OVERLANDING: How I Stay Warm At Night. How Do You?

[B Miller]

Thx for the tip on the hospital urinal! Just ordered one. Enjoyed your video even though I’m still in my 30yo backpacking tent.

Very welcome. The urinal is a must for a RTT! Here's the one I picked up:
Amazon

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[monsterfd]

diesel heater, only takes 135w at startup and 25-50w to maintain. heater was $200

 

[GroovyGeek]

Ford's reason was that framed doors were more bulky to manage and didn't fit in the back of the vehicle. It was likely the answer to Wrangler owners' complaints about having to chain their doors to trees. Had the Bronco been given framed doors, there would be a bunch of people talking about the problems of dealing with removal and no on-board storage and saying, "Why, Ford, why?" just like you.

With every design, there are always pros and cons. I've never needed a noseeum net, so a frameless door is not a negative for that reason. Likely if Ford finds most people would rather have framed doors, the 7th gen would get them. But I wouldn't expect any change before then.

I understand their rationale but... exactly how often do people remove doors on the trail? That is about the only use case. Jeeps have had the full frame doors for decades and when I owned a Wrangler I can't remember a single instance of someone on the forums lamenting the inability to remove the doors in the middle of nowhere.

 

[B Miller]

diesel heater, only takes 135w at startup and 25-50w to maintain. heater was $200

I like the price on that. Can you tell me the brand or maybe a link

 

[JWBroncoATL]

I certainly explored the option of sleeping in the Bronco, but I'm way to tall. The rooftop tent is perfect for me. I love it and will never go back to a ground tent. There's several factors that will either make you love or hate your RTT. I've learned through success and failures what to look for. The number one thing that will make you hate your tent is size and weight. Keep it as light as possible and as small as possible. Under 140 pounds is what I recommend. That way you can remove it easily and it won't throw off the characteristics of the vehicle.

I run the iKamper BDV Solo and it check both of those boxes. No leaks in the rain and doesn't build up any more condensation that other systems. Set up is less that a minute and take down is about 2 minutes (wedge style is the way to go.) wedges keep the sides tight to combat wind. Mine is permanently bolted on since it's so small and light. Doesn't effect the vehicle at all. Just a touch of wind noise. As for the middle of the night restroom trips, I keep a hospital urinal up there. One trip up the ladder and one down in the morning. It's wonderful and I always look forward to going to bed.

There's something kid like about a rooftop tent. I can't explain it, but it's just fun being up there

It's like a fort!

I'm 6'5" -you think I would be ok in the iKamper BDV?

 

[B Miller]

It's like a fort!

I'm 6'5" -you think I would be ok in the iKamper BDV?

I think you would be ok. I'm 6'4" and I fit just fine I think you would be the max height though.

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

Thank you for the comments. Honestly I've never had a cold night with this system. In fact, I look forward to going to bed at night. All this stuff takes of very little room and the weight is low.

You are correct, I've worked for the fire department for 23 years

Firefighters are the coolest! Thank you for keeping the community safe.

No snow camping really down here, but never thought of an electric blankey; adding to shopping list.

 

[B Miller]

Firefighters are the coolest! Thank you for keeping the community safe.

No snow camping really down here, but never thought of an electric blankey; adding to shopping list.

Thank you! I appreciate your kind words. Here's a link to that blanket:
Electric Blanket

 

[Brian_B]

Bacardi 151 has never failed to keep me warm.

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

Way too complicated for my taste. From my point of view RTTs are devices that a) cost too much b) are insufficient quality given how much they cost c) flop in strong winds d) may or may not leak in the rain e) are subject to condensation on the interior surfaces that get your sleeping gear wet f) are an unnecessary hassle to out up and tear down daily especially if you arrive in camp late and leave early g) are used with insufficient frequency to justify the mpg hit they produce. The very reason I replaced the Jeep with the Bronco is because I can comfortably sleep in the back and be completely protected from the elements, take 2 mins to set up and 1 min to tear down, and be considerably warmer than a tent in the cold.

I have slept in the back of the Bronco multiple nights in a row down to 0F with nothing more than a 20F down sleeping back, a few layers of clothing, and a self inflating sleeping pad with a modest R factor. A 0F sleeping bag can be better when the temps drop below 10F but not required if you have an extra layer of clothes - as you always should when the temps are that cold. Last but not least, I use remote start in the morning to start the engine and run the AC for 5 mins to take the edge off the interior temp prior to crawling out of the sleeping bag. Not necessary to stay warm but easy to do and more pleasant so why not.

This setup creates a problem when the temps are above 50F. In their infinite wisdom, Ford made the doors frameless. Besides the ridiculous floppy windows, this makes it difficult to put up a noseeum net across the windows and ensure adequate ventilation. The $5 fix with gutter guards kinda works but not nearly as well as if you roll down all 4 windows and slip a mesh sock on the door frames. Why Ford, why?

My setup
1) DeepSleep leveling mat
2) Cheap Amazon (allegedly) self inflatable mat
3) 20F quilt above 40F, 20F sleeping bag down to 20F, and 0F sleeping bag below that
4) Generously sized inflatable pillow
5) Inflatable gap filler or two Dometic water jugs

I always park the car at about 2 degrees downhill, which prevents me from sliding towards the tailgate.

I slept in the bronco the first summer with it. Problem is, I like to carry a lot of stuff with me. To sleep in the bronco all that stuff had to come out.

The RTT is actually FASTER to setup.

The condensation issue is real though. I don't really understand why it's so much more of a Problem in an RTT than in a ground tent or inside a car... but it definitely is.

 

[GroovyGeek]

I slept in the bronco the first summer with it. Problem is, I like to carry a lot of stuff with me. To sleep in the bronco all that stuff had to come out.

The RTT is actually FASTER to setup.

The condensation issue is real though. I don't really understand why it's so much more of a Problem in an RTT than in a ground tent or inside a car... but it definitely is.

The answer is poor ventilation. The people who design RTTs are not tent experts, which should be obvious from one look at their offerings.

Yes, if you have to take too much stuff out of the back the benefit of sleeping inside is gone. I strap everything on the driver side and sleep on the passenger side. The only things I have had to occasionally take out is a plastic bin with my firewood and a Jerry can.

 

[B Miller]

I slept in the bronco the first summer with it. Problem is, I like to carry a lot of stuff with me. To sleep in the bronco all that stuff had to come out.

The RTT is actually FASTER to setup.

The condensation issue is real though. I don't really understand why it's so much more of a Problem in an RTT than in a ground tent or inside a car... but it definitely is.

I just added stick on indoor carpet squares to the bottom of the RTT. Doesn't solve the problem, but helps for sure. Most of the time I have no condensation issues. Only when it's super cold.

 

[RealTruck]

Thank you! I appreciate your kind words. Here's a link to that blanket:

Very informative and detailed video. Thank you for sharing! I'm personally looking into one of those blankets just to have on those cold morning drives!

 

[B Miller]

Very informative and detailed video. Thank you for sharing! I'm personally looking into one of those blankets just to have on those cold morning drives!

Just to warn you, it doesn’t do much unless it’s in a sleeping bag.

Very informative and detailed video. Thank you for sharing! I'm personally looking into one of those blankets just to have on those cold morning drives!

 

[monsterfd]

I like the price on that. Can you tell me the brand or maybe a link

https://a.co/d/52fE1AR

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