Updated: MINI USA has officially said that they will not be offering the AUTOHOME roof tent through it’s official network. With that news it would seem the only potential way to get the tent would be to buy it directly from AUTOHOME themselves.
The MINI Countryman just got bigger and a lot taller. AUTOHOME in conjunction with MINI’s Design Team has created the AirTop roof tent. The tent is barely distinguishable from a conventional transport box when closed but transforms into a full waterproof tent. You can order the AirTop directly from AUTOHOME.
Official Release: With generous space for up to five occupants and their luggage as well as the optional all-wheel drive system ALL4, the latest generation of the British premium brand’s all-rounder is perfectly equipped for outings that go far beyond the limits of urban mobility and asphalted roads. And in the eventuality that not just the road comes to an end but the day, too, there is now even the option of a place to spend the night – for entirely spontaneous use. The Italian specialist AUTOHOME has expanded its product range to include a roof tent that perfectly matches both the look of the new MINI Countryman and the current MINI brand design.
A special edition of the AirTop roof tent model was designed in cooperation with the MINI Design Team and is now available directly from the manufacturer in black or white in keeping with the contrasting colours for roof and outside mirror caps for the new MINI Countryman. AUTOHOME has more than 50 years of experience in developing and making automobile roof tents and its products are used both in the leisure sector and on professional expeditions.
Mounting the mobile shelter is facilitated by the standard roof rails on the new MINI Countryman. This allows you to use the model-specific roof rail carrier – available from the MINI Shop as a MINI Original Accessory. The roof tent attachment system can be mounted on this carrier in a few easy moves without the need for tools. This roof rail carrier provides a solid foundation for the roof tent attachment, which is fixed stably and securely using the steel clamps included.
When closed, the roof tent is barely distinguishable from a conventional transport box. The aerodynamically optimised lines of its fibre-glass housing ensure a reduction in air resistance and wind noise. Opening it is simply a matter of releasing the safety clasps – two at the front and one at the rear. The tent superstructure is then automatically raised by means of four gas pressure springs.
The interior height of the mobile accommodation unit is 94 centimetres. With a stable cover and outer walls in special high-quality fabric, the tent is not only rain proof but also offers optimum ventilation properties as well as a high level of heat and noise insulation. The features of the roof tent include a high-density mattress with cotton cover, two doors and two windows with zips, close-meshed mosquito nets at all openings and a battery-operated LED interior light, as well as luggage nets and pockets to stow personal items. A solid aluminium ladder is provided to climb up onto the top floor of the MINI Countryman.
With its powerful engine, the all-wheel drive system ALL4 and a permitted towing capacity of up to 1 800 kilograms, the new MINI Countryman is also suitable for towing a caravan. But it is the roof tent that perfectly preserves the brand’s time-honoured principle of getting the maximum space out of a minimum surface area. The sleeping area for all those MINI fans who want to get away during the day and aim high at night measures 2.10 in length and 1.30 metres in width – sufficient to accommodate outdoor overnight stays for two. It provides a home for wherever the occupants of the new MINI Countryman happen to feel comfortable at any given time. Whether in the countryside, on the beach or in the mountains – wherever the new MINI Countryman conquers new terrain, its roof provides a tent pitch in a top location.
<p>What’s the weight rating for the Countryman roof bars? Seems like it has to be much, much higher than most roof bar ratings I’ve seen.</p>
<p>I wonder how easy removing the roof bars would be. I wouldn’t want them and I’m sure they lower mpg by maybe one.</p>
<p>In town, probably not so much. You’d probably really start to see the effects over 50mph. Could be noisey too, which in return is related to the amount of drag…</p>