A little bit about tent cots. When my buddy and I went to northern Canada back in 2016 (to run the Dempster), he bought us two double-sized tent cots from Cabela's.
https://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Deluxe-Tent-Cot-Double/1591314.uts?slotId=1 (sadly, girl not included)
We thought we'd try something different from our usual 10x13' tent with two oversized Army cots. We brought his Jeep ZJ and my little trailer on this trip.
A few things we learned from bringing two of these double sized tent cots:
1. They take up a ton of space when folded up (we had them in the back of his 98 Jeep ZJ - they would not fit inside the rack on top of the trailer - too big)
2. Like any small tent close to the ground, you have to crawl out of them on your hands-and-knees
3. You can't sit up in them (not enough head room)
4. They're not the quickest things to get out of the storage bag, unfold, and get ready for sleeping in
5. There's a bar running down the middle, so you have to sleep on one side, or the other (no sleeping in the middle)
6. One you're inside and in your sleeping bag though, they are pretty comfortable. The double size tent cot is good for one good-sized guy (or I guess two if you're willing to spoon)
7. They weigh about 55lb each
8. If it is cold out, the smaller inside space makes it warmer (or easier to heat since there's less volume to try to heat)
9. You can't store anything not related to the tent cot itself inside the tent cot when folding it up. You have to remove your sleeping bag, mats, pillows, etc.
10. Putting the rainfly on is now a little more difficult with the tent cot being elevated. I have to stand on the cooler when tossing the rainfly on top of the tent cot
11. I like the small awning the rainfly has built-in if you want to use it as such. Other tent cots don't have that ability. The fourth picture show the awning both up and down.
If you pull a trailer on the Dempster, make sure your tow vehicle has mud flaps (learn from our mistake - we didn't have them). After the trip, he took his Jeep home, and left me with one of the tent cots. I thought I'd mount it to the top of the trailer as an RTT (what the heck; it was free to me). So I took off the outer leg braces, and bolted it to the lid of my trailer. I took the rack off the top of the trailer and put it on the roof of my TJ. A couple things I've learned after using this set-up a few times camping:
1. It is actually easier to get in-and-out of now that it is off the ground
2. It is easier to set-up and take-down now that it is off the ground
3. I tried a ladder out the back. Didn't work that great - the spare tire interferes with the ladder
4. I now use a fold-down step on the cooler tray (in the picture beside the ammo can), then stand on the cooler and get into the tent cot (hence the tread on the cooler lid)
5. Getting a cover made was over $400 (You could possibly get it done cheaper). If I were starting from scratch (didn't have a tent cot given to me), I might consider an inexpensive "real" RTT (like a Smitybilt unit). This tent cot costs about $375, so add in the $400 plus for the cover, and you're close to an inexpensive RTT's cost.
6. They do make other tent-cots with more headroom which use fiberglass poles like this one:
http://kamprite.com/shop/tents/tri-fold-series/kamp-rite-double-tent-cot/ (but it would be difficult to get the fiberglass poles in place if the tent cot is elevated on a trailer or rooftop). This Cabela's one uses metal tubing, and is built like a tank.
7. A "real" RTT usually weighs a little over 100lbs for starters. This tent cot weighs about 45 - 50 lbs with the outer legs removed. Makes opening the lid of the trailer a lot easier with less weight.
I'm in no rush to change it out. It is paid for, and it works. I can also store stuff under the tent on the trailer's lid (like traction mats - last picture).
