Having available cargo space is obviously a huge advantage when preparing for a weekend excursion. However, the space needed to carry a tent, sleeping pad, blankets, food, water, tools, and so on is often less than what some of our vehicles offer. ARB has just released its new Simpson II rooftop tent to help alleviate some of these capacity concerns. Seth Green and his completely redesigned Jeep Liberty took us out into the woods near Seattle, Washington, to show us all about the new tent and how easy the setup process really is.
In order to get the tent to fit on top of Seth's Liberty, he had to have a custom roof rack built by All J Products in Big Bear, California. The reason he needed to go custom is because his vehicle did not come with a suitable roof-rack system. However, the ARB tent will mount to most factory and aftermarket roof-rack systems available today with no drilling required. The tent simply bolts down using provided clamps, which can also be easily removed should your off-road adventure not require a tent. |  | 
Here are two shots of the tent installed and zipped up, ready to head out to our camping spot for the night. When enclosed in its shell, the tent sticks up only 12 inches to help minimize wind resistance and overall height. We would like to point out that although this tent system does not stick up very high, you do need to keep in mind when on the trail that you have a tent on top. The outer covering is zipped closed and will protect the tent from the elements, but if you find yourself bashing tree limb after tree limb you can cause damage to your tent and your vehicle. Practice common sense. |
Here, we get a good look at the zipper that circles the entire tent and keeps it safe from the elements. Other competing tent systems lack this protection, and more often than not you could find yourself opening a very wet tent at the end of the day. | 
After removing the zipper from three of the four sides, you will notice one side is also fitted into the rail to keep the zippered top in place during travel. The top is also kept on by using compression straps so that the tent doesn't fly off on the freeway going home. | 
Once the top is off, you can reach up and grab the step ladder that is preinstalled when you purchase an ARB Simpson II rooftop tent. Sliding the lower portion of the ladder toward yourself is the first step in unpacking the tent structure. Although the pictured tent is mounted extending to the side of the vehicle, the tent system can also be mounted so it opens from the rear of the vehicle as well. It all depends on the size of your vehicle and available space. |