How to Choose Tents for Camping
Thule Tepui Explorer Ayer 2 Tent
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Designed to withstand the elements, the Thule Tepui Explorer Ayer 2 tent is perfect for any adventure, year-round. Its integrated foam mattress provides a plush sleeping surface for you and a partner.
Shop similar productsKey Details
Sleeping Capacity
2-person
Packaged Weight
105 pounds
Number of Doors
1 door
Best Use
Camping
- Can accommodate up to 2 people
- Constructed of 260g polyester/cotton blend and coated 600-denier ripstop fabric with water-resistant ventilate coating made to withstand the elements of any season
- Tent fabric is also both UV- and mold-resistant
- Mesh panels offer plenty of ventilation and open for more airflow
- 4 large internal pockets for storing gear and camping accessories
- Includes a high-density foam mattress for added comfort
- Add a privacy annex (not included) to add additional space and protection from the elements
Imported.
Designed to fit on most vehicles with roof racks. The general rule of thumb is to make sure that your rack has a Dynamic Weight Capacity of at least the weight of the tent. This is the weight that the rack can physically carry while the vehicle is in motion. However, you should check your manufacturer's roof rack system to ensure it will support the weight of the tent.
View the Thule Tepui Product LineView all Thule Camping Tents| Best Use | Camping |
|---|---|
| Seasons | 4-season |
| Sleeping Capacity | 2-person |
| Packaged Weight | 105 pounds |
| Packed Size | 48 x 42 x 11 inches |
| Floor Dimensions | 84 x 48 inches |
| Floor Area | 28 square feet |
| Peak Height | 38 inches |
| Number of Doors | 1 door |
| Pole Material | Welded aluminum tube |
| Pole Diameter | 16 millimeters |
| Canopy Fabric | 260g polyester cotton; 600-denier ripstop fabric |
| Design Type | Vehicle |
| Footprint Included | No |
Buying Advice
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Most Helpful Favorable Review
What an amazing yet affordable rooftop tent
Anna4 years ago
This is definitely a setup that you need to learn to use but once you do, it's absolutely incredible. I have made friends just by people asking me about my tent! It is an amazing tent for the relatively affordable price. I have used this tent mid-summer in 90 degree weather and winter weather about 10 degrees and I have been more comfortable in this tent than traditional ones. It isn't necessarily the quickest setup but again, it gets better as you use it more. I would definitely recommend you glue the black caps onto the poles because I lost nearly all of them my first season! I think my biggest issue with the tent is the noise when it is windy but overall I am beyond happy with this product.
Anna
AZ
18 people found this review helpful
Most Helpful Critical Review
An delicate, expensive complication to camping
Morgan3 years ago
We bought this thinking it’d be amazing for dispersed camping/not having to do all the steps with a normal tent, sleeping bags, blow up sleeping pads.. but honestly- its an ordeal.
Getting the tent onto your car is a two person job and requires some work. Actually opening the tent is not terrible, but if using the rain fly- it can be time intensive and hopefully you were blessed with either a 6 foot tall stature or a partner that is that height. I have to take a step ladder camping now- mostly for the tear down- which took me about 20 minutes to do by myself this morning (and that’s after I’d practiced it at least 2 times prior). My partner has to physically climb on top of the tent (on the car) to make it close down enough to get the cover zippered on. It would be impossible to do as a 5 ft 7 person without something to stand on to reach the top of the tent.
We thought it’d be great for leaving a comforter and two pillows in all the time- but doing this makes the folding down process so much harder. The cover can be really tricky to get on.
I never thought I’d be the one to complain about this- coming from a tent and deflating sleeping pad experience- but this factory mattress is awful. It’s super hard, making your shoulders and hips hurt. Just make it come with a better mattress, Thule! No one likes the factory one and for $1500 it might as well be comfortable?
To add to this laundry list- we just took the tent out for its first camping experience and the inside material ripped somehow upon setup- I think from it just being cheaply made and having a strange tension on the tent wall that makes it tough to zip the side mesh bug guards (Pictured).
If I have to be positive- I liked sleeping above the ground, it feels roomy inside, and it feels stable when you’re in it. It also breathes pretty well and didn’t get too moist from condensation. I do like that all you need is to have room for the ladder to come down if you are dispersed camping in a national forest.
I was really really excited for this tent and thought it’d save so much time and add so much comfort to camping. I couldn’t be more wrong! I’m so disappointed.
Go for a hard shell or something else entirely. This ain’t it.
Morgan
Los Angeles, CA
25 people found this review helpful
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ggustafson
Southern California
Perfect for my Jeep!
3 years ago
I absolutely love my tent! I’ve camped in Big Sur where it got down to 30-some degrees & in Sequioa National Park when it was 90 degrees. Both were fine, I suggest a portable fan for the hot summer nights but it has great ventilation. Other reviews mentioned hard mattress pad, which is true. I bought an inflatable mattress pad (klymit double v) to go on top of the pad & it’s extremely comfortable now. I’m a 5’5” woman & was able to install the tent with the help of my 65 year old mom, so anyone can do it with help! Worst part about setup is getting the poles into the holes for the awning, I always seem to struggle. Other than that, I can setup & take down with no help. My friends love to camp with me now & other campers get a kick out of the setup! It’s the best investment, I highly recommend!
Age:35–44
Weight:125–150 lbs.
Height:5'5"
Yes , I recommend this product
Chris
Santa Barbara, CA
Great tent for a Subaru Outback Wilderness
3 years ago
I spent several months looking at rooftop tents for my new Outback Wilderness and finally settled on this one. While there was another one that I was leaning towards, it was 4 times the cost. I'm glad I made the choice to go with the Thule Tepui Explorer Ayer. It fits perfectly and is as easy to install, setup and takedown as expected. Yes, there is more noise driving at freeway speeds and a few less MPG, but still as quiet as my F-150 and still better MPG than the 150 as well. I'm not sure a hard shell would be any quieter and I haven't found a hard shell as small. I'm really looking forward to using this a lot.
Yes , I recommend this product
Originally posted on thule-us-ca
Ray
Nevada
Nice Small Roof Top Tent
2 years ago
I bought the Tepui Ayer 2 because I wanted a quality roof top tent that was as small as possible. Most of my trips will be solo and I did not need a lot of room. In addition, I wanted the tent to be as close to the height of my truck cab roof as possible to reduce drag and the resultant loss of fuel mileage. I think most buy this tent for use on a smaller crossover SUV or car, but I mounted mine on a full size F150 pickup. One small negative about the tent was the instructions. Thule has good videos that show you how to assemble the tent, but the written instructions are primarily cartoons and diagrams that are sometimes obtuse and hard to figure out. There is a serious lack of detail in some areas. For example: Should the rain fly support poles be left in their pockets in the tent when folding it up? Nothing in the videos or manual give even a small hint of an answer to this question? The tent is constructed well, has great venting and a very well thought out rain fly system. With the rain fly on, it is also quite dark inside even when lights are nearby. The telescoping ladder is far superior to sliding or folding ladders. It is very sturdy and has large feet to stabilize the ladder in all sorts of ground conditions. The cover is very thick rubbery material that has a very good zipper closure and looks like it will last many years. One other more significant negative is the mattress. It is about 2.5" thick, but it is probably the most uncomfortable mattress I have ever slept on. Anyone who likes a very firm mattress might love it, however. With a more comfortable mattress, perhaps as an upgrade option, I would have rated this tent at 5 stars.
Yes , I recommend this product
Originally posted on thule-us-ca
Anna
Arizona
What an amazing yet affordable rooftop tent
4 years ago
This is definitely a setup that you need to learn to use but once you do, it's absolutely incredible. I have made friends just by people asking me about my tent! It is an amazing tent for the relatively affordable price. I have used this tent mid-summer in 90 degree weather and winter weather about 10 degrees and I have been more comfortable in this tent than traditional ones. It isn't necessarily the quickest setup but again, it gets better as you use it more. I would definitely recommend you glue the black caps onto the poles because I lost nearly all of them my first season! I think my biggest issue with the tent is the noise when it is windy but overall I am beyond happy with this product.
Age:18–24
Weight:175–200 lbs.
Height:6'0"
Yes , I recommend this product
Elaine
Pensacola, FL
Favorite. Tent. Ever!
2 years ago
super convenient, nicely designed. couldn't ask for more
Age:25–34
Weight:Less than 100 lbs.
Height:Shorter than 5'
Yes , I recommend this product
Jack
Petaluma, CA
Great tent with lots of doo-dads
4 years ago
It was on sale! The crew was really helpful. They brought it right to my truck. It took me about an hour to set up with the tools provided. If you aren’t built different you will probably need help putting it on top of your rig. Super cool tho. The top has windows so you can sleep under the stars but still have mesh so no bugs. Good for warm weather. Not sure how it would hold up in the cold.
Age:18–24
Weight:175–200 lbs.
Height:5'9"
Yes , I recommend this product
BIGdog
Northern California
Basic RTT
3 years ago
Had this tent for about a year. Several overlanding trips to Death Valley , Panamint Valley and the Mojave Preserve on top of my 2015 two jeep wrangler. Pros, inexpensive lightweight tent made fairly well. Setup and takedown about ten minutes if not raining or hard blowing wind. Adding additional air pad made sleeping much better. Cons, Hard blowing wind makes this tent a challenge to sleep in as there are multiple areas that can flap around. I have had to remove the rain fly in windy conditions because of to much noise. For overlanding my next tent will be a hard shell but expect to pay three times the price of this tent
Age:65–74
Weight:175–200 lbs.
Height:5'9"
No, I do not recommend this product
Morgan
Los Angeles, CA
An delicate, expensive complication to camping
3 years ago
We bought this thinking it’d be amazing for dispersed camping/not having to do all the steps with a normal tent, sleeping bags, blow up sleeping pads.. but honestly- its an ordeal. Getting the tent onto your car is a two person job and requires some work. Actually opening the tent is not terrible, but if using the rain fly- it can be time intensive and hopefully you were blessed with either a 6 foot tall stature or a partner that is that height. I have to take a step ladder camping now- mostly for the tear down- which took me about 20 minutes to do by myself this morning (and that’s after I’d practiced it at least 2 times prior). My partner has to physically climb on top of the tent (on the car) to make it close down enough to get the cover zippered on. It would be impossible to do as a 5 ft 7 person without something to stand on to reach the top of the tent. We thought it’d be great for leaving a comforter and two pillows in all the time- but doing this makes the folding down process so much harder. The cover can be really tricky to get on. I never thought I’d be the one to complain about this- coming from a tent and deflating sleeping pad experience- but this factory mattress is awful. It’s super hard, making your shoulders and hips hurt. Just make it come with a better mattress, Thule! No one likes the factory one and for $1500 it might as well be comfortable? To add to this laundry list- we just took the tent out for its first camping experience and the inside material ripped somehow upon setup- I think from it just being cheaply made and having a strange tension on the tent wall that makes it tough to zip the side mesh bug guards (Pictured). If I have to be positive- I liked sleeping above the ground, it feels roomy inside, and it feels stable when you’re in it. It also breathes pretty well and didn’t get too moist from condensation. I do like that all you need is to have room for the ladder to come down if you are dispersed camping in a national forest. I was really really excited for this tent and thought it’d save so much time and add so much comfort to camping. I couldn’t be more wrong! I’m so disappointed. Go for a hard shell or something else entirely. This ain’t it.
No, I do not recommend this product
jack_sc
South Carolina
Great Entry Level Roof Top Tent
4 years ago
I love the roof top tent style of camping and this was the most affordable model available when I was shopping. After a couple seasons of using it, I'd say it's a great value. However, it does have a couple drawbacks that you could avoid with a more premium model. 1. The mattress isn't super comfortable. Definitely better than a backpacking pad, but barely. Upgrading the mattress is just a matter of pulling it out and putting a new one in, nothing complicated. I think I'll upgrade the mattress eventually. 2. Set up is easier than a ground tent (especially if you make the bed before you leave on a trip, it packs tighter but can still fold with a couple sleeping bags and blankets inside), but I've battled with zipping up the soft-top cover a few times and wished I had a hard-top, until I reminded myself it was several hundred dollars more. Something to consider. Overall, great value and entry to overlanding.
Yes , I recommend this product
Suzesaurus
Portland, OR
Neither love it nor hate it
3 years ago
I bought this for dispersed camping, easy set up and comfort. You need to be tall to manage it. Being on the shorter side, I can set up/take down by crawling all over the vehicle (need to start packing a step ladder). As others say, the mattress seems comfortable at first, but I woke up with very sore hips and shoulders. Putting on the rain fly was a pain, but did stay dry and no condensation. Very roomie inside. Insanely dark when all flaps closed. If I had to do it again, I would buy something else.
No, I do not recommend this product
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