With this short guide, we want to introduce you to the world of roof tents and help you find the right roof tent for you. In the following sections, we will go through important questions step by step and provide you with further information on the subject of roof tents.

What is a roof tent ?

Soft-Shell roof tent  or hard-shell roof tents ?

Advantages:

• Cost: Folding roof tents are often cheaper than hard-shell roof tents. They offer a cost-effective way to own a rooftop tent without spending too much.

• Transport: Folding roof tents are usually lighter than hard shell roof tents, making them ideal for vehicles with a low load capacity. They also have a smaller pack size than hard shell roof tents

• Comfort: Folding roof tents often offer a larger sleeping area than hard shell roof tents and, depending on the design, also offer a covered tent entrance

• Pleasant indoor climate: Folding roof tents enable effective heat dissipation and ventilation, resulting in a pleasant indoor climate, even in hot climates.

Advantages:

• Convenience: easier to use in bad weather. Hard shell roof tents are usually better insulated and are easier to dismantle when wet

• Durability: Hard-shell roof tents are generally more robust and resistant to bad weather and harsh conditions. They offer better insulation and protection from strong winds and rain.

• Storage space: When closed, more luggage can be transported in the hard shell roof tent. Depending on the design, additional luggage can also be mounted on the roof

• Time saving: Hard-shell roof tents are quicker and easier to set up and take down

Triangular or Parallel oder Hybrid opening ?

The James Baroud roof tents with triangular opening (Shell-form) are extremely user-friendly. By lifting a single high side of the roof, you can easily and quickly open the tent. This allows convenient access to the inside of the tent. The James Baroud roof tents are optimal when you want to take a quick overnight break. Thanks to this opening form you can enjoy your camping adventures stress-free and time-saving.

The James Baroud roof tent with parallel opening (360°-Panoramic view tent) offers you an impressive 360° view of your surroundings. You can enjoy the landscape in its full glory and enjoy the view from all sides. This opening shape corresponds to the models: Evasion, Odyssey and Grand Raid. With the parallel opening you have easy access to the inside of the tent, so you can easily get in and out.

The James Baroud hybrid opening (Hybrid-form) roof tents are a unique and versatile opening design. It combines the advantages of the parallel opening and the triangular opening to offer optimal flexibility. The hybrid opening thus offers maximum versatility and comfort for your camping experiences. The hybrid opening offers the same interior height as a triangle tent, but you don't lose any space in the lay-up due to the increased foot space.

Useful information

Construction

The roof shells are made of different materials, all of which have their advantages:

• Alu-Cab roof tents are made of lightweight, high-strength aluminium.

• James Baroud tents are generally made of multi-layer glass fibre composite material (GRP). Exceptions are the Odyssey and the Vision roof tent. The former is made of ABS plastic. The Vision roof tent is the only roof tent in our range that consists of a tent fabric and does not have a solid roof shell

Insulation is integrated into the so-called sandwich floor. The advantage over shells made of thermo-moulded plastic, which are usually used to make roof boxes, for example, is their high strength and durability
In the tents, the entire tent fabric is pulled into two piping rails on the upper and lower shells. In the event of damage, the tent fabric can be reordered and replaced yourself. As the piping rails are attached to the outside of the lower shell, no water can penetrate the tent. Thermal insulation has also been built into the tent floor.

Mounting

The tent is assembled on crossbeams. The lower tent shell is provided with two stable continuous aluminum C-profiles. Two crossbars are usually sufficient for a secure hold. Depending on the positioning options, a third cross member also makes sense for the XL models. The tent must lie flat and straight on the beams.

The distance between the crossbeams must be 80 - 100 cm for the M and X models! For the XL models, the distance should be approx. 120cm.

There are a number of manufacturers of crossbars - it is important when choosing that the carriers are suitable for the vehicle and roof tents in general. If you have any questions, contact your vehicle dealer. On request, crossbars from brands such as Rhino Rack or Front Runner can be ordered from us - otherwise the brands are also represented by Taubenreuther.

If available for the required vehicle, we can mount Rhino Rack and Alu-Cab crossbars purchased from us. In all other cases, the customer must come with pre-assembled crossbars for roof tent installation.

When assembling the hard-shell roof tents on unsuitable carrier systems, damage caused by the base carrier is excluded from James Baroud's warranty!

optional accessories

Of course, there are also various accessories for every roof tent that you can use to make your journey even more enjoyable. A small selection of the most important items are listed here. You can find more equipment in our shop.

Tunnel:

For a dry entrance to your roof tent

Rain cover:

Keeping you safe and dry even in bad weather

Solarpanel:

You are self-sufficient and can produce your own electricity

MOLLE plates:

For additional storage space on your roof

Storage options:

Various bags and organisers for your roof tent

Adjustable backrest and table:

For a comfortable workplace in your roof tent

Our  brands

The ultimate Alu-Cab hard-shell roof tents - Gen 3-R and Lightweight. Tough yet weight-optimized, made entirely of aluminum, they survive the toughest adventures. Open and close in the blink of an eye. The two different sized versions make the tents suitable for almost any car roof. Both car roof tents offer space for two people and maximum comfort. Whether for the occasional camping, extreme overlanding or long road trips - the Alu-Cab roof tents offer you the opportunity to sleep comfortably, safely and relaxed - no matter where you are! 

Over 20 years ago, James Baroud, dissatisfied with the existing tents, began to develop his own innovative hard-shell and folding tents. The regular use of the roof tents during off-road adventures and rallies by the company owners led to continuous improvement and innovation. James Baroud of Porto, Portugal, now produces roof tents, awnings and accessories that are often the first to feature innovations, design features and construction details later adopted by others

Find everything you need for your Alu-Cab roof tent here!

Here you will find all the products that upgrade your James Baroud roof tent!