Roof Top Tent (RTT) Questions

Hi everyone! I am new to this forum, and I'm so glad to be apart of it.

I have a question for all of you that will listen.

I'm thinking about getting a roof top tent (RTT). Do any of you have one? If so, what are the pros and cons of a RTT?

Thank you all so much for your time and your help!

 

As someone who was originally very much against getting an RTT because they find their price stupid ridiculous.. I grew up in the boy scouts and camping my entire life. I'm still a crazy avid camper. Well, I bought an RTT 2 days ago, picking it up today. What changed? First and foremost, I got a damn good deal. But money isn't everyone's problem, so I'll move on. The next deciding factor was being able to camp all year around, now you can do that no problem without an RTT, but I'm lazy often and wanted things to be easy if I'm going out in "miserable" weather conditions. This brought me right back to an RTT because their setup and takedown are (to me at least) much simpler in most cases, so if I'm in crap weather I won't feel as annoyed taking camp down, either scenario I'd be opening tents up to dry out when back home. The next thing that pulled me to an RTT ties in with all year around camping and bad weather, is the ground in which I'll be on, with an RTT up on the truck I don't have to worry about clearing a spot of debris or sleeping on top of snow and/or rocks, no worrying about flat ground just gotta make sure my truck is level, easy. Bugs have never been a problem in tents for me, but some say having an elevated tent helps keeping them away, so I'll add that in here. Lastly, but probably not actually, they usually are made of much higher quality materials and I like that if anything breaks or rips, it's actually pretty easy to contact the RTT manufacturer and get a replacement whatever and they are reasonably priced or free depending on the circumstances. This is really great because then I know my RTT will last just as long, but more than likely, longer than any of my ground tents.

In the end, this was an investment I wasn't wanting to get into, but now that I'm in it, I'm actually extremely happy and wish I got into an RTT sooner.

 

I'll never sleep on the ground again. And I've been camping most of my 50 years on this tiny planet.

It's NOT perfect though. Setup/take down is a breeze and quick. Leveling can be tricky or easy depending on where you are. Some don't like climbing in/out on a ladder. Many posts on this site talking about all 3 items I mentioned above...and much, much more depth on owning RTT.

Good luck!

 

For me it is a night and day difference between RTT camping and ground tent camping. The RTT is way easier to set up and take down, plus considerably more comfortable, which gets more important every year that I get older.

Price? Yeah, buy once, cry once.

The only con for me is the hit to MPGs vs taking it off and on, but really after all the crap that we tend to do to our trucks, you forget about it after a while. It's just another thing.

Check out the RTT owner's thread. Much discussion there on the subject.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-rtt-owners-thread-with-bs.312269/

 

Spot on comments. And absolutely to the MPGs. 13.7 mpg with strong headwind just last week. I was loaded down too though. A bit lighter and around 16 mpg on the way home though. Take down...I've been leaving my tent attached to my bed rack which seems to have eased that pain, a little. 4 bolts lift and done. Kind of. I make it sound easy but dang. Still working on this aspect.

But would not change anything. Love my tent and my son does too. We've got lots of exploring to do.

Good luck again to the OP.

 

My wife and I upgraded to an RTT about a year ago, and never looked back. There are some pretty significant differences and even a few drawbacks vs. ground tents, but for us, the comfort far outweighs them. Believe it or not, one of the biggest drawbacks for me is getting out of it and down the ladder in the middle of the night to go pee, especially after a few beers around a campfire. It's certainly not a daunting task, but it's much more of a chore than simply opening the door to your ground tent and stepping a couple of feet outside.

Another thing to consider is the setup/tear-down. Most will tell you it's "easier" with an RTT, but it really depends on your situation. We were using a Gazelle T4 "hub" tent for our ground tent setup. That thing literally takes 30 seconds to set up. You just unzip it from the bag, and pop the sides out. But..... you need a nice flat, smooth, dry place to put it, and you need to set up cots or sleeping pads or air mattresses inside to sleep on. That's where the RTT has a significant advantage. You can literally camp anywhere that you can park your rig. It's easy to level it out by stacking rocks and pulling your tires onto them (or you can pick up a set of those nifty "RV leveling blocks" that are like giant Lego pieces), and there's a plush memory foam mattress already inside. We also keep some bedding inside when it's stowed, although the ability to do this will vary by brand/model.

If the RTT is mounted very high (on top of a full-height bed rack, or on top of an SUV, for example), then it's more of a pain to set up and tear down. We actually sold our Nissan Xterra and purchased our Tacoma for this very reason. I was tired of climbing up onto all 4 tires and getting my clothes all muddy or dusty from the side of the vehicle just to set up and tear down the tent. So my advice is to keep it as low as you can for your setup, or if it must be high, consider one of the easier to set up designs (like a hard-shell, or the i-Kamper style).

I highly recommend CVT, if you're looking at a soft shell. The Mt. Shasta model is a perfect size for two people and a small child or a dog (or even a couple of dogs, if the sleep "cozy" with you). We had a Front Runner RTT before purchasing our CVT Mt. Rainier (the next size larger than the Mt. Shasta), and the quality difference is night and day. The newest design (what they call their "hybrid model") eliminates the hassle of dealing with a full travel cover on the tent, as it has a smaller cover that just comes down and protects the sides. When the tent is folded up, the top is actually a flat/hard surface with tie-down rails and crossbars, so you can actually mount bicycles or kayaks or other items on top of the tent when it's closed. It's pretty ingenious!

 

Thank you so much for your opinions and for your help!

You bring up such good points, camping all year round, ease of set up and break down, being able to camp all year round, and ease of camping in the elements. These are all things that I have been thinking about too.

I like your point about the quality of them as well. The ones I have been looking at look extremely durable and are made of quality materials too.

Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.

 

Thank you so much for your opinions.

Set up and break down is a major factor for me too.

Leveling, I'm not so worried about, but I agree it can be tricky depending whee you are.

The ladder doesn't bother me, but I agree that it is a pain for some.

I have looked at other posts on this site too. Thank you for mentioning that.

 

Thank you so much for your opinions. I really appreciate it.

I have heard a lot of people say the same thing about RTTs vs ground tent camping. The ease of set up and break down and how much more comfortable the RTTs are compared to ground tent set ups.

MPG is something to think about, but I agree with you that it's just another thing.

Thank you so much for the link. I already looked into that one.

 

insulate your bottom flooring CONDESANTION. air them out!

 

Here's a great video to watch, too. The guy talks to a couple of different owners of different styles, and talks about a lot of the pros and cons.

https://www.theinertia.com/mountain/the-pros-and-cons-of-rooftop-tents/

 

I have heard of some amazing ideas to be able to offload your RTT and store it. People have described pulley systems to me that seam really cool.

I'm so glad that you and your family are enjoying your RTT. Have fun out there and thank you so much for your opinions!

 

Thank you so much for your time and your opinions. I really appreciate it.

It is interesting that you too bring up comfort as one of your major pros of a RTT. I have heard that same thing too. I also like your point about being able to camp anywhere. That is my style to a T.

The ladder seams to be a reoccurring con as well, but I understand why after people explain it in detail to me.

Thank you for recommending the leveling blocks as well. I picked up some of those a couple months back and they work amazing!

I will also take your advise on the low profile. I think that is a great point too.

I have heard great things about CVT too. I am looking into a couple of RTTs right now, and the front runners for me are from Tuff Stuff Overland. Have you heard of them? I had a chance to sit in two of them a couple of months back and I was really impressed with what I saw. They have soft-sided tents, hard shell tents, and a hybrid tent.

 

I have heard that an anti-condensation mat really helps with this issue?

Thank you so much for your opinion. I really appreciate it.

 

Install some carpet tile if you want to save money. anti condensation mat cost about $140.. DIY $50

 

Thank you so much for this video. I really appreciate it!

 

Great idea! Thank you so much!

 

I’ve had 3 RTT’s over the last year and a half. Unless you are going to have a bed height or mid height tent I would not go soft cover. It’s a pain the butt to get the cover on and off if your RTT is at or above cab height. (Ask me how I know)

I recommend a hard shell right out of the gate. Spend the extra money to do it right once.

 

Oh this is a great idea actually.

 

I agree with you! Those hard shells are stunning and the set up and break down alone make me want to pop on one.

Thank you so much for your opinions. I really appreciate it.