Anyone compare the quality of roof top tents between different brands?

Either of those will probably start about $10k if you want to start low end new. Then you have the additional maintenance, insurance, storage if it doesn't fit in the garage, etc. I had a pop up for 10 years, and it was constant maintenance. $1k+ for a tent isn't bad.

 

That’s new. These things hold value for shit. Find one just a couple years old and never used

 

plus yearly registration right it’s technically a trailer?

 

Depends on the state. MI had a one time plate purchase and got rid of the annual. Kinda dumb when they needed money.

 

$60 is a deal breaker. I just don’t see $1k on a tent. That’s all you

 

I have the Smittybilt GEN2 and I would say it's a pretty decent tent at the price point. I would wait to see if there's a sale or a good Rakuten cashback available on 4WP. The only RTT I've ever owned but from what I gather it's a huge improvement over the previous get but I think I'm gonna upgrade to a wedge style once I have a different vehicle.

 

nah here in Cali we get taxed and fees for everything you have to pay a separate registration fee if you “haul”things with your truck I mean it’s a truck lol what they think your gonna use the bed for

 

It’s a nice little tent for sure have you tried it in rain?

 

Yeah, the left coast is not the best coast. Although the central and NE coast isn't much better.

 

With everything going on these days I don’t see it getting any easier on the wallet just to live either

 

There's a rainfly included that's not pictured here. I did a hose test with just the tent by itself and also with the rainfly and didn't notice any inside the tent. For me the biggest advantage is being off the ground. Used a ground tent during rain and man trying to dry things out was super frustrating when you're on the go.

 

You must be in the wrong area. We have several here and they get a lot of use. Building my truck out now to do the same thing. In fact, there was a trip two weeks ago with temps in the mid 40's for a high. Covid quarantine prevented me from going. I'm planning on at least once a month once I'm set up.

 

It would be cool for those that use them but here, not so much. Like I said before when we go we pitta few tents for me and my wife then the kids so we’re all on the ground. It doesn’t get super cold here either.

 

Yeah I like how you can pack up and go quik especially if you have an emergency or something plus it’s nice to be above the ground

 

So initially, I was looking at the Smittybilt overlander due to the affordability of it. But after some research, I wasn't a big fan of the design. I turned my sights onto the iKamper Skycamp Mini, after seeing it on LLOD on Youtube and really liked his setup with that tent. I like the hardshell configuration, and the fact that it took only 1-2 minutes to set it up and take it down, compared to the soft-top tents which can take more time and effort. However, the price tag was close to $4k. I was willing to throw some coin for a solid setup (buy once, cry once), but $4k was way too steep. I eventually found a company called Desert Armor who makes the same type of tent at $1k less (on sale during the holidays for $2800), and in a better colorway. Their holiday sale even included a free annex room ($400 value). I just took my first trip with it this past weekend and I have to say that it was WELL WORTH the coin. I can see this investment paying itself off in a short period of time in convenience, comfort, and time.

 

Hardshell, clamshell, wedge style or sleep in the topper shell. ✌

Stupid to have a ground tent on the roof. Rather have something fast and leave in place or have a tent to set up on the ground. But a tent you have to set up on your roof and then can’t move your car? That’s a less convenient 5,000x more expensive ground tent haha.

 

I like the ROAM Vagabond. It's basically the same as the Tepui, but comes with more things (boot bag, cargo net, and windows in the rain fly) for a slightly cheaper price. The Smittybuilt has some longevity issues, from my research. The CVT isn't much more than the Tepui and Roam, but costs $1k more. I wasn't interested in Roofnest or iKamper at all so I didn't research their quality.

 

CVT Mt Shasta here. I did a large amount of research before purchasing and narrowed it down it 23Zero and CVT over cheaper brands like smittybuilt. We planned on using the tent alot and decided it was worth the extra money, hoping for longer life... I'm glad I did. I've had the tent about 6 months and have about 45 nights in it. It's held up incredibly well. Almost no signs of wear, no loose bolts, stressed fabric. Just camped last weekend, rained pretty hard, no leaks.

Customer support was also a factor. I had a minor issue with hindge alignment, emailed them and got a phone call 15 minutes later. They walked me through adjusting the hindge and it's been fine ever since.

 

Do you know if the Gen 2 XL fits in with the dimensions of the bed of a Tacoma? I like the thought of the ladder being inside the Annex so would get the XL if it fits.

 

I was wondering the same thing and I have been researching for the past 3 months on which tent to go with. I gave myself a budget of $1,500 for a 3 person RTT. I have been ground camping all these years and bought a tipi tent a couple years ago to use on my back country hunts. Now my goal is to turn my truck into a base camp when I go hunting and fishing. I decided to go the Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3. I ordered it from my local 4WP and it should be arriving in March. I like the looks/color a little better and also the fact that Thule bought Tepui, the quality and customer service will be better in my humble opinion. It's more than what I wanted to spend but I feel like I made the right purchase for what I was looking for. Good luck in your search for the tent that fits your criteria and budget. I'm sure you won't have any issues landing on a good one.

This guy has some pretty good insight on RTT's.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkWzbH5GWZ0-JoGlDA86RoQ