Roof top tents, why?

I think the real reason for the roof/bed tents is that the truck market has skewed heavily towards double cabs and short beds of the last years/decade. Folks want to sleep in their truck and not on the ground for all the reasons given above (mud, snow, hassle, time, safety) but they can't sleep in the bed because it's not long enough. The short beds are unappealing for a number of reasons, but the main one for me is you can't sleep in the bed (admittedly if you're much over 6' you can't sleep in a standard/long bed either, have to get an 8' bed with a Tundra). The stealth ability of a heavily tinted camper shell is unparalleled in my opinion. Not so much with a short bed and an (expensive, complicated) bed tent. Plus, shells stay warmer I think--I've done January in Minnesota in mine with just a normal sleeping bag and a duvet with no issues. Further, I'd always be paranoid of weather blowing me in the tent off of the platform or (just as worse) dropping something on the side of the bed from up in the tent causing ding, scratch, dent etc. Plus those elaborate metal platforms they perch on always look like they take up a ton of room. Though the bed tents do seem to be overwhelmingly popular and I guess must be comfortable, but a six foot bed and a well-sealed topper can't be beat IMHO.

 

Haha! holy, the only thing missing is the kitchen sink. That looks like a homeless dudes dream house! I'm sure that setup works awesome for you and is comfy.
Ill take a RTT over hauling all that stuff around.

 

Looks like a TOC.

 

It is the only way I can get my wife to come camping with me. The air mattress/memory foam topper and queen sleeping bag with sheets combination is more comfortable than our memory foam mattress at home, so she likes that part about camping. And pretty much ONLY that part. I set the timer on the coffeemaker before I leave to go fish and it goes off at 9am. She doesn't even have to go outside the tent to get a cup. Then gets back in bed with the laptop and watches Tom Sellec movies on CDs. She loves snuggle bunnying in it until I come back for lunch. The A/C keeps it cool in the heat. Air mattresses are cold in the winter. I discovered that if you put the electric blanket under the air mattress instead of on top of you it will heat the air in the mattress and you won't get cold on the bottom and end up tossing and turning to get the cold side up all night. With a little cube electric heater

ISILER Space Heater, 1500W Portable Ceramic Space Heater with Adjustable Thermostat Tip-Over Overheat Protection ETL Certified for Home Office Garage

Amazon.com: ISILER Space Heater, 1500W Portable Indoor Heater, Ceramic Space Heater Adjustable Thermostat Tip-Over Overheat Protection, Hot Cool Fan Electric Heater for Home Office Garage with ETL Certified : Home & Kitchen it stays warm in the winter. This setup DOES take a lot of room to haul. Haven't used it yet traveling in the Taco. I like the convenience, extreme comfort and warmth of the hammock if it is just me. It is almost as comfortable as this setup. After almost sixty years of camping I don't do uncomfortable roughing it anymore.

 

Quick setup for some RTTs, I take mine off in the winter. I definitely like sleeping in the RTT over a tent on the ground, even with a nice cot or pad.

 

4 door + 6ft bed + soft topper + bed tent extension + cargo box + overland trailer = the answer. Bed in the truck is always made and comfy with 4" thick high density foam.

 

i have a camper shell with tinted windows and it works just fine.

 

Confirmed. Not only do you need to buy the RTT - you need to buy the rack to mount it to your taco.

Confirmed. Not only kills gas mileage, but makes your stock Taco suspension feel like your grandma's Buick. Helpers, Sumos, Bags, or stiffer leafs are needed IMO.

Negative. My FSR High Country 55in Premium has been on my trailer 1+ years in the weather without issue. I've had the tent deployed in several rain storms. No issues as long as you open it back up to dry in good weather.

Nah, before my RTT was atop my XOC (trailer) I had to take the RTT off of the Leitner Rack b/c my garage door wasn't tall enough. I just used the flip method in the vid below. If you have lady strength the method will not work.

Other benefits:

• If you upgrade to a trailer with a walkable roof (Imperial Outdoors Xplore X-22) or a trailer with a roof rack (Vorsheer XOC, Blackbean, etc.) you can keep the RTT for added sleeping capacity. My niece and nephews love it because it is like a tree-fort.
• Depending on the RTT, you have a platform that hangs over creating an area that you can deploy a bug screen, or canvas privacy area for your toilet or shower setup.
• I sleep better in bear country up off the ground or in the teardrop with my .308 next to me.
• Another benefit is the thicker skin you develop from getting made fun of by the hammock and ultra-light backpack people who think a 50 pound ruck is excessive for camping

OP - if you don't see the value in an RTT FOR SURE do not get one as you will not be happy. I purchased mine because the hotels outside Yellowstone decided to price gouge and charge $300+/night and I said fuck-no to London / New York prices in effing Cody, WY. That started my journey and I had such a good time out in the bush I bought a teardrop to full-time in.

 

And that would be me! And a 50lb ruck IS excessive.

 

Not sure who it appeals to, probably people who never tried camping in the bed of their truck with a camper shell over them and realized how easy, safe, and fast that can be, or those who bought a 5' bed Tacoma.

 

See also: The desert of the American Southwest. Ain't no trees!

 

Hah, I have a similar set up. I cut 6" off a Beddinga Ikea mattress that fits on a platform in my truck under the camper shell. When it's not being used in the truck, it is "stored" on the futon frame in my house, after I add the cut pieces of foam back in the mattress case. Incredibly covert and comfortable, and you can sleep in rest stops and truck stops too if travelling the interstate.

 

Even if you have a 5' bed. This tent will extend your bed by the 2' depth of your tailgate.
https://softopper.com/products/softopper-camper-top-tent-ac-ctent-mid-size-mid-size/

Obviously the big drawback of sleeping in your truck bed is storing all your camping supplies.... Removing supplies, making your bed, reloading supplies in a hurry if needed..

 

Trees? TREES? We don't need no stinkin' trees!:






Your Honor, the hammock defense rests.

 

Exactly, some of us use our trucks and need to store gear and dogs ECT..

 

Did a ripcord camper/RTT.. just used it 10 days in a row. From parking to camp set up and dinner cooking, 15 minutes. Take down was just as fast. (Literally 2 minutes for the tent up and 2 for down). Made car camping super easy.

 

Dude.... you're a fruit roll-up from a Grizzly's perspective. A nice, dry meat roll-up in packaging.

 

Yeah, you right. They call hammocks "bear tacos". Down here though, we only have little honey bears that migrate into Texas from the swamps of Louisiana. Very few. What we do have is cougar, and I haven't heard of one snacking on a hammock hanger...so far. I'd be most concerned about hogs though: My daughter worked with the lady who was killed by a pack of hogs in a front yard in Anahuac Texas. Smartest animal in the woods.

If bears concern a person then they should probably stay home and get a different hobby.

 

Personally, I have had 2 RTTs. I would never recommend soft shells to anyone, the setup and takedown was pretty annoying. Now that I have a hard shell, I love it. The shell is aluminum and I can literally walk on top of it.

One of the major reasons I love my my RTT is the fact that I can pack shit inside of it. I have 4 full size pillows, all bedding, extra blankets, and my kids sleeping bags in it. Even better, I can throw my paddle boards on top of it. I have it fully wired into the truck and it has lighting *inside and outside*, and USB ports…

Them my roof gets 2 95L roam cases with our gear, and the bed gets nothing but my fridge, my dogs, and my bbq. This keeps the cab completely open and clean. At night my giant dogs sleep in the bed of the truck cozy with their beds. The setup time on this tent, is literally 5 minutes..

It makes sense for some people, and not for others. For me it makes perfect sense and makes camping 10x easier.