Opening
Around September 2024, one of my off-road groups hosted an overlanding swap meet just 10 minutes from our mountains. I told my wife, “We have to go!” I had no idea that day would completely change how we camp with our Subaru Crosstrek.
The Story
I spent a month prepping gear to sell, then drove the Crosstrek up to the meet. We ran into friends, chatted, and I was waiting to meet an Instagram influencer I followed — Subbuggy, who’s known for his Crosstrek builds on Instagram and TikTok.
When he finally showed up, my wife instantly hit it off with his girlfriend. They started talking, and she mentioned they were selling their rooftop tent. Price? $700. At first my wife was hesitant, but the detail that caught her attention was the sunroof built into the tent — you can stargaze from inside.
When she walked away, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. I went back over to Subbuggy and said we’d buy it. Best decision ever. A year later, we’ve taken the Crosstrek and the rooftop tent on four trips, and we’re hooked. We used to sleep inside the car, which worked, but the tent is a whole new experience.
Lessons / Challenges
The tent has been everything we hoped for — warm, insulated, easy to set up, and the view of the stars at night is unbeatable. Even our cat loved it, climbing inside and peeking out the windows.
That said, the Crosstrek does feel overloaded when we stack on the tent and bikes. With everything mounted, fuel economy drops to around 20 mpg. It’s not bad, but definitely a hit compared to normal. Taking the tent off isn’t practical either — it’s heavy, awkward, and makes the Subaru basically a one-trick pony during summer.
Still, it’s worth it for the comfort and experience.
Takeaways
Pros:
Warm with insulation layer (removable for hot nights)
Natural wake-up with sunlight
Critter-free and off the ground
Easy setup/take-down
Car stays ready for driving
Stargazing from inside the tent
Higher vantage point
Cat-approved!
Handy storage pockets
Hard shell roof = no issues with rain or hail
More room than car camping
Cons:
Heavy to mount/dismount
Ladder access (up and down every time)
Slight wobble compared to sleeping in car/tent
Makes Crosstrek less versatile when mounted long-term
Wrap-Up
Overall, the rooftop tent completely changed how we camp with the Crosstrek. It’s comfortable, cozy, and makes every trip feel like a small adventure. Even with the weight and MPG hit, we can’t see ourselves going back to car camping — once you’ve watched the stars from a rooftop tent, you’re hooked.