Roof Top Tent

[jamgolf]

I am interested in gettnig a RTT that will accomodate four adults (my boys are growing up fast). I have looked at Cascadia tents and their CVT Mt Adams seems to fit the bill in terms of space. Does anyone have experience with Cascadia tents in general and Mt Adams model in particular?

Tepui's XL Ruggedized seems to be a well made unit too, however the sleeping area is smaller at 76"x96 versus 87"x96" for Cascadia Mt Adams. I think that might be sufficient as well.

Any one have experience with either of these or another option altogether ?

Thanks for your advice.

Cheers!

 

[bimrunner]

I have a tepui autana sky and wouldn't want to wheel with any larger... Having said that, my next tent will be autohome. I think 4 adults is a bit ambitious for a RTT on top of the runner. That's a lot of weight and unless the tent is hanging over on all sides, it isn't going to be comfortable. I just make my boys sleep in a tent. Lol. They don't mind. I have a few frontrunner pop up tents for them.

 

[jamgolf]

I have a tepui autana sky and wouldn't want to wheel with any larger... Having said that, my next tent will be autohome. I think 4 adults is a bit ambitious for a RTT on top of the runner. That's a lot of weight and unless the tent is hanging over on all sides, it isn't going to be comfortable. I just make my boys sleep in a tent. Lol. They don't mind. I have a few frontrunner pop up tents for them.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experience. Much appreciated.

I've thought about the weight & size, thats why the Cascadia Mt Adams caught my attention. It is 87"x48" folded and weighs 176 lbs. K9 roof rack for 4Runner is 87"L x 50"W so the tent would fit almost perfectly.

But your concern about off-roading with such weight on top of the vehicle is valid and must be considered.

 

[Zach_F]

Pull out a tape measure and check the length on your roof. That tent is going to take up the whole damn thing. It could also interfere with opening the rear hatch. Just be aware before moving forward. I ordered a CVT Mt Rainier and I feel like I'm maxing out my roof space. I am putting it on a Gobi and have to account for the rise at the front, though.

 

[Jono.ful]

I've seen models from all different brands. In reality, the only significant difference is the logo and maybe the fabric colour. they're all the same one brand to the next. the Tepui ruggedized ones are pretty nice units, but you pay through the nose for a little bit of diamond plate and some spay-on waterproofing.
As for size, I completely agree with [MENTION=89562]bimrunner[/MENTION]. 4 adults are just not going to be comfortable in even the largest models. I'd suggest getting a RTT with an annex. the extra room supplied by the annex on mine is more than large enough for two additional people, whether in sleeping bags, or on cots.

 

[mikey's2010SR5]

I run a kukenam and I don't want anything bigger. It would be nice to have the extension and an annex but it would be the same size tent. Now if I get a trailer I might go bigger but then again for me and the lady bigger might not be needed. I like the idea of putting the kids in a separate tent, that is when they come.

 

[jamgolf]

Pull out a tape measure and check the length on your roof. That tent is going to take up the whole damn thing. It could also interfere with opening the rear hatch. Just be aware before moving forward. I ordered a CVT Mt Rainier and I feel like I'm maxing out my roof space. I am putting it on a Gobi and have to account for the rise at the front, though.

Thanks for the fore warning. I think CVT Mt Rainier is even larger than CVT Mt Adams when opened, but has the same sleeping area. Being able to open the rear hatch is a must, so has to be considered.

In general how do you feel about the CVT tent in terms of quality, easof of setup etc. ?

 

[jamgolf]

I've seen models from all different brands. In reality, the only significant difference is the logo and maybe the fabric colour. they're all the same one brand to the next. the Tepui ruggedized ones are pretty nice units, but you pay through the nose for a little bit of diamond plate and some spay-on waterproofing.
As for size, I completely agree with [MENTION=89562]bimrunner[/MENTION]. 4 adults are just not going to be comfortable in even the largest models. I'd suggest getting a RTT with an annex. the extra room supplied by the annex on mine is more than large enough for two additional people, whether in sleeping bags, or on cots.

Thanks for your input. Cool tent and setup you've got there

I have also wondered whether there are meaningful differences between various RTT brands. I also will take your first hand experience and advice and go with the assumption that 4 adults are not going to be comfortable. Actually my older son is 14 and younger one is 7 so I think we might be OK for a few years - so a extra large RTT is perhaps not a necessity.

The annex can also be used as a sleeping area - so that is something to consider in the equation.

Cheers!

 

[jamgolf]

I run a kukenam and I don't want anything bigger.

Out of curiosity, you don't want anything bigger than kukenam mainly because of added weight on the roof or just that you don't need anything bigger?

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

 

[Tejas]

Waiting on my Gobi Stealth to arrive and then I'll be in the market for a tent too. I have no idea where to begin in the tent game I just know that I want it to comfortably sleep two at a minimum. Thoughts/opinions for those using this setup?

 

[Jetboy]

The Smittybilt tent is considerably cheaper than all the rest. Anyone have one?

I've often thought of doing a home brew version that folds both directions with two ladders so it has more stability. Not sure I even want a RTT though.

 

[Jtwo]

Like Jono.ful said, you can use the annex for the extra bodies. Plenty more of room....

 

[Zach_F]

Thanks for the fore warning. I think CVT Mt Rainier is even larger than CVT Mt Adams when opened, but has the same sleeping area. Being able to open the rear hatch is a must, so has to be considered.

In general how do you feel about the CVT tent in terms of quality, easof of setup etc. ?

Mt Rainier does have the annex, but the sleeping area is a little smaller than the Mt Adams. The Mt McKinley is the equivalent of the Mt Adams with an Annex. My wife wanted the Mt McKinley, but I ruled it out after doing the tape measure test (pun intended? I don't know).

We have two small kids, so space is of some concern. I felt that the Mt Rainier would be fine as it happens to be the same size as Tepui's largest tent, the Gran Sabana, at $200 less. Four adults would be a squeeze, but two small kids will hopefully be manageable.

I don't have the tent yet - still waiting on my Gobi to come in - so I can't speak to my personal experience. I chose CVT for three reasons: 1) Cost savings over Tepui; 2) Annex material is same as tent fabric, where Tepui uses a lighter-weight nylon (durability better with CVT?); 3) Dealer reasonably close, so I save on shipping.

 

[Swarty]

I wish...

I have a tepui autana sky and wouldn't want to wheel with any larger... Having said that, my next tent will be autohome. I think 4 adults is a bit ambitious for a RTT on top of the runner. That's a lot of weight and unless the tent is hanging over on all sides, it isn't going to be comfortable. I just make my boys sleep in a tent. Lol. They don't mind. I have a few frontrunner pop up tents for them.

My wife's sure someones going to steal our kids from our house in an upscale neighborhood. My odds of getting her to let me put them in a separate tent is practically nil.

 

[RiDE]

Not all RTT's are built the same. Eezi-Awn is the highest quality of them all. I've seen Tepui's and CVT's up close and they are just regular tent material from China. Take a look at an Eezi-awn the next time you see one and you will know the difference. The Eezi-awn should last 20-30 years as the "canvas" is similar to military tents. It's easily 3-4 times thicker then the lower end brands. But, it is also at least double the cost depending on size.

 

[bimrunner]

My wife's sure someones going to steal our kids from our house in an upscale neighborhood. My odds of getting her to let me put them in a separate tent is practically nil.

Lol. Hey, you could get a RTT and you'd be sleeping in the annex... I mean, standing guard!

Edit: My wife isn't quite that bad. A couple months ago camping in Tahoe and my daughter (8 yrs old) insisted she wanted to sleep by herself in a pop-up tent. My boys were sleeping under the stars. As my wife was getting ready to tuck them in a mother and baby bear sauntered by. My wife got really nervous so my daughter comforted her, "Hey mom, don't worry. They don't want to eat us. They just want food. I'm pretty sure Daddy put it all away..." Was a very proud moment for me (not the putting food away part but my girl being brave).

 

[mikey's2010SR5]

Out of curiosity, you don't want anything bigger than kukenam mainly because of added weight on the roof or just that you don't need anything bigger?

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

Don't need anything bigger for two people. With us inside we have plenty of room for a couple small bags for changing clothes or what not.

At the same time I would not want to add much more weight on top.

 

[Jono.ful]

Not all RTT's are built the same. Eezi-Awn is the highest quality of them all. I've seen Tepui's and CVT's up close and they are just regular tent material from China. Take a look at an Eezi-awn the next time you see one and you will know the difference. The Eezi-awn should last 20-30 years as the "canvas" is similar to military tents. It's easily 3-4 times thicker then the lower end brands. But, it is also at least double the cost depending on size.

you know what? I stand corrected. there are a few minor differences in materials, but for the most part the design is the same.
canvas weights seem to range from 260g/m^2 (Tepui non-ruggedized models) up to 380g/m^2 (eezi-awn) with everything else falling in the middle. So I suppose, as with anything, you'd have to weigh cost vs weight vs durability. I'm quite happy with my Sandpiper from Wild Coast Tents (280 g/m^2) which was at the time under $1500 (canadian) delivered. It's never let me down, and the tent body is still in perfect condition.