Topic: Roof Top Tent Feedback

[SCUBA_Dale]

Hey guys,

I'm starting to work on upgrading my camping game from sleeping inside the X to something a little more comfortable.  I wanted to get feedback on pros and cons on getting a rooftop tent from those who have them and have trail experience with them.  Thanks in advance!

[Ghost65]

Jordan...


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[CVXTERRA]

My best friend runs a rtt, while I chose to sleep in the X. In my experiences, the major pros of the rtt are the ease of set up. If you are passing through somewhere and need to only spend one night, you park and unfold. When sleeping in the x, I have to pull ALL of my gear out of the back in order to sleep for the night. Another pro would be if you want to explore around you a bit or take a car into town. Again, if I want to drive to the store or explore the campground a bit, everything has to be pulled in the x (and usually organized a bit to ensure it fits). If my friend wants to go he can just fold up the tent and leave, including all of his bedding.
Also, if youre into that sorta thing (I am), the cool factor. its basically a treehouse and most have a direct opening to look out on some pretty great views.



Some of the cons of the RTT, IMO....

Cost. Smittybuilt released their rtt and it was on amazon for $750 for a pretty short period of time. This is the model my friend has and the price he got it for. (price matched at 4WP) this is the least expensive I have seen for any rtt, and it still isn't chump change. The next con is having to get in and out of bed with a ladder. This can be a real pain in the arse if you need to pee more than once a night or camp with a dog/child/S.O.
Another issue is mpg. My X tends to get as good, and sometimes better mpg than his subaru crosstrek. Finally, I would site weather. On a couple of occasions we have been camping in pretty severe winds. In the back of the X it is no problem. no noise and no discomfort. When the wind is constantly slamming into a tent and flapping the rainfly or zippers or canvas, it can make for a loud night and little to no sleep.

EDIT** ran it by my friend and he reminded me that if you get rained on or any moisture, you need to leave it open to dry up or risk mold/mildew. can be a pain if you are an apartment dweller or lack a garage.
Though he would not change his set up. He absolutely loves his rtt

Thats my .02

[knightrider]

Pretty much what CVX said.  While a RTT is not always ideal, it depends on how you like to camp.

I have done everything from sleep inside the X, RTT, ground castle(ShiftPod) and I have even slept on the roof rack(xoskel) itself when the RTT was at home.  These were solo trips, if my girlfriend comes we always bring the RTT.

If you do a lot of camping where you stay in one spot for days(fishing, hiking, mountain biking), or you are setting up and tearing down camp in a different spot every night(Mojave Rd), a RTT is great. 

Setup and teardown of the tent itself is a big plus and your bedding stays in the tent, bigger plus.  The annex does add some time(15 mins) and complexity to setup and teardown but if you are doing multi-day in the same place it's worth the hassle to have standing room to be able to change clothes and get out of the weather/sun if needed.

The running into town and having to fold up the RTT is a pro and a con.  setup and teardown is easy enough if not using the annex but is a con vs ground tents if you are at a campground and comfortable with leaving your tent and gear at camp.

Campgrounds are another thing, with the RTT you are tied to the parking area of the campsite, not a bad thing most of the time but can be depending on the layout of the campground.
Multi-day trips where you are camping in the same spot but driving during the day is a downside, you have to pack up the RTT and either leave the annex on the ground or pack it up as well.

Gas mileage does take a hit as well having a big square thing on the roof, I think I saw about 2 mpg loss, but we are no prius anyways.

Weight is another consideration, 120lbs on the roof can be felt.  The rear suspension will need some help, I weighed my xterra and gave alcan the measurements, they recommended 600lb over, I was a bit skeptical but went for it, best decision ever.  The rear is very stable with the RTT and camping gear in the back.  Even without the RTT on the roof, and the back empty, the truck handles very nice, not too stiff.

As for the rain aspect, packing away the tent is similar to any ground tent, it should be opened and allowed to air out as soon as possible.

[RBduffer]

Maybe just drive slow for a while with it up. It'll dry faster that way