gfc and the oem forged wheels is

Thank you all for your input -- I got more data on this RTT solution.
I don't think it's going to be a go for me though, because of weight.
Especially for a long(er) term solution.

If I could reinforce the roof, or build some structural bars around the roof that would hold all that weight, it could work. Not going to do that.

Even though I hate the idea of pulling a trailer, I might go with a Runaway camper, they are fiberglass and pretty cheap (basic).

Cheers.

Mines on all year except winter. I don't even notice the weight of it. It has a little wind noise but barely more than what my roof rack already makes. My mpg took a small hit on 70mph highways. I need a buddy to get out on and off but it's easy.

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I think the driving weight capacity is around 300 lbs and static is 600 lbs. That is the actual roof capacity not the crappy OEM roof rack.

I have a Tepui ruggedized which weighs about 180lbs, I'm over 200lbs and usually had friends camping with me so another ~175 lbs. I never had an issue with it. I did a 18,000 mile road trip during covid and never had an issue. I was happy to have it since we just pulled into random places in the NF/BLM land and most places a ground tent wouldn't have worked. The Tepui has lots of room inside vs the newer wedge tents, but honestly I never spent much time up there. I would buy a wedge tent just due to how they are quieter with wind. I camped in nice weather, rain and some snow. Overall the tent was great. Set up is about 5 min and take down is about 10 min now. Granted it took a handful of times to figure out the tricks to neatly packing it up.

As for accidents, I'm not worried about the tent. Ya something may happen to it, but all your stuff inside the vehicle will be your bigger problem. I mean a box of kleenex can be a projectile in an accident. So all your camping gear is more dangerous than the tent.

I only put mine on when I'm going to use it. That takes two people about 10 min tops to put it up there. So that really isn't a big deal.

I do like being up off the ground, I definitely sleep better up there, plus having a mattress and sheets/blankets is better than a sleeping bag. I backpack so have all that gear too, so just depends where and when I'm camping.

Sometimes its not best to overthink it!! Buy a used one, worst case, you sell it for what you paid for it. I have been happy with mine for sure. I saw a comment about things wearing out after 1000 uses. I hope I get to open mine up 1000 times to find out. I think I'm around 200 nights in it. One bolt fell out in a pole (which was easy to work around and replace( and I need to re water proof the canvas now. I've had ground tents fall apart from far less use.

Go for it!

[QUOTE=HEAVY WT;3804422]I think the driving weight capacity is around 300 lbs and static is 600 lbs. That is the actual roof capacity not the crappy OEM roof rack.

......

Where did you get those numbers, HEAVY WT ?
Toyota manual says max 120 lbs.

Do you mean that if I get an aftermarket roofrack, that will support ~300 lbs ?

Would love to make this work ...

If OP is serious about an RTT, it sounds like a roof rack upgrade is probably your best bet to avoid the weight issues you speak of.

I've used an RTT for 4-5 years now, both on a pickup and on my 4Runner roof. My 4Runner is a mild build for off roading and takes a substantial beating on trails. I had a soft shell RTT until I sold it about a year ago. The roof capacity of the 4Runner is actually quite high as long as you have a proper roof rack. I installed a Prinsu full length of my runner and it had zero issues carrying around my RTT (150lbs), gas cans (20-25lbs each), gun case, traction boards, etc.

I eventually sold my RTT simply because of bulk. I didn't like having the extra height and weight on my roof while offroading on off camber obstacles, it simply felt less stable. I would have switched to a hard shell RTT for my purposes, but I simply wouldn't have been able to fit my 2 kids and myself in the tent, plus it would take my entire roof rack to fit it, meaning i could no longer carry my recovery gear, fuel and other stuff on my rack.

An RTT is a great option, and isn't just hype. It's nice to be able to pull up to camp late at night, level out your vehicle and have a dry, stable and consistent place to lay down that requires little setup time. You could quite literally park in a river and still have a dry place to sleep, as opposed to ground tents where you have to search for level enough ground to set it up on, and hope its not a low spot. Those spots were hard to find for me, because we normally explore higher elevations, where we camp on rocky areas, not grassy ones.

A high quality RTT has great waterproofing, normally better than most ground tents and you never have to worry about the bottom sitting in water, because its not touching the ground. All tents require general maintenance such as cleaning zippers and touching up water proofing at the end of a season. The walls of an RTT aren't under any more or less tension than a ground tent. They all have some form of poles to create the general shape, but some RTT's have a hardshell exterior on 1 surface that helps further improve wind resistance, water resistance and snow loading.

[QUOTE=skag1T;3804453] Aftermarket racks hold considerably more weight. i have had my smittybilt xl and 3 people in it with no issue. the weak point is really the plastic feet of the OEM rack. If you think about it the roof needs to be structurally able to decently withstand a rollover. most of the roof rack companies have the upgraded weight limits in their specs. The GFC mounts directly to the OEM mount points by removing the OEM rack, so you dont need a rack for it.

@jdm-v35 @T4R_Canuck @HEAVY WT Awesome info, did not know that, I thought the 120 lbs is what the roof can sustain. I understand now that it is a limitation of the factory roof rails.

I will look into a good quality RTT. I am ok spending extra for a roof rack.
I am thinking a clamshell tent, this will be only for me and will be for an extended time travelling around the country, at least 1 year, maybe longer - so I want something that can take a beating and just work.

So far I see Alu-Cab expedition 3.1 (~200 lbs) and there is a lite version of Alu-Cab (LT-50) that weighs around 110 lbs. Both seem high quality.

I also found info on the Bush Co. Alpha RTT (Australian made), seems high quality as well.

Appreciate everybody's time, thank you for the info!

If it's only you, and your concerned about wildlife getting you (from an earlier post), you should just build out the interior to sleep in. Moving stuff from one side to the other and making a sleep platform down one side is what I see most solo travelers doing, especially for long term use. Nothing will wear out that way either.

Bears, mountain lions, cougars, etc, can all climb trees, so they can definitely climb up a RTT ladder.

In my opinion, the biggest benefit to being up in an RTT and off the ground is creepy crawlies, like in Australia. The snake and spider situation there is much worse than here in the USA. Also, camping in snow or mud is no issue if you're off the ground.

That being said, I've had 3 RTT's and wouldn't own one again unless it was on a trailer, and I'm not planning on trailering something all over the country either. Too much weight, and it's not just the weight of the tent, it's the 70-130lb roof rack you have to put up on the roof as well just to hold it.

If you're over 40, you probably have to get up to use the bathroom each night too, and getting out of a tent for that is bad enough on a cold night, but also climbing down and up a ladder makes it way less convenient.

The reason you see so many used RTT's for sale with little use is because people get them, have never slept in one before, go out for a few nights and just don't like it, or realize how much they spent, get frustrated, and sell it. If I had to guess, I'd say the resale rate on RTT's is probably 30-40%.

I plan to remove the ladder once I am in the tent, and take it inside. This might make getting down more cumbersome. I am more concerned about people with bad intentions than animals, to be honest.

The reason an RTT is appealing as an option is that it gives me a lot of space in the back of the 4Runner for gear and miscellaneous stuff that I want to carry with me. And it's going to be compact and closed, safe(r) against theft.

i already have a sleeping platform inside, so that could become an option, even with an RTT mounted.

I am not completely sold to the RTT idea, but it seems a feasible option. I also don't want to pull a trailer, too much drama.

I wonder if you can rent RTT's to see what works best. Might be best to start with a good roof rack first though; and then buy the RTT you like best.

We have had a RoofNest Condor Overland for a couple of years.
It's an all aluminum shell and weighs 160 lbs and another 300 to 400 sleeping weight. No effect on the truck at all.
It's mounted on 3 bars similar to the Nise rack, but one I made up myself.

There is absolutely no issue with weight or mounting or driving with it. It may look intimidating but the twisties at speed are not an issue. Just drive as we normally would.
It has been mounted since last January since it is a pain to take on and off which we did for the first year.
Noise only heard at above 75mph and mileage dropped 1 mpg.

The only real downside, since this model is a foldout, is that once setup you cannot move. Setup and teardown with all the awnings etc is still only a few minutes.

Here is the modified rack
Can easily handle the weight.



Mounted to the factory rails with 13mm bolts

@seatia -- Thank you for your post, I have the Nise Rack myself, I like it. Looks like RTT is actually feasible.

I am thinkig to get a GFC (GoFastCampers), I think somebody posted here (and I confirmed from their website) that it mounts directly on the 4Runner roof, using their proprietary mounts. It also seems a good quality RTT.

Appreciate the community help !

Try if Eva still has the item available for sale. I got mine from her weeks ago and it was in good condition. You can reach her at [email protected]