Being a hunter and angler makes finding truck bed camping accommodations difficult. I love the idea of a full-blown truck bed camper, but I need to be able to utilize my bed for any game we might harvest. Having a full-size pull-behind camper also seems dreamy, but I find myself driving my rig into places few campers could be towed into.
Typically, I find myself setting up a full base camp or sleeping in a cramped backpacking tent. If I do have access to my truck at the end of each day, I typically end up just sleeping in the back seat or in a bivy in the truck bed.
A rooftop tent really seemed to solve a lot of my sleeping woes without taking up space in the bed. When I learned about the new Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO, I was stoked to put it to the test and see if it held up to my often unruly outdoor lifestyle.
In short: Whether you’re a hunter, angler, camper, hiker, overlander, or someone who just wants a quick and easy camping solution, the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO fits nearly every bill. It’s lightweight, has a minimal footprint, and offers maximum living space. This is a flat-sick setup.
Roofnest Falcon 3 Evo
Specs
- Sleeps 2
- Style Clamshell
- Shell PC/ABS with LINE-X coating mounted to an aluminum frame.
- Interior size 80″L x 47″W
- Exterior size 83″L x 50″W
- Height 8″ when closed
- Max headroom 58″ when open
- Weight 140 lbs.
- Material 320GSM coated Polycotton (waterproof rating of 3000mm)
- Setup time Under 1 minute
Pros
- Extremely fast setup and takedown
- Very roomy
- Lightweight
- Low profile
- Tons of storage
- Airy and well ventilated
- Included interior LED lighting
- Aluminum rails for additional accessory mounting
- Tons of additional accessories included
Cons
- Pull strap for closing likes to flop in the wind
- Door flap tends to flop out over rear-mounted ladder
Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO Review
Overview & Features
The Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO ($3,495) builds and improves on the insanely popular Falcon Pro tent. With a listed capacity of two people, I’ll argue that it’s two-plus-people capable. Sporting only an 83″ x 50″ footprint, the open tent feels huge.
With a new U-Bar design, the rear portion of the tent tilts out, creating a bit of an overhang and increasing the overall headspace by 30%. A max interior height of 58 inches means the average person won’t be walking around, but they will be able to comfortably wiggle about, easily getting dressed and storing gear.
If that’s not quite enough room, you can always spring for the XL version. You’ll get an extra 5 inches of legroom, 10 inches of width, and a few extra inches of height.
The Falcon 3 EVO’s light weight of 140 pounds is a huge plus for both installation and transport weight.
Seriously Low Profile
At only 8 inches tall when packed away, the Falcon 3 EVO doesn’t even seem like it’s big enough to contain much of a tent. I have books that I brought into the tent for the night that are thicker than the clamshell of the tent. It really is impressive.
Plus, with the included mattress, there’s still plenty of room for your bedding, even while closed. Mind you, that entirely depends on the bulk of your bedding, but mine is still packed flat in my tent as we speak.
Aluminum Rail System
The Line-X coated topshell is wrapped with an aluminum accessory channel, allowing plenty of customization and added accessories. One of the first additional purchases I’ll make will be crossbars to mount my fly rod tubes.
Testing: Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO
The Falcon 3 EVO showed up just days before I was set to take a massive road trip, bouncing from state to state, testing a host of products, engaging with groups of hunters and anglers, fly fishing, and shooting the mountain at Total Archery Challenge.
I get a little rattled when I have to test something that’s unproven to me and about to be my home for a few weeks. Having no idea how this thing would hold up to the conditions I would put it in, my nerves were a bit on edge. I knew I was about to face some extreme heat, unexpected cold, heavy winds, and torrential rains.
The Falcon 3 EVO was not only up to the challenge but also totally exceeded my expectations of a rooftop tent.
Installation
I was initially nervous about getting this thing on top of my truck rack, but it was actually ridiculously simple. At only 140 pounds, it’s easily lifted onto the top of a vehicle with two to three people. Because I’m shorter than your average adult human, we opted for an additional person to hoist it up.
The universal mounting kit worked well, though we did have to make a hardware store run to make it work with my Leitner rack on my truck. The bolts were just too short to make it over the bulky top-rail system. Keep that in mind if your rack is a little thick. You may have to fork over an additional $6 or so to your local Ace Hardware.
Setup
When brands say there is a 3-minute setup, I typically roll my eyes. However, this is one of those rare occasions where I think setup is actually faster than that.
With a few clips undone, the hydraulic system does all the work, opening the tent completely. All you have to do is swing the U-Bar out and secure it. That’s it. It takes literally a minute or two to set up.
Unmatched Ventilation & View
All the air you can ask for, that’s what you’ll get with this RTT. Even when the mercury climbed and we started sweating our tails off, the tent stayed shockingly cool thanks to floor-to-ceiling doors and windows. The slightest breeze kept it cool.
If needed, there are HVAC vents (pictured above) for fans, AC, or heat if needed. Additional vents can be zipped open at the very pinnacle of the tent body, though I don’t even know if you need them.
The top (when open) has a full window that can be screened or opened, with a clear rainfly cover. This allows you to close it up during the heat of the day to keep the sun from beating in but also allows you to open’er up for perfect nighttime stargazing.
I can’t say enough about how airy and light it feels. With everything rolled open, it almost feels like sleeping in the open air.
Almost Too Much Storage (If That’s Even a Thing)
A gear grid covers the bulk of the back wall, with more than enough storage for your quick-grab items. The bottom corners of the back wall also feature quick stash pockets at the base of the included LED light strips. These make for easy storage for a power bank to run the lights or for whatever else you might want quick access to without having to even sit up at night.
Next to the rear door on each side, there are additional gear storage pouches, which are perfect for the stuff you need to grab on your way out. Think sunscreen, wet wipes and toilet paper, bug spray, and the like.
For those who have screen-addicted kids (or those who are screen-addicted kids), there’s even a clear pocket for tablets, angled perfectly for nighttime movie marathons.
Simple Packaway
Like the setup, taking things down is almost as quick. Once you disconnect the U-bar, a quick pull on the webbing straps shuts everything down. As long as you’re tall enough to tuck in the material around the edges, it’s an easy, maybe 5-minute breakdown.
Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO Walkaround
This is one of those products that is difficult to describe because it has so much more space than can be shown in images or explained with words. The thing is spacious.
Fortunately, Roofnest made a pretty sweet walkaround video to show you exactly what you’re getting. Notice how small the tent looks from the outside but how roomy it looks once she climbs in. It really is wild.
Included & Additional Accessories
The Falcon 3 EVO comes with a pile of accessories. Included with your tent purchase, you’ll receive:
- 2” Memory foam mattress
- 8.5′ Ladder
- Universal mounting kit
- 4’x4′ ground mat
- Gear grid
- Anti-condensation mat
- Dual-detachable pockets
- Privacy tent
- LED lights
Additional Accessory Options
- 6 Channel Crossbars (which I will be ordering)
- Falcon 3 Evo Awnex
- Insulation Kit
- Tent Cover
- and a Featherbed
Where the Falcon 3 EVO Gets It Right
The Falcon 3 EVO gets it right just about everywhere. Aside from the two little quirks that you’ll read about below, I can’t say enough about this rooftop tent.
The Falcon 3 EVO will certainly find a place at the river and on the mountain for just about any adventure I can think of. From the compact design to the over-the-top storage, it just does it all and does it well.
Where It Can Improve
Finding flaws is tough with this tent. I’ve got a few notes after testing it in the field, but they required me to really stretch to find them.
Because of the overhang design, which gives you more space inside, you do end up with a rear door flap that almost immediately flops out when unzipping. This isn’t that big of a deal unless you aren’t paying attention and go to crawl out at night only to find the ladder blocked by tent material.
As long as you pay attention, this is something you get used to quickly. Or — the simple solution — is to mount your ladder to one of the side doors.
The other issue is something I’m still trying to work out. There’s a webbing strap (seen above) that allows you to close the tent when breaking it down and packing it away. I find that it sort of flops about on top of and around the tent with the breeze. I may employ some kind of tie system to keep it a bit more contained and stop it from making unnecessary noise when the wind kicks up.
Final Thoughts on the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO
What more is there to say? I love this tent. Even set up next to a pile of other options, I’d choose the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO over other tents that cost considerably more.
Once I figure out that strap, it will be practically perfect in every way, as Ms. Poppins says. If you need a quick, easy camping solution that requires no ground or bed space, this is it.
