Video Transcript
A company from Ohio called RollNJack hasintroducedthe Bad Boy, a manual forklift that helps drivers mount and remove vehicle rooftop tents, New Atlas reported.
Rooftop tents have grown in popularity, being marketed as folding tents in hard-shell containers that do not take up space in a vehicle. Other perks include simple deployment, separation from a damp ground and wild animals, and a level sleeping surface.
However, when users are not camping, the rooftop tent takes up space that could otherwise be used for other items, such as bikes or boats. It can also negatively impact vehicle mileage through wind drag and increase the risk of hitting obstacles overhead. The weight and size make it quite challenging for a person to install or remove it.
According to RollNJack, a user can install rooftop tents with the hand-cranked Bad Boy by strapping a tent to the forklift’s U-channel, cranking it above a car’s roof rack, rolling the forklift over to the vehicle, and cranking down the U-channel until the tent is in place. Users can then remove tents by reversing the process.
The Bad Boy has foot-lever brakes on two of its caster wheels and is reportedly compatible with most SUVs. Other features include a lift height that ranges from approximately 72 inches to 90 inches and the ability to lift tents that weigh up to 195 pounds.
RollNJack posted the Bad Boy on Kickstarter, where the product has achieved over $47,000 in pledges. The company expects to sell it for about $950.
