Roof top tent experience

[3wbdriver]

I spent $1500 on a 4'x6' enclosed cargo trailer in January, with the intention of slowly building it up for use the first weekend in May. After an aborted trip to Tennessee last Labor Day weekend and spending 24 hours trapped in the camp by TS Harvey I decided I wanted the option to go either way. Most of my wheeling is done at closed parks with onsite camping. On those trips I will be using the trailer. But if I do an "overlanding" style trip when I will be breaking camp on a daily basis to setup elsewhere that evening I can move the RTT to the 4Runner by simply removing 12 screws, moving the tent, and re-installing the screws, and leaving the trailer at home. Still a 2 person job to move it, but only about 15 - 20 minutes of work.

The first picture is the camp in Tennessee. Everything pictured in the camp below that came out of the trailer during the May weekend, with room left over in there. I added a 270 awning after the Jambo in May but have not had it camping yet. The trailer is capable of handling maintained forest roads, and some LIGHT off roading at a very slow pace, and I will readily acknowledge it is not an off road trailer. But I didn't buy it intending to make it so. I bought it to use as a base camp. Including the already owned RTT and awning I'm at around $3300 invested so far.

 

[HOJeepster]

I spent $1500 on a 4'x6' enclosed cargo trailer in January, with the intention of slowly building it up for use the first weekend in May. After an aborted trip to Tennessee last Labor Day weekend and spending 24 hours trapped in the camp by TS Harvey I decided I wanted the option to go either way. Most of my wheeling is done at closed parks with onsite camping. On those trips I will be using the trailer. But if I do an "overlanding" style trip when I will be breaking camp on a daily basis to setup elsewhere that evening I can move the RTT to the 4Runner by simply removing 12 screws, moving the tent, and re-installing the screws, and leaving the trailer at home. Still a 2 person job to move it, but only about 15 - 20 minutes of work.

The first picture is the camp in Tennessee. Everything pictured in the camp below that came out of the trailer during the May weekend, with room left over in there. I added a 270 awning after the Jambo in May but have not had it camping yet. The trailer is capable of handling maintained forest roads, and some LIGHT off roading at a very slow pace, and I will readily acknowledge it is not an off road trailer. But I didn't buy it intending to make it so. I bought it to use as a base camp. Including the already owned RTT and awning I'm at around $3300 invested so far.

All that investment and you still bring plastic bottled water camping...humpf

 

[unsub1]

I'm 5 days into a 5-week trip from Austin to Washington and back including many nights camping in mu Skyrise 3 in NM, CO, and UT. I'm honestly getting the best gas mileage I've seen so far, for whatever reason. Compared to my previous Outback, the tent doesn't seem to affect the handling at all either. It's really straight-forward to set up and tear down. I bought the annex for it and it saved my ass in a huge hail storm in Angel Fire a couple days ago. My Gobi ladder is also a life-saver for dealing with the cover and the rain-fly poles.

I'm not too stoked about how high up it sits but I kinda don't care either.

Like others have said, it may or may not work for different people. Wouldn't want it as a daily driver situation. Me and a buddy can get it off and on the roof to my shed in 5 minutes. Super easy.

 

[Jhalko]

I leave my RTT on most of the summer, there is definitely a gas mileage hit but with my upgraded suspension I don’t notice much on handling until I get off-road.

I certainly wouldn’t recommend leaving it up for daily driving but logistically I don’t plan well enough in advance for many excursions. By leaving it up all I need to do is fill the fridge and pack some clothes and I’m out the door!

 

[kodos]

I have heard great things about the iKamper (don't own one, not affiliated with them). If I ever had the $$$ for something like this, this is what I would get (mounted on the top of an offroad worthy teardrop trailer is the dream).

Hardshell, Low Profile, sleeps 4 on a King Sized Bed.
https://www.ikamper.com/pages/skycamp

 

[nglayton]

Something to think about....

Where the heck would you store it when not in use?

I agree that on top of the rig might not be ideal, actually I see lots of problems with that plan, however the alternatives aren't much better. WHo has enough floor, ceiling, or warehouse to store that for 9 months a year?

 

[cgrigsby79]

Reading through these threads, I find it hilarious that so many people are willing to deal with all these headaches and downsides because they can’t fathom the “inconvenience” of setting up a ground tent which takes all of 10 minutes a few times a year when you go camping.

1. $4k+ investment for roof rack and RTT
2. MPG hit
3. Can’t garage your vehicle any longer (including public garages)
4. Have to break down your tent every time you need to drive somewhere and set it up again each day.
5. Requires 2-3 people and an hour of labor to take it on and off.
6. Will take up a ton of garage space to store it off the vehicle.
7. Unless it’s a hardshell, it also takes 10 mins to set up and break down, but every day instead of the bookends of your stay. (See #4)
8. Adversely affects vehicle handling due to adding 250lbs at the worst possible place.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few, but honestly, you would have to REALLY hate setting up a ground tent and have tons of disposable income to deal with all this BS in the name of “convenience”.

Having said that, they look cool and fun and I totally want one

 

[Sno Dawg]

Roof top tent on a TRD Pro

My wife and I love our rooftop tent and use it anytime we can. This is my second tent. I started with a less expensive Mombasa to see if we would use it and enjoy it. That tent cost me $400 used and it was good, but made of less durable parts. The zippers were flimsy, the screens were thin and the walls were some heavy fabric that was not breathable. We used the hell out of that tent and I ended up selling it a few years later for the same price I bought it for. Consider buying a less expensive tent first and see if you will use it. There is always a market for used rooftop tents.

I picked up a lightly used Tepui Autana on ebay for $800 and it is outstanding. Everything is made of durable parts and set up and takedown are quick. We use it for off-road motorcycle rallyes, camping, overland travel and even at the drive-in movies where we park in the back and spend the night. I also bought a CVT awning with a full room - 6 sides (floor and ceiling) which is a quick set up.

I lost about 1 or 2 miles per gallon driving and really cant feel it on top of my TRD Pro. It is lifted 3 inches and has 33 inch tires. The only real complaint I have it that the tent is a pain to put on my Baja rack because of the low rise of the bars. I am trying to figure out a way to make that easier. We put the tent on in May and leave it on until November.

Here are some pictures of our various configurations -
Tacoma with Mombasa and 4 foot awning -

4Runner with Tepui

awning and room

in the driveway this morning drying out from a recent camping trip

 

[leftyguns21]

I leave mine on my daily driver if I know I am going back to back weekends. I have gone 3 weekends in a row now so I have kept it on top. after this weekend I will remove it. I have noticed a little bit of performance hit, mpg's not on my daily drive. the convenience / quickness is worth it. I just need to load up the totes and go.
I love having the RTT. it can be a pain to set up and take down (I some how always get the zipper stuck with the cover) but the in between time is great. My dog loves sleeping / using the annex to rest (he is 15). plus we have a place to change, store everything. At night when the bugs are too annoying we can all go inside and play cards. I feel much safer in it. it is way stronger than a ground tent. i almost never stake it down. we camped in some crazy winds a few weekends back, slept like a baby and tent didn't move. the CVT has storage inside the tent, I keep my keys and phone in here. plus a firearm. I set up some solar lights inside. inside just feels so much roomier and more open than a ground tent.

I have a 2.5 car garage so I have plenty of storage to keep inside. Since I have to load/unload it myself I use an electric hoist. still trying to perfect this

 

[pheelmeh]

I'm working with a local fabricator who has done some quick-disconnect mounts for heavy hardware. He's fabbing something up for me to quickly mount/dismount an RTT since I only want this thing on my roof rack when I need it to be. I'll update you as soon as he's done.

 

[pheelmeh]

Like anything, there's always pros and cons to whatever your use case is. I've used both and your opinion is purely biased towards ground tents, but there are cons to ground tents as well:

1. Uncomfortable as hell
2. If #1 bothers you, you have to carry seperate padding
3. It takes 20min to setup all the sticks, tie it down, unpack your padding, unpack your sleeping bag, blow up your pillow, etc etc...
4. Depending on the tent, the wind will make it a nightmare
5. You're on the ground...say hello to critters
6. When you're not using the tent, it takes up a ton of cargo room if you include all your gear..which could just be left and folded up inside an RTT.
7. 250lbs? What kind of RTT are you thinking of running? As an example, Front Runner makes a 80lb RTT.
8. You can't include the cost of a roof rack in this scenario because roof racks serve a million more purposes for people including packing your ground tent+gear up there.


Also...my 2-person RTT is sitting in my garage when not in use and you say it takes up a ton of room? I have it on its side against a wall, it bothers nobody

I still can't understand how some people still whine about MPG. YOU BOUGHT AN SUV with 18mpg rating to begin with from Toyota which most never see past the first week of ownership. I get 11mpg on my 4R (without an RTT on it) and have 0 complaints and take my car out over my wife's Audi that gets nearly 30mpg every time we leave the house.

Reading through these threads, I find it hilarious that so many people are willing to deal with all these headaches and downsides because they can’t fathom the “inconvenience” of setting up a ground tent which takes all of 10 minutes a few times a year when you go camping.

1. $4k+ investment for roof rack and RTT
2. MPG hit
3. Can’t garage your vehicle any longer (including public garages)
4. Have to break down your tent every time you need to drive somewhere and set it up again each day.
5. Requires 2-3 people and an hour of labor to take it on and off.
6. Will take up a ton of garage space to store it off the vehicle.
7. Unless it’s a hardshell, it also takes 10 mins to set up and break down, but every day instead of the bookends of your stay. (See #4)
8. Adversely affects vehicle handling due to adding 250lbs at the worst possible place.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few, but honestly, you would have to REALLY hate setting up a ground tent and have tons of disposable income to deal with all this BS in the name of “convenience”.

Having said that, they look cool and fun and I totally want one

 

[ayeyothisiskyle]

You can get to be fairly quick with the set up and tear down of an RTT. It is a bit of a brick to have up on top of the 4Runner but life is full of compromises.

First decide if the RTT is worth the expense when compared to a ground tent. Next decide if it will be fun to have and if so just get one and enjoy it.

I ended up with a trailer for my camping needs and the fun of using it outweighs the drawbacks.

Whatever your decision, just get out and go offroading!

Were you up at Funnel Memorial Day Weekend? If so, I was there too with a quicksand 3rd gen Taco camping by the lake.

As for RTTs, I have my gripes about them.

If I would get one, it would be a hardshell. I just cant justify $1-2k for a tent. Right now, trips are just me and my dog, so I dont need the space and I usually just have cooler, pantry box, misc storage box, and a backpack of clothes. When we get to camp, I take boxes out, put them under the truck, fold down the seats and sleep in the back. Hasn't been an issue yet.

 

[teotwaki]

Were you up at Funnel Memorial Day Weekend? If so, I was there too with a quicksand 3rd gen Taco camping by the lake.

Yes I was!

I think you were there with two other vehicles. I recall you guys drove out the day after the snowfall but I stayed until Tuesday morning. All of my trip pictures are here: Sun To The North: Back to Coyote Flats with the Expedition Trailer

 

[ayeyothisiskyle]

Yes I was!

I think you were there with two other vehicles. I recall you guys drove out the day after the snowfall but I stayed until Tuesday morning. All of my trip pictures are here: Sun To The North: Back to Coyote Flats with the Expedition Trailer

Nice! Yeah there was another white tacoma up there at the lake. They were not part of our group though. I don't think any of us were really prepared for the snow. That was a fun trip! I was surprised you had the trailer too. Pretty impressive.

 

[Sno Dawg]

Reading through these threads, I find it hilarious that so many people are willing to deal with all these headaches and downsides because they can’t fathom the “inconvenience” of setting up a ground tent which takes all of 10 minutes a few times a year when you go camping.
Last year my wife and I got over 20 nights of camping in our rooftop tent

1. $4k+ investment for roof rack and RTT
My tent cost $800 used and my rack was on my truck

2. MPG hit
You are correct I do lose 1-2 MPG

3. Can’t garage your vehicle any longer (including public garages)I don't have a garage. I have off-street parking

4. Have to break down your tent every time you need to drive somewhere and set it up again each day.
I bring a motorcycle or bike on the back of my truck for small errands and getting around. Camping makes me slow down and smell the coffee. My wife and I camped in the same spot for 65 days on our honeymoon and it was NEVER boring! ha ha

5. Requires 2-3 people and an hour of labor to take it on and off.
This is correct, but it is just part of setting up for camping. The bonus is that we can stop anytime and almost anywhere (gas stations, driveways, rest stops) on a road trip and camp. Try that in a tent.

6. Will take up a ton of garage space to store it off the vehicle.
I don't have a garage and store it on the side of my house out of the way.

7. Unless it’s a hardshell, it also takes 10 mins to set up and break down, but every day instead of the bookends of your stay. (See #4)
What is your rush, camping is supposed to let you slow down and enjoy your time outside. The thing you do not point out is that everywhere you camp people ask about the RTT and want to see inside. It is a great conversation starter and I have probably sold about 10 or 15 of them to people just by explaining how they work.

8. Adversely affects vehicle handling due to adding 250lbs at the worst possible place.
My Tepui does not weigh 250 pounds even with my wife in it! It weighs 130 or 2080 oz.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few, but honestly, you would have to REALLY hate setting up a ground tent and have tons of disposable income to deal with all this BS in the name of “convenience”.

I love ground tent camping also and as a canoe guide in Canada for the past 20 years, I get roughly 30 to 50 nights a summer in a ground tent. I enjoy sleeping off of the ground. My RTT has a sheet, large sleeping bag /blanket in it and two pillows. I only take them out to wash them so there is not packing of sleeping gear. I also leave a set of pajamas, an old headlamp and a small fan in my RTT.

Having said that, they look cool and fun and I totally want one

You really should try one! I talked my friend into buying a less expensive one and he just got back from a week long trip through the south with his wife and his little son. His son thought it was the coolest thing (fort) ever and his wife called and thanked me for the advice. They are already talking about upgrading.


What are you waiting for?

 

[cgrigsby79]

Like anything, there's always pros and cons to whatever your use case is. I've used both and your opinion is purely biased towards ground tents, but there are cons to ground tents as well:

1. Uncomfortable as hell
Ever heard of a halfway decent sleeping pad/mattress? It’s the thing everyone with an RTT has to put on top of their 2” built in mattress
2. If #1 bothers you, you have to carry seperate padding
see #1 response
3. It takes 20min to setup all the sticks, tie it down, unpack your padding, unpack your sleeping bag, blow up your pillow, etc etc...
No it doesn’t. I can set up an REI Kingdom 8 in 10 mins.
4. Depending on the tent, the wind will make it a nightmare
5. You're on the ground...say hello to critters
What, like one of those dangerous North American squirrels?
6. When you're not using the tent, it takes up a ton of cargo room if you include all your gear..which could just be left and folded up inside an RTT.
No it doesn’t. My massive two bedroom REI tent is the size of a backpack.
7. 250lbs? What kind of RTT are you thinking of running? As an example, Front Runner makes a 80lb RTT.
No, they don’t. They make a two person tent that is 100 lbs. Want a 3-4 person tent or a hardshell? 160+ lbs. plus another 75-100lbs for the rack.
8. You can't include the cost of a roof rack in this scenario because roof racks serve a million more purposes for people including packing your ground tent+gear up there.
You can’t have a heavy RTT without a rack. It is part of the cost of a RTT. Not that you’ll have much room left to actually use the rack after you put the RTT on it


Also...my 2-person RTT is sitting in my garage when not in use and you say it takes up a ton of room? I have it on its side against a wall, it bothers nobody

I still can't understand how some people still whine about MPG. YOU BOUGHT AN SUV with 18mpg rating to begin with from Toyota which most never see past the first week of ownership. I get 11mpg on my 4R (without an RTT on it) and have 0 complaints and take my car out over my wife's Audi that gets nearly 30mpg every time we leave the house.

I’m happy for you that you don’t care about getting 11mpg. You clearly have enough money to be oblivious to it. Which is why my logic about dealing with all the drawbacks of a RTT just so you can have a more convenient tent setup a few times a year (debatable) aren’t going to resonate with you. BTW, I'm getting 20 highway / 18 combined

 

[pheelmeh]

I’m happy for you that you don’t care about getting 11mpg. You clearly have enough money to be oblivious to it. Which is why my logic about dealing with all the drawbacks of a RTT just so you can have a more convenient tent setup a few times a year (debatable) aren’t going to resonate with you. BTW, I'm getting 20 highway / 18 combined

It's not that I have enough moeny to be obvlivious to bad mileage..it's that I'm aware of the concept of you gotta pay to play and gas is not a factor on a heavy SUV that most of us here will mod and none of these mods extract weight from it.

Few extra points before we cheers to the RTT debate..

-That 2" extra pad + sleeping bag, plus pillows and blanket...all fit inside the RTT and stay in there. You fold it open, you close it shut...with it all in there.
-Front runner makes a 2 person...ROOF TOP...tent. I run a 2 person RTT. Is it not an RTT if it houses less than 4 people?
-You can heave a RTT without a full rack. Do your research and you'll see many people have ran crossbars ontop of their factory rack with an RTT. Most just choose to run a full rack since it can be used for other things. When my RTT isnt sitting ontop, I use it to haul things like ladders, snowboards, lumber, you name it, its up there.

I think it's overkill to run steel bumpers and full armor but i'm not going to talk about how great plastic bumpers are over steel. Let's just agree...to disagree :cheers:

 

[unsub1]

I got the best gas mileage I’ve ever gotten today going down the Million Dollar Highway, Colorado. I think it’s all about windy conditions or not. I can’t get anything like this in Texas where it’s so windy. I get 15 in the wind with no tent and 20 in the mountains with no wind. Go figure.

 

[3wbdriver]

I got the best gas mileage I’ve ever gotten today going down the Million Dollar Highway, Colorado. I think it’s all about windy conditions or not. I can’t get anything like this in Texas where it’s so windy. I get 15 in the wind with no tent and 20 in the mountains with no wind. Go figure.

I had the same phenomenon on my 2015 trip. I got better mpg on the 85 octane stuff they sell and the higher altitudes than during any of my eastern half of the country driven. It had me shaking my head for sure.

 

[unsub1]

I had the same phenomenon on my 2015 trip. I got better mpg on the 85 octane stuff they sell and the higher altitudes than during any of my eastern half of the country driven. It had me shaking my head for sure.

I’ve found this to be the case in my previous H4 Outback and diesel VW wagon, all with tons of stuff on top. It’s crazy.