Roof Top Tents - A fad?

Exactly. No one is saying that RTTs do not have redeeming qualities. I think they are cool even though I would not buy one. It's a great sleeping system.
The topic is "are they a fad?" Which seems like a clear YES to me. They have suddenly become a popular item. In a few years, the overlanding fad will be over.

 

lmao, awesome...although if it decided to fail at 3am that would scare the living shit out of me.

 

RTTs don't have to cost thousands, a Tuff Stuff Delta or Smittybilt (can't remember the name) can be had for $800 or less with the sales that eBay and Amazon have regularly. Got my Tuff Stuff for $800 cash picking it up in person.

Had mine for about a month now and used it on my Mojave trip a couple weeks ago, 4 nights camping in it and it worked perfectly. I can set it up and fold it down in less time that it takes me to set up and take down my backpacking tent that I was using previously, and it provides me with far more protection than that tent did (though to be fair, backpacking tents are supposed to be lightweight and portable so they don't always work well in harsh environments).

Leveling the ground is not an issue, just put a rock under the tire and you're set. And the weight of the tent over the bed made running through the desert so much better than it was the last time I did that trail. Mine is flush with the height of the cab so my center of gravity isn't affected much at all. I really don't see any downside to owning one, other than the cost if you get one of the more expensive brands. But there are more affordable options.

Also being able to fold up my blankets and some of my overnight supplies in the tent is handy for saving room in the truck.

 

Now you're just ranting. I see plenty of RTTs that get used where I live. Sure most using them are weekend warriors but there's no shame in that.

I'd actually argue that the RTT is the perfect choice for overlanding because you are moving to a new location regularly. My last trip I had a ground tent that we used for the first three days then, after my wife flew home, I slept in the bed of the truck because the weather was a bit crappy. That's when I decided I was going to shop for a RTT.

As for having to piss in the middle of the night, they make urinals or you can just use a Gatorade bottle. The tent I'm looking at is big enough for my family of 4 and weighs about 130lbs so I'm not sure where you are getting the weight specs but they are likely double what most are running on their roof.

 

I see nothing wrong with being a weekend warrior either, I mean most of us do have to work during the week...kudos to anyone that doesn't though, I suppose.

I used to be an RTT hater but honestly after having mine these past several weeks, I realize it was really just that...hating. I do still laugh to myself though when I see a super clean Lexus suv on thin street tires with an RTT up top, but you can make that argument about any offroad/outdoor modification...there will always be people out there that get them primarily for the look and IG likes. But there are those of us that get them for practical reasons and believe it or not, they can be very practical.

 

Hey Ryan, talking about the benefits of RTT’s, have you also noticed how much less ground you trample and disturb with an RTT? They really minimize impact to a site also, especially if there’s soil crust (a special lichen that covers the ground in desert environments that is hard to replace).

As for leveling, I invested in a couple of these, they work great:

$33 Camco Yellow Drive On Tri-Leveler, Raises Your RV Up by 3-7/8" Works on Any Tire , Has Built In Handle, Load Capacity of 3500 lbs, Durable Non Slip Surface (44573)

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Tri-Leveler-Capacity-Durable-44573/dp/B000BUQOFO

 

Thanks for the reminder...I should probably setup an IG account before I purchase a RTT

Man, I hate setting my ground tent up in places like that where you end up doing so much damage...hadn't even thought of that benefit to the RTT. Also, is that pic off Harry Wade in DV?

 

Yeah, the first day we used ours we noticed we only left car tracks and footprints- a big plus.

The photo was just out of the NE DV boundary in Nevada on Tule Canyon Road (east of Big Pine Road north of Scotty’s Castle). So nice and remote out there!

 

Another benefit of an RTT....if my soon-to-be wife ever kicks me out of the house, I'll have someplace to go

 

It could be argued that an rtt has less direct impact than a ground tent on the environment since no ground needs to be cleared and no fragile plants crushed during their sometimes all too brief growing season. Oops, I see it already has, hopefully several times is the pages I skipped.

 

It certainly looks like a fad but there are plenty of solid reasons for them being so popular so while some end up regretting the purchase others don't, pretty much like any other RV or trailer purchase.

 

I had a Tepui RTT for 4+ years and camped a lot with it - mostly weekend trips, but also quite a few 7-10 day trips. Almost all of them I packed up every morning and set everything up every night. Was cool while it lasted, but I kinda got tired of it.

Now I have the Vagabond Drifter and both set up and clean up takes a matter of seconds

 

I had been using a hammock for a long while and have had a few cheap ground tents over the years. I was seriously researching a springbar type tent when I came across a screaming deal on a RTT & bed rack combo from a member here. I've not had a chance to use it yet, But from what I can tell climbing around in it, it seems like it will be much more comfortable than a ground tent. I'll still carry my hammock with me, but that doesn't have any real impact on storage space.

 

True, but you can get a Kelty or Mountain Hardware ground tent with more floor space and standing room for under $400. Weighs a lot less, and free shipping too. Or you can go cheap and get one for $100 easy at Big 5. So while it’s cheaper than the bigger brands, it’s still way more expensive than a ground tent, so not really fair to compair them.

The main thing is to decide if the extra cost is worth it. People who are cheap bastards like myself have to think long and hard about it. I definitely want one, but no one currently makes one that would fit my family of 4 without a lot of other mods, too, and cetainly not in the $800 range.

Kinda makes me want to just get some plywood and bolt it to a rack, then throw a nice 4 season ground tent up there, but not really. Probably just do a 3 season, lol

 

The mattress is 48” x 80” (6’-8”). Definitely space for 2 people. Since the ledge, that the bed extension sits on, runs the length of the camper, you could add extensions for a 110” bed. We will offer a longer extension though.

I also plan to have a lower sleeping platform for the kids. Our family of four should be fairly comfortable in there.

 

When I was 20 I’d have thought this is a fad. Now I’m 40 and it’s almost a necessity. As a bonus my kid likes to play in it. Plays in the RTT more then the $1k play set I built in the back yard that never gets used.
Side note: I’m gonna be buried in mine when I die, placed in the same giant hole I throw all my money in.

 

“Makes boys scouts look like 3rd world savages”

 

I was seriously considering one...ready to drop the cash but..... I soon came to realize that most of the camping I would do would be by myself. What if I cut myself and needed to drive quickly to get help, what if I fell getting out to water the brush at night, what and where am I going to get the extra dough to by the rack.

That's when I finally settled on an Oztent and never looked back.

 

Just checked those out. Holy shit they're nice! Expensive though.