof tent can be set up and taken down by just one person, the narrow shape does require a few laps around the car in the process. The high-quality, slightly heavier alloy ladder has to be stored inside the car and can be hooked into the tent floor after removing the cover. Now you can use it to unfold the tent, though you’re far from done with the setup at this point. Awkward, but doable: now you’ll have to extend and insert the telescopic poles into the tent while lying in it, and when dismantling you’ll have to remove them in the same weird position. Finally you have to install the 10 tensioning poles for the flysheet, which serves as rain cover. This can be set up in different ways: fanned out to the maximum, or just used as a canopy over the entrance. Thule really did their homework: the poles can be stored in a pocket that’s integrated into the entrance area. The excess tarpaulin can be tucked away with sturdy press studs. The rain cover is very wide and has a large overhang over the door cover, so you should stay fairly dry when getting on and off the ladder in the rain. The door cover can be neatly rolled up when it’s not in use.

Tuning tip: If you assemble and disassemble your tent on a regular basis or want to use it on different vehicles, it’s worth buying Thule’s mounting brackets, which cost just under € 200.

The whole assembly takes about 8-10 minutes with the rain cover and all 10 poles. Dismantling isn’t for claustrophobics: after loosening the inner poles, the dark tent swallows you up before you can climb down the ladder. If the tent is still wet from rain or morning dew, prepare to get absolutely soaked. Before setting off to your next destination, you’ll have to pull the travel cover over the tent. This is a bit fiddly because the fabric of the cover doesn’t give much, making it hard to stretch it over all four corners. All in all, it’s quite a struggle, especially when you’re on your own. We recommend storing your sleeping bag and other items in the car.

Tuning tip: Mesh liner as an additional accessory: Thule anti-condensation mat

The Thule Foothill roof tent in action:

The shallow internal height – 85 cm from the mattress – invites you to sleep, but not to spend any extra time inside the tent. It’s just too low to sit or kneel comfortably. It feels a bit like a bivouac tent on top of a car, and getting dressed or changed can be challenging too. With the rain cover attached, it’s as dark as a cave compared to the other roof tents in this test, but this can also be an advantage if you’re a light sleeper and like sleeping in the dark. Without a rain cover, however, the world outside looks completely different. The oversized panoramic window at the back and the two large 115 cm x 40 cm skylights ensure maximum ventilation and a spectacular view of the stars on clear summer nights. In this case, the Thule roof tent is also very, very bright. When fully opened, you can sit upright in the Foothill with your head through the window, though the rain cover has to be removed for this. All windows and doors are fitted with mosquito nets.

According to Thule, the main tent’s weather resistant, hard wearing fabric is designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, yet still be breathable, thus preventing condensation from forming inside the tent. During our epic road trip, temperatures ranged between 4-10° C at night and 20-25° C in the day. However, if you don’t ventilate at night, condensation will form – that’s just basic physics! The 4 cm foam mattress is comfortable and has a removable, machine-washable cover, which is very practical after a trip. We recommend getting the optional anti-condensation mat to keep moisture away from the mattress. The Thule roof tent also has a few practical external attachments for lamps and integrated mesh pockets on the inside. However, Thule don’t include any organisers, additional storage solutions or equipment for a cosy, personalised camping experience, although these can be bought separately from their web store. If you enjoy touring all year round, you can also get additional insulation for the doors and windows, which can be secured to the tent with zip fasteners. Thule offers various accessory bundles to suit your needs.

TDespite requiring some compromises in terms of structure and space, the Thule Foothill is definitely an exciting solution for anyone who needs extra space on the roof – and at a fair price

Who should take a closer look at the Thule Foothill roof tent?

The Thule Foothill is the optimal choice for 1-2 adventurers who want a cosy tent and mainly just want to sleep in it. It’s a great option for multi-day trips, multi-stop road trips, situations where you want to fly under the radar and, of course, for sporty people who also want to pack their sports equipment onto the roof. However, there are certainly other tents out there that are much easier to set up and take down. The fact that you can’t store the ladder inside the folded tent might be a disadvantage too.

Although the Thule roof tent is extremely narrow when closed, it’s also long, which doesn’t make it the ideal option for short vehicles. It’s a great fit for estate cars, with the long roof minimising overhang. Otherwise, you’ll have to decide whether you prefer to have the bottom of the tent hovering over your windscreen, or not being able to open your boot. The weight itself is less of a limiting factor than the length. A nice service from Thule: there’s a configurator on their website that helps you determine which of their tents is most suitable for your car. The permissible dynamic roof load is 55 kg (tent weight) + ladder (6.6 kg) + base carrier weight.

Our conclusions about the Thule Foothill roof top tent

Half becomes one: the narrow shell of the Thule Foothill conceals a fully-fledged roof top tent that can easily keep up with the big guns in this test. It’s the ideal choice for weekend warriors and sporty adventurers who need the extra room on the roof to carry a bike, kayak or luggage. In return, you’ll have to compromise on handling and interior height.

Tops

• Space on the roof for additional sports equipment
• Rain cover overhangs the tent like an awning, protects against rain when getting in and out.

Flops

• The telescopic poles have to be extended and retracted horizontally from inside the tent
• Shallow interior height, more a place to sleep than a place to stay
• Difficult to close the travel cover when dismantling

For more info, visit thule.com

The test field

Click here for our big comparison test – 12 ½ roof top tents in direct comparison

All roof tents in test: Front Runner Feather Lite (Click here) | Decathlon MH 900 (Click here) | Vickywood Cumaru Light 127 ECO (Click here) | Yakima SkyRise HD Tent MD (Click here) | Qeedo Freedom Air 2 (Click here) | Thule Foothill | Gentle Tent Sky Loft (Click here) | Arcta Vento (Click here) | Thule Approach M (Click here) | Intrepid Geo 3.0 (Click here) | Naturbummler Alu-Kraftkiste (Click here) | Thule Outset (Click here) | Naturbummler Flitzer I L (Zum Test)

Words: Susanne Feddersen, Julian Schwede Photos: Mike Hunger, Robin Schmitt