Roof top tents Mounting

Enzo4370

Enzo4370

New member
Hey guys and gals,

I'm looking into purchasing a roof top tent. But my big concern is how to attach the tent to my vehicle. And also the attachment method must not be a permanent solution. I would like to take the tent off and on when needed. I understand I will probably need 2 people being able to lift 120lbs ish.
I ordered the gobi rack in the group buy. Does anyone have a gobi rack with a roof top tent? And if so how did you attach it?
Pics would be greatly appreciated. As far as which tent company I would go with, I am still open to all of them. Really looking into CVT and tepui tents.
Thanks.
 
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You will be fine with the Gobi and the RTT. I know some people run them and I thought they have two crossbars you can bolt onto. There are no "permanent" mounting options I know of our would use. I personally use flat racks (baja rack on the 4runner and Front Runner on the 80). Quite simple once you get the hang of it. I hang my RTT in the garage on a hoist when not in use. If I'm going out a lot I sometimes leave it mounted for extended periods. Hopefully someone will get you pics of theirs on a Gobi... or you can search... there are other threads. BTW, most of the tents are all made in China and there is very little difference between brands. I have a Tepui and my buddy has a CVT and they are pretty much identical. Different colors and sometimes the canvas is spec'ed different, but pretty much the same thing if you get ARB, CVT, Tepui...

Edit: Here is one for you: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/114221-roof-top-tent-gobi-stealth.html
 
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bimrunner said:
You will be fine with the Gobi and the RTT. I know some people run them and I thought they have two crossbars you can bolt onto. There are no "permanent" mounting options I know of our would use. I personally use flat racks (baja rack on the 4runner and Front Runner on the 80). Quite simple once you get the hang of it. I hang my RTT in the garage on a hoist when not in use. If I'm going out a lot I sometimes leave it mounted for extended periods. Hopefully someone will get you pics of theirs on a Gobi... or you can search... there are other threads. BTW, most of the tents are all made in China and there is very little difference between brands. I have a Tepui and my buddy has a CVT and they are pretty much identical. Different colors and sometimes the canvas is spec'ed different, but pretty much the same thing if you get ARB, CVT, Tepui...

Edit: Here is one for you: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/114221-roof-top-tent-gobi-stealth.html
Click to expand...

Most of them are actually made in the same warehouse. We dealt with this when we bought ours through a group buy a little while back. CVT, TJM, Tepui, etc. same models different name, color, etc.

I have mine mounted on a Gobi, and it mounts on the crossbars. Kinda a pain in the rear unless you have tiny little hands, but it's not possible. Mines been on for a little while, and plan to run it for most of the Summer and take it off once camping slows down.


Here's a few pictures that I have, but unfortunately not of the mounting though.
 

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I have a Tepui Ayer mounted to a set of Thule 45050 crossbars on my Gobi.

Pretty easy to get the bolts in, just need some self ratcheting wrenches & an extra person to help lift the thing.

 
adio3x said:
I have a Tepui Ayer mounted to a set of Thule 45050 crossbars on my Gobi.

Pretty easy to get the bolts in, just need some self ratcheting wrenches & an extra person to help lift the thing.

Click to expand...

How's the Ayer size wise? Enough room for 2 adults and a 6 year old inside?
 
blkhwk said:
How's the Ayer size wise? Enough room for 2 adults and a 6 year old inside?
Click to expand...

It's small compared to all the other tents. It'll fit 2 adults (more like 1 full size adult & a female companion of smaller stature). I'm 6'1" 155 lbs, on the slender side & I can sprawl out. It's only about 4 feet wide, so it's a snug fit for even 2 people.
 
bimrunner said:
BTW, most of the tents are all made in China and there is very little difference between brands. I have a Tepui and my buddy has a CVT and they are pretty much identical. Different colors and sometimes the canvas is spec'ed different, but pretty much the same thing if you get ARB, CVT, Tepui...
Click to expand...
These ones are a little different (still made in China though). If I didn't already have a tent I'd be getting the Constellation one.

Roof-Top Tents ? Treeline Outdoors
 
RT Tents and teardrops

I just don't see the advantage of these RT tents. 120 pounds on the roof is a lot of weight. If you're camping in the same place for a couple of days a ground tent is a lot easier to set up and leave standing. There's less wind on the ground than up on the car and smaller tent stays warmer. Just my opinion though. YMMV
Here's one option I do like:
https://www.socalteardrops.com/page.php?p=30

Enjoy,
Dave
 
DesertCanyons said:
I just don't see the advantage of these RT tents. 120 pounds on the roof is a lot of weight. If you're camping in the same place for a couple of days a ground tent is a lot easier to set up and leave standing. There's less wind on the ground than up on the car and smaller tent stays warmer. Just my opinion though. YMMV
Here's one option I do like:
https://www.socalteardrops.com/page.php?p=30

Enjoy,
Dave
Click to expand...

They aren't for everyone, but here are the advantages as I see them...
- don't need to find perfectly level ground; just put a rock or log in front of a tire and drive onto it until level
- don't need to worry about wet ground
- can leave all your bedding inside for faster setup and tear down, plus if it's raining when you make camp your bedding doesn't get wet
- actually quite warm because of thicker materials
- can set up or take down solo in 5-10 minutes with experience; even shorter with two people
- leaves extra cargo room inside vehicle
- like having a mobile tree fort

If you have a base camp that you're always leaving and returning to it's a little more of a hassle, but we typically camp wherever we happen to be and usually not in the same spot twice. Oh, and I always tell myself that the bears will go for the easier to get to ground tents before they bother me. Plus I pour bbq sauce around all the ground tents.
 
FactoryRide said:
Most of them are actually made in the same warehouse. We dealt with this when we bought ours through a group buy a little while back. CVT, TJM, Tepui, etc. same models different name, color, etc.

I have mine mounted on a Gobi, and it mounts on the crossbars. Kinda a pain in the rear unless you have tiny little hands, but it's not possible. Mines been on for a little while, and plan to run it for most of the Summer and take it off once camping slows down.


Here's a few pictures that I have, but unfortunately not of the mounting though.
Click to expand...

FactoryRide, Which tent is that?
 
P-KRUNNER said:
FactoryRide, Which tent is that?
Click to expand...

It's the same model as the TJM Yulara or CVT Mt. Shashta. I bought mine through a group buy on Tacoma World, and we bought them direct from the Manufacturer.

Most tents are built in the same warehouse, and are built to a particular spec and distributed out to brands such as CVT, TJM, ARB, etc. to be branded and marked up

We bought ours before the brand name stamp was put on it.
 
Bears in the woods

Intruder said:
They aren't for everyone, but here are the advantages as I see them...
...

... Oh, and I always tell myself that the bears will go for the easier to get to ground tents before they bother me. Plus I pour bbq sauce around all the ground tents.
Click to expand...

Very funny. This gave me a good laugh.

Yea, all good points. If you have a good pad underneath you, you'll stay warm.

Those bears will eat anything. I like to pour honey on the other RTT and throw a few Reese's Pieces in the tent corners for my friends to find later. Bears love chocolate and peanut butter. :hiding:
 
DesertCanyons said:
Very funny. This gave me a good laugh.

Yea, all good points. If you have a good pad underneath you, you'll stay warm.

Those bears will eat anything. I like to pour honey on the other RTT and throw a few Reese's Pieces in the tent corners for my friends to find later. Bears love chocolate and peanut butter. :hiding:
Click to expand...

Unless you have experienced one, you really don't know what you are missing.

RTT is quick to setup. Try setup 2 tents in the rain, a RTT and a regular ground tent. The RTT, you can set it up and be completely dry and inside within 5-10 minutes. I wouldn't say otherwise for the ground tent.

Yes, there are a bunch of cons of cost and for having it mounted, but the quick setup, the comfort, sold me to it. No sleeping bags, sleeping mats, pillows and blankets inside the vehicle, beds are all already made and laid out nicely inside the RTT.

You do lose a lot of cargo carrying ability on the roof tho. :-(
 
jicko said:
Yes, there are a bunch of cons of cost and for having it mounted, but the quick setup, the comfort, sold me to it.
Click to expand...

Wait, does this mean you won't be doing an RTT group buy? I just finished getting updated on this thread and was about to tie you into it asking when you're setting it up and then I had to finish with your post saying this?!? haha
 
DesertCanyons said:
I just don't see the advantage of these RT tents. 120 pounds on the roof is a lot of weight. If you're camping in the same place for a couple of days a ground tent is a lot easier to set up and leave standing. There's less wind on the ground than up on the car and smaller tent stays warmer. Just my opinion though. YMMV
Here's one option I do like:
https://www.socalteardrops.com/page.php?p=30

Enjoy,
Dave
Click to expand...

It really depends on what kind of camper you are. If you like to stay in one place for a few days then sure trailer of some sort might be a better choice that being said the one in the link is $9500!! that is a lot of money for an aluminum tent and not an actual trailer with gas stove, table etc.

I have owned TEPUI for the last 3 years and here are my .02 cents.

Positives:

- Saved cargo storage inside vehicle in bedding.
- Bed is always ready for you
- Can be stored away in off season taking up 12" x 56" of floor space in garage (vertically)
- Keeps you off the ground
- Can be set up anywhere level wise
- Stays warm because you are off the ground
- 6 min set up/take down with one person (I timed myself)
- Keeps the tent fabric/bedding clean and dry
- You are not towing anything behind which:
a) allows you to go "downtown"/crouded areas of the city with no parking issues
b) leaves the hitch free, in my case for bike rack
c) fuel saving
- lastly, practically 0 maintenance compared to a trailer (tires, insurance etc.)
- No one is gong to steal it.
- Priced well for what you get $1000-2500.

Negatives:

- its a bit of PITA to put it on/off the vehicle between mounting on and bolting it down.
- 120lbs is a lot of top heavy weight
- Aero dynamics of an elephant on a highway @ 120km/h +
- Extra noise on the highway
- Looks a bit goofy/not pleasing to the overall look of the vehicle throughout camping season
- Has to go be packed up/unpacked if vehicle is to be used during camping over few days
- Not all campground are vehicle accessible, so decreases chances of camp spots that can be rented @ campground
- It can get super windy (slept on the edge of grand canyon....terrible night noise wise)
- Attracts attention of other campers which for me by now is annoying with all the questions/looks etc etc. I just want to cook my steak and have a beer, not answer the hows and wheres at every campground.
- Climbing up/down ladder is a bit of a chore, especially bare foot, especially hungover in the morning trying not to break a neck.

Overall though I think its an absolute win for me with RTT. If you are doing true overland camping trip 2 weeks + which I usually engage in changing campgrounds every night and mild offroading during the day nothing can beat RTT.
 

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