Thule Tepui Autana 3 Review

When it comes to fold-out-style rooftop tents, the Autana 3 is king. While staying on par with the other softshell tents we tested in every metric, it outperforms the competition in the aspects that we deem to be the most important.

Performance Comparison

Space and Comfort

The Autana 3 truly shined during this portion of our evaluation. The foam mattress is so nice that it will have you feeling like you woke up in your bedroom. The maximum internal height in the Autana is 52 inches, which leaves lots of space to relax. With the rainfly removed, the top of the canopy opens almost completely to the sky with two large windows with mosquito screens that unzip and roll up. With all of the windows open, you truly do feel like you're sleeping in the stars. To us, other aspects of comfort are privacy and peace of mind. The entrance awning adds both as it blocks out other campers and keeps your ladder dry during storms.

The Autana 3 also has an included annex. Once your tent is converted to camping mode, the annex is hung from the bottom of the tent floor. This essentially adds an entire extra room to the tent, which can be used to change clothes, store extra gear, or hang out. We found it to be the perfect place for dogs to sleep, and you could even use it as an overflow room for more people to sleep. It has a main door, two side windows with bug screens, and a rear door to access your vehicle from inside the tent. Most other softshell models in our review offer annexes as an additional purchase, but because none of them have the extended entrance awning, the annexes are smaller than the Autana 3 version. With the other annex type, the ladder is also outside, meaning it's exposed to the elements, and you have to go outside of the annex to go up to the sleeping quarters of the tent.

One thing to consider is that the side window awnings on the Autana 3 are part of the main canopy as opposed to the rainfly, so they can not be removed or rolled up. Without the rainfly on, some other tents have unobstructed views out of the side windows; so if 360-degree views are on your list of make-it-or-break-it features, you should consider looking to a model like the Yakima Skyrise Medium.

Durability

Depending on your application, durability can be a very important factor. After converting the Autana 3 from camping mode to travel mode more than 25 times and sleeping in it for many nights, this tent showed no signs of wear and tear. This comes as no surprise as the canopy is made out of 600D ripstop — with a canopy this beefy, tears and creases are not very likely. On that note, this material will easily keep you dry in a light storm without the rainfly attached. Additionally, although the ladder is a telescoping style, it is exceptionally sturdy. Telescoping ladders also offer the most amount of options for height — if the ground is slightly uneven, you can adjust the ladder height accordingly. This way, you aren't ever putting stress on the ladder or the tent floor by having your ladder too steep or not steep enough.

Added durability usually means added weight, which seems to be the case with the Autana. For some people, durability may not be quite as important. If you're only going to use your tent occasionally and you're very kind to your gear, then a canopy tent that weighs less may be a better option. Also, an increase in canopy durability likely means it will be less breathable, as thicker fabrics tend to lend longevity but lack breathability.

Ease of Conversion

All of the softshell tents in our review take about the same time to convert to camping mode. The Autana 3 takes an extra minute or so because of the awning over the ladder, which all of the other models in our test lack. In times of high wind, the awning will also need to be anchored to the ground with included ropes and stakes (or attached to heavy objects).

When converting back to travel mode, Thule Tepui is ahead of the game. Their telescoping ladder system has integrated buttons on the bottom of each rung that self-release as the ladder is closed. So you only have to push two buttons to put the ladder away, making getting back on the road painless. While this may sound small, our testers found this to be a significant bonus.

Ease of Assembly and Installation

The Autana takes a bit of time to install the mounting tracks to the bottom of the tent. We found this process to be substantially easier with two people, so be sure to grab a friend before tackling this task. Once assembled, the Autana is relatively easy to mount and remove from a vehicle using the included wrenches.

Also, at 130 pounds, the Autana 3 isn't the lightest rooftop tent that we tested. If you plan on removing your tent from your vehicle often, then a lighter tent may be a better choice. Also, keep in mind that the annex does not fit inside the tent. It weighs 20 pounds on its own, and you'll need to find room for it in your vehicle.

Cover Convenience

Of the models with soft covers, the Autana 3 cover is one of the easiest to use. There are two straps that close around D-rings with velcro that take a matter of seconds to open and close. Once the straps are off, a beefy zipper easily unzips around three sides of the cover. One great feature of the Tepui models is that the D-ring side of the straps double as straps to roll up the cover when it is not in use while still keeping it attached so that you can access your vehicle or truck bed while you're camping.

When it's time to put the cover back on, the zipper system on the main closure is faster and easier than models which use velcro as their main closure. It's also very fast to throw the straps over the tent and attach them to the D-rings without climbing on your vehicle. Big convenience points there.

Value

This is the right rooftop tent for a couple or a family of three that plan to get a lot of use out of their tent. The Autana 3 is comfortable, spacious, and it offers exceptional privacy. Its durability and weather protection also make it one of the most versatile options out there. But it isn't cheap, and the added features and performance may not be worth the high price for many people. If you don't care about the entrance awning and don't think you'll be running into foul weather, then it makes sense to go with something cheaper.

Conclusion

Between the durability, comfort, privacy, versatility, and overall execution, the Thule Tepui Explorer Autana 3 is an easy choice to win our admiration. Whether you're in a crowded campground or in the middle of nowhere, in a low-elevation dry desert, or in a high alpine meadow getting dumped on, this quality rooftop tent does it all with complete, luxurious protection.