Roof Top Tents 101. I'm a Noob.

[collkid]

So,

My wife and I recent bought a 2001 Toyota 4runner. 160k. 4x4. blah blah blah.

She is JUST getting interested in camping and decided she would feel safer in a RTT.

I've never had one of these, but used one while I was traveling in Australia.


I need basic info:
Can I use the stock racks that we have?
What kind of setup am I looking for?
Can we get something for under $1,000?
Can you give me some links/brands to look for?
Is it worth it to buy used?


Basically, we want something that will fit me (6'4) and my wife/dog and future child.


I know these are basic question, but help a brother out!

 

[Mass_Mopar]

Can I use the stock racks that we have?

A small tent, possibly. Anything medium or large, probably not. Rain-gutter mounted aftermarket roof racks like Thule and Yakima are the way to go. Medium tent will need 2 bars, large tent will need 3. They are expensive new, but are usually available used on CL.

What kind of setup am I looking for?
Can we get something for under $1,000?
Can you give me some links/brands to look for?
Is it worth it to buy used?

Read up:
http://expeditionportal.com/buyers-guide-soft-shell-roof-top-tents/

Buying tips: Some vendors offer limited yearly group buys, with decent discounts or free shipping. If you're close to a distributor, drive there and pick it up to save yourself 100-300 on shipping. They might even help you install it.

Keep an eye on the for-sale sections of the forums and CL for used tents. Some people buy them, don't like them, and sell.

Basically, we want something that will fit me (6'4) and my wife/dog and future child.

Tent size is a tough call. Bigger is better if you want to stuff the whole family up there, but bigger also means more expensive and heavier. I have a CVT brand "Mt Shasta" for 3 years now. I'm 6'4", the wife is 5'2", and the dog is 50lbs, and we fit comfortably up there. That said, all 3 of us absolutely love the tent and would buy another in a heartbeat. It makes camping easier to setup and more comfortable, so we end up going more often.

 

[NatersXJ6]

In short, a roof top tent is the grown up version of the kick-azz blanket fort you kept trying to build as a kid!

My kids LOVE it! So does their dad!

With that said, my wife thought she wanted one until she figured out that you roll a bit on the suspension, and now doesn't like it.

There are lots of rental options, I would recommend that for a first weekend before I dropped a bunch of money.

 

[Kerensky97]

I think you'll be dipping into questionable territory going under $1000. I think $1200-1400 is more reasonable for a dependable 2 man sized tent. More for family tents.
I already did a lot of camping so it was easy to gauge the floorspace I wanted, the Tepui Kukenam was same footprint as my 2 man tent, a bit on the big side. The smaller 2 man tents would be SUPER cozy with 2 people in it. If you factor in having clothes bags and room to move around if your wife has "The jimmy legs" you'll want the extra space. Also good when you have a small child, then after they hit 5 or so you can upgrade your tent to a 4 man.

 

[collkid]

Wise option.

I might have to look and see if I can rent one for a weekend.

 

[tgreening]

I'm not going to comment on the which brand and what size, others have got that covered. I'll ask what kind of camping do you do? Do you pull into a spot, set up camp, and leave your vehicle in place for the duration, or do you use the vehicle as transport during your stay?

Can your wife/kids/dog/you get through the night, consistently, without having to make the Potty Call?

If you use your vehicle for transport a rtt sucks IMO. It's easier than setting up and breaking down a tent everyday, but you don't. Setting up and breaking down a rtt every day gets old very very fast.

A big trip up and down the ladder every night for a tinkle might not go over quite so well with the wife n kids. It sure didn't with mine.

Garage parking can be an issue as well.

IMO, the best system for a rtt is mounted on a trailer. Park it, set it up, and forget about it till you're ready to move camp. And it's not so far off the ground as to be too much in and out hassle for the occupants. Sure makes tossing Fido up in there a bit easier as well.

Anyway, some food for thought.