Aaron Rich is building his ideal overlander, starting with a new Toyota Hilux. This month, he tests the new jumbo/family size hard shell roof tent from Eezi-Awn of South Africa.
“Massive. Eezi-Awn’s Sword hard shell roof tent is a unique, all new jumbo-sized hard shell from one of the world’s most original roof tent designers (since 1983). With any high quality roof tent, especially hard shells, the main joy is knowing that anywhere the 4WD is parked even if it’s just roughly balanced on rocks, bed is a minute or two away up top. That’s awesome, but the Sword offers something more. Climbing up into the Sword the first impression is of huge internal space. Like the Tardis from Dr Who, it somehow seems even bigger inside than outside. It’s more roof top apartment than roof top tent!
Turning 40 years old this year, Eezi-Awn knows a thing or two about making serious roof tents, not just more of the generic Chinese roof tents rebranded as NZ/Aussie brands. Made in Johannesburg, South Africa, Eezi-Awn has been a global roof tent brand preferred by serious world overlanders for decades. And I suppose that includes my family.
As some readers know, I have on several occasions subjected my family to living from a 4WD for up to 10 months at a time while crossing whole continents. When I first began using hard shell roof tents I was immediately sold on the concept, having grown tired of setting up ground tents day-in-day-out on our travels. But I lamented there wasn’t such an option for families. Now there is.
I decided to push the Sword’s limits by taking it away with my family of five. Perhaps surprisingly, we managed to fit reasonably well. But with a 2.0m by 1.9m internal mattress size, this is a huge roof tent. Despite its enormous proportions when open, the Sword opens and closes as quickly as many smaller hard shell roof tents. Impressive!
The Sword’s aluminium shells are insulated top and bottom and the canvas is a 340gsm core spun polycotton woven in South Africa. As with all Eezi-Awn tents, the fly over the canvas is never polyester. It’s a reinforced, UV stable PVC. As for the huge mattress mentioned earlier, that’s a 70mm thick, three layer, SABS approved mattress and truly comfortable. Eezi-Awn roof tents are designed to be a real investment.
Lighting, electrics and heating
Built into the Sword’s ceiling are USB charge points and a quality National Luna brand LED light. This is certainly a luxurious place to spend a night. But on this trip we were headed far down south, and way up high, in April. My family needs to be warm to really enjoy such a marvellous tent, so permanently mounted to the Eezi-Awn K9 roof rack on the Hilux is an XpeditioNZ tent heater. This kept the inside of the Sword to t-shirt temperatures, even as temperatures plummeted to sub-zero overnight on some of our routes.
Not only for Families
I would argue the jumbo-sized Sword is not only for families. For part of the time we were away Marcel and Sylwia went on a three day hike, leaving me and my daughters aged eight and 10 on tour with the Sword. I can take my girls away in a smaller hard shell roof tent perfectly fine, but with just three of us in the Sword it really felt palatial.
Next time it’s just me and my son heading away for a mountain biking weekend, the Sword would prove ideal accommodation.
It’s not just about going camping!
Anytime we find ourselves on a bit of a road trip, whatever the primary reason for the journey, it’s very reassuring and economical knowing that a comfortable night’s sleep is a minute away on your roof.
New Zealand’s biggest collection of hard shell roof tents – seven super-premium hard shell roof tent models is at www.xpeditionz.co.nz/hard-shell-roof-tents.
