RoofTopTent vs Sleeping in the bed

Hello. I have a question for all of you who use your Tacomas for camping trips.
I have a 2015 double cab, 6ft bed, Tacoma and I have a Leer cap for its bed that I got 4 years ago to use for sleeping in the bed while camping. Life worked out differently and I only used it once that way before I had to convert the Tacoma into a work truck and put a vet box in the bed instead. The vet box weighs 300 lb, is bolted through the bed truck floor, is insulated, has an electric heater for when it is plugged in and another heater that is connected to the engine that works while driving and also has many drawers (see pictures). It also increases the fuel consumption by 15-20% even without using the heaters. In September we are supposed to be driving across Canada for a camping trip but my BF's old Jeep that has been our "adventure car" in the last years has taken a premature retirement. So I feel it is time to spruce up the Tacoma and show off what she is truly capable off (being an adventure truck was her true calling anyway IMHO, before she got sucked into the work life). So I am looking for the most economical/practical/logical way to convert the Tacoma into camping mode, while knowing that in October we both have to return to work mode. One solution would be to take the vet box off and put the back on the old Leer cap that is still sitting in the garage collecting dust (hoping to be used to its true calling too one day). But it cost 1000$ to install the vet box and connect both heaters, and it would cost 1000$ again if I want to take it off and then put it back on. Another option would be to leave the vet box, use it for storage and install a roof top tent over the cab. Or a third option would be to install nothing and take our old hiking tent, however we plan on driving lots and never sleep twice in the same spot, so we want to minimize setting up and packing up time, and besides we are getting closer to 40s, so sleeping in a small tent on a tiny thermarest is ok for 1-2 nights, but the old back starts to get sore after that. I would appreciate any opinions or ideas. I also am curious, many of you post pictures of you cozying up in the roof top tents with your large dogs, how do the dogs get up there? Our Weimaraner is coming with us, so we have to figure out his sleeping arrangement too.
Thank you!

 

RTT would be my vote. It ticks all the boxes for your needs and wants without needing to remove what you currently have, besides the dogs situation. Would your pups be ok sleeping in the truck while you were in the RTT? You may need to modify the box slightly to attach it, too. A few holes through the top, which could provide a path for water to get in, would be my worry.

 

Thank you! I was thinking about attaching the roof top on top of the cabin (put some roof racks on it), the vet box is aluminium and sturdy, but I am worried drilling holes through it. I think the pup is ok sleeping in the cab, I am the one who will miss him

 

I have a RTT and love it. If I where traveling solo, I’d sleep in cap. But since there’s more than 1 a RTT would be ideal.

 

I love my roof tent and by the looks of it you don’t have a large lift and/or offroad front bumper so a really sweet trick for the dogs is to bring some turf and or carpet and lay it across the hood, up the windshield and then zip open the side window to the tent and then your dog will have an easy path they can do to get in. My dog has no problems jumping up onto the hood but if yours can’t you can get a storage tub (ideal for organization and camp gear) and then set it in front of the truck as a step to get onto the hood. Option number 2 with the roof tent would be to get a rtt with the annex, if unfamiliar google some pictures, and then have the pup sleep down there but that doesn’t really solve your sleeping with them issue and annexes are a pain to carry around and set up.

 

I don’t know what size dog you have or your physical ability but I just lift my dogs into the tent with me about 60 pounds each. It’s really not so bad just put the ladder at a bit more of an angle and walk up it holding the dog. Getting them down depending on the dogs personality can be different but not to bad.

 

Maybe a bigger ground tent and a couple of cots? Just an idea.

 

Buy a cheap pop up camper. That way your not married to the stuff you only use 1% of the time.

 

Agree with a cheap pop up or even a used teardrop camper. Use it for your trip then sell it for a profit or keep it for other trips.

 

Sounds like the vet box is (realistically) a permanent part of the truck. I vote use it for storage. RTT would be convenient and might feel more secure in bear country. RTT will further reduce your fuel efficiency. I'd say get a good quality tent, a very comfortable bed to put in it (all of which will accommodate the dog), and accept that you will need to set up a tent each day. It's really not that big of a deal, and much more versatile then a RTT.

 

I sleep in the bed when I camp. The only downside is having to unload all of the camping gear. I'd love a wedge camper like GFC or Vagabond, but it's hard to justify the cost.

 

I had a similar dilemma and sold my RTT and bought a Gazelle T4 ground tent and a cot. The T4 sets up in under two minutes, is nominally 8 x 8 feet and 6.5 feet tall at the center. Plenty of room for a couple of cots, the dog, a table, chairs, whatever you need. When closing up camp in the morning it's only a few minutes to fold up and stow away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0PbqHtLzb4

 

A lot of people like RTT because the added weight over the axle helps get more traction. Something else to consider, especially if your into wheeling. I want to get one mainly for that reason and I probably wouldn’t use it that much, few times a year maybe

Also don’t forget about the instagram cred you get with RTT

 

Here's my vote

 

RTT's are over-rated and I say that as someone who has owned one for seven years and slept at least 200 nights in it. They definitely have their place and there are some very nice things about them, but they're not the end all, be all of camping.

Advantages:
- Ability to set camp relatively anywhere (muddy ground, uneven ground, vegetation).
- Ease of set up.
- Minimizes gear carried elsewhere (no tent bag, no sleeping bags, no sleeping pads, etc., since all of that is stored in or accounted for in the RTT).

Disadvantages:
- Once you deploy, you are tied to your campsite.
- Storing a tent while it's raining can be a big problem, since your bedding is contained within it as well and will get damp when the tent is closed.
- Storage when not in use.
- Tear down, ~5 minute task but can be a pain in the butt depending on how your tent is mounted to the truck.
- Cost. I paid $900 for mine back in 2013. The prices these days are insane.

 

You aren’t going to get the #gram likes sleeping in the bed like the poors.

 

Continuing with disadvantages:
Highway Aerodynamics - If MPG or driving through crosswinds/headwinds are a concern. Also, depending on conditions and locations - you're exposed to more wind up on top while deployed
Offroad overhead clearance could limit where you take it as well


And the big one for me.. Climbing up a down the ladder every time you go in or out of the tent

 

Sleeping in the bed has too many disadvantages for me, I'm usually camping with my wife and 2 people between the wheel wells doesn't give you a lot of room (at least in a 1st gen bed). And if you're 6ft or taller you can't stretch out all the way.

Not to mention, if you're on a bigger trip with a lot of gear, you have to take it all out of the bed so you can sleep in it. If I'm on a 2+ night trip that involves a lot of driving/offroading, chances are my bed is packed full of supplies and tools.

Setting up and breaking down an RTT is way easier and faster than removing everything from the bed to make it up for sleeping, then putting it all back in when you need to drive.

I've done both BTW, used to have a Softtopper that I would sleep in before I got my RTT. Quality of sleep is far better in the RTT, for me.

 

Raised Center of gravity. Plus the covers are a pain in the ass to put on / remove.

 

Enjoy the wet sleeping bags and gear when you have to break down an RTT in or after a rain.

A simple ground tent with a quality footprint is much more flexible and eliminates the problems of an RTT. Downside of course is that you won’t be trendy.