Conflicted with my camping set up. HELP!

I currently have a DB cover I cannot open, with a 14 inch max modular rack and a tepui tent.

Last weekend I had to ask my friend with a Subaru to come pick up a grill for me since it wouldn't fit under the tonneau cover...made me really think about how I've basically ruined the usefulness of the truck.

On the other hand, I'm starting to look at lifts and 33's but at my current height I would not clear my 6 ft garage. (currently only about 3 inches of clearance with a loaded down bed)

Help me with some options on 1. How to make my truck a truck again and 2. Clearing my garage with the eventual lift.

I have two thoughts here already:

Scenario 1: Sell everything. Redo with a very basic camper shell (access doors and a rear window are my only requirements) and a thin GFC or roof nest type hard shell. I think both closed are 7 inches tall.

Scenario 2: Swap the tent now for a sky camp mini. The tepui is about 15 inches with the ladder now. The sky camp is just under 13 giving me 5 inches of clearance to lift instead of my current 3. Swap the DB cover for a retractable so I can still use my bed up til it hits my rack (14 inches extra)

Scenario 3: Swap the DB cover for a retractable, keep my tepui tent, but drop my max modular rack to the 10 inch rack giving me 7 inches of clearance.

So very conflicted...nothing is cheap on this damn truck lol

 

Off road pull behind and take everything off your truck so you can truck again.

 

Put a canopy on the truck with a pull out kitchen. Get/build an off-road trailer for the rtt.

 

I never understood RTTs. I started with option 1 and built a camping platform in it. Camp is ready all the time - no popping tents, just unroll the mattress and sleeping bag. I haul tons of stuff in the back with the camper shell in there, and never have to worry about a tent getting moldy.

That said, remember, you do have a truck - it has a hitch, and you can tow a utility trailer. I use my utility trailer for loose stuff like gravel, mulch, lawn debris, etc. It keeps the truck nicer too, since I'm not dumping stuff into there.

I fit in my garage on 33s, 2" lift, and with roof rack on a hi-rise shell. I had to adjust the garage door up higher, but I just squeeze in.

...This is not my garage, but still a cool pic of my truck in a garage.

 

Softopper and a ground tent or hammock.

 

I second this. For $400-500 you can get a large, high-quality tent that will last for years. And with the Softopper, you can fold it down and get full use of the bed.

 

I had a RTT and tbh I’m not sure why people love them so much (unless it’s a hard shell). The covers are a pain in the ass and you lose the bed of your truck or have a ton of weight way up high to mess with your CG and act as a sail going down the road.

I put an AT habitat on my tundra and it’s way more functional than a RTT ever thought of being and setup takes a couple minutes. Some people knock them for being “too expensive” but if you tally up the cost of a topper, rack, RTT, awning etc it isn’t as far apart as people seem to think.

my Tacoma or motorcycle I use a ground tent that’s quick to set up. Currently using a hilleberg anjan GT 2. The tent and rainfly are linked which makes setup a breeze, even in the rain.

 

The softopper is awesome. I’ve got one and the functionality is great. Comes off in a couple minutes and you’ve got full use of the truck bed.

 

i'm also in the boat to vote for getting a trailer (tear drop) or utility trailer with a RTT mounted on it. Then opting for a soft topper or other tonneu so you can still use the truck like atruck when needed.

The only downside to a trailer is, it is a bit more of a pain int he ass to pull a trailer into more dispersed camping situations - where having a RTT or ground tent is way easier since its just you and the truck. However, if you mostly camp at designated camp sites then a trailer is perfect

EDIT: bonus with a soft topper - if you're going out solo, its super easy to just sleep in the truck bed with a soft topper. If i dont have family with me and going out with others i just sleep in my truck bed and dont deal with pulling the teardrop

 

yep. I picked up an air compressor at Home Depot and the guy helping me load it was like “un that ain’t gonna fit”. Couple snaps and unclip the rear strap, fold forward. His jaw dropped in surprise.

 

the AT Habitat, GFC, and Alu-Cab camper have my interest, but I’m gonna see how it does with a RTT for now. I had planned on buying the Alu-Cab canopy and pairing with a RTT, but like you said, when it comes down to the individual pieces the cost difference isn’t really that much.

 

If you are solo queing, recommend a swag over a ground tent and RTT.

 

I need my truck bed for work so I would never consider a roof tent. With that, I love ground tents. It’s always fun setting it up! I have a fancy 4 person REI tent and it’s only 2 poles to set it up and one for the rain fly. 3 minute set up tops. We bring a queen sized blow up mattress too. Luxury camping pretty much.

 

Unfortunately a trailer isn't an option. I don't have the room to store one, plus some of these trails and switchbacks we end up camping on would make wheeling up there a real pain. I don't have the skill or patience to do any of that lol

I could go to a ground tent, but honestly now that I've been camping with a RTT I can't really go back. Being off the freezing ground is a huge bonus and the current tent I have has taken a beating there's a certain comfort level I've established with it. More a trust thing if that makes sense.

Also I literally just take the cover off, fold it out, and sleep in it 90% of the time without opening the windows. It's been super convenient

 

OP, I totally feel your pain. It seems everything that I buy means I go down a path that requires more work to figure out how to undue. For example, I never had a tonneau before on my older truck. Put one on the new truck. Love having it. But mine folds in three sections and when I fold it up it blocks a good portion of the short bed. And, of course, it won't work with a rack so I am stuck. .

I would like to put a bed rack on my new truck. I want something that is super strong so if I put a roof top tent on it it can hold the weight and not wreck the sides of my truck -- this happened to a friend of mine and he was not really off roading. Granted some serious beer bellies in his crew but still ... !

So I am now looking for a bed rack that can hold 1,000 pounds. I've contacted several vendors and they generally don't answer about the the weight capacity of their bed racks other than to say ... well ... we know it can hold a lot. At least the Leitner folks are straight up -- 1,000 pounds guaranteed. Expensive but may be worth it.

I think you gotta take a step back and think about this more clearly or you will keep spending money and not get the optimal outcome. There are tradeoffs for sure and one of the great things about this site is plenty of people have been there and done that so they can help inform the best path forward for you.

I will be watching this thread in the hopes of learning something so thanks for posting. I sense your frustration at getting a good, simple solution and am right there along with you.

A few comments to consider:

Have you considered some of those soft covers that you can roll up? I was thinking it might be possible to get one of those (they are not super expensive) and cutting around a bed rack. There are usually only two posts on each side of the truck (some have three). If I can get cuts where the posts are and then sew something over the cuts to stop the fraying, the velcro roll tonneau cover could be rolled up and down around the rack. This way you could close it when sleeping but open it when driving and carry things that you need, like the grill that your friend had to bring you. Not sure this idea would work but it could. To be clear, buy a velcro down roll up tonneau cut out where the bed rack bars are, and then you can roll up and down around the rack -- if that makes sense.

The other question is do you really need a lift? I had a lift on my 2005 SR5 (bought it that way) but I didn't really need a lift. I know have a TRD OR and frankly that suspension is plenty for me going off road. But you are in CO -- I am in NY which doesn't have nearly the same terrain -- but the real question is do you want a lift or do you need a lift.

In Scenario 1 you would be camping in the bed of the truck with the camper shell, right? Kind of hard to do really because then where do you put all of your gear? If I am understanding you correctly I think that might be a logistical nightmare.

In Scenario 2, why not just get the rack you want. The tonneau that rolls up. And then remove the roof top tent before you put the truck in the garage. This is what I might do. Granted that is a huge pain to put on and off but not terrible considering the alternatives. Just a thought.

Scenario 3 seems the most cost effective if I am reading this correctly. Get a lower rack. and then you have enough clearance. In this scenario you are only swapping racks.

I feel your pain ... thinking carefully about your options helps me think through my best path forward. Of course, I hate to say it but maybe you should not get the lift. The bigger question is do you really need the lift? And if you do what is the smallest lift you can get away with. That might make all of this easier.

Do you have a picture of your setup? I'd like to see it. It might help visualize.

 

I had a deposit in on a GFC, but backed out after the production models showed up. I ended up with a trailer instead. Having a trailer was nice but you ended up hauling around a lot of extra junk just because you had the space. Trails can be a pain if you need to turn around. People also underestimate how difficult it can be to find parking at times, especially if you are traveling out west. Trailer ended up having a leaking problem and was eventually bought back from the manufacturer.

after that, I decided I was going to be contained within a vehicle footprint. I was going to put it on my Tacoma but giving I already had nearly 100k miles on it, decided it made more sense to put it on a tundra and enjoy the space, power, fuel range and load capacity. So far it’s been great, just wish I could actually use it this year.

 

I have a Softopper and it’s been great so far, can drop it in a minute and remove the platform.

 

Your rack has 4 bolts, then it comes off why not remove it when your not camping. Bam, problem solved!

 

And the tent just walks itself?