Advantages of ground tents over camping in your vehicle.

[Photobug]

I have no more problem sleeping in the back of my truck or a tent than I do sleeping in my bed at home, I sleep poorly in my own bed also.

After considering a towable or popup for my truck I picked up a class C RV. It is not only way more comfortable of a bed but when I am awake when all others are still asleep, I enjoy the perfect climate controlled environment with all the amenities at hand.

I have been considering a hot tent Bell Tent or TP for places I can only get to in my truck.

 

[TwinStick]

One thing most don't bring up is inclement weather. I say this because most people don't take their rooftop tent on & off for each adventure. Where we live, many people go south or south west for winter. It would be very difficult to dry out a rooftop tent if it was put away wet and driven home to Buffalo NY or any cold weather state in the winter. Ground tent can easily be opened & draped over something in the house or basement.

Also, most people don't have a heated garage or one big enough to open up a rooftop tent in. Or forget about it altogether because they have to use that same vehicle to go to work the next day.

There is a great video on YouTube of a famous Youtuber who had a VERY expensive overland trailer with a VERY expensive rooftop tent, that molded up really bad because he forgot to open it up & dry it out, after it was put away wet/damp.

I have been extremely happy with every tent we have ever bought from Cabelas. We have a "hot weather" 3 person tent, for about $150. I used nikwax on the rain fly & it has withstood many a wicked rain storm & no leaks. We also had a Cabelas Alaskan Guide 8 person tent. If you want a tent that laughs at extreme weather, it's that one. Available in 4,6 & 8 person. The very first time we put ours up, a wicked storm came in off Lake Ontario. It just sat over us for 8 hrs. Thunder, lightning, sustained 50 mph winds, coming down in sheets and sideways. Not one drop came in. Next morning, trees were down & everyone wanted to know what kind of tent it was. Lol

We have lots of inclement weather conditions here, so it's a real thing. If you live in a sunny state where 95% of days are sunny with no rain, none of this would apply to you.

 

[Flyelk1]

I didn’t notice anybody mention Springbar tents. Amazing tents for car camping. Tons of room, stand up entry, and extreme weather resistance to include wind.
I have had mine up in unbelievably bad weather and they are amazing. The design of the frame is the key. Just another option.

 

[SlickRope]

I wish we could get Colman Gold tents outside Australia. They seem to hit all the marks and are priced really well.

 

[vintageracer]

We enjoy our Shift-Pod tent for ground camping and many other uses away from camping such as music events and car shows for a place out of the sun/weather.

 

[zelseman]

We use an RX5 when we are on a big trip or have a lot of gear. Our backpacking tent comes along on quick or solo trips for just a weekend or overnighter. I have been intrigued by the Oztent RS1 swag, looks like the best of both worlds for solo travel.