Rooftop tent pros/cons?

[JK47]

RTT is the only way to go three reasons that you will agree with.
1. No rocks.
2. No tree roots
3. No cleaning tent or tarps when you get home. Just fold it up and It's just ready to go again.

 

[93yotasr5]

I have had my Tepui for over 6 years and I don’t regret it at all.

Pros:
1) sleep up off the ground and very well protected from most of the elements
2) easy to set up and take down
3) saves room in the cargo area as I am able to keep 2-3 sleeping bags (unzipped in the tent)
4) can’t forget to bring it when it’s mounted to your roof rack
5) has a built in bed mat

Cons:
1) have to break it down every time you want to drive your vehicle
2) up high and easy to fall down ladders when drunk or hung over (learned the hard way)
3)condensation on underside of mat in the mornings
4)cost more than a ground tent


those are my main praises and complaints to the RTT. I love it and plan to keep it. I will most likely go bigger as we are expecting a little boy soon. Other than that it suits our needs.

 

[davidp14]

For me there's one serious problem that makes rtts a deal breaker. A 90lb lab that always comes with us camping. He can't climb a ladder and I can't carry his ass up and down it either. Also I'm getting a little older and can't seem to make it through the night without getting up at least once anymore.


Among others are mpg reduction, weight, garage height issues.

I came to the land cruiser world from dirt bike/ dual sport camping where most of the time we tied a tarp to the bike and slept under that. A nice tent and a good air mattress seems like a real luxury now.

I have used the canopy style tents with cots too which are nice and easier to set up than you'd think.

I'm considering a aussie style swag or just a sleeping platform for solo(+ dog) camps.

 

[HGB]

If you're camping solo or with only 1 other person max, this is the way to go. If you pack heavy, throw everything on the roof rack.

I built that with $150 budget, and its comfortable, i feel safe inside, and i don't have to setup/take down, climb a ladder. I'm not adding unnecessary weight to the top, causing wind drag/noise, and it's more stealth sleeping inside. I lived in my truck for 23 days while traveling across the U.S last year. Slept like a baby and feel safe every time.

Did you remove the second row?

 

[FxFormat]

Did you remove the second row?

yep, for the trip i did

 

[rob c baldwin]

I've had mine for roughly a year now and spent probably over 30 nights in it. Overall, for my style of camping, it has been a great upgrade, albiet not a perfect thing whatsoever.

The main advantage for me is having a separate sleeping space so all items in the interior of the truck can stay organized and in place. And if i want to bring some friends along, no problem, I can leave the back seats in. I have a hardshell, so setup is done in ~2 min with no worries if it's windy, etc. There is also a feeling of security being off the ground.

It is not a viable option imo however, if you plan to do long winter trips or have a big dog that sleeps with you. I spent a week in AZ/utah this winter road tripping where the warmest night was 18*. We survived with 0* bags, but after a few nights of that, I started seriously considering other options. Going to try some additional tent insulation next winter to see if that helps, but I have my doubts.

1. Are they easy to set up and tear down so you can drive daily? A la 100s in the hills?

Setup is real easy generally but every tent has its quirks you have to learn. Mine goes on in April and doesn't come off until November. But removing is not hard as long as you have a buddy (mine weights 125lbs)

1. Does not being perfectly level make it annoying to sleep on a slant?

Never been much of an issue, especially if you're used to ground tents. Stack a couple rocks worse case.

1. Is the ladder a pain for getting in/out?

Usually no, but I've eaten s*** while drinking before. Snow can be slippery too.

1. Is it too short to be worthwhile?

Changing in the tent is a pain, otherwise its a cozy place to hang out.

1. Is it the kind of thing that is "cool" but not really worth it?

Totally depends on who you are. I use mine a lot and it makes camping a more convenient thing. If you only use its a couple times a year, I'd stick with a ground tent.

View attachment 2266422

what ladder is that? Rob

 

[tls3601]

Roof top tents are a love hate relationship. I have had three over the years and a USA Venturcraft tent trailer plus sleeping in the back of my truck.

My Autohome Airtop has more than 70 nights, compact, aerodynamic, all bedding stays in there. After 6 weeks in Northern Canada and Alaska with plenty of rainy and windy nights, I have no complaints. It stays on top of my Prinsu rack on my 80 all the time. Perfect for just me or possibly a young couple who like to spoon but it is not roomy. Set up takes about a minute, take down maybe 5 minutes with tucking fabrics and bedding to get it all closed up. I keep my ExPed megamat in the tent so it is incredibly comfortable. Bedding is top and bottom sheets with several wool blankets and a down comforte, never been cold even in single digit nights. View attachment 2281019View attachment 2281020View attachment 2281021View attachment 2281022

my other tents were flip out style, soft cover with aluminum floors. More spacious but more time to set up and take down. Foam bedding sucks. More noise in the wind and rain but bigger than a queen size bed.

Trailer is by far the most comfortable but towing a trailer is not for everyone, even me when the trails get tight and you have to make 100 point turns.
I’m with @Otter on listening to others, we have over 500 members (not all active) in our CopperstateCruisers club and there are really no two setups the same except for the 4 or 5 Campteq set ups, even those have several down sides.

Chances are you will either like it and look to up grade or you will find the simplicity of a ground tent fits you better.

Nicely put Steve. I decided to go the route @Otter did and have ordered an Alu Cab w Awning. Being off the ground in Arizona is important! Will post up pics when tent comes in.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Nicely put Steve. I decided to go the route @Otter did and have ordered an Alu Cab w Awning. Being off the ground in Arizona is important! Will post up pics when tent comes in.

Great quality tent, but very narrow. We ended up selling ours after only a month or so of ownership. Being side sleepers, the ~52" interior width was impossible for the two of us. I literally didn't sleep half of most nights. For back sleepers or solo users it would still work great.

 

[Otter]

Great quality tent, but very narrow. We ended up selling ours after only a month or so of ownership. Being side sleepers, the ~52" interior width was impossible for the two of us. I literally didn't sleep half of most nights. For back sleepers or solo users it would still work gr

Interesting you thought it was narrow for side sleepers. Did you switch to another clamshell style like the Alu-cab or another style that's wider?

My wife and I both do well in ours. It's getting more crowded with our 5 year old. We spent two weeks in it in Yellowstone at the end of July. We did much better with him sleeping with his head at the hinge side. I figure we've got another year before we have to come up with something else to accommodate him. I'll still keep the Alu-cab for two of us.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Interesting you thought it was narrow for side sleepers. Did you switch to another clamshell style like the Alu-cab or another style that's wider?

We switched to a travel trailer (have sold that recently, too).

We've had 3 RTTs:
1. James Baroud Explorer. Utter trash. Replaced under warranty after 6 months, sold the new replacement the same day I got it. At 55" width it was reasonably comfortable.
2. Free Spirit Recreation M60 Adventure. 60" wide and THE most comfortable tent I've had. Excellent bang for the buck. Seriously regret selling it, especially since finding another M60 is borderline impossible.
3. AluCab Gen3. Fantastic quality, but as mentioned above, way too tight to be comfortable.

I've got photos/reviews of some of my tents here: Gear – Eat Sleep Woof - https://eatsleepwoof.com/gear/

Right now we don't have a camping setup. I'm hoping travel trailer prices will come back to earth by spring, and will then pick up another trailer.

 

[alia176]

I have a 2005 Autohome Columbus Variant RTT so it's a bit old but still going strong on all original parts. This is the small size so it's only 49" wide, maybe it's 48", can't recall. Most of the women I date are on the slender/fit size and I'm also a slender fella so this size works great for my needs. Just spent seven days out of the 80 running around in the North Rim of GC, AZ strip and Vermillion cliffs two weeks ago. Opened and closed the RTT daily with all bedding (one down comforter+one fleece blanket, three full size pillows+small camping pillow) always kept inside. The driver side door zipper pulls finally worn out and I need to replace them.

No regrets, pros/cons as usual but uber comfy after a day of wheeling. The foam pad is 3" from a local foam store and we're both side sleepers. My GF slept so well during the week in AZ that she's having a hard time sleeping on her own bed now. I sleep well in the RTT, usually. If the winds are fierce, the sides tend to flap which can be annoying depending on the wind direction.

I love this RTT and it's the only one I've ever owned. It's light, made super well in Italy and can be closed with all bedding.

Good luck with selecting a RTT.

 

[maestroX2]

I just sold my hardshell RTT... love it but way too heavy and don't like it to stay on the roof all the time. Either looking for a lighter RTT ( GFC Superlite or Terrapod Solo ) that I can remove after the trip or sleeping inside my SUV.

 

[Tex68w]

We switched to a travel trailer (have sold that recently, too).

We've had 3 RTTs:
1. James Baroud Explorer. Utter trash. Replaced under warranty after 6 months, sold the new replacement the same day I got it. At 55" width it was reasonably comfortable.
2. Free Spirit Recreation M60 Adventure. 60" wide and THE most comfortable tent I've had. Excellent bang for the buck. Seriously regret selling it, especially since finding another M60 is borderline impossible.
3. AluCab Gen3. Fantastic quality, but as mentioned above, way too tight to be comfortable.

I've got photos/reviews of some of my tents here: Gear – Eat Sleep Woof - https://eatsleepwoof.com/gear/

Right now we don't have a camping setup. I'm hoping travel trailer prices will come back to earth by spring, and will then pick up another trailer.

Which trailer are y'all considering this time?

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Which trailer are y'all considering this time?

None at this point.

Picked up a Kodiak Canvas tent, wood stove, some other miscellaneous items.

Saving up for a trailer, but not for any specific model. The dream is a Kimberley Kruiser T3, but that’ll have to wait. The InTech RV Sol Horizon may be the next purchase, but not for a while yet.

 

[Tex68w]

None at this point.

Picked up a Kodiak Canvas tent, wood stove, some other miscellaneous items.

Saving up for a trailer, but not for any specific model. The dream is a Kimberley Kruiser T3, but that’ll have to wait. The InTech RV Sol Horizon may be the next purchase, but not for a while yet.

I dig the InTech Flyer Explore and Discover for the motorcycles, I just wish it were a little taller.

 

[maestroX2]

None at this point.

Picked up a Kodiak Canvas tent, wood stove, some other miscellaneous items.

Saving up for a trailer, but not for any specific model. The dream is a Kimberley Kruiser T3, but that’ll have to wait. The InTech RV Sol Horizon may be the next purchase, but not for a while yet.

I do have Kodiak Canvas... love that tent. I ended up ordering Winnebago Ekko for family trips... you can't force them but I rather they go out instead of staying in the house.