Magazine: Cycling trips & camping

Rooftop tent for cyclists: bikes and bed in one setup

Bikes on the roof and still sleep in a rooftop tent at night – with WEEKEND that works, because the tent travels inside the car. At your destination: bikes down, tent up.

AI-generated

The dilemma: bikes or rooftop tent?

If you travel with bikes on your roof bars, you know the problem: the roof is already taken. A classic rooftop tent usually doesn't fit into that setup, and you have to choose. Not with WEEKEND: it isn't carried on the roof while you drive, but travels packed (75 × 48 × 40 cm) inside the car.

AI-generated image: bikes on the car roof, roof bars in use

Bikes up top, WEEKEND waiting: the tent travels inside the car while you drive.AI-generated

At your destination, bikes down, WEEKEND up – on your own, without tools, in around 8–10 minutes.

Rooftop tent with a bike rack: swapping the setup

At your destination, you take the bikes off the roof. Then you set up WEEKEND on the ground and lift it onto the roof bars as one unit. With a tent weight of 11.5 kg (Classic) or 13 kg (Comfort), you can carry, set up and lift it onto your car on your own – no tools needed. Depending on your bike carrier, remove the bike holders first so the tent lies flat on the roof bars. That's how your car becomes a little camper: cycling by day, a bed on the roof by night.

Tip: if you carry your bikes on a towbar rack, the roof stays free for WEEKEND anyway. Our Installation & Setup Guide shows you the setup step by step.

AI-generated image: Groenberg WEEKEND rooftop tent on the car roof in place of the bikes

Bikes down, WEEKEND up: within a few minutes, your cycling setup becomes your bed for the night.AI-generated

Sleep up high after the ride

On the bike by day, in the rooftop tent by night: no bumpy ground, no mud and far fewer creepy-crawlies in the tent. With a bit of luck, you get a great view thrown in.

Which car do you need?

Your car needs to be approved for roof bars. While driving, roof bars, bike carriers and bikes all count towards your car's dynamic roof load – with two bikes, that adds up quickly. When parked, with WEEKEND on top, the static roof load and the load rating of your roof bars apply. The static roof load is usually much higher than the dynamic one, because the roof also has to withstand a rollover. Still, check your owner's manual and your roof bar specifications. More in our Roof Load Finder.

Important

WEEKEND is set up on the ground and then lifted onto the car as a complete unit. It comes off again before every drive – never drive with the tent on the roof, neither set up nor packed.

A sleeping mat is not included. Bring one for each person in the tent.

To be honest: what you should know

Bikes and tent on the roof at the same time doesn't work. While WEEKEND is up, the bikes stand next to the car overnight – lock them securely. In the morning, you swap back: tent down, around five minutes to pack it up, bikes back on. If you stay several nights, you'll top up the air in the floor now and then.

Just as compact as your bikes at home

At home, WEEKEND disappears as quickly as your bikes. Packed, it's about the size of a large suitcase and fits into the basement or a storage room. You don't need a garage or carport.

Conclusion: bikes by day, rooftop tent by night

With Groenberg WEEKEND, you don't have to choose between bikes and a rooftop tent. A few minutes to swap at your destination – and your cycling setup becomes a bed on the roof.