Tow the M101, go RTT, or stick with Ground Tent? Post Pics! (1 Viewer)

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Im gearing up for family road trip vacations this summer. Trips will be out west to the mountains and trails of UT, CO, and AZ. This year will be a first for the wife being that our little boy is old enough to really get out and enjoy travels. Looking into new options for camping with little man. Stick to a ground tent, take trailer, or invest in a RTT?

I have an M101A2 converted to a camper that I pull behind my F-350 with no issues. Problem is the truck is too big for the trails. Im thinking about taking it this year behind the Land Cruiser. Who else pulls their bigger camp trailers with their LC? What are the pro's and con's the trailer has on the LC? Mileage drops to what? I like the idea of the added space for gear, but easy to overload / overpack with gear. On the flip side Im not too keen on being "tied down" with dragging a trailer everywhere.

The other option Im considering is a RTT. I would love to try one out on a trip before committing to the big purchase. I like the idea of a quick setup and take down while using minimal real estate. What impact do they have one the LC? CG shift while on the trails? How much do the mpg's drop with that brick up there? Safety with a 2 year old crawling / running around?

Last off whats your favorite family tent? Our old one bit the dust so Im on the hunt for a replacement.

I appreciate all the help, advice, input, and PICTURES!! Thanks!
 
I have a roof top tent (an older CampingLabs model) that I routinely use on trips with family. I get about 13mpg highway with it on.
 
With a child that young I think I'd stick with a standard tent. Lots of options for tents, I just bought a marmot 3 person as a inbetween for my 6 man cabelas Alaska guide and my ALPS 2 man I use canoe camping . A good pad or cot and it's hard to beat
 
Just came back from a trip out to Joshua Tree. RTT is on my 80. I would like to someday try it on the LX. So can't give you any feedback on how it performs on the 100 platform.

It's awesome! I happen to have the largest of the autohome RTTs. Up in 5 seconds. Down in a few minutes. I'd be careful with a little one up there. As long as he is between you and wife he will be good. I feel more comfortable sleeping on top of my cruiser than on the ground. And I sleep like a baby up there. Mine is large enough for 2 adults and 2 kiddos.

They can be expensive when buying new. I found mine on CL for a fraction of a new one.

I absolutely love it!

Good luck.

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I've been thinking about buying a RTT for the last year or so. We went to the CVT show room a few weeks back. Really nice folks. But in the end I don't think they are for us.
Reasons we decided against it.
1. Really heavy and hard to get up on the roof to get ready to go and I don't want to leave it up there all the time.
2. We sometimes take the 40 and sometimes take the 100 so switching it..... Well...... see reason #1.
3. Fast deployment. Yes. But I don't like the idea of climbing all over and around the truck for 5 to 10 minutes, slipping off a couple times while the wife and kids look on just to get it all folded up properly.
4. No place to stand, change, sit, eat, use the bathroom. Unless you set up the annex. Then it takes you longer to set up and tear down then a good sized ground tent. Not really excited to climb down the ladder in the night for bathroom breaks for the little ones or myself either.
5. You have to tear down camp to go anywhere and maybe you will be staying the same place for several nights in a row.
6. What about an emergency (falls, snake bite, bad cut, you name it)where you have to leave it all behind and get someone to an ER now? Take forever to get that annex and tent put away and on the road.
7. Cost. Pretty spendy. Even the small ones. And the ones big enough for a family of four. Yikes.

Dont get me wrong they definitely have there place and advantages. They look very cool, and a quick comfortable bed at the end of a days drive whether on the trail or hi-way seems very nice. I'm thinking of going with an oztent RV5 instead though. Still a little spendy but on the bottom end compared to the RTTs.
 
Here is my set up. Morris mule with dual tents. 2 adults 2 kids. Works perfectly.

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Dare I say, do some reading over on Expodition Portal as part of your research, you will find it's basically comes down to "different strokes for different folks!". My personal experience - I found a used CVT, just happened to be the largest one they made, started of with it on the roof. You can definitelytell it's up there, it is a brick! Enjoyed sleeping in it, very comfortable and stable, kids love it! Found it a little annoying at times to spend more than one night, taking tent up and down , so began the search for a trailer. Found a home built 6×10 already lifted on 31x10.50. Had a local welder build me a adjustable/removable rack so the trailer is multi use. This is the best setup for me and my family, I have not taken it off road! I do plan too! Good luck!

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