Looking to buy a roof top tent-if you have any experience please share your .02 cents

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cj007sd

10 Year
Joined
Jan 7, 2013
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San Diego
I am an extra large male and am looking for one of the best roof top tents to mount on my 2000 land cruiser. I would perfer a hard top tent due to the quality, better m.p.g., etc (james baroud or autohome) vs a soft top (arb or other top builder), but room is just as important and maybe more important depending on the interior measurements.
An inside sleeping platform i believe will not give me enough room but i have read on the forum that it may be possible to fit an inflatable queen size mattress in my 2000 land cruiser. If anyone knows if that is a fact i would love to know.
Anyone out there that can help out a rookie, with any advice, suggestions and/or recomendations would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you cj
 
I am not that tall (5'9) but my Mombasa has enough room for 3 adults or 2 and a dog. I still have 6 inches of leg room (if not more) until I hit the end of the tent.
 
Look at a tent called the Roost. We have been living with this one on top of our 2000 for couple of years now.
 
I own the medium sized Autohome Maggiolina Airllander, and it it perfect for two of us.
I am about 5'8.5" tall.
The Medium Extra Long Airlander is 57” x 91” x 36” compared to 57” x 83” x 36” for my regular length one, so you get 8" more in length for the Extra Long Airlander.

http://autohomeus.com/rooftop/maggiolinaAirlander.php

The Airlander I believe is their most aerodynamic one out of all the Maggiolina styles.

I could not be happier with mine, it has served me well and has kept up to being outside 24/7 since March of 2008 when I bought it.

Some of them mounted to Toyotas.
http://autohomeus.com/gallery/toyota.php

Here are a few pics of mine on my FJ Cruiser.

25.jpg


42.jpg


Best of luck as to what you decide to get.
What sold me on the Maggiolina models is the bedding all stays in place.
Crank the top up, pull the ladder out, and it is ready to sleep in.

Easy to setup, easy to take down.
 
Thanks Guys for the advice and help. I think I am going to go with the largest that either James Baroud or Autohome makes. As I check the dimensions it looks like if I buy a soft tent (ARB, or one of the other many top quality soft top tents) that I will have alot more floor space to sleep on due to the fact that the floor can expand past the confines of the top of the Land Cruiser. Therefore I am more confussed than before. Does anyone know if an inflatable queen size mattress will fit in the back of a 100 SERIES. With the 2nd row flooded level with a drawer system to mske a flat platform. Something to sleep on until I can decide and make the expensive purchase of a roof top tent
 
The dealer for the James Baroud was 6'4". A big guy, and started to sell the James Baroud tent because he said it was larger that the Autohome. I would look at the advertised dimensions of them to confirm. It seems to my looking that the Autohome Grand Tour is 84" long, that is longer I think that the James Baroud.
 
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cj007sd said:
Thanks Guys for the advice and help. I think I am going to go with the largest that either James Baroud or Autohome makes. As I check the dimensions it looks like if I buy a soft tent (ARB, or one of the other many top quality soft top tents) that I will have alot more floor space to sleep on due to the fact that the floor can expand past the confines of the top of the Land Cruiser. Therefore I am more confussed than before. Does anyone know if an inflatable queen size mattress will fit in the back of a 100 SERIES. With the 2nd row flooded level with a drawer system to mske a flat platform. Something to sleep on until I can decide and make the expensive purchase of a roof top tent
Click to expand...

A queen size (60x80 inch) inflatable could be stuffed into the cruiser (front seats moved all the way forward) but the challenge is height of the cabin. The roof will be in your face. The better choice would be a Megamat 10. It's 30 inches wide and only 4 inches thick. Way more comfortable than any inflatable.
 
Will the 91" extra long Maggiolina be long enough for you?
I know you sacrifice some inside room of these verses the all fabric tents you fold over, but I think the two benefits of being more aerodynamic and having your bedding already in place makes it more attractive option.

I only took around a 1 MPG or less hit with my tent up there full time.
I pull 17 MPG all the time with 50/50 city/freeway driving.
 
91" = 7.5 feet if my math is correct. I am fine with the length! I was more concerned about being comfortable side to side with myself 6"1" 250lbs but ex-DIVISION 1 Strong Safety & not to sounds like an ass but I have kept by body in similar shape, therefore I am almost wider than tall LOL. MY K9 (German Shephaerd, Explosives and other duties) and then the girlfriend goes one trip and then the next it may just be and my best friend (the dog). BUT when it is all THREE of us, that is where I would like to buy the most comfortable tent and width seems to be the problem. But as I tell the girlfriends "the dog was here before you and the dpog will be here after you" BUT really I am a nice guy just trying to make everyone happy and comfortable with a good nights sleep. That is why ROBRED you are VERY correct in your statements with the head room. COREY I think I will ultimately take your advice IF they make a HARD top TENT that has some serious width to it. THANK YOU GUYS CAN"Y SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR HELPING THIS ROOKIE whom is striving and one day before I die I willl MASTER this lifestyle if it has to kill me!! I figure I have one of the best OVERLAND Trucks to mount an extra large tent on - 2000 Land Cruiser
 
I have the canvas fold out style RTT and my two complaints with it are, not aerodynamic and it takes too long to set up.

On my trip out to the rubicon i met a lot of folks with the maggiolina style tents and i was hooked. My ONLY complaint that i could see is the stupid side doors and screen do not have a zipper. How dumb is that! It might not be that big of a deal on the west coast but i can assure you on the east coast with all the bugs and mosquitos that would be a nightmare. Sure, maybe you can "tuck" it in nicely but still, put a darn zipper on it so you can zip it up. Just sounds like a huge oversight to me. On My last camping trip to the beach I was sooooo glad i had the RTT to get me up out of the sand, but the mosquitoes are so bad in the evenings i was glad i could get up in the tent and zip closed the windows and doors to keep them out.
 
Perhaps a RTT isn't for you. How about an OZtent? They are apparently quite well made (no first hand experience, but they have great reviews), and set up (and down) in 30 seconds! They have 4 different models that are quite large.

http://www.oztent.com/
 
Enigma said:
Perhaps a RTT isn't for you. How about an OZtent? They are apparently quite well made (no first hand experience, but they have great reviews), and set up (and down) in 30 seconds! They have 4 different models that are quite large.

http://www.oztent.com/
Click to expand...

Wow this has peaked my interest, pretty awesome tent set ups. I like my marmont tent but this 30 second set up looks impressive. Tent looks to be of good quality, The RV 5 with the optional sides and front looks like a winner. Thanks for link!
 
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THE MALAMOO X-TRA looks like it might be the biggest tent they make. i will need to check dimensions when I have time BUT they look like great tents!!! I am almost positive I saw one on top of a Ford Ranger that had a cab on it. If anyone else knows anymore about theses tents please chime in. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT THE LARGEST HARD TOP TENT I CAN FiIND IS THE James Baroud - the Grand Raid Evolution which the bottom is 62" x 89" with a 39" height. The add says it can sleep 3 Adults. If anyone has experience with these tents please give me your .02 cents. After reading their webage it looks like a great tent. I would love to hear other's thoughts and especially if you have some personal knowledge of it.
 
cj007sd said:
THE MALAMOO X-TRA looks like it might be the biggest tent they make.
Click to expand...

Actually they make a Malamoo Mega, 4 person that is even bigger. $289 in the US;

http://www.familytentcamping.com/product/MALMEGA

I go back and forth. The big negative for roof top tents is you can't leave camp for a day's excursion without packing up the tent. If I was touring--say exploring Alaska, MWT, and Yukon, that wouldn't be a big deal. But 4 wheeling trips, I'm more likely to set a single camp for several days then take the truck exploring. there I'd rather have the Oztent.

Geof
 
I will be doing all excursion driving so having the hard top tent for ME is not a negative b/c I will not be needing to make camp, off-road, and re-make camp. ALL I am looking for is whom makes the largest hard top tent to fit on top of of the 100 series. I am looking for the largest in what has the largest width x length. I "think' the James Baroud might be #1 with 62" x 89". And also has a built in roof top fan that has blades for having the Fan go both directions. Great in theory for the weather changes and to keep the inside comfortable. I have never seen one in person. HAS anyone either seen one in person and/or used this brand of tent AND does anyone know of a larger hard top tent? THANKS fellows!!
 
abruzzi
THE MALAMOO X-TRA: the video on the familttentcamping website you linked to is bad-ass. I dont think it is what I am looking for but everyone thinking of getting a new tent needs to watch the video link from abruzzi's link. BAD ASS TENT
 
I don't have a hard top but don't forget the limit of the cargo/rack system.

The racks on my truck have a combined limit of 300lbs. And yes that is exceeded when the tent is occupied and it is damaging the truck.
 
If you have kids stay away! My .02

I don't think is safe for my kids going up or down other than that I love it!

It's the 3series family size (2200) big enough to make a party lol

image-2109738566.webp
 
I am 6'4" 250lb and have an RTT from Jason at tentsonarackcom. Great product,price and sets up quicker than a dome. I looked at the hard shells and felt confined. The RTT pull open style is much roomier and with the doormer windows, creates a safari like environment. Let Jason know you heard about him on ih8mud
 
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