Sleeping on the roof…

My friend Peter D sent me this link to a fabulous pop-up addition to the Element, which would allow me to sleep on the roof! It’s made by Ursa Minor, a company in Chula Vista, CA – south of San Diego.

I spent a happy hour going through their website, and following links to reviews, a Honda Element camping forum, and letting my own curiosity roam the “net.” As dreams go, it’s a good one. Ended up on eBay looking at Airstreams!

The idea of being able to park somewhere (safe) and pop up that rooftop tent in about a minute is hugely appealing. However, the more than $5,000 pricetag for one that is color matched to my lime green Element gave me pause…

This setup on the beach looks like quite a nice camping experience…

I own two tents – a 2-person one, and a larger 4-person tent. I already found yet another tent online last week that will connect to the open rear hatch of the Element and provide me with a standup living/sleeping space for around $300.

This one takes a little longer than a minute to set up, but it costs over $4,000 LESS!

I was having trouble justifying the expense of another tent when my friend Jeanne reminded me that this is a once in a lifetime trip and I can have what I want to be comfortable.

Although I love the look of the rooftop tent – both closed and open – I just can’t justify the cost. Also, I would have to pick it up in southern California – more than a third of the way through the trip! Not that it’s impossible – or even not sensible – it really comes down to money. I can make a lot of trips for the price of that one “tent.”

Thanks to Pete for sharing the link. I hope I don’t regret my decision…

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