The average rooftop tent (RTT) already makes a light RV out of whatever vehicle it finds itself atop, but we're starting to see a new tier of RTTs that are more like self-contained rooftop tiny campers. The Oztent Apex RT-P-1600 tent joins the ARB Altitude and now-repurposed Redtail Overland Skyloft in that upper echelon of wheel-less micro-camping trailers that ride on the roof instead of behind the car. The new tent from Oz boasts motion-activated camp lighting, active cooling and even its own RV-style electronic command center.
Australia seems to be leading the new charge into a rooftop tent luxury segment. Excluding the Redtail Skyloft, which seemed to have overshot any potential market at all, the first example we saw was last year's US$5,000 ARB Altitude. That tall, boxy two-person hardshell boasted power deployment, integrated interior lighting, a multi-speed ceiling fan, a central command center for controlling the electrical bits, and an innovative retractable staircase in place of a common ladder. It was certainly a marvel, even if we weren't entirely convinced it was worth the price premium or hulking 232-lb (105-kg) weight.
Oztent makes an official countermove with the Apex 1600, a similarly high-priced panoramic hardshell RTT that brings its own set of homey touches, distinct from the Altitude but just as over-the-top. The Australian camping gear maker stakes some new ground in the lighting department, adding a more extensive set of lights that includes not only interior strip lights but also adjustable touch-sensitive gooseneck reading lights for both occupants and six exterior spotlights.
The exterior lights even include motion sensors for automatically turning on to enhance visibility and security around camp. Various modes, colors and tints let campers adjust the interior and exterior lighting to their needs. For instance, there's a camp mode for using the spotlights as base camp area lighting and a security mode that relies on the sensors to flip the lights on full blast for a minute in an effort to ward off any human or animal campsite intrusion.
Like ARB, Oztent includes fans in its build, but instead of a ceiling fan, it uses two corner-mounted units with angle adjustment and three speed settings. The individual fans and adjustable angling seem nice additions for better fine-tuning one's comfort at night.
To control all those features without having to bounce around from light to fan to lamp, the Apex includes an illuminated command center. It's not quite the app-connected smart home control system of some modern RVs, but it does offer a central place for adjusting all of the light and fan settings. Also included as part of the console is a strip of USB charging ports, and Oztent packages in a remote control so you don't have to budge a centimeter from your campaign chair or down comforter to switch settings.
Did someone ask where the entertainment system is? No ... well that's okay because the Apex doesn't conceal a pop-out TV or integrated audio system. It does, however, have a ceiling tablet holder designed to hold a mobile screen in place through whatever movies or content you want to watch through a rainy day or just before nodding off.
Maybe Apex 2.0 will bring its own A/V hardware, hopefully something Scandinavian on the speaker side.
Power for all those features, and for charging one's tablet-TV, comes from the user's own power station or power pack. We'd have thought Oztent would chip in the pack since most of the tent's distinguishing features rely on it, but perhaps it figures the kind of rootless nomad looking at this type of RTT already has a surplus of their own. The company does include a designated pouch to store said pack right next to the command center plug-in.
The Apex lacks a few of the features found on the ARB Altitude, starting with electric actuation. It pitches via a good old combination of manual lifting and strut assist. It also features a more common telescoping ladder compared to ARB"s innovative fold-out staircase.
As far as actual tent-camping features, the Apex 1600 has a full panoramic array of windows with mesh and roll-up closures, a 2.8-in (7-cm) high-density foam mattress, two integrated cup/bottle holders, storage pockets around the lower walls and ceiling, and outer mounting track for accessories like a shoe storage bag. The poly-cotton ripstop tent walls are sandwiched between a thermoplastic cover and a fiberglass honeycomb base with powder-coated aluminum frame. The whole shebang weighs in at 238 lb (108 kg) – not surprising given its feature set but quite a hefty load for a two-person RTT.
The Apex price tag comes in at AU$5,999 (approx. US$3,850), well cheaper than the AU$7,249 the ARB Altitude started at when it launched a year ago. Each tent has its own selling points if you're into the idea of an ultra-glampy rooftop tent, but at some point, it seems you'd be better off pulling that excess off the roof and putting money into a proper travel trailer or camper van.
Oztent does have a large US presence, but it does not currently advertise any rooftop tent models for the market. Americans know how to overspend on lavish overlanding gear they may or may never actually need, though, so it seems like the Apex would be ripe for a US launch at some point. Then again, tariffs. We'll see.
Have a closer look at the Oztent Apex 1600 and its various amenities in the video below.
Source: Oztent
