Need help choosing a Hardshell RTT

[The Waco Kid]

So I'm at a bit of a impasse, and please forgive me if this has been covered before. I've scoured threads in multiple sections, but nothing really addresses all my questions . I'm trying to choose two very different roof top tents, both with very different pros and cons for myself, the GF, and our two dogs. I'm not totally sure how the pups would do away from us at night, hence my conundrum with these two. From my reading, they're the best of the best in their size and materials. (Does anyone else RTT it with their pups, or am I crazy?)


Anyways, I've narrowed it down to the following:

1) James Baroud Grand Raid XXL - Black or Dark Grey ($4,699)
2) Alu-Cab Expedition III - Silver ($3999.10)


JB
Pros:
Easy Close.
Superior Materials and tent canvas.
3" mattress.
Vent Fan that can be used when open or closed and parked to fight mildew.
Portable lighting.
Enough room for all of us
Storage on top of tent.

Cons:
Expensive ($700 more than the Alu-Cab).
Fiberglass vs. Aluminum (speaking to longevity and sun damage potential).
No locking Ladder
Takes up the entire roof leaving few mounting solutions for other accessories (namely an awning)

Alu-Cab
Pros:
Aluminum
Modular mounting options (awning, solar panels, lighting, load bars)
Super easy open/close
Tall opening
Interior Electrical hookups (usb's, cigarette lighter)
Cheaper than JB ($700)

Cons:
Dogs likely won't fit
Aluminum in Thunderstorms :toilet::toilet:
Built in Lighting kinda sucks
No Vent Fan
Harder Mattress
Ladder also sucks (non-telescoping)
(I'm nit-picking with some of these)

A little about my personal situation:
I'm 6'1 ~ 190 while my GF is 5'3 and light as a feather. :kiss:
We have a "small" 45lb Cardigan Corgi. He's our best road/camping dog, but takes ups sleeping space like no other. And we also have a 35lb Black Mouth Cur Mix who is our best hiking pup, and curls up in a tight little ball in the corner of the tent when sleeping. He's our compact companion.

Truck:
2014 4runner Trail Edition, KDSS, Bilstein 6112 front, Icon 2.0 + Wheeler T12 rears, Stock Bumpers and Skids, Shrockworks Sliders.

Roof rack: Looking at either the Prinsu rack or using the stock rails + load bars. Whichever yields the lowest ride height. (wouldn't mind some advice on which to go with here)

I'm looking for a tent that I can leave mounted full time, as my housing situation has limited my storage options (Apartment w/ communal 8ft Garage), but we camp/travel enough to make it worth it. So, robust materials are necessary (hence the alu-cab). And I'd like for this thing to really last. I eventually would like to move it to a trailer once we buy a house in the burbs, but my current working situation doesn't yield a very nice commute from the burbs, and housing in the immediate area doesn't really leave me with decent garage options. That said, my commute is incredibly short and all under 30mph, and my work place parking has ample coverage and space above the vehicle.

So my questions to the group would be:

1) If you were choosing between the two, which one and why?

2) Do you travel with pets and a RTT, and if so, where do they sleep?

3) Do you and your SO fit with the pets in the Tent?
Overlanding with Pets

4) Would these be able to stay mounted long term? I know the Alu-Cab could, but I wonder about the James Baroud.

I'd do a poll, but I think most will just vote without really reading, so a normal thread this will stay.

Am I beating a dead horse, or barking up the wrong tree here? Which would you choose if you had the option?

 

[ClarkDalton]

Personally I like the JB. Partly because of looks, partly because It feels more spacious. Can't really help you much in terms of longevity of the mounting and space with pets as our dogs are medium sized and tend not to take up much room.

 

[fourwd1]

Moving to Off Topic.

 

[TrDpRo_J]

I have a similar setup to yourself although I'm not 6'1 meh and one of my pups is 75lb

I also actually decided on a soft tent over the hard tent mainly because of the pups. It sounds like you are set on the hard shell but the soft tents take up less of a footprint closed providing that much more roof storage plus the annex is ideal if you get one with a sealed bottom. Even though our biggest pup would rather be up in the roof my smallest will probably prefer her own space at the bottom.

The annex also provides them somewhere to lay down out of the sun during the day if you're camping somewhere hot or a heated room if you're somewhere baltic.

That my's take on camping with the furkids!

 

[LowellElara]

Hello. And Bye

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[87pony]

i think they are both good options. Some of it, in my opinion, depends on what kind of wheeling youll do with it to get to your camp spots. I would go with alu cab mainly because a lot of the colorado trails have low hanging branches etc and i'd hate to put a stick thru the side of a fiberglass tent myself