Habitat AT or Alu-Cab with a 3+ person tent, which is better?

So here is my use case, I have a family of 4 (2 kids aged 7 ad 4). I am looking for a setup for weekend and extended weekend car camping. I live in Utah and have a 2019 DCSB MT. I don't use my truck to haul all that often and I used to own a F150 with a topper and rarely ever removed it. My current commute is 10 miles per day three days a week, and 90 miles per day two days a week.

I had absolutely planned to drop cash on the Habitat, but I am now on the fence. The 90 mile commute days is probably why I am the most concerned. I only get 18mpg combined in the stock config.

The Habitat will be the better camper with access to the bed from the tent, the option to install a heater, has better space than pretty much any RTT, even 4 person models, and would probably be lighter than a canopy plus RTT. I like the idea of being able to access the bed from the tent to store clothes and for the kids to be able to use a porta-potty in the middle of the night without having to get dressed and climb down a ladder. The disadvantage of the Habitat is that it is sub-par on accessible storage. The side doors are very expensive, small, and don't have matching storage box solutions like you'd find on other canopies like Alu-cab.

The Alu-cab offers much better storage and I can get a really nice fully optioned setup (including a RTT, kitchen cubby, and recovery gear cubby) for the price of the Habitat without any options. The Alu-cab will be better for access to gear on the trail. It will be far easier to remove a RTT and only install it for camping trips. Without the RTT, the canopy will be easy to live with on a daily driver. There is another financial benefit in that I can buy a canopy now and a tent a few months later so I don't have to drop 9k at once.

So, I am looking for any and all comments, recommendations, opinions, and thoughts about which setup is better. A big part of my uncertainty is I just moved out to Utah and don't really know how many trips or nights a year would be camping and how much I'll just be hauling my camping setup back and forth through SLC traffic (not crazy like Florida traffic, but the commute miles sucks).

-Chris.

 

I think you really need to analyze how often you plan on going camping, realistically. I think for camping, the habitat wins every time. But for general utility, I'd say alucab.

 

I am thinking about 24-30 days a year is a fair goal for my family. Alucab is probably the smart choice.

 

Id say alu-cab however also think of adding an awning with enclosed room. I myself have a family of 4. kids slept in the awning while me and the mrs slept in the rtt. I know with your kids being younger this might not work but in general the amount of space and ease of setup as well as low cost also make this a great option.

 

That is something I didn't think of; well awning, yes, awning enclosure, no. That will be a good expansion area for when the kids get bigger or for when one wants to bring a friend along. That, and when the bugs hit.

 

Exactly! It worked great, had room for two cots and all their personal stuff Numerous nights it had all 4 of us in there hanging out even with my 80lb dog. For the cost, while at least when talking rtt type money it's a great option to have with you when you feel like you need it and then can become a place for the kids when they get older.

Keep us updated! Love those Alu cab Shells!

 

A Vagabond Outdoors Drifter or GFC could be other options for you. Less interior space but much better side access and daily utility as a result. Combined with a side awning/room you’d have a good amount of space.

 

I'd buy a GFC if it was just the wife and me. I need more space though; I'm looking for a 4 person tent.

 

Perhaps you already plan to tow something else but if not In your situation I would consider a small travel trailer.

 

Actually that is exactly what I moved into once my kids got older:

Aliner titanium 12, would be perfect for the op. Queen bed, dinette turns into additional bed. Heat, stove, outdoor shower and kitchen sink.

 

Being an A-frame what did you do for an awning if you did anything?

 

As of right now, I have one on the truck which works great. I know Aliner does make one but it's kinda odd. I'm going to look into doing something, but not on the priority list for now.

 

I had an RTT on top of a canopy (not AluCab) on my Tacoma, and I got rid of it. I had a FlipPac on my previous T100. Once you’ve experienced a setup where you can access the tent from the shell and vice versa, it’s a game-changer. It’s not just access, it’s the room. The Habitat will have more interior space than a FWC or cabover camper. With a DCSB that space utilization is critical. On the other hand, I know what you mean about weight and gas mileage ... so my current setup is no shell or vehicle tent, just a tonneau cover to keep things secure and dry, and big ground tent. Also, as someone with grown kids, they just get bigger! So I wouldn’t make an expensive choice based on their current ages and sizes. At some point you might want a lot more space than even the Habitat.

 

I think with two kids, even the Habitat is going to be crowded. To get into the truck bed in the middle of the night you'd have to fold up/move at least one of the panels making up the 4 sleeping positions. Obviously easier to do with kids than with four adults, but still worth thinking about.

Also, the porta-potty could be tight to use in the night. You'd probably need to set it up below the panel you remove otherwise headroom would be an issue.

I personally love the Habitat. My wife and I have spent 21 nights in it so far since we picked it up in June of 2018. The Alu-cab, as mentioned above, would be much better for utility and daily driving or offroading, but for camping I'd go with the Habitat.

The awning idea mentioned by @smw62891 is my next project. Just picked up the awning and room Saturday. Gonna be great to have so much more living space once complete.