This is our own rooftop tent. The Kings Grand Tourer Lite has been on the roof of our Prado for over a year, including a three-week lap from Sydney through the outback, and it’s the tent we sleep in on every trip. It cost us $1,450, and it’s quick to set up, low on the roof and keeps the weather out.
What’s in the box
A low-profile hard shell rooftop tent with an extruded aluminium honeycomb shell, gas struts, a telescopic ladder, a 50 mm high-density foam mattress and the mounting hardware. The tent body is 180GSM ripstop polycotton canvas with a PU5000 mm waterproof rating, closed with a four-stage seal. Closed, it’s just 180 mm high, and it weighs 70 kg with the ladder and hardware.
What we like
- Opens in about 25 seconds
- Low: 180 mm high closed
- PU5000 canvas, four-stage seal
- Dry inside in heavy rain
- Takes an awning and solar panel
- Built-in side pockets
What we don’t
- Telescopic ladder is heavy
- Needs a sturdy rack for 70 kg
- Only one colour
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Adventure Kings |
| Material | Aluminium honeycomb shell180GSM ripstop polycotton canvas |
| Weight | 70 kgwith ladder and hardware |
| Height | 18 cmclosed |
| Thickness | 5 cmfoam mattress |
| Water rating | PU5000 mm canvasFour-stage seal |
| Setup time | About 25 seconds |
| Included | Cable ports |
| Features | Gas strutsTelescopic ladderSide pockets |
Setting it up
Speed is what this tent is about. Pop the latches, give the heavy-duty handle a light push, and the gas struts lift the lid: one person has it up in about 25 seconds. Packing down is just as quick. It has changed how we plan long drives, because pulling over for a quick overnight stop is no effort at all, and the struts have worked every time.
Weatherproofing
The PU5000 mm ripstop polycotton has handled the heaviest downpours we’ve had in it. Kings closes the shell with a four-stage seal: a rubber pinch weld, a custom aluminium extrusion behind it that stops any water that gets past, and automotive-grade polyurethane sealant on every joint. There are no rivets or bolts through the outside of the shell, so there are fewer places for water to get in, and the inside has stayed dry and free of dust.
Inside the tent
The 50 mm foam mattress comes with the tent, and there are built-in pockets on both sides and zippered openings on each side to bring a power cable in. We added a few things: the Kings internal storage pocket on the ceiling, with a clear pocket for a tablet, and the Kings anti-condensation mat under the mattress to keep it dry. Our Kings hooded sleeping bags fit inside the 2.1 m long bed, and the tent still closes.
On the roof
The tent bolts onto a roof platform or crossbars with the supplied bolts and brackets. At 70 kg you need a sturdy rack, and it’s worth checking your vehicle’s roof load rating. The low 180 mm profile keeps the roofline tidy and the drag down on long drives. The textured shell has mounting channels for the ladder and accessories: our 270° awning hangs on the Kings awning bracket kit, and we’ve mounted a flexible solar panel on the lid without drilling a hole.
The ladder
The telescopic ladder is sturdy, and it can stay in the tent or travel separately in the car, but it’s heavy to carry and put up.
Grand Tourer Lite vs MK3
Kings also makes the bigger Grand Tourer MK3. It has a thicker mattress, heavier canvas and room to leave the bedding inside when it’s closed, but it’s 25 kg heavier, sits higher on the roof and costs more. The Lite is the one for a lighter, lower setup.
This one Grand Tourer Lite |  Grand Tourer MK3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Height closed | 180 mm | 264 mm |
| Canvas | 180GSM polycotton | 320GSM canvas |
| Setup (seconds) | About 25 | About 30 |
| Weight | 70 kg | 95 kg |
| Mattress | 50 mm | 75 mm |
| Price paid | $1,450 | $2,195 |
| Our score | 9.4 | 8.9 |
Conclusion: Kings Grand Tourer Lite Rooftop TentConclusion
The Kings Grand Tourer Lite is our own tent and has been on the Prado for over a year. It sits just 180 mm high, opens in about 25 seconds and its PU5000 canvas and four-stage seal have kept the inside dry in heavy rain. It takes accessories easily, from an awning to a solar panel. The telescopic ladder is heavy, you need a sturdy rack for its 70 kg, and it comes in one colour. At $1,450 it’s one of the cheaper hard shells, and for touring with lots of overnight stops it’s a very good tent.
Our own rooftop tent, and a very good one.
It's been on our Prado for over a year: it sits just 180 mm high, opens in about 25 seconds and has stayed dry inside in heavy rain. The telescopic ladder is heavy, and you need a sturdy rack for its 70 kg.
- 4WD tourers
- Couples
- Solo trips
Yes. At $1,450 it’s one of the cheaper hard shells, and after more than a year on our roof it’s quick, low and dry. The ladder is heavy and you need a sturdy rack for its 70 kg.
