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Trails West: Ohio's Largest Custom Truck & 4x4 Super Center

 Columbus Ohio

Stop in to Trails West for Overlanding Accessories Today

Located just outside of Columbus we have a wide selection of 4×4 parts and accessories and a massive showroom for off-roading enthusiasts to browse through. Whether you’re looking to purchase a rooftop tent or have modifications done to your vehicle to prepare it for your off-roading or overlanding adventure, Trails West provides the best 4×4 services in the greater Columbus area!

Overlanding Deals and Service in Columbus

Overlanding Deals and Service in Columbus

Trails West provides essential equipment for the overland community. This includes standard overlanding accessories, tents for your vehicles’ roof top, off-road tires, suspension lift kits, roof racks, awnings, top tents, roof rack mounting accessories, and more to support you on your overlanding adventures. Not only does Trails West provide high quality accessories and equipment, we also provide in-house installations and maintenance services. We install everything we sell!

Tires for Overlanding Adventures

At our showroom and service center near Columbus, Ohio we provide a massive inventory of tires to fit all of your needs. With all-terrain tires, all-season tires, off-road tires, and more we can provide the perfect set of tires for your vehicle to prepare it for your next big overlanding camping adventure.
Tires for Overlanding Adventures
Hard-Shell & Soft-Shell Roof Top Tents

Hard-Shell & Soft-Shell Roof Top Tents

When considering purchasing a roof top tent one has to take into account some different key factors. There are different price points for roof top tents, and with each price point comes different features. The size of the tent and size of your vehicle must be compatible, and knowing how many people you want to accommodate in your roof top tent can determine the style of tent you purchase. Selecting a tent comes down to your overall budget, required durability, scalability needs, set up time, and the weight capacity you’re able to carry.

Hard Shell Rooftop Tents

Choosing the right rooftop tent is based on a few different criteria including how you’re using your tent, what functions you require from your tent, and personal preference. Hard shell rooftop tents have a strong base and ceiling that offer excellent protection from extreme weather. Generally hard shell tents are made from strong, high quality, lightweight materials like plastic or fiberglass. The walls of these tents are made from fabrics commonly used for tents like nylon, canvas, or cotton. Some hard shell tents are multifunctional since when they have been collapsed they provide storage on the top of your vehicle, which can be extremely helpful on an overland adventure where you’re bringing all of our gear with you. With simple, straightforward mechanics, hard shell roof top tents are easy to use, very durable, quick to set up, and provide excellent protection in various circumstances.
Hard Shell Rooftop Tents
Benefits of Hard Shell Tents

Benefits of Hard Shell Tents

When it comes to hard shell rooftop tents there are a handful of things to consider. At minimum a rooftop tent needs to provide shelter, but it’s important to take into consideration how you will be using your tent. Hard shell roof top tents have the added bonus of doubling as rooftop storage for your vehicle; the protective shell acts as a great place to store bedding, cargo, and other equipment. With hard shell tents there is less concern for encountering bad weather. The hard shell protects the tent more effectively keeping heavy rain, hail, heavy snow, and potential flying debris from easily damaging the tent. Hard shell tents are intuitively designed to open very easily and can be set up in a matter of seconds. This is especially nice in environments where you may be encountering intense weather events and want to reduce setup time. Hard shell tents dry faster because there is less fabric to retain water. Whether you’re choosing a wedge or pop-up style tent, it’s clear that hard shell tents have some great benefits that anyone in the overland community should consider.

Soft Shell Rooftop Tents

The Soft Shell roof top tent is very similar to a ground tent, except it is mounted to the top of your vehicle. If you’ve used a ground tent you may be more familiar with a soft roof tent, since the construction of the two tent styles is very similar, and the setups aren’t very different from each other. A soft shell roof top tent is supported by tent poles, typically aluminum, that unfold to create the shape of the tent. Soft shell tents are made of the same lightweight, waterproof materials that ground tents are made from. Some soft shell tents have assisted opening mechanisms to help open up the tent for an easy, quick setup. While soft shell tents aren’t considered to be as durable as hard shell tents, they are still made from high quality materials and are designed to be more durable than a ground tent. The light weight materials can be an added bonus too, since it doesn’t as significant of a weight load to the vehicle.
Soft Shell Rooftop Tents
Benefits of Soft Shell Tents

Benefits of Soft Shell Tents

With a soft shell tent they can be more easily installed and uninstalled from the rooftop of your vehicle because of their lightweight materials and less rigid structure. This is great for someone who enjoys overland camping, but needs to utilize the top of their vehicle for other purposes regularly. Soft shell tents are overall more affordable making it more accessible for people just getting into overland camping. A soft shell tent can also come in different sizes, and because of these options can fit more people. These top tents also have superior venting and features to make stargazing from the tent easy. Soft shell tents don’t open as quickly or easily as most hard shell tents, but they are still easier to open up and set up than ground tents. Because they are so low profile they can be compacted and stored without taking up a lot of room and allow you to add other pieces of camping equipment to the roof racks.

What is a Hybrid Roof Top Tent

Hybrid rooftops fall into a unique space where they have many of the benefits offered by soft and hard shell tents. With an easy setup and breakdown experience, the hybrid shell has a hard shell for protecting the tent and campers, with great waterproof walls made from durable fabric. These hybrid tents open rather quickly and reduce setup time for your campsite. Because hybrid rooftop tents have a hard shell it can double as cargo storage just like a hard shell tent would.

Hybrid roof top tents also tend to have a large interior. There is more space for campers to move around inside whether they’re entering or exiting the tent, rearranging, or setting up their sleeping bags. With this added space the hybrid tent is a luxury that many overland campers seek out. Hybrid roof tents do come at a higher price point than other style tents, but with their high-quality construction and extreme versatility they are the perfect piece of camping equipment for the overland enthusiast.

What is a Hybrid Roof Top Tent
Annex Rooftop Tents

Annex Rooftop Tents

When deciding on a top tent for overlanding, one thing to consider is the versatility of your tent. Roof top tent annexes can scale a standard tent into something larger, which is great for bringing family members, kids, or friends with you on your off-road camping adventures. These annex extensions are compatible with both soft shell top tents, as well as many hybrid top tents. Beyond just a place for additional storage, annex extensions can act as storage, a place for pets to sleep, a privacy room, a kitchen area, or a place to keep tools and equipment that you need to access easily.

Awnings

Awnings can be used instead of tents, or in conjunction with them to provide even more covered space for your campsite. Awnings don’t provide the same protection as tents, but can create a large shaded roof for lounging or seeking shelter from light rain or snow. Awnings typically work best with overlanding equipment builds made that include soft shell roof tops just like annex rooftop tents.
Awnings
Choosing the Best Size Tent

Choosing the Best Size Tent

Another important factor when narrowing down what tent you want to buy for your vehicle’s roof is the size. By determining how you’ll be using your tent you will get a better idea of what best suits your needs. The size of the tent will also be impacted by the size of the roof top and what you can attach to your crossbars or roof racks.

Large Rooftop Tents for Overlanding

With larger rooftop tents you’re gaining more space to accommodate more people. These tents tend to be significantly taller, and have a larger overall interior. Because of their size these tents are heavier and can be more difficult to remove from the roof of your vehicle. Larger vehicles with a larger root top are more appropriate for bigger rooftop tents, and are able to carry the heavier weight load easier.

Small Rooftop Tents for Overlanding

Another important factor when narrowing down what tent you want to buy for your vehicle’s roof is the size. By determining how you’ll be using your tent you will get a better idea of what best suits your needs. The size of the tent will also be impacted by the size of the roof top and what you can attach to your crossbars or roof racks.

Contact Trails West in Columbus, Ohio

Contact the Trails West Super Center to learn more about how we can provide tires and services for your 4×4 or truck.

Monday-Friday 8a – 5p
Saturday 9a – 4p

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