What Autohome does

Autohome (legal entity Zifer Italia S.r.l.) is an Italian manufacturer and retailer of vehicle rooftop tents, founded in 1958 in Rivarolo Mantovano, Italy by Nino Cirani as the original inventor of the rooftop tent category. The company designs, hand-produces and sells two product families: hard-shell tents built from Glass Reinforced Plastic (fiberglass) with proprietary crank or gas-spring opening mechanisms, and soft-shell tent-style tents marketed under the AIR-CAMPING® sub-brand. Its core technology stack centers on in-mold fiberglass lamination, an integrated ladder-frame connection system (filed as a patent since 1958), 7-layer poplar plywood platforms, and a multi-layer textile system including 255 g/m² polyester roof fabric rated at 1000mm water column, with hard-shell product lines organized as Maggiolina® (flagship, crank/gas-spring opening), AirTop® (premium gas-spring) and Columbus® (instant-opening), and entry-level Soft-shell options (Overland, Overcamp, Overzone and Nomadland) priced from approximately €1,909 to €3,619+.

The company monetizes primarily through one-time hardware sales of tents and original accessories (universal accessories, vehicle roof bars and replacement parts), with ancillary revenue from custom tent solutions offered on request and a 2023-launched online custom configurator. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce via shop.autohome-official.com and customize.shop.autohome-official.com with a network of more than 100 authorized dealers and distributors across over 30 countries, supplemented by dedicated direct sales offices in Germany and the United States (Gig Harbor, WA). Customers are predominantly individual overlanding and self-drive camping enthusiasts, with secondary OEM-style relationships with automotive manufacturers such as Land Rover (Columbus special edition), Peugeot and MINI. The company is privately held, co-owned and co-managed by Giuseppe Fercodini and Giacomo Fercodini, holds ISO 9001 and TÜV certifications, and operates with a small, craft-intensive workforce anchored in long-tenured specialists.

Name

Autohome

Legal name

Zifer Italia S.r.l.

Website

https://autohome-official.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Autohome is an Italian manufacturer founded in 1958 that designs, hand-builds and sells fiberglass hard-shell and fabric soft-shell vehicle rooftop tents, selling through its own e-commerce and a network of 100+ dealers across 30+ countries to overlanding enthusiasts and automotive OEM partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rooftop Tents

akta.pro primary industry

Tents, Shelters & Sleep Systems Retail (CRAMAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Outdoor Furniture & Shelter Systems (Tents, Tarps, Hammocks) Retail (CRAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Rooftop tents
• Hard-shell tents
• Vehicle camping gear
• Outdoor adventure equipment
• Fiberglass tent shells

Headquarters

HQ city

Rivarolo Mantovano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Rooftop Tent Sales: Primary revenue from manufacturing and selling hard-shell and fabric rooftop tents for vehicles. One-time purchase model with products ranging from entry-level to premium.
2. Accessories Sales: Sale of original accessories including universal accessories, vehicle roof racks, and replacement parts for Autohome tent lines.
3. Customization Services: Custom tent solutions available upon request beyond standard catalog products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Autohome manufactures and sells hard-shell (fiberglass) and soft-shell (fabric) rooftop tents for vehicles across four main series — Maggiolina, AirTop, Columbus, and AIR-CAMPING (Nino Cirani) — along with a full line of original accessories, roof racks, replacement parts, and an online custom configurator tool. Products are sold directly to consumers via the company's e-commerce store and through a network of more than 100 authorized dealers and distributors across 30+ countries, with dedicated sales offices in Germany and the United States.

Product overview

Autohome is an Italian rooftop tent manufacturer founded in 1958, producing both hard-shell (fiberglass) and soft-shell (fabric) rooftop tents. The product portfolio is organized into four main hard-shell tent series — Maggiolina® (flagship, featuring crank and gas-spring opening mechanisms with variants Air-Sky 360, Extreme Cargo 360, Airlander Plus/360), AirTop® (premium tier with gas-spring opening), and Columbus® (instant-opening with gas springs, including Land Rover special edition) — and a soft-shell family branded under AIR-CAMPING® (Nino Cirani), comprising Overland®, Overcamp®, Overzone®, and Nomadland® (entry-level in both 2.0 and 3.0 versions). All tents feature poplar plywood floors, stainless steel ladders, and blackout fabrics; the soft-shell models use a tent-style book opening mechanism. The company also offers a full accessories line and an online custom configurator. The entire product range is manufactured in Italy with ISO 9001 quality certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maggliolina: Premium hard-shell rooftop tent series, flagship product line available in multiple variants including Air-Sky 360, Extreme Cargo 360, Airlander Plus, and Airlander Plus 360.
• AIRTOP
• COLUMBUS
• AIR-CAMPING
• Overland
• Overcamp
• Overzone
• Nomadland
• AIR-SKY

Products and services

• Maggiolina® Hard-Shell Rooftop Tent Series Flagship hard-shell rooftop tent series with fiberglass GRP shells, available with crank or gas-spring opening mechanisms. Includes variants Air-Sky 360, Extreme Cargo 360, Airlander Plus, and Airlander Plus 360. Starting from €3,529. Targeted at overlanders and adventure travelers seeking durable, premium Italian-made rooftop accommodation.
• AirTop® Hard-Shell Rooftop Tent Series Premium hard-shell rooftop tent series featuring fiberglass shells with gas-spring opening mechanisms. Includes Airtop 360, Airtop Plus, and Nomadland 3.0 variants. Starting from €2,839. Targeted at premium-segment overlanders and adventure travelers.
• Columbus® Hard-Shell Rooftop Tent Series Instant-opening hard-shell rooftop tent series featuring gas-spring mechanisms. Includes Columbus Variant and the Autohome x Land Rover co-branded special edition. Features removable Crystal PVC windows and AIR CLIMATE ventilation. Starting from €3,619. Targeted at premium adventure travelers and Land Rover owners.
• AIR-CAMPING® Soft-Shell Rooftop Tent Series (Overland, Overcamp, Overzone, Air-Camping) Soft-shell rooftop tent series named after legendary adventurer Nino Cirani. Includes Overland (best-value book-opening fabric tent), Overcamp (flexible all-season fabric tent), Overzone (military-specification fabric tent), and Air-Camping models. Features ALL SEASON opening roof, blackout fabrics, 7-layer poplar plywood floors, and stainless steel ladders. Overland starts from €1,909. Targeted at value-oriented and traditional fabric-tent customers.
• Nomadland® Entry-Level Rooftop Tents (2.0 and 3.0) Entry-level rooftop tents positioned as the most affordable options across both hard-shell (Nomadland 3.0, in AirTop family) and soft-shell (Nomadland 2.0, in AIR-CAMPING family) categories. Targeted at first-time rooftop tent buyers seeking accessible Italian craftsmanship.
• Autohome x Land Rover Special Edition Columbus Tent Co-branded special edition of the Columbus hard-shell rooftop tent developed in partnership with Land Rover. Features custom branding, dedicated accessories, and is featured in joint press releases and experience events including Barcolana sailing regatta. Targeted at Land Rover owners and premium adventure-segment buyers.
• Autohome® Original Accessories Full range of original accessories for all tent lines including universal accessories, vehicle roof bars (Portatutto Veicolo), and replacement parts (Parti di ricambio). Targeted at existing Autohome tent owners requiring compatible accessories and consumables.
• Vehicle Roof Racks / Portatutto Veicolo Vehicle-specific roof racks and mounting bars engineered for secure installation of Autohome rooftop tents across various vehicle types. Targeted at buyers who do not already have compatible mounting solutions on their vehicles.
• Custom Tent Configurator Tool Online product customization tool allowing customers to configure tent specifications (model, color, accessories, options) before purchase. Targeted at buyers seeking a personalized rooftop tent configuration beyond standard catalog products.
• Custom Tent Solutions (Bespoke Manufacturing) Bespoke custom tent solutions designed and manufactured on request for customers whose requirements exceed the standard product catalog, including OEM collaborations with vehicle manufacturers. Targeted at automotive OEMs, fleet operators, and special-project customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000mm waterproof rating for roof fabric
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Land RovercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration with Land Rover including co-development of Columbus Variant tent specifically designed for Land Rover vehicles. Joint press releases and experience events showcasing the partnership. Products featured on Land Rover vehicles at various events including Barcolana sailing regatta.
• Peugeot RifterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Peugeot on Rifter vehicle model featuring Autohome tent integration showcased in experience section of website.
• MINI CountrymanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MINI featuring tent integration on MINI Countryman vehicle, documented in experience section with MINI Dakar event participation.
• Bernd Woick (Germany)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey German dealer and outdoor equipment company founded and directed by Bernd Woick, a recognized adventure expert. Long-standing relationship for German market distribution and sales of Autohome products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• iKamper: iKamper is a Korean-founded rooftop tent manufacturer with US operations, producing premium hard-shell rooftop tents (Skycamp, X-Cover) at similar price points to Autohome. Direct competitor serving the same vehicle-based camping enthusiast segment with comparable product positioning.
• Roofnest: Roofnest is a US-based rooftop tent manufacturer specializing in hard-shell tents (Sparrow, Hardtop, Meadowlark) for overlanding and outdoor adventure markets. Direct competitor in the same premium hard-shell category with strong North American market presence.
• James Baroud: James Baroud is a French/Portuguese manufacturer of premium hard-shell rooftop tents, competing directly with Autohome in the European market. Similar premium positioning, comparable product features (gas-spring mechanisms, fiberglass shells), and shared target customer base of overlanding enthusiasts.
• Front Runner Outfitters: Front Runner is a South African manufacturer of vehicle-based outdoor and overlanding equipment including rooftop tents (Roof Top Tent, Hard Shell Tent). Direct competitor serving the same overlanding customer segment with comparable product positioning and global distribution.
• Alu-Cab: Alu-Cab is a South African manufacturer specializing in aluminum 4x4 accessories and rooftop tents (K9, Alu-Cab Roof Top Tent). Direct competitor in premium rooftop tent category with strong presence in overlanding and expedition markets similar to Autohome's target segment.

Broad incumbents

• Thule: Thule is a Swedish publicly-listed outdoor and transport solutions company owning Tepui Tents, offering rooftop tents as part of a broader portfolio including roof racks, bike carriers, and cargo solutions. Competes in the rooftop tent category with greater scale and broader outdoor equipment range.
• Yakima: Yakima is a US-based outdoor equipment company specializing in roof racks, cargo solutions, and vehicle accessories including rooftop tents. Broad incumbent serving similar customer base with wider product portfolio than Autohome's tent-focused offerings.
• Rhino-Rack: Rhino-Rack is an Australian manufacturer of roof racks, cargo management systems, and rooftop tents (Sunseeker, Batwing). Broad incumbent serving vehicle-based camping enthusiasts with similar target customers and complementary product offerings.
• ARB: ARB is an Australian manufacturer and distributor of 4x4 accessories and off-road equipment including rooftop tents (Simpson, Flinders). Broad incumbent in vehicle-based outdoor equipment serving overlanding customers with extensive dealer network comparable to Autohome's distribution model.

Emerging players

• Cascadia Vehicle Tents: Cascadia Vehicle Tents is a US-based manufacturer of rooftop tents for SUVs and trucks, offering both soft-shell and hard-shell models at competitive price points. Emerging player with partial overlap to Autohome's product range, focused on North American market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/autohomeofficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCw7JzW1X8AWNHOtXyqlnv3g
• Facebookfacebook.com/Autohome.Official.Page
• LinkedIninstagram.com/autohomeofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/autohomeofficial

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Autohome