If you’re in the market for a rooftop tent that’s easy on your wallet and your vehicle’s roof rack, Front Runner may just have you covered. At only 93 lbs and $1,099, the Front Runner Roof Top Tent is both the lightest and least expensive RTT in our 2021 review. This fold-out softshell will accommodate up to 3 people and converts quickly from travel mode to camp mode. However, we did encounter issues with its build quality and comfort. These two factors weigh heavily into a substantial purchase like a rooftop tent. When you’re spending over $1,000 on a piece of camping equipment, there’s a certain point where pinching pennies can be more trouble than it’s worth, and such may be the case with the Front Runner. If given a choice, we’d be more likely to spend an extra $90 on the Smittybilt Overlander, which has a similar design but is exponentially more rugged.

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See Our Best Rooftop Camping Tents Review 2021 HERE!

If you’re in the market for a rooftop tent that’s easy on your wallet and your vehicle’s roof rack, Front Runner may just have you covered. At only 93 lbs and $1,099, the Front Runner Roof Top Tent is both the lightest and least expensive RTT in our 2021 review. This fold-out softshell will accommodate up to 3 people and converts quickly from travel mode to camp mode. However, we did encounter issues with its build quality and comfort. These two factors weigh heavily into a substantial purchase like a rooftop tent.

Comfort

The Front Runner’s 35.4 sq ft of interior space (52″ x 98″) and max headroom of 55″ make it reasonably spacious; it’s on par with the 3P offerings from Tepui and Smittybilt. It also has four large side windows with mesh panels (if you include the entryways), along with a skylight window that will be obstructed with the rainfly attached but can still offer a bit of additional ventilation. Along the walls, you’ll find two decently large hanging storage pockets (half the number that you’ll find on the Smittybilt Overlander) and a 6cm (2.25″) high-density foam mattress with a washable moisture- and mildew-resistant polyester oxford fabric cover.

Ease of Conversion

The ladder on the Front Runner is definitely one of its weaker features. It’s not nearly as adjustable as many of the other ladders we’ve encountered, with only one set of pre-drill holes that may not accommodate all sizes of vehicles. Many users have complained that they’ve either needed to drill an additional set of holes for additional adjustability (a process that requires some degree of precision), or alternately, that upon arriving at their campsite, they’ve needed to either dig out a hole or wedge various objects underneath the ladder to reach their desired angle.

Collapsing the Front Runner is a relatively simple process, although its lack of external or internal bungees may necessitate a bit of extra time spent stuffing in the fabric before donning the travel cover. Although it is easy to orient due to being attached on one side, the cover is still just a bit small, and some may have trouble getting it to zip close without catching on the tent fabric or even breaking the zipper.

Ease of Installation

Depending upon your vehicle, the Front Runner Roof Top Tent will take a bit of time to assemble to install. You’ll first need to install the mounting rails to the underside of the base using a 13mm ratchet (not included). The mounting rails can be attached one of two ways depending upon how you’d prefer to orient it on your vehicle. The first is “off the back,” which is preferred for larger SUVs since it leaves extra roof space for additional storage; however, since this setup aligns the rails with the shorter side of the base, the rails will hang out past the base and will need to be trimmed off with a saw (also not included). The more common setup is “off the side” and will not require the use of a saw; it’s also preferable for smaller vehicles since it does not block access to the trunk, and it makes the tent more balanced with less wind drag during transit.

Remove the tent cover and mattress, lay the tent bottom-up, align the rails with the pre-drilled holes, and then slide your hand between the inside of the base and the mattress to feed the bolts through the holes and rails. Finally, slide the 6mm nuts into the mounting extrusions and tighten the bolts from inside the tent. You’ll then flip the tent back over onto these rails to attach the ladder to the extension panel. Bolt each ladder bracket to the tent’s base through the pre-drilled holes, then attach the ladder to the brackets. As we mentioned earlier, you may need to drill additional holes in the ladder for it to fit your vehicle, so be sure to test this out at your home before setting out on your camping adventure.

Once your mounting rails and ladder are installed, it’s time to install this on your roof rack or crossbars. Ensure that your crossbars are adequately spaced and centered, then with the help of one other person, lift the 95 lb Front Runner up top. Some users have claimed that this can be carried out by one person, but we absolutely do not recommend putting this to the test. Slide the 8 hanging bolts into the railings so that each pair of bolts is flanking either side of its respective crossbar, then attach the mounting plates to the underside of each crossbar. We recommend you attach these plates loosely at first to allow one final look-over before locking them down completely, just in case the tent has shifted from its centered position. NOTE: Should the tent install height be higher than 2 meters, you will need a Tent Extension Ladder.

Durability & Weatherproofing

The floor for the Front Runner has aluminum sheeting and side rails with a foam core. Although this composition helps the Front Runner keep its weight down, there were definitely some durability issues. Within one or two trips, you’ll notice that the base will start to develop various dents, although it should still be structurally sound.

The canopy is made of 600D, 260g poly-cotton ripstop fabric. The rainfly is made of 400D polyester oxford that is waterproof and UV resistant. The travel cover is made of 650g heavy-duty PVC. Although the materials used for these elements seem pretty sufficient for a rooftop tent, what gave us pause was the overall build quality. The stitching was sub-par, and tearing is practically unavoidable, especially if the Front Runner is subjected to high winds. This tearing will inevitably lead to holes in the canvas, which will compromise the waterproofing. This will most certainly be a deal-breaker for some campers.

Optional Extras

Besides the aforementioned extension ladder, which isn’t exactly optional if you own a large vehicle, there aren’t many extra features that can be added to the Front Runner Roof Top Tent. However, for $279, you can add the Tent Annex for a bit of extra space on the ground. The annex has zippered fabric flaps on both the inside and outside of the screen windows and removable, zip-off waterproof flooring. Unfortunately, the annex will not provide a covered entryway for the main tent, as it rests underneath the ladder.

The Bottom Line

The Front Runner Roof Top Tent is a lightweight and inexpensive RTT that’s relatively easy to deploy…and that’s about it. If you’re looking for a high-quality RTT that will last you several seasons, you may want to look elsewhere. When you’re spending over $1,000 on a piece of camping equipment, there’s a certain point where pinching pennies can be more trouble than it’s worth, and such may be the case with the Front Runner. If given a choice, we’d be more likely to spend an extra $90 on the Smittybilt Overlander, which has a similar design but is exponentially more rugged.

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