RTT's

I'm not sure I'd pick this as your hill to die on, in the third gen section of all places. Have you seen what they pay for velcro patches? But seriously though, all hobbies are pay to play and the tents are still cheaper than a GFC or a AluCab or what have you and they're more convenient for some than a ground tent. My style of camping I'd hate setting up and taking down a ground tent every night for 2 weeks straight. And I've done that, no desire to go back. $950 saves me a lot of effort on a regular basis and it has cost me no upkeep.

Go buy a new backpacking tent these days, they're not cheap either.

 

Nice try! I can buy a water tight REI Half Dome for less than $200 bucks

 

Good for you, now go set it up on some rocks somewhere and take a breather from TW, sounds like you need to camp more.

 

Another nice try. I have been an avid backpacker for decades. Finding a nice level patch of ground to pitch my tent is not that hard.

 

Pros:
+elevated keeps you away from coyotes, etc which are common where I lived until recently in Utah, bears would likely still be able to reach you
+makes site selection easier as you don't have to find a not rocky, full of sagebrush area to fit a tent which was an issue sometimes
+wet ground is less of a hassle as you wont have a muddy footprint in the morning to deal with
+a fair number can keep your sleeping bags, etc for two inside full time so doesn't fill the cab with camping bedding vs a tent

Cons:
-Not able to travel once deployed
-weight / CG
-mounting being a somewhat fixed solution
-drying a wet tent is harder than a traditional one in terms of where able to do it
-If you have a dog, makes it somewhat of a PITA getting them up/down
-Not able to be used off vehicle (though a ground station solution does exist)
-not "portable" in any real sense. I still own a ground tent and use it in many cases an RTT isn't feasible for a number of reasons.
-Cost over traditional tents

Easiest solution I've found to the mobility issue is to not unfold the tent until you know you are done moving for the night (for me, that's after dinner, after dark). If you have your bedding stowed up there already, it makes [unfold to bedtime] a sub-5 minute affair. Granted you will have to fold it up in the morning if you decide to travel but that is a pretty quick process once you have a night or two under your belt.

Cost is a large up front investment, but I found that it made it so easy to just toss a cooler/fridge of food in the back and an overnight bag up front and off you go that the benefit in terms of encouraging use makes it worth it (to me).

After having one since 2017 and using it a significant amount, but now living an an area with far less BLM land to use outside of campgrounds and using it less in general, here's my take:

If you WANT one, buy one. Secondhand or lower cost options (Smitty,etc) or discounted (CVT seasonally) make them more accessible and are a nice quality of life upgrade.

HOWEVER, if you are looking for cost/benefit: be brutally honest with yourself how much you are going to use it. If the answer is less than 5 times a year or some small number equating to "not a lot", then you're likely better off with a ground tent and less Instagram likes but more cash in your pocket.

Maybe the likes of an ARB swag (nice friggin structured tent) is the fence-sitter solution. As I look towards my "next" vehicle, I will say that RTT may or may not get transferred over, but my ARB fridge sure as hell will.

 

I'm not really trying anything here, I don't know you obviously and I certainly don't want to. It sounds like an RTT is definitely not for you, actually you probably don't even need a truck, they're very expensive you know. An ox cart and a backpack are probably well suited to your needs.

 

Are you solo camping or traveling with another person? My wife and I use a Gazelle 4P ("Divorce/Argument Proof Tent" - no poles and stuff when setting it up at late arrival at campsites at night, or in the rain - easy set up and take down) for most of our travels together, but I also have a Leer cap on my DCLB, and when I solo camp, I have it set up so that I sleep inside of that. Yes, the cap is expensive, but it is a nice investment/thing to have when you are using the truck for other purposes and need something where the weather elements won't get to your items soaked or damaged (including you, when you camp in it!).

Another issue with a RTT is if you have to visit mother nature at night, or your significant other has to, and you or they slip and take a spill down the ladder climbing down at night. Not fun I would imagine: That to would be a major issue the next morning...... Or that night.

Hope this helps out.

 

Really good analysis. I would add that a Topperlift whether branded or diy makes for a tweener compromise between the limited headroom of a cap and the limited utility of a full time RTT install. Nothing works the best for everyone so be open minded to both the benefits and drawbacks of each. Look at the entire rig and how the pieces work together. With so many choices there’s probably one that fits your style the best.

 

I put my RTT on a trailer so I can leave camp anytime I wish.

Cheers

 

But then you have a trailer with its own list of pros and cons that may or may not solve the original list. I think the real answer is there is no "answer", only a list of personalized circumstances.

That said, it looks sweet, and I've entertained the idea several times myself.

 

Where did I say it was pros and cons video? I said it was an honest information video about having one. The guys says he camps a lot and has had his RTT for 5 years, those were his experiences and shows why he doesn't care for it. He even demonstrates why he doesn't like his.

It's a long term owner's opinion which is what the OP asked for.

I could care less whether the OP buys one or not.

 

This right here.

/thread.

 

Yup, make a list of ALL the possibilities along with pros/cons. You might come up with a new combination or might not but it’s your best shot at checking the most important boxes on your list. Simplicity vs creature comforts, etc.

 

We went on an overland trip from MN to the Black Hills where everyone either had a RTT or slept in their SUV. We were the lone tent and no matter how efficient we were (simple dome tent) everyone was waiting on us. So my wife and I decided we wanted a RTT and once my wife saw the simplicity of the iKampers she wanted one. No regrets except not using it as often as I'd like.

 

Before you edited it, it said "this video has a good list of pros and cons" (paraphrased) and that was also when just the link for the video was showing, rather than it imbedding. 5 minutes later it was edited.

 

Yup. Everyone's needs and wants will be different. There is no single solution that will make everyone happy.

 

That's why I editied it, it wasn't pros or cons, only informational.

 

Then why did you ask where you said it was pros and cons? You knew you had listed it that way and changed it. If it wasn't meant to be a "gotcha" post you could have simply said that you edited it to remove the pros/cons part instead of playing it off as though I was putting words in your mouth.

 

4k WTF?
My rtt was $900 and i made the rack

 

Yup. Look at the hard shell RTTs. The iKamper brand, for example, is well established and well made, but you pay a premium for it. I tried to save money on a hard shell and bought a cheaper tent that puts tons of money into marketing to sound like they are also quality. It showed up with holes warn from the ladder, poor seals, whistled like hell going over 50 MPH, and it was full of aluminum shavings from the machining process that was done/fine tuned after assembly. I had to fight them to get a refund, and then I went and bought the iKamper. Wish I had done it sooner.