Roof top tents yay or nay?

I just envisioned a bear claw swatting me in my hammock and all my “candy” dropping onto the soft loamy forest floor.

 

Or then there’s always the delux RTT...
Comes with an awning, too.

 

My gf has been pestering me to mount the kitchen aid mixer in the bed so she can bake things to put on Pinterest while we’re camping.


She is not a fan of my views on camping.
It keeps things lively in the bed-top tent

 

What's #ridgeline gettin

 

Totally agree. I don't plan on wheeling my truck to that point. But you never know, it happens quick. It's definitely a concern of mine.

 

I got a screaming deal on my CVT Rainer, and my ultimate goal is to put it atop my trailer. I did build a bed rack last fall and headed out for a week long trip through Arizona and Utah. I’d say it has its place for sure, that said so do ground tents, the bed of the truck, and hammocks. What I did like about it was the convenience of just flipping it open and installing a few rods. It also stays dry while driving through downpours with all my sleep gear already laid out. It provides cover from rain and shade for the kitchen which is more convenient than setting up a dining fly. However it was a little chilly when the mattress was compressed on cold nights. Also there is the inconvenience factor of having to pack up to move the truck if vehicle mounted.

The mobility restrictions should be eliminated with the trailer, it’s a 1967 M416 Jeep trailer that I am in the process of building out for camping purposes. I intend to drag it down trails and set up base camp so that I can go wheeling without breaking down camp. With the addition of a few strategicallyplaced jacks I should be able to level out the trailer and achieve a comfortable sleeping location. The trailer will also provide storage for my camping gear and a bit more cargo room in the truck. As for the chilly nights an additional sleeping pad was a good solution.

I’ve spent entire summers in tents, and at 41 I don’t sleep on the ground as well as I did at 8, 18, or 28. It was nice not having to find a tent site, unpack the tent, and set it up, especially in the mud. I also don’t have to look for cactus that will perforate my sleeping pad resulting in no padding for the night, and having to preform field repairs the next day. When I spent a week on Mt. Rainer I had a Therma Rest that wouldn’t hold air and that redefined my definition of cold sleeping.

As for the back of the truck, I’m 6’ 2” tall so I don’t fit back there without rearranging everything. Also the Rainer experience was warm in contrast to sleeping in the bed of my truck at -30 degrees in Crested Butte for a few nights. The steel of the bed sucks all the heat out of you in those conditions.

Hammocks are good for an hour or two, but it gets annoying not being able to sleep on your side. In the rain they’re down right miserable when the water runs down the cord and pools before dripping out. I’ve tried the stick trick and had minimal success. They are also pretty cold to sleep in when you’ve compressed all the insulation in your sleeping bag, and cots are marginally better.

Ultimately regardless of what you use for shelter, it’s all about getting out there. My favorite is still sleeping under the stars with just a pad and a bag.

 

I prefer underwater basket weaving

 

Nay. I get nose bleeds from the high altitude.

 

I agree 100%.

 

I used to do that until I got into outdoor knife fighting

 

I take mine off and on myself. Approaching 50 and not in great shape.

My wife usually does the RTT setup while I unload other gear. Takes her less than 10 mins.

We love it. It's on the truck for camping weather, stored in a shed when not.

 

Looks like its 61K posts, getting its butt kicked bad!
But there was a post on there about making it into death valley on the washboard without blowing its rear shocks, whats that about ? JK

 

Naw dude, you just didn’t have enough ballast down below. Mobtown can fix that!

 

True, the aluminum skids are too light. The sliders we're yet to built and installed. That happened two days later.
I do still need a high clearance rear with swing out, but that's gonna have to wait a bit.

 

I got a deal on a used OzTent RV5 for camping out of the truck. It sets up/tears down faster than a traditional tent and you don't have to pack it up if you want to move your truck. It's also modular so you can set it up with or without the attached awning...and if you use the awning you can make a separate room as well.

The downside is that it's large when packed away so it's awkward (but not impossible) to move with one person. If I hadn't bought it used I would have gone with one of their smaller versions...but the space it provides is nice!

https://www.oztent.com/products/tent-range/oztent-range/oztent-rv-5

 

Picked up my Smittybilt for about $600 on sale and with an added coupon....so far it's been great. I don't mount mine on the truck for some of the reasons mentioned, have to pack it every time you move or can't use it like a truck etc, so I mount it on a trailer instead. Don't have a trailer you say? Neither do I, I rent the smallest U-haul and attach the bed rail bars (or whatever they're called) to the side rails of the U-haul and then bolt the tent down. Trailer is about $15 a day, win win in my book. I store it up to the ceiling in my garage when not in use.

 

WOW! This thread blew up fast. Here’s my 2 cents:
1. RTT’s are expensive, mine was $1,250
2. Mine is an automatic so it literally setups in one minute after you remove the cover.
3. I have an annex which adds a lot of room.
4. Installing, removal and storage is simple for mine as I rigged it up in my garage.
5. My wife refuses to sleep on the ground anymore.

 

I've got an actual rainfly but when I was first starting out, just running a ridgeline and throwing a tarp over it and staking it out kept me dry as a bone. Hammocked plenty in rain and once in snow, super dry all of them except when i was stupid about hanging up the fly and it didnt completely cover one end.

I have chronic back problems and always wake up with pain on the ground, or in the RTT. Not so in the hammock. The thing is, if you lay properly at an angle, you can get mostly flat in the hammock, and you also have full support everywhere instead of hotspots by virtue of being suspended.

 

A rooftop tent is a tree fort for your truck.


While I prefer a bed fort...

That tree fort shit is awesome

 

That analogy is perfect. Just like tree forts/houses, every kid wants one until they get one and realize that they are kind of a pain in the neck.