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What Are the Advantages to a Rooftop Tent?

Jtorral

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As a guy who enjoys the outdoors and does a lot of camping and mountain camping, I see the advantages of a rooftop tent as a marketing tool. Millennials will think its cool. Until they realize, you really can't get your car out to where you want to camp. But the only thing I can think of is stay dry when the ground is really wet.

Real hikers and campers only need a place to lay down on. One man tents are good and easy to pack.

Won't work here ...
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MaverickMan

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So I grew up camping every summer we went on 3 week road trips camping nearly every night. I have camped on every terra there is. Sand, snow, mud, water(yes fluid water), dirt, rock, lava rock, ect. I can honestly say if you include my vannin days and boy scouts I have camped for around 7 total years of my 36 years on earth. I've used small tents, large tents, army tents with cots, cheap tents, ancient tents, tee-pees made out of parachutes, hammocks, lean-to's with just a single pole and tarp, covered wagon in truck bed, and even just slept under a canoe.

I know just about everyway there is to camp there is. If you are camping near your wheels, 100% honestly a RTT is the best way to go. Sure campers are better but those can get real expensive and unless you are in them is alot of dead weight to lug around and store at home. Really camping in a van is perfect but I understand not everyone is a vanner. Real Vanners have a saying "If you arent a vanner, you aint shit! And if you are a vanner you are shit!" But if a camper or a van is not in your future and you dont plan to stray more than a day away from your vehicle the RTT are very nice.

Here is a list:
1. Quality- RTTs are not walmart specials, they are made out of the same stuff that a ground tent priced at $500 for a 2 person tent is. Its high quality, non rusting metals, thick materials, and well thought stitching often without even the need for waterproofing sprays.

2. Flat sleeping- leveling the rig can be a challenge but honestly is easiest done with a shovel and a jack, 2 things you should have anyway. But after that you are done. Your sleeping surface is flat, smooth, and you no longer have an excuse for getting close to your lady by blaming it on the slope making you slide over.

3. Dryness- A total of 3 times I have woken up either floating on (air mattress or nearly drowning in water. Once in a tropical storm another time in a flash flood, and another time just in a good rain and a unfortunate campsite allocation. But I can tell you the morning after a flooded campsite just plain sucks and often will cut your entire trip short because all your gear and kit is either wasted or in need of a whole day of drying.

4. Safety- For 90% of our woodland freinds that can be anything from a nuesance to frightening, you and yours are generally safer elevated than on the ground. Snakes, boar, raccons, small bears, deer, skunks and others will likely not bother you up in your loft. Proper nighttime food storage is a must still but atleast you wont be hearing something sniffing at the tent 6 inches from your face!

5. Dew- this really falls into the dryness but it is nice to be up out of the morning dew a lil bit.

6. The View- Most RTTs have great windows that fully zip open and at sunrise or whenever the view from atop your vehicle can be much more stunning than you would have on the ground.

7. Breeze- this can go both ways but on hot days and nights being up in the air can be alot more comfortable than on the ground, you can often catch a slight breeze up there. However on windy nights being up there can be quite a bit louder than on the ground tucked behind a tree or vehicle.

8. Ease of use - while some RTTs with annexes can take 15 mins to setup everything, alot of them especially hard top ones set up so fast that you find yourself with alot more time to fine tune the rest of your camp or just simply enjoy the day. When I was a kid we it took 4 of us about an hour to setup everything for the night at the KOA and a RTT with a 3 minute setup would buy a kid so many precious minutes in the pool or creek or whatever before dinner time.

9. Availability - while having one on your roof full time can be a MPG penalty and a bit heavier drive for your daily driver there is an upside. If you go camping often. Having the tent already packed and not out in the shed or attic. Means that you shouldnt need a whole lot more than a tote and a backpack or two, to come home from work friday and say hey lets go to the lake tonight!

So long story short RTTs are great for camping. If you are a hardcore hiking backpacker on foot for days, they are probably not for you, but for just about everyone else who doesnt need to have a camper with a bathroom and LED tv then I would take a hard look at them. And there are more budget freindly options Tuff Stuff 4x4 for one can get you setup for under $1000 and has package deals on adding annexes, awning, and more. There are alot of high end companies, but almost all the RTTs I have seen, would be considered high end by any tent standards.

If you arent sure try finding one for rent, in hawaii they are a very popular rental, but there is plenty of places on the mainland to try them for a weekend. Also many are made in the US so you can visit their facilities and they should be happy to show you their products.


Also a tree and a winch make very easy work of 1 person removal for offroading or home storage. I just tie 2 ratchet straps to the 4 corners hook em on a shackle and pull the winch through a snatch block raised up to a limb by a tow strap tied off to the tree trunk. Easy breezy.
 
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Thed

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So I grew up camping every summer we went on 3 week road trips camping nearly every night. I have camped on every terra there is. Sand, snow, mud, water(yes fluid water), dirt, rock, lava rock, ect. I can honestly say if you include my vannin days and boy scouts I have camped for around 7 total years of my 36 years on earth. I've used small tents, large tents, army tents with cots, cheap tents, ancient tents, tee-pees made out of parachutes, hammocks, lean-to's with just a single pole and tarp, covered wagon in truck bed, and even just slept under a canoe.

I know just about everyway there is to camp there is. If you are camping near your wheels, 100% honestly a RTT is the best way to go. Sure campers are better but those can get real expensive and unless you are in them is alot of dead weight to lug around and store at home. Really camping in a van is perfect but I understand not everyone is a vanner. Real Vanners have a saying "If you arent a vanner, you aint shit! And if you are a vanner you are shit!" But if a camper or a van is not in your future and you dont plan to stray more than a day away from your vehicle the RTT are very nice.

Here is a list:
1. Quality- RTTs are not walmart specials, they are made out of the same stuff that a ground tent priced at $500 for a 2 person tent is. Its high quality, non rusting metals, thick materials, and well thought stitching often without even the need for waterproofing sprays.

2. Flat sleeping- leveling the rig can be a challenge but honestly is easiest done with a shovel and a jack, 2 things you should have anyway. But after that you are done. Your sleeping surface is flat, smooth, and you no longer have an excuse for getting close to your lady by blaming it on the slope making you slide over.

3. Dryness- A total of 3 times I have woken up either floating on (air mattress or nearly drowning in water. Once in a tropical storm another time in a flash flood, and another time just in a good rain and a unfortunate campsite allocation. But I can tell you the morning after a flooded campsite just plain sucks and often will cut your entire trip short because all your gear and kit is either wasted or in need of a whole day of drying.

4. Safety- For 90% of our woodland freinds that can be anything from a nuesance to frightening, you and yours are generally safer elevated than on the ground. Snakes, boar, raccons, small bears, deer, skunks and others will likely not bother you up in your loft. Proper nighttime food storage is a must still but atleast you wont be hearing something sniffing at the tent 6 inches from your face!

5. Dew- this really falls into the dryness but it is nice to be up out of the morning dew a lil bit.

6. The View- Most RTTs have great windows that fully zip open and at sunrise or whenever the view from atop your vehicle can be much more stunning than you would have on the ground.

7. Breeze- this can go both ways but on hot days and nights being up in the air can be alot more comfortable than on the ground, you can often catch a slight breeze up there. However on windy nights being up there can be quite a bit louder than on the ground tucked behind a tree or vehicle.

8. Ease of use - while some RTTs with annexes can take 15 mins to setup everything, alot of them especially hard top ones set up so fast that you find yourself with alot more time to fine tune the rest of your camp or just simply enjoy the day. When I was a kid we it took 4 of us about an hour to setup everything for the night at the KOA and a RTT with a 3 minute setup would buy a kid so many precious minutes in the pool or creek or whatever before dinner time.

9. Availability - while having one on your roof full time can be a MPG penalty and a bit heavier drive for your daily driver there is an upside. If you go camping often. Having the tent already packed and not out in the shed or attic. Means that you shouldnt need a whole lot more than a tote and a backpack or two, to come home from work friday and say hey lets go to the lake tonight!

So long story short RTTs are great for camping. If you are a hardcore hiking backpacker on foot for days, they are probably not for you, but for just about everyone else who doesnt need to have a camper with a bathroom and LED tv then I would take a hard look at them. And there are more budget freindly options Tuff Stuff 4x4 for one can get you setup for under $1000 and has package deals on adding annexes, awning, and more. There are alot of high end companies, but almost all the RTTs I have seen, would be considered high end by any tent standards.

If you arent sure try finding one for rent, in hawaii they are a very popular rental, but there is plenty of places on the mainland to try them for a weekend. Also many are made in the US so you can visit their facilities and they should be happy to show you their products.


Also a tree and a winch make very easy work of 1 person removal for offroading or home storage. I just tie 2 ratchet straps to the 4 corners hook em on a shackle and pull the winch through a snatch block raised up to a limb by a tow strap tied off to the tree trunk. Easy breezy.
This is probably one of the most helpful posts on B6G to date.

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Rivers90

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Is the roof top tent really high enough to get away from bugs?

I know a fire tower at 20 ft has a lot less bugs.
 

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Norm A.

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Maybe if I buy one of those things you use while driving to take a piss for my wife otherwise we will be ground pounding it. LOL
 
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MaverickMan

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Maybe if I buy one of those things you use while driving to take a piss for my wife otherwise we will be ground pounding it. LOL
If you are married a tent with an annex is prefered. Gives them a room to do all the stuff. And get on with a comfortable barefoot ladder.
 

MaverickMan

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Is the roof top tent really high enough to get away from bugs?

I know a fire tower at 20 ft has a lot less bugs.
I know it is up in the wind more. More wind less bugs. I suppose not as much if you are on top of a Subaru but on a big Bronco I dont get much bugs up there.
 
 


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