Vickywood Cumaru Light 127 Eco roof top tent – 12 ½ roof top tents in direct comparison

With a packed height of 15 cm, the Vickywood Cumaru Light 127 Eco is the flattest roof tent in the entire test field. It’s aerodynamic, compact, and also the lightest alloy hard-shell competitor in this test. How did the compact, € 2,790 Cumaru Light fare against the competition on our epic roof tent trip?

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.

185 PET bottles. While this could well be the amount of beer we drank on our epic DOWNTOWN road trip, it’s actually the amount of recycled plastic waste that is contained in one Vickywood Cumaru Light 127 Eco roof tent. The Bavarian manufacturer offers a wide range of rooftop tents and camping equipment, and is actively committed to sustainability. This applies to both the durability of the materials and the tent fabric, which is made from PET bottles. Moreover, damaged products can be repaired rather than thrown in the bin, with Vickywood stocking all sorts of spares in their warehouse. Retailing at € 2,790, the Vickywood roof tent costs € 100 more than its direct, near-identical hard-shell competitors, the Naturbummler Alu-Kraftkiste and Arcta Vento. When comparing the parts and features of the three alloy hard-shell tents, it would be easy to assume that they’re all made by the same manufacturer. But how does the Vickywood compare with its two look-alikes?

Vickywood roof top tent: preparation and installation

The Cumaru Light 127 Eco doesn’t require pre-assembly – it’s ready to fit onto the roof bars straight out of the box. Due to its size and 75 kg weight, installation requires at least two strong people (preferably 4), so you better get along with your neighbours, or you’ll have to get a crane for your garage. The steel brackets are secured to the crossbars with self-locking bolts, which can be finicky and time consuming. If you’re inherently impatient, Vickywood also offer a high-quality bracket mount set for an additional € 49.99, which saves you a few minutes and an embarrassing swear-fest. If you prefer it the hard way, you should at least get a ratchet, because a conventional spanner will drive you up the wall – though that’s the case with pretty much all roof tent models in this test field.

Assembly and disassembly of the Vickywood roof tent

When you get to your destination after a long, tiring drive, all you want to do is find a good spot and set up your tent. That’s exactly where the Cumaru Light enters the stage, as it can be set up in about one minute, unless you happen to have an impractically tall vehicle. Simply undo the two front buckles, give the tent a gentle nudge, and let the gas struts do the rest. The canopy still needs to be secured in place with the two poles. Installation tip: with higher vehicles, you’re better off doing this from the inside of the tent, as this makes it easier to reach the canopy’s eyelets. This extra step is also required with another one of the three triangle-shaped alloy hard-shell tents in this test, the Naturbummler, while that’s not the case with the Arcta Vento. Once you’ve hooked in and pulled out the telescopic alloy ladder, you can just climb into the tent and doze off.

Dismantling the tent is just as quick as setup. Remove the poles, pull down the upper shell with the fabric loop, and lock the buckles – that’s it! Unfortunately, you’ll have to store both the ladder and your bedding in the vehicle, because there isn’t enough room inside the collapsed tent. This gives the Cumaru Light a big disadvantage compared to the Naturbummler alloy Power Box, which has more volume even when closed, thanks to its lifting mechanism.

The Vickywood Cumaru Light in action

Firstly, a note about the Vickywood’s sleeping space: the 117 cm version of the Cumaru Light is a bit of a tight squeeze, even for 2 people, so we recommend the bigger Cumaru Light 152 ECO if you need more space. At 140 cm, you might even be able to squeeze in a child ! However, this costs an additional €200 and weighs 10 kg more – and vehicle compatibility might be an issue too. Before buying, take a look at your vehicle papers and check the permissible dynamic roof load! Plus, a wide 140 cm roof tent looks massive on smaller cars, so it might look like you’re carrying a flying saucer on your roof.
Regardless of which size you pick, the Vickywood roof tent we tested comes standard with an anti-condensation mesh mattress pad. And this is a good thing, because a lot of condensation forms on the walls – at least on our DOWNTOWN road trip, where temperatures dropped into single digits at night. It’s great that Vickywood include the anti-condensation pad in the price, given that other manufacturers sell it separately. While the memory foam mattress has a high-quality look and excellent feel, it proved a little hard for side sleepers on our DOWNTOWN road trip. If you sleep on your belly or back, on the other hand, it’s pretty comfortable.

While the tall end of the Vickywood roof tent has a very pleasant, comfortable 130 cm internal height, the thin end of the wedge feels very crammed, due to the tent’s triangular shape. Unfortunately, the Vickywood roof tent lacks a lateral lifting mechanism, which on other hard-shell tents, like the Naturbummler alloy Power Box, adds a few extra centimetres of height. However, that’s not the case with the Vickywood, meaning that your feet hit the roof lining when lying on your back. However, no one in our test crew wanted to sleep the other way round – who wants to touch the roof with their head? So you always have to slide up a little. However, the lack of foot space is compensated somewhat by the tent’s width. Like with the Arcta roof tent, the gas struts of the opening mechanism are placed on the outside of the case rather than on the inside (as is the case with the Kraftkiste alloy tent) meaning that the mattress is 130 cm wide throughout.

Like the other two hard-shell alloy tents, the Vickywood features an organiser with several pockets in the roof lining. The slide-in tablet compartment is a practical solution for chilled movie nights in bad weather. Speaking of bad weather: the Vickywood roof tent offers the best lighting solution in the test field. As the shallow, closed end prevents light from shining through, triangle tents are generally darker inside. However, the Vickywood Cumaru Light scores points with large window openings at the front and sides, which all feature a mosquito net, and allow plenty of light into the tent even on a cloudy day. Moreover, the Germans have another trick up their sleeve alongside the low transport profile – the Vickywood roof tent comes standard with two LED strips, which can be charged with a 12V power source using a USB cable, are infinitely dimmable and spread a nice warm light. On top of that, the strips are connected and operated separately, allowing you to read a book on one side of the tent while the other occupant is already asleep. However, this requires two power banks, or one bank with two USB-C ports.

If you’re into outdoor sports, you might want to take a closer look at Vickywood’s optional, infinitely-adjustable 2.1 kg crossbars, which cost an additional € 99. However, that’s one point in favour of the competition, with Arcta and Naturbummler delivering the crossbars with their roof tent package. On the other hand, the Bavarians are pretty generous with the shoe bags, delivering their Cumaru Light roof tent with not just one but two of them.

Who should take a closer look at the Vickywood roof tent?

The Cumaru Light is a good fit for 1 to 2 people, or for a parent with a child – which was the case on our DOWNTOWN road trip. It’s a great choice if you want to set up and dismantle your tent quickly, which is particularly handy on trips with several stops. If you like the minimalist look, the Vickywood’s compact, understated design makes it a great companion that can stay on your roof for the entire camping season.

On the other hand, the Vickywood roof tent isn’t an ideal match for small, short cars, as the large base hangs far over the windscreen, resulting in bad aerodynamics and high fuel consumption. Plus, your vehicle’s permissible dynamic roof load should be at least 80 kg (tent weight + base carrier weight).

Our conclusions about the Vickywood roof top tent

In a three-way comparison, the Vickywood roof tent costs €100 more than its two direct hard-shell competitors, and also has slightly fewer features. However, at just 15 cm, it’s the flattest and most aerodynamic option of the three and, at 75 kg, is comparatively light for an alloy hard-shell tent. With two separately usable light strips, the Vickywood roof tent allows you to customise your evening entertainment. The Bavarians’ sustainable approach is undoubtedly a plus point, and one you pay for – and rightly so!

Tops

• Flattest pack size in the entire test field
• Lightest alloy hard-shell tent in this test
• Gas struts allow for quick, easy assembly and disassembly
• Sustainable corporate philosophy

Flops

• Safety bolts make it slow to install
• Tapered roof limits space utilisation
• Additional crossbars are sold separately
• Plenty of condensation compared to other roof tents

For more info, visit vickywood.de

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 | Yakima SkyRise HD Tent MD (Click here) | Qeedo Freedom Air 2 (Click here) | Thule Foothill (Click here) | 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: Felicia Nastal, Julian Schwede Photos: Mike Hunger, Robin Schmitt