Roof Top Tents - A fad?

I completely disagree. Any separation that breaks the ease of an animal's curiosity always help. Black bears are plenty out here and I haven't had a single one check out the tent. Can't say the same for my ground tent.

 

You see that video of the guy in the tree stand? That bear didn't seem impeded by the height...

I'm sure you feel safer in the RTT, that's great. I'm sure I would too. I just don't think that the increase in perceived safety from bears is enough to use it as a selling point for the RTT's. There are plenty of other selling points.

 

I really like the idea of the RTT, my wife on the other hand is afraid that she will get attacked by a bear or? I have a canopy on my truck now and I am hoping that I can get her out and enjoy some time away from everyone and everything to have some good times with the two of us. Then maybe I can get her into the tent. I am from Alaska and we slept in tents, on boats and on the ground in the summer time. I wouldn't like to meet up with a bear and would probably shit my pants and run it over with my truck as I made my escape, ahh but I think the odds of that happening is pretty slim, I hope?

 

Was thinking of running a “pee hose” out the bottom of the tent and down bellow the truck. I’m plenty toasty with a -35* sleeping bag, and a weather hood. I’m sure it works great, just dont really feel the need to sleep with my piss.

 

I'm gonna jimmy rig one on my ladder racks using 2by's and ratchet straps. I can fit a 5x7 tent up there, throw a tarp down under the boards and have a covered truck bed.

 

My .02. It's not a fad.
But, my thoughts pretty much echo a lot of others: It's a lot of weight, money, etc. for a system that might not really work for some. As a single guy biking/kayaking on my own or +1, a mid rise canopy with a sleep platform would be perfect, while keeping many of the RTT advantages. I can leave my bedding as is, with a platform I still have tons of room for gear, the roof rack is available for bikes/kayaks, I can sleep basically anywhere I park the truck. I'm also saved from some of the classic RTT headaches: removing it from the truck, packing up a wet tent/mildew nastiness, doing a beer run after you set up camp..

That said, if I ever was feelin' a RTT-type system, I'd save up my nickels and go with an AT habitat, Go Fast Camper, or even an Alu-Cab. Way more expensive sure, but a ton more utility, gear hauling and a rack. I know hardshell RTT's with a rack exist, but once you put a bike or kayak on top, they just get comically high.

 

I just got got rid rid of my 2006 Ford E250 4x4 van and went to a Tacoma. The main reason I got rid of the van was because every time you want to wheel, bike another location or need to run to town, you have to break down everything. I went back to my pop up camper.

 

There are a 1000 different solutions for a 1000 different situations. I know my popup wouldn't last 5 miles on a rough dirt road (I tried). So if you wheel and want to camp, it's not bad option. It's certainly better for the type of adventures where you are going from one place to another and just set up for a night.

If you're the type that does a base camp and goes out for day trips, yeah, an RTT seems like a dumb idea. Either a conventional rv trailer (if it will survive the trip to base camp), or an offroad trailer with a rack and an RTT or similar setup is what you need.

Sleeping in the bed for anyone with a droublecab is a hilariously dumb idea unless a person of your stature needs foot extensions to reach the pedals, but even my xtracab was short on bed space, and I'm only 5'9"... Add another human in there the space is even worse.

 

Its a fad like rock music, fiber optic, velcro, radial tires, bar codes, electricity from atomic energy and other silly fads from the 50s that won't last.

http://www.namiotdachowy.pl/en/azienda/history.html

 

I could never justify the price of a RTT but I understand that some just want to be able to get outdoors and glamp it up..I always say to each their own

 

Haha glamping. Right.

 

We've used ours all over the place. I like being able to set up anywhere, and it makes it easier for my wife to be comfortable. When sleeping alone I can curl up most anywhere, but my wife would rather be comfortable and off the ground. We've camped in a ground tent all over the country and finally upgraded last year to a RTT. Mostly it's because of our yearly soggy camping weekend in Vermont in the early fall where we end up off kilter in a ground tent. Now we use it a couple times a month, 8 months or so a year.

The other added benefit is being able to camp on the beaches here in NY without having to sleep in the cab. NY state beaches (the ones that allow 4x4 access) forbid ground tent camping, but campers and RTTs are good to go.

 

The "overlanding" style is absolutely glamping. It may not be an RV with satellite tv, but the amount of shit we cram in our trucks and tents makes Boy Scouts look like third world savages.

 

I think the "glamping" aspect, for me, has more to do with the cost of all that crap, not just the amount of it.

$60 mount for your $200 tablet for nav, a $2500 RTT on your $1000 rack, $1500 bumpers (each), $1000 rock sliders, $200 traction aids and the $50 mount for them, $50 for a shovel mount, and it seems like a lot of guys are throwing this stuff on their brand new $50k rigs.

It boggles the mind how quickly all that adds up.

 

Right. But there's a few steps between being an Instagram/YouTube warrior overlander and the people who use RTT as a tool in their outdoor lifestyle. This was commenting on RTT in general .

 

These poll results are inconclusive

 

If I was into Camping like I used to be, I'd be rocking those in a Heartbeat.

Now I don't camp at all, but am thinking of picking one of these up as a "just in case" measure!

Milliard Truck Tent | Standard 6.5ft Bed

https://www.amazon.com/Milliard-Tru...137447&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=truck+tent&psc=1


Or I might consider this, but doubt it, probably a little cramped! (Might be good for Bears)

$33 FBSPORT Bed Car Mattress Camping for Sleeping Travel Inflatable Air Universal SUV Extended Couch with Two Pillows

https://www.amazon.com/FBSport-Infl...F8&qid=1521137447&sr=8-13&keywords=truck+tent

 

I agree with you. I'm not making any money off of the fun we have, and I'm lucky enough to have a career that allows me the freedom to take random trips. Not being dependent on YouTube views or IG followers for income makes what we do more fun.

 

Welp, I did it...called up Tuff Stuff this afternoon and they said they only had 2 Delta tents left (the 3 person one on their website that they sell for $900).

Gave me $100 off for picking it up in person and paying with cash, solid deal. They've only got one more in stock as of the end of today so call 'em in the morning if you want that last one lol