The obvious perk of roof top tents is the comfort it provides and the overall cleaner camping experience. Instead of your tent sitting directly on the ground, you sit comfortably on top of your vehicle avoiding the uneven and dusty floor. While this is true, over time your roof top tent will still get dirty and be in need of a wash to freshen it up.
To clean your roof top tent you need to take out the mattress pad, wash the mattress cover, wipe down the interior of the tent, and spray the exterior with water to remove built-up debris. Most importantly, you need to let all of the components dry completely before packing the tent.
I will go more in-depth on how to properly clean your roof top tent (RTT), why you should clean it, and what may happen if you never do! These are real-life examples I have either learned from others or experienced myself while using my RTT!
A side effect of not properly cleaning or drying your RTT can result in mildew. Once it begins to germinate it can be quite an undertaking to stop and remove it completely. After the step-by-step guide, we will get into how to prevent and remove mildew inside a RTT!
Step-by-Step Cleaning Guide
- The most effortless action you can take to clean your RTT is by simply airing it out every few uses. This will help prevent any unsettling smells from staying in your RTT. It also allows you to knock off any accumulated dust during your camping trips. This step is the least invasive and time-consuming. Airing your RTT out should be done periodically to help maintain it.
- Depending on how much you use your RTT and what you put it through, it would be a good idea to give it a deep clean every summer. The first action you need to take is to clean the bedding. Remove the mattress pad and bedding from your RTT. Remove the mattress cover by unzipping it and placing it in the washer.
- Next, I would spray down the tent thoroughly with water. This will help clean the fabric and get rid of dust build-up. If you have any stains or marks on the tent you could even use a soap/water solution to scrub them out.
- Grab a towel and cleaning solution to wipe the inside of the tent. Often, food or dirt can collect between the mattress and the base so cleaning this area will keep the tent fresh. Take a Lysol wipe or soapy rag and wipe off the poles inside the tent.
- For a softshell RTT, the PVC cover quickly collects dust, bugs, and mud. Not only do you want your tent to stay clean but taking off a gross cover every time is not a fun process. Clean the cover off by hosing it down and scrubbing off any debris where needed.
- Cleaning your ladder is an easy but necessary thing to do, especially if you have a sliding ladder. Dirt will accumulate in the sliding tracks making it difficult to slide open and closed!
- Allow your roof top tent and all of the components to dry completely before reassembling it and packing it up. If you pack the tent away when wet or damp, mildew will form. This dark and unpleasent substance will be noticeable from looking at it, but even more so by the smell. Once it’s there, it’s nearly impossible to get rid of.
- Once all of the components are done drying, put the bedding back in, fold it up, and now you have a clean tent!
How to get rid of mildew in a roof top tent?
Unfortunately, eliminating mildew is a frequent question I see RTT owners asking for others advice on. It is much easier said than done but there or some tricks you can do to solve the problem.
Mildew can germinate quite easily if you pack up your tent when it is damp or wet and forget to reopen it in order to dry it out. Leaving your tent packed up wet for more than 48 hours can cause mildew to form.
To get rid of mildew, use a soap and water solution to scrub the fabric where it is prevalent. Let your roof top tent dry completely before doing anything else. For a more invasive fix, use a vinegar and lemon juice solution on the mildew-contaminated areas. Then, water the tent down after it has dried.
The final option is to use a bleach and water solution to kill the mildew. However, I will warn you that this will likely do permanent damage to your RTT by leaving stains and discolored spots on the fabric. It is a trade-off because you’re hoping to eliminate the foul stench brought by the mildew.
Each of the steps I suggest is increasingly more aggressive than the last. Mildew is very hard to get rid of so taking each of the steps and being patient in the process will allow for the largest likely hood of success. As tedious as it may seem, it beats shelling out a few thousand dollars for a brand new RTT!
The biggest way to avoid mildew is by simply airing out your RTT if there are any signs of water buildup in the fabric or mattress! If you’re unable to do it right after your camping trip, be sure to do it as soon as possible.
Wrapping Up
The frequency in which you need to clean your tent will vary depending on how much you use it and which conditions it is used in. If it is very windy and a bunch of dust is blown in and on the tent, you may have to clean it right after that trip. But if you’re camping in the snow, simply airing the tent out will suffice!
Either way, cleaning your RTT every so often will improve its longevity and prevent any unnecessary damage to your camping equipment. Roof tents are really low maintenance in comparison to ground tents. Just like any toy or gear you care about, it needs to be maintained to a certain extent.
I lend this advice in the hopes of preventing just one person from posting another question on a forum and Facebook page on how to get rid of mildew or clean their RTT properly!