I’ve been testing this rooftop tent for almost five years, having received an early pre-launch model to start testing shortly after picking up my Vandoit camper van. I’m now on my second one, which I’ll explain later.
With a family of four, the plan was for my wife and I to sleep inside and the kids up top. Which worked for exactly one trip, after which my daughter said she would not sleep up there with her brother again.
So, with the girls inside and the boys up top, I’ve been personally testing this tent out as we’ve traversed the US and Canada, through all temps and weathers. Here’s what we think…
Thule Basin Wedge Overview
Originally called the Tepui Wedge, this model was gradually renamed to the Thule Basin Wedge as the Swedish rack-and-carrier brand slowly integrated Tepui’s lineup into their catalog.
It’s now one of only two hardshell tents they offer, the other being the Thule Basin, which looks identical to this but it pops straight up to create a box-like shape.
While I’d much prefer that one on my GX470 or Forester, the height of our van necessitated a wedge-style tent that could be completely opened from the rear:
If you need to sleep on top of a really tall vehicle, a wedge-style tent is a perfect option. We could set up the ladder to the rear and reach all of the latches to open it, push it up, and climb in to sleep.
Other designs have latches on more sides (or every side), which would require a lot of moving the ladder around and/or climbing on the roof. Not only is that more time consuming, it’s just a pain…and possible a bit dangerous.
Exterior features
The Basin Wedge has a shaped, 5mm-thick ABS hardshell top that bumps up in the middle and back. This serves two purposes.
First, it creates a stiffer structure to maintain its shape, even in high stress situations and really bad weather.
Second, it creates more space inside, which adds a bit of head room but mainly creates extra space for using it as a cargo container. Yep, you can zip out the exterior walls and remove the mattress to use it as a big cargo box.
The bottom has an aluminum frame with additional alloy mounting rails that create an ultra-stiff base. Thule puts all of their on-vehicle products through a ridiculous amount of shake, rattle, bump, and environmental testing, so their stuff is typically overbuilt to pass their very rigorous protocols.
The lid is held closed by a latch on either side and two cam-buckle straps on the rear. The latches have lockable loops if you’re worried about squatters.
Ladder mounts are located on both sides and the rear. It comes with one telescoping ladder, but you could add another to give each person their own entry and exit points.
The top has an internal aluminum frame, and the shell is riveted to it. I’ve found a couple of small cracks at some of the rivets, which are easy enough to caulk and seal. To be fair, these could be caused by me storing this on its end for months at a time between vehicles…I never noticed them until putting it back on a car after it sat inside for a while.
Also worth noting that the tent has spent years of its life outside, in the sun, rain, snow, heat, and cold, for years at a time. A small amount of peeling has occurred, of what is presumably a UV-protecting varnish, but I’ve had this happen on another Thule cargo box and peeled it off and it was still fine for a long, long time.
Pretty? No. But probably fine. And, probably, I shouldn’t be leaving this outside on my car year round, year after year…so, there’s that. But trust me, once it’s up on a high-roof van, it wants to stay up there!
The tent material is a thick, tough 260g cotton-and-polyester fabric coated to a waterproof rating of 1500mm. It keeps things plenty dark inside, making it easy to sleep in.
There are three doors (two side, one rear), each with three zippered layers – a rain fly, mesh screen, and interior black-out panel.
While the rear rainfly can be propped up with included poles, the side ones can’t, which makes them kinda pointless except as extra wind and rain protection. But there are loops so you can roll them up out of the way in nice weather.
A long handle makes it easy to pull the top back down when it’s time to close up shop.
Interior features
The Basin Wedge comes with a 79″ x 51″ foam mattress with removable cover.
It’s about 3″ thick and quite comfortable and supportive. It’s also breathable, I never noticed it (or me) getting swampy on summer trips.
Underneath is a felt-covered honeycomb support, further solidifying the structure and providing a nice solid platform for the mattress. The felt cover doubles as an anti-condensation mat, so no need to buy one separately.
The ceiling is also lined with the same material, which helps insulate from cold and noise and also prevent condensation accumulation.
Technically, there’s still going to be humidity in there, as will be evident from the condensation on the interior tent walls, but at least it won’t be dripping down on you. Still, best to leave it open while you’re eating breakfast and stuff so it can air out.
All interior seams are taped and sealed, and the zippers are robust.
A cargo pocket is near the foot of the bed on both sides.
There’s also a cargo net on the top, but it’s super saggy. A magazine is about all the weight it can handle, except it would just slide out of the bottom.
It is good for clipping a light for reading, but stuff a couple jackets in it and it sags almost until it’s touching, and everything shifts to the bottom immediately. This is one feature that could be greatly improved.
Tepui was early to the game with wedge-style tents, and this one’s design hasn’t changed in five years. Mostly that’s a good thing, it’s rock solid, but most modern tents use small gas struts on the sides to help lift it open.
Tepui’s (and now Thule’s) method is a giant hinge at the back, which is also gas-strut assisted. It’s very powerful, and it’s rock solid, but it’s also big and takes up space. If you camp in super windy conditions, which we have, this might be worth the small amount of room it takes up.
Thule Basin Wedge Actual weights & dimensions
Claimed weight is 156lbs, with mattress, excluding the ladder. Mine came in at 172lbs, which had a 5.0lb heated mattress pad (seriously, get one, it’s a game changer) stuffed in it. So actual weight for my Thule Basin Wedge tent is 167lbs.
The included short ladder weighs 14.4lbs and is tall enough for any SUV, even with a suspension lift and big tires. For my van, I needed a taller ladder, which weighs 24.0lbs
The ladder comes with a storage pouch and easily stows in the boot.
Specs & dimensions are:
- Capacity: 2 persons
- Dimensions (Open): 84 x 55 x 52 in
- Dimensions (Closed): 84 x 55 x 12.8 in
- Interior Dimensions (cargo carrier): 78 x 52 x 6.6 in
- Sleeping footprint: 79 x 51 in
- Peak internal height: 46 in
- Static weight capacity: 600lbs
Thule Basin Wedge review
Considering the abuse we’ve put our van, and thus the tent, through, I have almost entirely good things to say about the Basin Wedge.
That said, there are a few little things that could be better, so let’s get those out of the way…
1. It’s big
Which means it’s going to take up your entire roof on almost any wagon or mid-sized SUV. But, to be fair, it’s not any bigger than its competitors…just a little taller since it doubles as a storage box.
2. It’s not big enough
At 6’2″ with a son who’s also 6’2″, it’s a little tight for both of us. Width is fine, we’re used to that, but only 72″ of the 79″ sleeping platform is functionally useful, so our feet were always stuffed into the front. Shorter users should have no problem, though.
3. It could use a bungie strap for the walls
Most modern wedge tents now include a bungie cord encircling the tent walls, pulling them inward as you close it so you don’t need to make the rounds stuffing the flaps inside before fully latching it shut. Thule’s internal hinge design makes this unlikely to work here, but…
…it’s not that big a deal on a shorter vehicle, even on my GX470, where I can reach it without a ladder. But on my van, it’s a pain in the butt and adds 4-5 minutes to the breakdown procedure as we have to climb in and very carefully tuck everything inward, then continue reaching in as we close the tent to pull it all inward.
Other than those small issues, we’ve had a great experience with the tent. Even after all these years, it’s still rock solid. Nothing’s loose or rattly, even with 35,000+ miles of driving with it, including lots of seriously chunky dirt and gravel roads, off-road adventures, and more.
For a full-size, full-featured hardshell tent that’s built like a tank, it’s also reasonably lightweight. Similar models from other brands are typically 20-70 pounds heavier.
Despite being taller than most other wedge-style hardshell tents, it’s still much lower profile than soft-shell tents. Which means more aerodynamic – I didn’t notice ANY difference in gas mileage with it on my van – and of course much faster and easier to setup and close.
And yet, it still has the extra roof space so you can leave pillows, sleeping bags, and other crap up there when it’s closed. Or use it for a proper cargo box, which is unique to this category.
At $2,999, it’s mid-priced for the wedge/hardshell RTT category, but I’d argue it’s worth it for people who put their gear through the wringer. We certainly have, and we’re about to head out for another 7,000 mile epic off-road adventure with it.
Available through Thule and Backcountry.
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