4bang Cross Country Road Trip

Hey TW

(TLDR: cap vs rtt, where to go & what to do, road trip 2021)

I’m planning a four week long cross country road trip from the Northeast to California and back in June-July of 2021. It will be my wife, myself, our bikes, and hopefully the dog we are still fostering then! I would like to camp every night we’re on the road.

I’m posting here to ask for advice on build, itinerary, etc. and hopefully one day document my adventure.




BUILD:

Ideally keep my budget around $3000
I have a contractor cap and sleeping platform that we use currently, but it is like sleeping in a coffin and leaks a bit so I want to upgrade our sleep system.


So for the build I am at a crossroads between a rooftop tent with a Decked drawer system vs a higher-than-cab-high cap like ARE MX series with some homemade drawers. I would like to upgrade our awning as well.

RTT system basically does not offer stealth camping as an option, but I don’t know how much that should concern me. I think if we stick to an itinerary we can camp at campgrounds, national parks etc. An rtt build would admittedly be kind of cool albeit less practical when I get back to normal life. Overall cheaper because I can get an rtt for under $1500 and possibly under $1000 and some options in that range include an annex. It would necessitate the purchase of a rack, preferably a cab-high rack to make the best use of an annex/awning. Plus I wouldn’t necessarily have to get a Decked system which would keep costs down, but some of the budget would go toward a tonneau cover, pelican cases, or something for bed storage.

A cap build offers a quicker setup-breakdown time, stealth camping ability, possibly higher security, and more overall practicality. Cost is about $3000 for just a cap so it leaves little budget for an awning and drawers.


Cast your vote now.




ITINERARY:

Depart June 14, 2021
Return July 12, 2021

Goals are to see national parks in the four corners region, some tall trees in California, swim in the pacific, then drive home.

I have family in Boise and San Fran and it would be cool to go see them.

That’s all I have for now, it’s going to be a lot of gas money.

Camping recommendations? Tips for national parks? Must see/must avoid?

Thanks people.

 

Neither, buy a ground tent and a couple of cots. Save a bunch of money, have more room to move around/change clothes/etc., no loss of fuel economy, no parking problems, no worries about where to store the thing when you're not on your trip vs. leaving it on and looking like a poser, etc.

I don't know why folks seem to have such an aversion to ground tents these days, but they offer a lot of advantages (especially for those who won't be using them frequently) with the only real disadvantages being that you have to have room for the vehicle and the tent and that you can't level them like you can a vehicle. Neither of these are an issue in most campgrounds.

That said, I usually camp out of the back of my truck because I'm usually by myself. I do not like raised platforms as I find them impractical for anything other than crawling in to sleep.

 

What he said. I don't understand the attraction to the RTT, I can't even drive to town without seeing at least 2. Leave your canopy on with the deck inside incase your doing a short night somewhere and don't feel like setting up your tent.

 

There's also this option, the Topper EZ Lift w/weekender package.

https://topperezlift.com/index.php/product/topperlift-kit-with-weekender-package/

Could really help with that coffin feeling, and keeps it mostly stealth, without having to redo your whole current camping setup.

 

All good thoughts thanks for chiming in.

If I had an rtt I would be a poser! I only take a handful of camping trips per year, so I guess that’s out.

Ground tent is a great idea because it’s so low cost and could double for backpacking... I hate the thought of moving back down to the ground because I always used to get soaked by rains at night, but I’ll take another look at it.

And I always thought those ez lifts for the toppers were sooo janky looking but that setup with the weekender kit tent sides thing in fact looks quite dope, thanks for that I have research to do now!


Cheers

 

My personal vote is fix the leaks in your existing cap, build homemade drawers or improve your current cubby setup, upgrade awning. Saves you coin and buys you gas, souvenirs, etc on your trip.

A good ground tent would do you fine as well, but setup / takedown is kind of a pain in my opinion, esp if the terrain is wet. It would be more multipurpose though. RTTs really don't have as much appeal back east in my eyes where there is not much opportunity for vehicle accessible wandering spaces, but living in Utah, we use them quite a bit. On track to get 35+ nights in mine this year! RTTs do have one benefit over other sleeping arrangements, and that is it is comfortable, roomy, and lets me sleep better. Sleeping better on a multiple week road trip is a crucial aspect.

If you are looking for setup ideas, or good camping spots in UT, lemme know. I'd be glad to share some of what I know.

 

Buy a hammock. Better than a tent.

https://www.warbonnetoutdoors.com/product/blackbird/

 

Different strokes, bud. I hate taking down wet / muddy ground tents and footprints and finding a spot with minimal roots in my back. Used a ground tent for years, but the RTT has really gotten me out soo much more. Does have it's tradeoffs, but so does everything else.

 

Until you visit an area with no trees. I do enjoy a good hammock siesta if I can improvise one though. Full nights in one messes up my back.

 

You need at least one tree to use a hammock and the feds are cracking down on their use in the national parks, Army Corps of Engineers areas, etc.

OP, look at some of the better tents out there, not something from Walmart for example. You can get a decent quality tent that will hold up well for not much money if you shop around, especially if you can find the previous year's colors, model, etc. Make sure that you use a ground cloth/footprint and that you seal the seams before you use it if they don't come pre-taped. Use a good quality sleeping pad, there are a lot of good ones out there- Big Agnes, Thermarest, Sea to Summit, etc. get good reviews.

I wouldn't mind having a roof top tent, they're a good option if you use them enough to justify the cost (or even just want one), I've looked at them, and I sleep in my truck a good bit. Maybe if I lived out west I'd buy one but for what they cost I'd rather spend the money on one of the newer pop up style shells. I think the rain issue is kind of a wash- true, it can be a bit messy to pack up a wet tent but when I am home I can leave it set up to dry without having to dismount a 100+lb tent or open it up in the parking lot at work. I often carry a REI Half Dome Plus when I travel in case I need it for any reason; I've had at least one place tell me I can't camp in my truck, I had to have a tent or an actual RV.

 

As a self admitted RTT lover, rain can def add a challenge if you don't own a large driveway to open it up in upon your return.

You aren't the first person I have heard that from, but I find that genuinely ridiculous.

 

You have to be creative if there’s no trees.

 

Cap. Throw a tent on the ground for sleeping. I've been doing this since the 80's,most recent road trip in June. KISS.

 

I honestly just stood there for a minute asking her if she was kidding but she was dead serious, she got kinda miffed when I told her that was one of the most retarded things I'd ever heard. I'd even offered to show her the back of my truck but she said it was some sort of SC Parks rule at that location. Crazy thing is it was a couple of years ago and seems to have gotten worse, I guess they don't want the bums or something so they make a blanket rule. That's when I started carrying the tent in my truck. I'm not sure how it would have gone if I'd had one of those tent things that go on the back of SUVs that some folks on here use.

 

I wanted to keep my canopy and get a RTT. So that's what I did. The only problem is it doesn't fit in the garage now other than that it's awesome. Far enough off the ground that the it keeps the critters out.

It works for us plus all our stuff stays dry and secure in the canopy.

 

In National Parks, and in many other places, sleeping in the back of a truck is not allowed unless you're in a campground. I disagree with this, but it doesn't matter what I think; the ranger's opinion is all that matters and that's how they interpret the rules. They view this as "camping", which is only allowed in designated campsites. I discussed this with Forest Service law enforcement once and you can't win. Saying that, I have stealth camped at unpopular trailheads in the back of my truck- just keep a very low profile. Come in late, get in the back, go to sleep. In National Parks, rangers are on duty 24/7 and they do check. I know someone who got busted sleeping in his truck at a NP trailhead and got a written warning, so be prepared. Again, the "I'm not camping..." argument didn't work. Tents are fine if you have a car, but they're a PITA to take down every day, and it sucks when they're wet. Once I got a truck with a cap and slept in it, I really became lazy and moved away from tents unless I'm backpacking. Hammocks have a lot of fans, but not if it's cold. If you want a tent, look at REIs offerings. RTTs seem to be growing in popularity, but I've been in wind where I was worried that the cap was literally going to fly off- no way I would've wanted to be in a RTT.

 

I say fix your cap, find a good tent and save the rest for the trip!!!!
Sounds awesome by the way! Future plans for the missus and I.

 

Honestly this thread is making me want a rtt and a tonneau cover

 

If you really want to spend that $3,000 upgrade to a high rise shell with windoors and carpet. But what you have right now looks pretty great to me. Not sure what you're expecting is going to be better with a new shell. They all leak a little, even new. RTT looks like a huge pain in the ass to me, I don't know why so many people have them.