What is the deal with fixed top camping rigs?

I own an RTT and use it about 20 weekends a year, I think it's fair to say I use my setup more than most. My tent only stays mounted when I am headed out to the mountains. Typically I mount the tent Thursday night so I can roll out of town after work. With that being said one of my pet peeves are the overland bros that leave the RTT, shovel, and traction boards always mounted (This is East Tennessee, not the f'ing Mojave). I agree with your statement

 

Ditto . Just off for the winter. And let's be honest, people are looking at my pro grill brah, not my tent. Get what I'm pitchin?

 

Since mine is incorporated to the topper, it kinda has to stay...do have a SnugTop, but to swap it back and forth is pain even with a pulley system in the garage. The wear and tear does worry me, since it is so old...then again I didn't pay too much for it, if is does get ruined not out too much coin.


If I had a hard shell RTT I would leave it up there all the time. The giant pizza box looking ones I would think knock the mpg down too much to daily with it. Though I am questioning myself daily driving a truck, since the mileage is so poor. I drive 25K miles a year, have a rather large yearly fuel bill. Probably should buy a Prius, but I hate how they look. Might do a Corolla iM or a Civic.

 

I don't own a RTT but I do like them, if a guy wants to have a RTT on his truck year round great.
It could be one of those things were everyday you get off work, walk out to the parking lot and see your truck and know that you could hit the trail at any moment, freedom!!
Way worse things to be into.

 

I do keep a little bit of basic camping gear in the truck at all times for just that. It also helps that I can be on dirt within 10 minutes from work. There are times if I have long lunch break, I'll drive up the mountain right outside of town, park, open the camper up and take a nap.

Takes me 25 minutes from work to get this area.






RTT's aren't anything new either, this is from one of my Handyman books from the 1960's.

 

Thats great! grab a few clothes and hit the road, perfect!
Those retro shots are cool

 

I always keep a duffle with some clothes in it, a little food, and a micro stove. Going to head out for a couple days after work on Saturday actually.

...and thanks! What was old is new again. There was a car camping craze in the 60's and early 70's...fad is just coming back around again.

 

I don't own an RTT but would have liked to have one this past weekend while in FL hunting pigs in the Osceola. Couldn't find a dry spot to camp so I had to settle on one of the developed primitive campsites. Kept thinking if I only had an RTT I could have parked damn near anywhere and made camp. I could see the advantage to having one if you spend a lot of time in swampy/wet areas for sure.

 

I leave my tent and stuff on all the time because I don't have a great place to put it...apartment life. Sure its a little #EAF, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I've had to pull out the traction boards a few times to pull dumbass Honda drivers out of the snowy shoulders in the Cottonwoods, so there is some functionality there as well. I keep them stowed in the bed though, don't need to go full Camel Trophy on the way to Trader Joe's for some groceries...

Plus it seems like I always am getting last minute invites to go do cool stuff, so having the truck ready to go with ~30-60 mins notice just makes sense for me.

30 mins from text message invite to pulling out, an hour later:

 

Mine stays on year round, for the exact reasons people have mentioned. If I only used it couple times a year, I wouldn't have got one in the first place? duh.

Buddy: Yo, spontaneous overnight trip to the lake, meet at chevron in an hour, bring firewood, beer and del taco.
Me: I'm already in town, I'll be there in 30.

I've also camped in the snow, I will say it was great being off the ground. Factually, I don't know how much colder/warmer it is, but that's what the correct rated sleeping bag is for.

 

We camp in high 20s with a teton sleeping bag and the ambient temp in there with sweats and a hoodie is more than adequate. Still haven't tested it down to the teens due to time.

 

I agree

I was, if I remember correctly, in the teens for a couple nights, I was good inside! but damn it was cold putting it away hah.

 

I liked Mesa, AZ when we lived there mid-90's. Wife had the airs, so to speak, but I liked it. I'd go ten miles north, hike around at Usery Mountain in 110-120 degrees with two 2l bota bags, straw hat soaked with water, white t-shirt soaked for the swamp cooler effect. Then go another five miles north and flyfish the cold Salt River. That river runs strong into Phoenix, that's a deep strong river, then completely disappears. Phoenix eats it up, there is nothing that comes out the south side of Phoenix.

 

Lol the shovels make me laugh. I'm certainly not judging those that either use them a lot so it makes sense to keep it mounted, or they just don't have room to store it. But when I drive around on base on my way to work, I always pass this one white 2nd gen Tacoma. It looks like a sweet truck, and he always has his big tent mounted, shovel strapped to the side of his bed-rack, and gas cans strategically placed on the rear of the rack. And the way that he parks, always looks like he is trying to show off. But shit, maybe he lives in an apartment too and cant remove the thing. Still makes me kinda laugh when I see it parked outside the dude's workplace like he's getting ready to go overlanding at any minute, every single day.

But again, if you use the thing often (and I'm sure plenty of people do) then props to you, and my bad for judging

 

Yea, I imagine it would be a bit of a pain to remove by yourself. I remember back when I was a kid helping my dad remove just a regular shell and that was a big pain. But yeah, living in AZ I'm already worrying about the effects of sun damage to my truck itself, and I have only had it since August haha. When my truck isn't in a garage when not being used, I don't like it. I guess maybe partially it's because this is my first ever brand new vehicle and it wasn't cheap, so I'm really trying to keep it as nice as I can.

I would definitely take a Corolla. I would love to have a vehicle that got really good gas mileage, but I don't want a 3rd vehicle at the moment. My 2 Tacomas are enough for now

 

Salt River is awesome. I floated it twice last summer. It is crazy to think it just kinda disappears once it gets to Phoenix. I actually floated it on the very last day of the season last year. I think it was September 30th. By then, it was still flowing enough to move, but there were some areas so shallow we had to get off our tubes and walk. Then, there were also some spots that our tubes literally stopped moving and we had to get off and swim. It got dark on us, and we still had at least 1 more hour of floating to get back to the parking lot. Probably won't be doing it that late into the year again. I'd love to check it out like in June or something, I'm sure it would be going pretty strong then

 

The sun there is wicked! My truck the clear coat is baked off...used to bother me but when you're running the back country, the last thing you worry about is paint. We had 3 vehicles there for a while, she has an Isuzu Trooper and the VW Bus (that has since been sold) kinda miss that...when one would break had the 3rd for a back up. Even though my truck is old and has 365K miles on it (yeah Toyota!) I hate putting commuting miles on it. Think I need to break down and get a commuter....not much of a car person, always had trucks since I have been driving, other than a couple muscle cars which those were play things, not all that practical.

So either a Corolla iM or Rav4 (have been looking at VW Golf Sportwagens too) for a run around vehicle and just use the truck for camping and when the winter weather is really bad. Kinda wish Toyota had a little 2WD truck that would get mid 30's for mpg, be nice for commuting and hauling the dirt bike, but they don't... oh well. Think that is a car with a small trailer if I am wanting that kind of mileage.

Modern version of the 2WD 5 lug w/7' bed would be perfect.

The other half used to live in Mesa in the mid 80's, her ex was stationed at the base where CodyH is, IIRC. Then they lived in Panama in the early 90's. She likes the heat, me not so much. She gets her fix here, the summers we can get up into the 100's, but it isn't like AZ heat where it is a 100º by 7:00 am, here it hits late afternoon evening like around 5-7:00 PM. We also stay light until 9:30-10:00 pm. So at least you have half they day before it gets too gnarly.

Yeah it is crazy how the Salt just disappears, the Rillito in Tucson used to run year round I am told.

We used to go mountain biking at South Mountain and Estrella, that and up to Flag, Sedona, Prescott, and the White Mountains. Now I barely touch the bicycles and it is all about twisting throttles.

 

Yeah that would be me, though I keep the shovel and whatnot inside the bed, and the Wildernest is "somewhat" stealthier. Do have an ARB bumper, but I wanted one since the early late 80's early 90's...long before the Overland fad thing took off. IIRC it was 4Wheel&Offroad did an a project early 90's Pickup with an ARB, and thought it was the coolest thing, never seen anything like that before. (I'll see if I can find a picture of it) When I lived in AZ we used to go to Colorado up near Crusty Butt (Taylor Park to be exact)...usually roll in at about 2-3:00 am in the morning....and the amount of wildlife on the side of the roads in the early morning is staggering...that is what made me buy an ARB. Though now having a 60 mile round trip commute...think it s more for fending of idiot drivers than having deer or coyotes ping off it.

 

This is exactly why I bought a truck tent. I feel as though it does the same thing. either way i'm off the ground. here's my set up

 

Where did you find the table with a sink?