Ordering A Rooftop Tent From Alibaba – Buyer’s Experience & Review

It seems that if you see any built-out overland SUV, be it a 4Runner, Jeep, or even a new Bronco, it will likely have a rooftop tent (RTT). Those builds have spent thousands of dollars on the purchase price, along with shipping and the LTL freight delivery. Those that don’t have an RTT mounted are likely saving up to drop a similar amount of cash, and most of the name brands feature a price point that’s unrealistic for many builds out there.

I was in the latter camp. I had seen RTTs everywhere and read numerous review articles on rooftop tents, always dreaming of when I could get my own. I’m a young professional and not yet fully established in my career field. That means that I didn’t have thousands of dollars to purchase the type and style of tent that I wanted.

What Is Alibaba & How Does It Work?

So how do you order an RTT through Alibaba? If it’s cheaper, why doesn’t everyone buy their goods directly from China, instead of from a US Retailer?

To summarize, it’s a pain. Alibaba is a website that allows direct B2B connections. They facilitate negotiations between manufacturers and sellers, and oftentimes, you deal directly with the manufacturer. Many rooftop tent websites specialize in tents; however, they often focus on ordering rooftop tents through Alibaba or directly from the manufacturer. Once the companies agree on the price per unit, they finalize a deal and process payments.

Ordering sounds pretty easy, right? Well, yes and no. The next thing you have to worry about is how you are going to get your new products from a manufacturer all the way in China to your door in the United States.

Why Alibaba?

After conducting extensive research, I determined that the Condor from RoofNest would best suit my needs.

The only problem was that the tent retailed online for approximately $ 3,400. That was before tax and shipping. I was at a loss. That was more than I spent for my bumpers and full skid plates combined, and it was just a folding piece of fabric and aluminum. I love camping and off-roading, and I would love just to set up wherever I park and pass out until morning. However, I could never justify spending that much money on something that will probably only last 5-10 years.

So, I sat down at my computer one night, thinking, “Maybe someone bought this tent and it didn’t fit their car. Now they need to sell it quickly because their spouse is angry that it’s taking up too much space in the garage.”

Basically, I was hoping for a miracle. I searched ”Used Hardshell Rooftop Tent”. I immediately saw ads from Alibaba. My friends and I had played around on Alibaba once or twice, thinking that we could buy bulk goods and sell them at markets or on Amazon as an easy side hustle, but I’d never seen a posting for something this big.

As I scrolled through all of the manufacturers, I stopped on a set of photos of an RTT that I would recognize anywhere. This tent looked exactly like the RoofNest Condor. This was nuts! I went into a frenzy comparing the exact dimensions, materials, waterproof ratings, struts, and colors. I was certain that this was the RoofNest Condor.

Finally, I decided to look up where RoofNest manufactures its tents. Lo and behold, they were made in the same province in China where this manufacturer was posting their ads from. This was my chance to get an RTT! The same tent, which was listed for over $ 3,000, was being shown for a mere $800.

The Process

After all of the details with the manufacturer have been hashed out, you’ll then need to find yourself a freight forwarder. I’ll skip international business and shipping lectures and say that there are many ways to get stuff from one place to another.

If you are buying an item for personal use and not planning to distribute it nationwide, you are looking for a DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) Freight Forwarder. They will ship your tent from the manufacturer directly to your door, via a domestic carrier, after passing through customs with all necessary fees and documentation.

Once you have found the manufacturer you want, expect to receive about a dozen quotes from different freight forwarders. You can then wire the money and begin playing the waiting game.

I will warn you, this is not a fast process.

My first experience took roughly a week to organize everything and negotiate rates. That was followed by two weeks for the company to assemble my tent and get it to my freight forwarder. After it reaches the shipper, you must then wait for the next ship to depart for the US. I was lucky, and the ship left that same week. However, it had to turn back due to COVID, where it sat in a Chinese port for another week.

On the day it finally set sail, I was excited and would check the ship’s position twice daily. The fact is, the average sailing time for a large cargo ship from China to the Long Beach Wharf in LA is approximately 25-30 days. Patience is key here.

Once the ship finally reaches a port in the United States, it takes time to unload, clear customs, and be picked up by the local carrier. For me, this process took about another two weeks.

All in all, I would say the process from start to finish was about 2 months. I also had no idea what I was doing, aside from a few international business classes I took in college.

Once you have paid your manufacturer and organized with your DDP Freight Forwarder, it really is just about patience. What’s great about this process is that once all the work is done upfront, you really do wait until it arrives at your door.

Notes & Good-to-Knows

• Take your time and research once you find something that you want. There may be other companies that offer a similar product that is better and possibly even cheaper.
• All of your freight forwardings are done in metric. For large items like RTTs, the actual weight is not what the shipper will charge you for, but rather the volume weight.
• To calculate the volume weight in kilograms, the dimensions (Length x Width x Height) in centimeters are multiplied together, and then divided by 5000.
  • i.e. 200cm*150cm*30cm = 900,000 | Then, 900,000/5000 = A volume weight of 180kg
• It would be beneficial to have a forklift available for final delivery. Some freight forwarders will charge you a fee to deliver with a truck that has a lift gate. Plus, these things are heavy!
• Don’t hesitate to reach out to whoever you’re working with if you have any questions! Remember that you are essentially purchasing a sample, and they hope to do business with you in the future. This may also influence your ordering process, allowing you to negotiate a lower price. If you sell the fact that you might buy more, they may reduce your price even more. And, you’re likely not lying as many of your friends might purchase from the same reseller or manufacturer if the price is right.

Final Thoughts

So was it all worth it? Absolutely! I found a solid tent on par with popular US brands and saved myself over $ 2,000 by doing a little research and waiting patiently. To me, the process was fun to be a part of. Seeing what really goes into the global market that we live in was eye-opening. I’ve already gone on three trips with the RTT, and I am so happy to have it.

Setting up and taking down my RTT takes less than 5 minutes. Now, I spend my nights on a king-sized mattress up and away from everything on the ground. I am now the envy of all of my friends. They’ve already asked me to walk them through this same process so they can do it themselves. I only wish that I had a friend with a traditionally purchased Condor RTT to see how closely they compare! For the time being, I’ll have to wait until I run into someone on the trail.