Forget roof racks, this Mitsubishi Strada has a roof tent

An inflatable tent is now a factory option for the Strada...in Germany

If you like spending time in the great outdoors but hate setting up a tent and all, Mitsubishi has a solution. Rather than putting up a tent, the automaker fitted it onto the roof of a Strada pick-up truck. The best part, it’s fully inflatable and is now being offered as an option by the automaker. With that, it's time to say goodbye to tent pitching.

Mitsubishi got help from GentleTent to turn the Strada into a camper. To inflate the tent, owners must use either a portable air compressor or an inflatable watercraft hand pump. The tent looks quite spacious, too, when filled up. There are five windows with screens, as well as a door accessible through the bed. Meanwhile, the roof section alone already measures 140x220 cm, enough for a full-size mattress.

Before you ask, the tent fitted on the Strada isn’t just for show. The automaker says it can withstand winds up to 113 km/h. For reference, that’s as strong as the winds brought by a typhoon under signal number 2. It’s also waterproof to shield occupants from the weather. All in all, it weighs just 27 kg when fully deflated and attaches to the roof rack. Do remember that when the tent is up, you lose the space in the cargo bed.

As cool as the inflatable tent option is, it is only available in Germany. There’s no word if it will be available outside Europe. Given the popularity of off-roading in the country, this accessory could be a hit assuming Mitsubishi Motor Philippines (or an aftermarket company) decides to offer it locally.

Should they bring it in, just a word of advice: Don't drive it with the tent up, even if it can handle typhoon-level winds.