opinions on roof top tents

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

dogfishlake

"Go on a living spree"
Supporting Vendor
Joined
Dec 4, 2012
Threads
134
Messages
7,355
Location
greenville mi
I was wondering if those of you with roof top tents could chime in on what brand you have, approximate cost, durability? I'm looking to buy one and I've seen the ARB, which seems really nice, but it's all I've seen . It's a pretty big investment so your help is greatly appreciated.
 
You can also look at Cascadia Vehicle Tents. I have their smaller model the Mt. Bachelor. They have several different models and sizes.
 
I about got hit in the head buy one at Safari in Grand Junction as the wind blew it over as I was about to get in my 80. It was on display, not sure if it was tied down correctly but if you are in a big wind storm, I would get out ASAP.
 
I have the cvt mt. McKinley and love it! Lots of room and comes with annex room.
Screenshot_2015-01-31-22-39-27-1-1.webp
 
Smittybilt has a new entry level RTT. There's a mini review in the camping section on here.
 
The smittybilt is the older discontinued ARB design. It's a lot smaller than the Simpson III and is a little outdated.
 
I have a tuff stuff RTT picked up on Amazonfor 1100 shipped with annex. It's been great spent 3 nights in it now including one night in rain and it did great. Need to do something to deal with floor condensation but other than that no complaints.
 
....but cheap :meh:

I guess for the timid and uninitiated its an easy entry level.
Yeah, the price point (<$800) was my reason for informing the OP about it. It's so much less than an ARB that it kinda takes the 'sting' out of the 'trial' purchase.
 
actually bought mine for $750...pretty nice and EXACTLY the same as ARB. I know i compared it side by side with my cousin's ARB tent...even the instruction booklets are the same word for word! only difference is the zipper! it doesn't say ARB!
 
I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of the tents out there come out of the same manufacturing facilities and only differ in branding. What are some of the things to look for that set these tents apart. (An 800-1200 tent vs. a 1500-2000 tent) I'm talking basic fold over RTT's.

Here is mine for reference to the style I'm talking about. Basically a queen size bed sleeping area.
IMG_1533.webp
 
Most if not all these tents are made in china! The name brands mark theirs up considerably. I got mine at a group buy with a huge discount from cvt. I wanted a forever tent with lots of room. After a few uses you will have a routine. Much better than sleeping in the back. The annex room is a must for privacy warmth and storage.
 
James Barouds' are made in Portugal, Autohome is still Italian I believe. Either will run you 2-3k but seem to retain their value pretty well.
 
Holy awsome response! Thanks. I'll start digging through your suggestions
 
Back
Top Bottom