Car Camping / Trip Reports / Photos / Buildouts / “Overland” / Expedition Rigs Area (homeless?)

I can neither confirm or deny any allegations of peeing out of my RTT on a rainy night after a particularly long and Shitty day

 

There's another good point.

Nobody has ever peed on my RTT in a confused drunken stupor while camping. Can't say the same about my ground tent.

 

Keep your mindset. I had two RTT's and I am back on the ground. As someone who camps pretty regularly the RTT is way to restrictive. The whole "it's better for uneven terrain" is BS. All you need for a ground tent is a flat enough spot for your body. Hell, now that I am floorless I can pitch over tree stumps and rocks and use them for seats. With the truck you have to level the whole truck and a slight incline is magnified in those things. Pack up and pitch times are not that much better. It's mostly a matter of putting a sleeping bag back in the stuff sack. To many times I found an awesome spot to camp and couldn't because it was to tight of a fit for the truck, or it was a little ways off the trail into the trees. The mattress is comfortable but it's just a thin piece of memory foam. You can add it to a cot easily and be just as comfy.

 

I've been timed by friends. If I'm really trying mine sets up in 2 minutes, packs up in 3. All of my sleeping gear is stored in the tent, which leaves A LOT of room for other gear in the truck, which we all know space is a premium. The mattress is very comfortable, and the bottom is insulated. A lot of people say they don't notice an mpg loss when it is mounted below cab height. And when you wake up in the morning you have an even better view when you look out the windows.

 

If cracker barrel parking lots are the limiting factor you need to pick some better wilderness areas . And it's not a one size fit all discussion. Those were benefits that his ground tent has over the RTT, IMO. Everything I said was from my experience with RTT's. I didn't dive into the versatility of my tent being able to be used for various other hobbies. An example of when my hammock or ground tent proved best was my first trip with the WYO gang. Only a few of us had ground tents (I was using a hammock). The amount of usable space was limited and fitting all the trucks was hard. I took my hammock, walked across the stream, and set up on a sweet spot overlooking the trucks. Just far enough to feel separated from the group but not to far it was a hike to get to bed. Had I had an RTT I would have been off searching for level ground. Another example is when there is a nice clearing in the forest but you can't drive to it. Load your bag up and walk a 100m to an awesome spot for the night.

As far as cracker barrel...yeah its a down side but it's not the end of the world. Certainly not a positive that weighs enough to balance the negatives. If you are creative enough you can easily overcome this and have a better trip in doing so.

 

The RTT's have a place, and if it works for you, all thumbs up from me.

As far as vehicle mounted shelters go. I've got the best. Properties are: Zero seconds to set up, zero seconds to break down, it makes the truck weigh less, is impervious to all forms of weather, invisible to outsiders, has stealth, is the most simple, and costs nothing! I've mentioned it before in the DV thread.

 

RTTs win in the situations of a new spot every night on the road type deal. Because they are so easy to setup and find a spot is easy. To me anyways.

So for the kaki people of the "expedition" nature, they work great. Stay super clean and dry over long periods too.

My favorite part is that I can leave home after work, show up in the dark and have camp setup in about 2 mins total and go to bed. Which for me happens a lot.

It isnt for everyone though. But fits plenty of situations.

I know I'll never ground tent again unless I'm backpacking.

 

My dog loves the RTT too by the way. Getting his shaggy ass out of it can be a pain though

 

Lol no. There are still times I am setting up and I say "dang, this is a perfect RTT spot...it would be nice to have one right now". An area I frequent is very rocky so getting stakes in the ground is hard at times and I might have to move locations to set up. On the flip side, it is also extremely windy 90% of the time and the RTT is a bastard to sleep in with wind. Pros and cons for each and every situation. If I was rich and had the space I would have every style of tent to make each camping trip the best it could be.

What I don't like about RTT's is that a lot of people that get them immediately get an elitist view. I did it and I wish I could go kick my old self in the nuts for that. It is not the god of tents. Hell, they are all made in china...nothing from china is THAT awesome . I just don't want to see someone dish out $1000+ on a tent because everyone says it's soooo much better than a ground tent when they are pretty darn happy with their current set up. Just like I wouldn't suggest my equally priced ground tent to anyone that doesn't encounter the conditions it excels in.

 

ANYWAY

 

Pro Tip: To get him down easier, turn him around so you pull his hind end out first. You might already do that but it took a few tries before I realized how much easier it was.

 

I'll try that next time and see if he cooperates. He loves that tent though. If I open it up he sits by the ladder till I toss him up there. Glad he doesn't weigh anymore than he does

 

This is another discussion that comes up pretty regularly and like most online "discussions" it can bring out some *passionate* opinions and both sides seem to think their choice is the best one...period. Fromsomeone who sells RTT's you might expect a very biased opinion from me but I'll be as honest and object as I can.; Roof Top Tents are not for everyone or for every condition. RTTs can certainly be used in just about any situation outside of backpacking but the tents themselves and the use of them is as personal a choice as the music you like to listen to. There is no clear cut answer that says RTTs are better or that ground tents are better.

Even though I own two of my own RTTs and use them frequently, I still have trips where I just take a pad and a bag that I throw on the ground and sleep under the stars. The trip or the circumstances just don't always warrant the use of the RTT. For anyone who has owned a RTT you'll know that RTTs get a lot of attention especially if you're in a group or around people who haven't seen them much. So for some people a RTT is nothing more than a "trophy" of sorts that they use to try to show others that they are "real adventurers". Many of those people will be in display at the Overland Expo next week. But there are also others owners for which the RTT is a legitimate tool in their camping toolbox and their use demands it whether it is the cool thing to do or not. There's also a big chunk of people that fall somewhere in the middle of two groups. That's probably most of us.

Here's some observations.
Space:
The demographic on this forum is largely younger guys (early 20s - early 30s) and as a result many are either doing most of their trips solo or with one passenger. If you are solo or sometimes have one passenger there are lots of options outside of a RTT. You can likely sleep in your vehicle. With one or two people in a vehicle it's not too difficult to pack everything you need inside the truck for an extended trip. Once the number of people in the vehicle increases, so does the amount of gear and that directly relates to the amount (or lack of) space left in the vehicle.

I do most of my trips with my family. That's 6 of us (me, wife and 4 kids). Even in my Land Cruiser that seats 8, we are uncomfortably out of space inside the truck quickly when packing for a trip. Besides clothing, the things that take up the most space are bulky ground tents, sleeping pads or cots, and sleeping bags. With a RTT, there is immediately more room in the truck because we're no longer filling space inside with those items. There is no needs to pack sleeping pads or cots, and the sleeping bags can all stay inside the RTTs.

Comfort/Convenience:
This is one of the points that can be debated I suppose, but personally I find the takedown and setup of my two RTTs far easier and less time consuming than setting up a campsite with ground tents. Again, part of that is due to setting up for 6 people rather than just myself. But for me it's satisfying to pull into a campsite after midnight in the rain and have my whole family in our bags going to sleep while others in the group are searching for a level spot that isn't flooded with rain water, putting down tarps to place their ground tent on, and blowing up air mattresses. I don't have to worry about rocks and stumps in my back, or a river running under my tent floor in the rain. It's not that hard to level the truck. Then when the morning comes and it's time to move on, yes we're all putting away wet tents, but I don't have to fold up a muddy tarp that will inevitably get mud on everything it touches.

That brings up another point. If you are moving campsites each day, the use of a RTT can make more sense. If you are setting up a basecamp and returning to it each day, then setting up a ground tent might make more sense.

Some argue that with a RTT you can't just decide to go drive somewhere spontaneously because you have to take down the RTT. I've been in that very situation many times and I can have the tent put away with little trouble in a few minutes and I'm ready to leave as quickly as anyone else in the group. The typical RTT can be put away in well under 5 min. If you use an annex it will take longer, but if you don't think you're ready to stay put in camp, don't set up the annex until you are. Or in my case you haul a trailer ( since there is no room in the truck for gear) and you set it up with the tent and can drive around freely.

For those with wives or girlfriends, the RTT seems to improve the level of comfort significantly. At least that has been my experience. My wife has always enjoyed camping and I could always get her to come with me but it took much less effort to convince her once we got the RTT. She finds it much more comfortable and loves the privacy of the annex and that she can get dressed standing up in the annex instead of being bent over or sitting inside a cramped ground tent.

On the flip side of the coin, throwing a pad and bag on the ground is pretty simple. Again, much of that convenience comes from being solo. It also changes when the weather turns bad. It often takes much longer to set up a good ground setup for bad weather than it does with a RTT.

Truth be told the older you get the more important creature comforts become. Comfort is very subjective but it's hard to argue the comfort of a RTT.

Weather:
In high winds a RTT is going to hold up in the wind much better than most ground tents because of the stronger frame and bows. We've all seen the tents with fiberglass poles that get blown flat or just get blown away. Same goes for heavy snow. As for rain, probably not much benefit to either type of tent as long as they are both quality tents.

CONS of a RTT:
Yep there is a downside to them. They are pretty heavy. If you carry it on the roof a truck, it will have more drag, and can change handling. MPG can take a hit. These issues are less of a problem with a bedrack that keeps the tent mounted below the roofline.

They're pretty expensive. However for a ground tent that has the same level of durability, you'll be paying about the same.

Bottom line is everyone has different needs. See what works best for you. Just because someone has a RTT doesn't mean they are more "legit" or that if someone has a ground tent, they are somehow less prepared or not capable of taking on a serious trip. RTTs don't work for everyone. Ground tents don't work for everyone.

 

There's also a lot more points to consider than what I listed.

 

That's what Ash did . He would chill out until the sun would go down then go sit by the ladder until I put him up. It was a pain when he had a bit much to drink before bed and I had to let him down in the middle of the night. He is a lot bigger than your pooch now so it would be a struggle to get him in and out.

 

So this is one of the reasons I ditched the RTT. Do you leave things at camp when you pack your tent and go? I know you have the trailer so I am guessing you leave that but financially and space wise that was not an option for me. My concern is more with public areas, such as popular fishing spots, I didn't want to leave things behind without a tent. Most people see an open spot and will just take it...outside of leaving a cooler I am not sure how else I could secure my spot? Really, the cooler would be the only thing I would leave behind in most cases. And no, these are not reserved slots just improved ground and you take what is open.

I don't think you could beat me when all I have to do is get in the truck and go . It's not a big hassle but if you are driving up and down the river then it gets old.

 

Contact @mreimann on here he made one that is roof height with the rtt now

 

SOS has a wide range of heights. I'm biased cause I'm local and I nag him into building all my shit the way I want it though. I've literally seen other send diagrams and dimensions of what they want though and he's built them. Kinda hard to argue with that.

 

Been awhile since I posted on here but I got a question would y'all go the blue sea fuse way or sPOD? Just don't know which way to go heard so many different opinions.

 

Go with @skygear RFRM box. Much better bang for your buck.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...0-relay-rtmr-5-relay-no-blue-sea-spod.336590/

Matt