Topic: Car Rack Giant Thule Buys Tepui

[Jeffy]

Car Rack Giant Thule Buys Tepui, Bets Big on Rooftop Tents
By Nate Mitka  on December 18, 2018, 12:40 pm 129 SHARES   
     
Filed under: Motors  News

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Thule Group, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of automotive racks, expanded its portfolio of automotive products with the acquisition of Tepui Outdoors Inc. Thule announced the acquisition on Monday.

Based in Sweden, Thule is a dominant manufacturer of car racks and accessories. Drive to a trailhead with biking or skiing, and chances are you’ll see the Thule logo.

So it’s not surprising that the brand would angle in on the related rooftop tent industry.

In recent years, rooftop tents have boomed in the United States. From a curiosity a few years ago, they’ve recently become fairly common fixtures on Subarus and kitted-out Tacomas. Pull into a campground in 2018, and you will likely see a tent on a roof.

And a big player in that category growth is Tepui. Based in Santa Cruz, Calif., Tepui is the dominant brand for rooftop tents in the U.S. While the product category is mature in many parts of the world, Tepui was largely responsible for its nascent roots in North America.

The acquisition makes sense from a consumer perspective. Rooftop tents require high-quality racks for mounting. The merger gives Thule a strong lever to integrate rack and tent design, marketing, and sales in the future.

Thule said the acquisition marks the brand’s commitment to the “active lifestyle.”

“The overlanding category has been growing steadily over the last few years,” said Magnus Welander, president and CEO of the Thule Group. “We are very pleased to add this great assortment of high-quality Roof Top Tents and accessories to our broad portfolio of products that cater to consumers who enjoy living an active life.”

Thule Acquires Tepui
Welander said Tepui is a natural fit for Thule’s portfolio, as both brands focus on high-quality construction, smart engineering, and great design.

Tepui tents certainly aren’t cheap, but the price comes with revered and durable build quality. In one of our reviews, a Tepui tent completely changed the way one of our editors camped.

While Thule Group has been around since 1942, Evan and Gabriela Currid established Tepui in 2010. Thule Group has steadily acquired automotive accessory brands since 2004. It has acquired bike carrier, snow chain, and child carrier brands.

Evan Currid will continue to operate as president of Tepui, with its headquarters in Santa Cruz, Calif.

“When the Thule Group approached us, the connection between the mindset, product portfolios, and the two brands was obvious,” Currid said. “We knew we had found the perfect partner to continue to grow this great product category.”

https://gearjunkie.com/thule-acquires-tepui-roof-top-tents?

[dwtaylorpdx]

I see these all over,, been trying to figure it out,, my ground tent is literally up in under 5 minutes, looks about the same size,,
Takes up way less space,, so whats the win with these car top ones? Is it just the mattress?

[Jeffy]

I see these all over,, been trying to figure it out,, my ground tent is literally up in under 5 minutes, looks about the same size,,
Takes up way less space,, so whats the win with these car top ones? Is it just the mattress?

Yes, there is a matress.  You also don't have to worry about uneven ground, bugs and animals.  The downside is that most camping sites in the US are semi furnished, so you have a driveway, table, fire pit etc...  Typically the table and fire pit are a ways from the driveway.  Also, for sites that are first come first serve and you need to drive someplace you have to pack your tent to go anywhere.  Not only that but if you don't leave enoughs tuff to mark your spot someone else will take the spot.  Another downside to the RTT is if it's rrainning and you want to wait it out in the tent.  RTT's are small.  With ground tents you can easly go 4 person or 6 person for two people and have room to stand and more room for storing clothes and whatnots.  For the money I'd probably go with a Kodiak Canvis 4-Person.  And there would still be enough monet got a Dometic fridge.  Though I've thought about getting a RTT.

[jfrabat]

Yes, there is a matress.  You also don't have to worry about uneven ground, bugs and animals.  The downside is that most camping sites in the US are semi furnished, so you have a driveway, table, fire pit etc...  Typically the table and fire pit are a ways from the driveway.  Also, for sites that are first come first serve and you need to drive someplace you have to pack your tent to go anywhere.  Not only that but if you don't leave enoughs tuff to mark your spot someone else will take the spot.  Another downside to the RTT is if it's rrainning and you want to wait it out in the tent.  RTT's are small.  With ground tents you can easly go 4 person or 6 person for two people and have room to stand and more room for storing clothes and whatnots.  For the money I'd probably go with a Kodiak Canvis 4-Person.  And there would still be enough monet got a Dometic fridge.  Though I've thought about getting a RTT.

In my experience (keep in mind I live in the tropics!), these RTT are better.  You get further away from mosquitoes, and the do set up faster.  Plus, they do not take space inside the vehicle.  Down side is that they do put weight on top of the roof (easier to roll the vehicle).