Thule Approach M roof top tent, pelican grey, no. 901012

Why choose a Thule Approach roof top tent?

• They are very spacious; the innovative internal support design provides unusually good headroom across the whole floor area, right up to the top of the outward sloping doors.
• They are also particularly bright and cheerful places to be, thanks to the panoramic roof windows - which do of course have solid zipping flaps for shade and privacy.
• Roof top tents are always going to be 'heavy', but every kilogram makes a difference; Thule Approach tents are lighter than many competitor soft-shell tents - see below for the weight.
• Fitting the tent to the vehicle's roof bars is unusually quick - under 3 minutes when you are practiced at it - thanks to the clamp fittings which 'click' into the T-track bars in the base of the tent, two around the front roof bar and two around the rear roof bar. One set of these fittings is also lockable, part of Thule's One Key System. Thule provides a torque-limiting ratchet spanner - you tighten (or loosen) the nuts without needing to remove the spanner, which is a real benefit when working at height, upwards, and perhaps at a stretch.
• The rain cover is removable, but can be left in place when the tent is folded away. Note that with many competitor tents the rain cover ('fly sheet') is either on or off and, when fitted, is usually designed for rain coming vertically or diagonally, not for horizontal rain squalls in strong winds!
• The Thule Approach rain cover can also be configured in three ways: (1) fitted and rolled ready to roll over the panoramic skylights (ready mode) (2) rolled out at one or both ends, with the spring rods deployed for maximum visibility and ventilation (rain mode) (3) held against the inner tent to keep out wind and even horizontal rain (storm mode).

Other notes and specifications

• All windows and doors include a separately-zipped fly / mosquito screen.
• There are mesh organisers in each corner.
• There are several sewn-in loops in the roof strong points - loop a small carabiner though one of these and use it as a hang point for a lamp?
• The mattress has two layers - a firmer bottom foam and a softer upper layer for comfort. An anti-condensation mat is available - see the accessories list below.
• Both the tent and the rain canopy are made from 600D polyester ripstop material, breathable and water resistant.
• Dimensions when open: 240cm wide x 143cm long (on the car, front to back) x 102cm high.
• Dimensions when closed: 124cm wide (across the car) x 143cm long x 28cm high.
• The peak internal height is 89cm.
• The sleeping area footprint is 240cm x 130cm. Masses of space for two adults; more likely 2 adults and 1 child.
• Weight: 58kg.
• Approach tents are designed to hold a maximum 300kg.
• Minimum distance between the roof bars (centre to centre): 70cm.
• Minimum free space required on roof bars (the distance between the roof bar feet): 80cm (or longer than this if your roof bar sticks out sufficiently beyond the feet - check the instructions for more details).
• Every Thule tent design is put through Thule's very thorough and rigorous testing regime at the Thule Test Center™ in Hillerstorp, Sweden. This includes rain and wind tests, shake and vibration tests, climate tests (temperature and humidity) and City Crash tests. Please note that there are vehicles and roof bar types which are not suitable for the transport of roof top tents - see the Fitting and safety notes below.
• Approach tents come with Thule's standard 2 year guarantee; terms and conditions apply - we note that tents are easily damaged if misused or if not well maintained. There is no Thule Extended Warranty on this product, but if well looked after there is no reason that it won't last for a very long time.

Fitting and safety notes

• Clamp-on roof bars are not suitable for roof top tents; there are concerns for damage but more importantly for safety. You should only carry roof top tents if your vehicle has flush-mounted roof rails, raised roof rails which include a central support, fixpoints in the roof, tracks in the roof, or gutters - and then only if your vehicle roof can carry the combined weight of roof bars and tent, and your roof bars are strong enough. See Thule's guidelines on the Fitting instructions and videos tab.
• Furthermore, roof tents should not be carried on flush bars, sometimes called closed-end bars, for example Thule Edge foot packs. The reason is that the weight of the tent and occupants would be on the feet only, the high points, so would not be evenly spread; the load may damage the roof as well as the roof bars. See Thule's guidelines on the Fitting instructions and videos tab.
• Roof top tents may not be used with Thule SlideBars. There are several other limitations for their use - please be sure to read and understand the Thule guidelines notice, available on the Fitting instructions and videos tab; please contact us before purchase if there is anything you are unsure about.
• Please read, keep and re-read the instructions. For example, make sure the tent is completely dry before it’s put away, otherwise you’ll have a mildew problem. If you've used it in damp weather you’ll likely want to get it out and open it up again on a sunny day to be sure that it’s properly dried out.
• There is a very useful fitting video; see the Fitting instructions tab.

Accessories

There's a wide range of accessories including a bespoke awning (4m long with a 2.1m projection), a bespoke annex, both of which zip to relevant parts of the Approach,and a single piece insulator-lining for use in very cold weather. The full list is shown below; we draw your attention to a couple of popular items:

• Thule anti-condensation mat, medium, part code 901884 - a spacer mesh which allows for air circulation and helps to prevent moisture from accumulating.
• Thule tent table, part code 901900 - a useful flat space for drinks, isolated from the mattress.

Delivery

Delivery charges and arrangements:

We charge a contribution towards delivery costs, depending on what you order, where you live, and how quickly you want the goods.

These are our standard charges; there are usually surcharges for all offshore destinations and some remote postcodes - for details please see our delivery information page.

Delivery of other items

Delivery times

Delivery times are calculated in working days (Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays).

Cut-off times for Express Delivery orders
Express Delivery orders placed before before the cut-off times shown below will usually be desptached on the date of order. Express Delivery orders placed after these cut-off times will be despatched the next working day.

Delivery FAQs

When will my order arrive?
There are no deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays, except for postable items where Royal Mail has a Saturday delivery. Express Delivery orders placed on a Friday (before 1pm) should be delivered on the Monday or Tuesday, Express Delivery orders placed on a Saturday or Sunday should be delivered on the Tuesday or Wednesday. The arrangements for Very Heavy Items are different and are shown above.

What about Next Working Day delivery?
Most Express delivery orders will arrive on the next working day, if the order is placed before the cut-off time (see above). Some will arrive on the second working day if there has been a "split-delivery". So-called "split deliveries" happen when the couriers do not have enough trailer space for everything that should be moved around the UK, so they will load what they can and leave the rest for the next trailer.

Is my delivery day guaranteed?
No retailer or courier company can ever "guarantee" a Next Working Day delivery. As well as split deliveries, all courier companies occasionally have the same transport problems as can happen to everyone else, including snow blocked roads, closed roads, traffic jams, mechanical breakdown, an inability to find the delivery address, or to gain access to it if, for example, it's in a block of flats. We work with some of the best couriers in the business, and overall they provide an outstanding service.

Do I need to be at home?
We are very flexible with our deliveries and will aim to deliver to an address which suits you – this does not need to be your home address. Goods can usually be left without signature - we prefer this with roof boxes. There's a "Special Delivery Instructions" box in the checkout area where we'll ask you to choose a typical instruction and then amend it to suit your particular requirements.

Payment options:

We take the following cards, and also PayPal. Please note that the entry on your card statement will be from "The Roof Box Company".

Secure payments

Our website is secured by Sectigo (formerly Comodo CA), the largest commercial Certificate Authority in the world.