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Darche Panorama 2 Roof Top Tent Review

written by Adam July 10, 2018
Darche Panorama 2 Roof Top Tent Review

Get your next camping trip ‘off the ground’ with a roof top tent. For our roadtrip around Australia we chose the Darche Panorama 2 Roof Top Tent with Annex. Read on for our review.

A good day starts with a good nights sleep, so when out on the road it’s important to invest wisely in your sleeping quarters.  For our trip around Australia, we considered many options from the humble swag through to a full off-road camper trailer, however a roof top tent offered us the perfect balance between comfort and convenience.

With this in mind, the hunt was on for the best roof topper within a reasonable budget. The range of available options are large, however can generally be separated into two main categories:

  • Soft Shell Roof Top Tents – These are a fold out design with a solid base and canvas/fabric upper construction. Once setup they look much like a conventional tent, just sitting atop a vehicle. Our Darche tent fits into this category.
  • Hard Shell Roof Top Tents – These tents are contained within a hard shell or pod, with the upper half moving upwards on hinges and struts to allow entry. They are generally more expensive and occupy more space on the roof, however are quicker to setup and many allow mounting of further accessories on top. Examples include offerings from James Baroud and Alucab.

Our final decision was the Panorama 2 from Darche, along with it’s included annex. Read on to find out why we chose this particular model and our experience of living in it for months on the road.

Sleep where you park, no access issues with a roof top tent.

Budget

The Panorama 2 retails for $2199.95 on their official website. This is positioned towards the premium end of the soft shell roof top tent market and is the most expensive of the options available from Darche, sitting above the “Intrepidor 2” and the “Hi View”.  The extra cost is justified by features such as the star gazing sunroof, Aluminium checker-plate base, compact pack down dimensions and included annex.

Sleeping quarters – ample room for two consenting adults.

User Friendliness

Once familiarised with the procedure, setup and pack-up of this tent can be easily completed in less than 5 mins with two people and only a little longer with a sole person. The base simply folds in half and accommodates all bedding within the tent, after which two straps hold the halves together with a cross strap to retain the ladder. A tough, weather proof PVC cover mounts on one edge with a slide then is zipped closed on the remaining three sides. Finally two straps fasten down above to prevent wind filling the cover when in motion.

Setup is the reverse of packup, while the tent windows can be held out with flexible metal rods that slide into appertures within the base. The entry door has a canvas shelter hood held in place by C shaped metal bar that slots into pivot tubes mounted on the base, while the opposing door/large window can have the canvas or drop sheet pegged out by more flexible metal rods or simply rolled up and affixed with the standard hoop lugs.

All said, we have found the Panorama 2 to be very easy to use and quick to setup, with the further benefit that you only need open as many windows or doors as you see fit at the time.

No bugs in here.

Comfort

One bugbear we have with the Darche is that it’s standard 50mm thick foam mattress is too thin to sleep comfortably on. Fortunately this is easily remedied by supplanting the standard mattress with additional material or replacing it entirely, however it is disappointing that this is required given the cost of the tent itself. Darche themselves appear to be aware that this may be an issue, offering a replacement self inflating air mattress for additional cost. Our solution was to slide two inflatable camping mats into the case below the foam, which we inflate when setting up the tent.

You would struggle to fit a camper trailer and vehicle in here! The roof tent allows us to be picky with where we camp.

Aside from the thin mattress, this tent offers plenty of room for two adults and excellent all round sleeping comfort. There are meshed windows on either side, with larger doorways front and rear. An additional signature feature of the Panorama 2 is the upper window or “sunroof” which allows for further airflow and star gazing with the outer most drop sheet removed.

Sleeping atop the vehicle also imbues us with additional security and isolation from ground dwelling creepy crawlies large and small.  While any roof top tent will offer this, it’s important to note the peace of mind and additional sleeping comfort offered by the elevated position and excellent visibility afforded by this Darche example.

Sleeping off the ground keeps you safe from pesky critters such as Brutus, pictured here.

Build Quality

Like the majority of competitors at this price level, the Darche Panorama 2 is assembled in China according to Australian engineering and design. We have found the build quality to be good and have had no major issues in our time with the tent. All fittings are high quality stainless steel and have proved to be highly resistant to corrosion, while assembly instructions are easy to understand and follow, even for the inexperienced.

The canvas and PVC materials used are of a durable and high quality nature, keeping water and wind out of the tent even in arduous weather. The zips have proven excellent and not exhibited any binding or slipping.

The only issues experienced have been regarding the telescopic ladder, though these have proved minor and simple to fix. The first was a disintegration of the fabric strap used to retain the ladder in it’s compact position,  which we have deemed unnecessary and not sought to find a replacement. The second issue was a separation from the ladder frame of the rubber bump stops that insulate the ladder itself from the Aluminium base when the tent is folded. These had simply been attached via a Phillips head screw to the 1mm thick material of the lower ladder tube, and consequently pulled out of the material over time. To fix this we replaced the Phillips screw with a similar size bolt and corresponding lock nut inside the tube.

High quality materials and fittings throughout.

Space Efficiency

Of the roof top tents currently available, the Panorama 2 has one of the smallest pack down profiles we have seen at approximately 300mm tall including the ladder. This has benefits to vehicle handling (lower center of gravity) and lowers air resistance induced drag at highway speeds, while also maximising you clearance in low roof environments such as underground car parks.

Due to the fold out nature of this tent, it does not occupy the entire roof space and leaves us room to mount additional accessories and equipment. This is the main difference between hard and soft shell tents, where a hard shell can only expand upwards and thus is longer to accommodate the occupants.

When the ground is too hard for a peg, use what you have at hand.

All Weather Ability

We have found the Panorama 2 well suited to a wide range of weather conditions and have slept comfortably within it’s confines throughout the Arid Australian summer heat, tropical rainstorms and freezing desert nights. Weather conditions where it is yet to be tested is that of a snow drenched mountain top or freezing winter rain squall, however we do aim to avoid living in the tent when such extreme weather hits.

Ventilation within this tent is excellent given the number of windows and doors available, so warm Australian summers are as comfortable as they can be when sleeping in a tent. With all windows closed (each has a fly net and canvas layer) the tent has proved sufficiently sealed to keep insects and rainwater out, whichever may be of concern at the time.

The annex is a useful addition for adverse weather conditions, if a little more time consuming to fit.

The PVC drop sheet mounted atop the roof dispenses with the majority of rain along with tree sap and bird droppings, though it can be removed in fine weather. All canvas seams are twin needle lock stitched and sealed with tape to keep moisture out, while air vents are built in near the roof to prevent condensation build up. The high vantage point of a roof mounted tent also has benefits in both the summer heat and winter wet, putting you up in the airflow for added ventilation and keeping you off the water drenched ground.

The included annex is also a useful addition for adverse weather or simply a storage area for longer stays. We must admit however, we have only used it once on this trip and in hindsight could easily have done without it. The primary reason for this is that most of our stops have been a single night only and in fine weather, where we cannot justify the additional effort of setting up the annex.

We have found that the tent offers very little in the way of thermal insulation from the elements, so expect the temperature within to reflect the temperature outside even with all apertures sealed up. Here is where your bedding comes into play and we use a double sleeping bag with three additional blanket layers to keep warm when the Mercury drops to freezing.

Wind and rain? Thankfully it’s water repellent.

Summary

All things considered, we are very happy with our Darche roof top tent. It offers convenience and comfort at an affordable cost, along with proven quality and durability for extended use in the Australian Outback. We particularly enjoy the stargazing view afforded by the ‘sunroof’ and the space efficiency that leaves room on the roof rack for recovery gear and additional storage.  Roof top tents may not be for everybody, however if you are considering one make sure to pop the Darche Panorama 2 on your shopping list.

View from the top.

Comments

What is your camping set-up? Do you have a roof top tent or otherwise?

Let us know in the comments below.

camping australia
12 comments
2
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Adam

Adam is a qualified Mechanical Engineer and auto enthusiast who loves escaping into the wilderness. He's a 'Mr-Fix-It' kind of guy that can give you a detailed rundown on just about anything with an engine! His side passions include motorcycling, snowboarding and making sure Tahnee doesn't get into too much trouble (it's a full time job).

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12 comments

David September 2, 2019 - 9:48 am

Hi guys, I have purchased one of these tents after reading your review. Like you I have found the mattress too thin. You mentioned you added some self inflating mattresses, can I ask what ones did you use and how have you found it? Thanks

Reply
Adam September 2, 2019 - 11:57 am

Hi David,
We have a pair of BCF Wanderer self inflating mats that we slide under the foam, within the standard darche mattress cover.
It adds a bit more effort for setup and we’ll usually assist the mattress to inflate as it takes ages to self inflate/expand, but other than that it has been a good solution.
Thanks
Adam and Tahnee

Reply
Seona January 1, 2020 - 5:01 pm

Just came home from our first 4 days away in the rooftop. It stood up to some pretty high winds really well. We too have the same issue with the mattress. We also struggle to get it packed up with the current mattress, a doona and two pillows. Does anyone else have this problem? Wondering if we added the self inflating mattresses under the current mattress and bedding for winter if we would ever get it packed up.

Reply
Tahnee January 4, 2020 - 11:16 am

Hi Seona,
We have found that you can pack away with bedding if you fold the bedding neatly and spread it evenly across the stationary half of the tent prior to folding the other half over. We can pack ours up in this way including the self inflating mattress (deflated), foam mattress, 2 sleeping bags and 4 pillows.
Thanks for your comment,
Adam and Tahnee

Reply
Chris Johnson January 20, 2021 - 5:30 pm

Great review guys! Quick question, Does the annex come with a PVC floor?

Reply
Adam January 21, 2021 - 8:34 am

Thanks Chris,
Yes, the annex floor is made from a tough waterproof material similar to that used for most tent floors and extends about 150mm above the ground to prevent any standing water seeping in.
Cheers,
Adam and Tahnee

Reply
Karen Davis March 2, 2021 - 5:39 pm

Hi,
Just wondering if these roof top tents require specific mountings. We currently have a roof rack with sides. We have been looking at the Darche Intrepid 1 roof top tent.
Thanks,
Karen

Reply
Adam March 3, 2021 - 11:01 am

Hi Karen,
The tent mount is designed to be adaptable to various roof racks and rails. We had a Front Runner Slimline II platform rack and used the Front Runner RTT adaptor feet to mount the tent. If you have a platform style rack you will need to do something similar.
If you just have cross bars on the roof you should be able to use the hardware that comes with the tent to clamp onto them and won’t require additional mounting accessories.
Hope that helps,
Adam

Reply
Jill May 11, 2021 - 10:42 am

Can you get roof top tent placed on a trailer. If so what size trailer is required.

Reply
Adam June 7, 2021 - 7:33 pm

Hi Jill,
Yes you can as long as your trailer has appropriate mounting points. We currently have a roof tent mounted to a lightweight pod trailer, which you will be able to see if you look at some of our recent images posted on facebook and Instagram. We’ll also be doing an article on this trailer in the near future.

Reply
Belinda November 13, 2021 - 3:54 pm

How heavy are you? My husband is 100kgs (I know right?) 😂

Reply
Adam November 14, 2021 - 8:48 am

Hi Belinda,
Our weights combined would be around 150Kg, which was no problem for the tent.

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

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We were recently given the chance to test drive th We were recently given the chance to test drive the all-new 2021 BT-50 XT on Far North Queensland's famous Bloomfield Track! 🌴

Is it really the complete package? Find out in our latest review! 👀🤔

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Check out our epic GoPro footage from white water Check out our epic GoPro footage from white water rafting the glorious Tully River in FNQ the other weekend. 💦🤙

Longer version is on our Facebook. Thanks again @ragingthunder 👊😁
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🔸Adventure Rafting Tully River, FNQ🔸 We had 🔸Adventure Rafting Tully River, FNQ🔸

We had the wildest day out rafting in the rainforest waters of Far North Queensland's Tully River, considered Australia's best rafting river! 💦 🤙

We smashed through grade 3 & 4 rapids amid spectacular scenery while holding on for dear life. Tahnee's mouth was open the whole time 😂

Thanks to our skipper 'Freddy' and @ragingthunder for the most adrenaline pumping experience we've had in a long time. Epic GoPro footage coming next. 
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Had a busy week, or feeling anxious? Why don't you Had a busy week, or feeling anxious? Why don't you de-stress with a little bit of Platypus watching... 👀 🙃

While scouting for Platypus in the creeks and rivers of Far North Queensland, we were lucky to get up-close to this little guy who was quite preoccupied with feeding! 

It was a privilege to see this iconic Australian animal living their best life where they rightfully belong.
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🔸Millaa Millaa, FNQ 🔸 Our Perth to Cairns 🔸Millaa Millaa, FNQ 🔸 

Our Perth to Cairns venture is nearing completion! After Undara, we meandered 171km up the road to the edge of the Atherton Tablelands, to a small town called Millaa Millaa. 

Millaa Millaa is a favourite of ours because it hosts one of Australia's most photographed waterfalls - Millaa Millaa Falls, famously seen in a number of hair-flipping advert commercials. But this is not the only waterfall in this stunning region - in fact, the entire Atherton Tablelands is incredible, and one of the many reasons why we decided to make the move over to FNQ. 

We stayed at Millaa Millaa Caravan Park in one of their 'rainforest lots' and couldn't recommend it enough as a great introductory taster to the rainforest life that now awaits us!
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🔸Undara Experience, Part 2🔸 Have you ever 🔸Undara Experience, Part 2🔸 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sleep in a restored railway carriage?

Admittedly, it wasn't a thought that crossed our minds until we heard that Outback Queenslands "Undara Experience" offers this award-winning accommodation. 

Grabbing at this unique opportunity, (and it's hard to say no to Tahnee's enthusiasm), we paid to stay in a beautifully restored, turn of the century, railway carriage surrounded by Australian native wildlife.

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🔸Undara Lava Tubes - Part 1🔸 After leaving 🔸Undara Lava Tubes - Part 1🔸 

After leaving Karumba, we stepped 190,000 years back in time at Undara Volcanic National Park, where Australia's rarest evidence of an ancient volcanic event are on full display in its preserved lava flow tunnels. 

These lava tubes and caverns are incredible displays of geological and ecology wonder. It's this reason (and their massive sizes and rock fragility), that they are only accessable through paid tours with Outback Queensland's "Undara Experience". 

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It's also a reminder on how vastly different Australia's landscape used to be, with QLD's most recent volcanic eruption said to be approx 9,000 years ago, and accounts for why Far North Queensland's tropical soil remains still so green and fertile today. 🌿🌱 
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thedirtydrifters

Orange you glad to see us? Not as active on Insta Orange you glad to see us?

Not as active on Instagram as we would like to be, but still very much together and enjoying life! 🧡😜

Currently enjoying a holiday break in WA before returning to tropical life in Cairns. 

#mindariemarina #love #Perth #westernaustralia #perthisok
We were recently given the chance to test drive th We were recently given the chance to test drive the all-new 2021 BT-50 XT on Far North Queensland's famous Bloomfield Track! 🌴

Is it really the complete package? Find out in our latest review! 👀🤔

➡️Click on link in bio or visit
 dirtydrifters.com.au/mazda-bt50-review
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#dirtydrifters #australia #mazda #farnorthqueensland #bt50 #dualcab #review #carreview #mazdabt50 #livingincairns #fnq #fnqlife #cairns #travelaustralia #daintree #adventure #Queensland #thisisqueensland #qld #exploringaustralia #4x4 #4x4australia #4wd #overland #bloomfieldtrack #capetribulation #explorefnq
Check out our epic GoPro footage from white water Check out our epic GoPro footage from white water rafting the glorious Tully River in FNQ the other weekend. 💦🤙

Longer version is on our Facebook. Thanks again @ragingthunder 👊😁
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🔸Adventure Rafting Tully River, FNQ🔸 We had 🔸Adventure Rafting Tully River, FNQ🔸

We had the wildest day out rafting in the rainforest waters of Far North Queensland's Tully River, considered Australia's best rafting river! 💦 🤙

We smashed through grade 3 & 4 rapids amid spectacular scenery while holding on for dear life. Tahnee's mouth was open the whole time 😂

Thanks to our skipper 'Freddy' and @ragingthunder for the most adrenaline pumping experience we've had in a long time. Epic GoPro footage coming next. 
.
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#dirtydrifters #ragingthunder #Queensland #actionsports #exploringaustralia #fun #thisisqueensland #alive #aroundaustralia #tullyriver #farnorthqueensland #nature #tullygorge #watersports #watersports #rainforest #whitewaterrafting #FNQ #adventure #travelaustralia #adventurerafting #aussies #roadtripaustralia #australia
Had a busy week, or feeling anxious? Why don't you Had a busy week, or feeling anxious? Why don't you de-stress with a little bit of Platypus watching... 👀 🙃

While scouting for Platypus in the creeks and rivers of Far North Queensland, we were lucky to get up-close to this little guy who was quite preoccupied with feeding! 

It was a privilege to see this iconic Australian animal living their best life where they rightfully belong.
.
.
#Queensland #platypus #cairns
#farnorthqueensland #platypuses #athertontablelands #wildlife #animals #australiananimals #queenslandtourism #nature #thisisqueensland #qldparks #travelaustralia #travel #camping #adventure #adventureaustralia #roadtrip #exploringaustralia #wild #wilderness #australia #nativeanimals #dirtydrifters #aroundaustralia
We are happiest when we're outside, exploring. 🌿🐄😀
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#dirtydrifters #aroundaustralia #roadtripaustralia #australia #cairns #athertontablelands #roadtrip #roadtripaus #roadtrippers #Queensland #thisisqueensland #qld #exploringaustralia #nature #travelaustralia #travel #jeepwrangler #jeep #jeeplife #4x4 #jeepwrangleroverland #4x4australia #4wd #overland #jeepaustralia
Guess who made a 2 second TV appearance?!? Thank Guess who made a 2 second TV appearance?!? 

Thank you @destinationwa for featuring us in your "Kununurra part 2", filmed at the iconic Pumphouse Restaurant.

🎥 YouTube.com/c/DestinationWA
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#dirtydrifters #australia #aroundaustralia #roadtrip #westernaustralia #wa #kununurra #aussies #roadtripaustralia #travel  #travelaustralia #seewa #destinationwa #pumphouse #explorewa #westoz #kimberley #exploringaustralia
🔸Millaa Millaa, FNQ 🔸 Our Perth to Cairns 🔸Millaa Millaa, FNQ 🔸 

Our Perth to Cairns venture is nearing completion! After Undara, we meandered 171km up the road to the edge of the Atherton Tablelands, to a small town called Millaa Millaa. 

Millaa Millaa is a favourite of ours because it hosts one of Australia's most photographed waterfalls - Millaa Millaa Falls, famously seen in a number of hair-flipping advert commercials. But this is not the only waterfall in this stunning region - in fact, the entire Atherton Tablelands is incredible, and one of the many reasons why we decided to make the move over to FNQ. 

We stayed at Millaa Millaa Caravan Park in one of their 'rainforest lots' and couldn't recommend it enough as a great introductory taster to the rainforest life that now awaits us!
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#dirtydrifters #aroundaustralia #roadtripaustralia #australia #Queensland #thisisqueensland #exploringaustralia #millaamillaa #chasingwaterfalls #waterfalls #millaamillaafalls #visitaustralia #australian #seeaustralia #visitqld #travel #camping #travellingaustralia #fnq #rainforest #travelaustralia #adventure #campingaustralia #campinglife  #roadtrippers #roadtrip #roadtripoz  #waterfall #athertontablelands #travelqld
🔸Undara Experience, Part 2🔸 Have you ever 🔸Undara Experience, Part 2🔸 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sleep in a restored railway carriage?

Admittedly, it wasn't a thought that crossed our minds until we heard that Outback Queenslands "Undara Experience" offers this award-winning accommodation. 

Grabbing at this unique opportunity, (and it's hard to say no to Tahnee's enthusiasm), we paid to stay in a beautifully restored, turn of the century, railway carriage surrounded by Australian native wildlife.

This was a worthwhile fun and novel experience. Plus we now get to say that we slept in a railway carriage! 😂😁🚂
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#dirtydrifters #aroundaustralia #undara #undaranationalpark #lavatubes #roadtrip #train #roadtripaustralia #australia #Queensland #thisisqueensland #exploringaustralia #railway #restoredrailwaycarriage #carriage #uniqueaccomodation #travelaustralia #roadtrippin #roadtripoz #travel #adventure #adventureaustralia #exploreaustralia #seeaustralia #qld #outbackaustralia #outbackqueensland
🔸Undara Lava Tubes - Part 1🔸 After leaving 🔸Undara Lava Tubes - Part 1🔸 

After leaving Karumba, we stepped 190,000 years back in time at Undara Volcanic National Park, where Australia's rarest evidence of an ancient volcanic event are on full display in its preserved lava flow tunnels. 

These lava tubes and caverns are incredible displays of geological and ecology wonder. It's this reason (and their massive sizes and rock fragility), that they are only accessable through paid tours with Outback Queensland's "Undara Experience". 

We went with the "adventure guaranteed" Wind Tunnel tour, and it was an eye-opening experience to see the result of how an ancient lava flow engulfed trees and carved itself through the landscape.

It's also a reminder on how vastly different Australia's landscape used to be, with QLD's most recent volcanic eruption said to be approx 9,000 years ago, and accounts for why Far North Queensland's tropical soil remains still so green and fertile today. 🌿🌱 
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#dirtydrifters #aroundaustralia #undara #undaranationalpark #lavatubes #roadtrip #camping #roadtripaustralia #australia #Queensland #thisisqueensland #exploringaustralia #volcano #lava #lavatubes #travelaustralia #roadtrippin #roadtripoz #travel #adventure #adventureaustralia #exploreaustralia #seeaustralia #qld #outbackaustralia #visitqld #outbackqueensland #travellers
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