Wil,
Hopefully some other roof top tent owners will chime in here, but I'll try to give my honest opinon, not as a vendor, but as a consumer. Prior to selling roof tents, I had used a few different brands, and in all I'd say that I've used about a dozen different brands of tents out there over the years. I'll give you my take on the different ones, both pros and cons:
Lofty Shelters
Pros: I like the idea of a plastic derived travel case. If made right, its more weather proof and durable than the PVC covers on most other tents out there. Materials and craftsmanship seems relatively decent.
Cons: Because the entire tent raises up vertically, rather than opening like a book (like most other tents) it takes up a larger footprint on the rack. This is problematic only if you need to store other gear on the rack.
Personaly, l'm not a fan of the design of their Maggiolinas. It feels a bit small and closed in when open. I have one friend who equated it to sleeping in a coffin.
Hannibal Tents
Pros: Good design (same basic design as the Eezi-awn). Cool diamond plate ladders. Full u-zip windows seal up tent well. Comes with maintenance kit. U-zip on travel cover is great for keeping out weather, but a pain to zip sometimes.
Cons: u-zip windows can cause the zippers to snag or teeth to separate. Quality control issues with materials and craftsmanship (As a vendor, I saw a few of them with thin spots in canvas where rain would seep in, and some minor stitching issues)
Oasis
Pros: Interesting design. Nylon "hammock" flooring removes marine ply and mattress from equation, greatly decreasing the weight of the tent.
Cons: Ladder design is a bit kludgy, it kind of seems like a normal step ladder added to the package. Nylon material is not as nice as that found in most African tents. A bit over priced in my opinion.
Bottom Line: a decent tent for the occassional camper, but probably not a good option for serious expedition work.
Technitop
Pros: Clamshell design uses injection molded plastic. All the advantages of the Maggiolina, without the disadvantages. Great design, and good materials. Telescoping sides provide build in shelter when opening the doors
Cons: I feel like the hardware used inside of the tent is a bit lightweight for expedition duty. The telescoping poles could probably have been engineered for more HD use. But, Graham subjected a pair of them to HD overland use across Africa, so my concerns may be unfounded.
Bottom line: I mention this tent, because while it isn't officially available in the US yet, it should be starting next year. Overall, this would be my second choice for a roof top tent.
Howling Moon
Pros: tried and true classic roof top tent design. Decent materials. Aluminum flooring makes for a lighter weight tent.
Cons: Aluminum flooring means it sleeps colder than wood which has a better insulation properties. I've used these in Africa and had problems with the zippers tearing loose from the tent. Granted, these are rental tents in Africa, which is probably extreme use and abuse
Bottom Line: Decent tent. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. No official importer that I know of, but I see them pop up here in the states from time to time.
Eezi-Awn
Pros: Great craftsmanship and materials. Good reputation among overlanders in South Africa. Travel cover is easy to take on and put off. Ladder design allows it to telescope in and out, making for easy storage. Extra vents at top of tent for added ventilation. Good mounting system to rack, so no drilling into tent is required. Straight zipped doors make the zippers more reliable.
Cons: If not put on properly, the travel cover will expose part of the canvas of the tent, allowing it to wick in a storm. One model, the AluTop, while a cool design is pretty heavy (about 130 lbs) and a bit expensive. Straight zipped doors require a bit more care to make sure they're sealed properly (see note above for trade off).
Bottom Line: My first choice of a roof top tent. We actually started importing them for sale because I honestly thought it was the best of the bunch.
-------
I hope that helps you out. As I mentioned above, I do sell these things for a living which is both an advantage and a disadvantage. I get to see far more tents come and go then most people, so I get to see problems that may pop up over the long term production of these products.
On the other hand, I'm a bit of a cynic, and I always tend to take the POV of a salesman with a bit of a grain of salt.
:arabia: