Fold Out VS. Flat RTTs - Your Experience and Opinion

[t-rex grrr]

Hi All,

Currently in the market for a RTT, but I'm torn between two different styles - Flat vs Fold out.

For those that have either, can you chime in with your thoughts about my pros and cons list, as well as anything I may have left out? Thanks!

Style 1 - FSR M49 - Flat pop-up style
PROS

• The bed is flat and remains flat - never folds
• The closed height is only 9" - low profile
• It's large and spacious inside
• Easier to setup and takedown

CONS

• At 84 inches, the footprint is long and takes up the entire roof rack

Style 2 - Typical fold out RTT like Tepui, ARB, CVT, etc.
PROS

• Only takes up half of the roof rack, so additional roof top storage is available

CONS

• The platform folds out, which results in the middle of the mattress sinking in over time
• Since it's a fold out, the platform may not always be completely flat??

 

[t-rex grrr]

Can anyone share their thoughts/opinions about their foldout tent mattress? Have you noticed any sagging in the middle where the mattress folds when the tent is collapsed?

 

[Theoretician]

Haven't noticed any sagging in the middle of mine in the past six months. I can say that my wife and I love the extra room in the fold-over tent even if the setup/takedown time is longer - it's no challenge to sleep up there and still have our clothes and such up there with us. The annex surrounding the ladder is also awesome for still more room and, and the vestibule around the entrance is great for not having to deal with wet or icy ladders.

Whereas I gather that the pop-up tents go up and down in maybe a minute, we can be sleeping in our fold-out in about two or three minutes. A full setup without the annex takes about ten minutes (popping out the window covers, setting up sheets and the yeti for electronics, etc.). The annex adds maybe ten minutes to setup and take down, but it's optional.

 

[t-rex grrr]

Haven't noticed any sagging in the middle of mine in the past six months. I can say that my wife and I love the extra room in the fold-over tent even if the setup/takedown time is longer - it's no challenge to sleep up there and still have our clothes and such up there with us. The annex surrounding the ladder is also awesome for still more room and, and the vestibule around the entrance is great for not having to deal with wet or icy ladders.

Whereas I gather that the pop-up tents go up and down in maybe a minute, we can be sleeping in our fold-out in about two or three minutes. A full setup without the annex takes about ten minutes (popping out the window covers, setting up sheets and the yeti for electronics, etc.). The annex adds maybe ten minutes to setup and take down, but it's optional.

Thank you very much, sir!

If I were to go with a foldout, I would also prefer the versions with an annex covering the ladder.

 

[zimm]

the advantage of a fold out is leaving 1/2 your rack open for emergency.

my old AO has extension poles that make the sides extend out for great space and roof ventilation. its something i wouldnt give up, but i dont think something like that is available now.

that having been said, i'd now lead towards any unit flat or otherwise unit that pops up for enough headroom for two people to sit at opposite ends, and a little load ability on top. tents are for bad weather, so they have to comfortable for both all day in bad weather.

 

[ducktapeguy]

I have a soft shell (fold out) tent and haven't tried a hard shell (flat) so I can only comment on the advantages and disadvantages of those.

For the fold out style

PROS
1. takes half as much roof space so you have room for additional roof racks. I mount a small rack in front of the tent where i keep clothes and sleeping bags that I can access while inside the tent.
2. Has annex rooms which can be used for an additional tent or lounge area. I think some of the newer hard shell tents like i-kamper have them, but that's kinda a hybrid between the two styles
3. Even without the annex the flip over portion provides shade and shelter next to the car
4. The ones with the overhang protect the ladder and door so you don't get wet entering or exiting the tent

CONS
1. Takes longer to setup. With a fold out style, you really need to be able to access the top of the tent to setup. the hardshell not so much I think. On a lower car, it's not a problem and I can have my tent setup in about 2 minutes or less. On top of my lifted land cruiser, it's more difficult, I physically need to climb on top of it to access the straps.
2. Takes longer to tear down. Same problem as above, you need to be able to reach the top of the tent to pack it away. Depending on the car it's mounted on, it's anywhere between 5-10 minutes.
3. Might be noisier in wind? Not sure how the other styles handle it, but most fold out tents there's some flapping in the wind. On the hard shell models, it doesn't look like there's a lot of window awnings or other protrusions to flop around compared to a typical soft shell. I've had mine in 30-40mph gust and it's noisy, but never been a problem for me.
4. Taller stored profile, more wind resistance while driving. The front of the cover collects a lot of bugs on a long trip, which can be a pain to deal with when you have to handle it during setup.

I've never noticed any sagging of the matterss or uneven floor on mine. the floor angle is dependent on how you set up, it's never a problem to keep it flat.

 

[t-rex grrr]

Thanks for the info, guys! Definitely leaning towards a fold out since it'll allow me to have some extra space on my rack.

 

[jacobconroy]

I have a "flat" one and a folding one. My folding tent doesn't bend the mattress in the middle, but it is much the same as the ones that do.

You might want to consider the type of camping you want to do. If you want to head out for a night, and come back in the morning, the hardshell is much easier to deal with. It holds more bedding (and other things that you need at night). Sets up and goes down much faster, but it's cozy in there (meaning not much space). More aerodynamic, not so hard to dry out after a wet trip.

The Canvas folding tent is much more work to setup (with the vestibule) and take down but it's very roomy and breezier when it's hot out. If you go out for several days at a time, the Canvas tents (in my opinion) are superior. More room, rain cover when entering, place to change clothes while standing up. For multi-day trips, the setup and takedown time aren't nearly as irritating.

I prefer the flat tent, but sometimes the folding tent feels more like camping. My two cents sir!

 

[t-rex grrr]

I have a "flat" one and a folding one. My folding tent doesn't bend the mattress in the middle, but it is much the same as the ones that do.

You might want to consider the type of camping you want to do. If you want to head out for a night, and come back in the morning, the hardshell is much easier to deal with. It holds more bedding (and other things that you need at night). Sets up and goes down much faster, but it's cozy in there (meaning not much space). More aerodynamic, not so hard to dry out after a wet trip.

The Canvas folding tent is much more work to setup (with the vestibule) and take down but it's very roomy and breezier when it's hot out. If you go out for several days at a time, the Canvas tents (in my opinion) are superior. More room, rain cover when entering, place to change clothes while standing up. For multi-day trips, the setup and takedown time aren't nearly as irritating.

I prefer the flat tent, but sometimes the folding tent feels more like camping. My two cents sir!

Thank you for your thoughts! This is exactly the type of info I was looking for - I didn't even consider which would perform better in warmer weather.

 

[jacobconroy]

Thank you for your thoughts! This is exactly the type of info I was looking for - I didn't even consider which would perform better in warmer weather.

Welcome. But, I'm in Montana. "Performing in warm weather" only applies to 6 months of the year around here (if you are "hardcore"). It looks like you are in CA. I didn't notice your locale earlier.

Might be a good idea to research an RTT with good ventilation properties. A folding, canvas tent would probably be the best bet....but, have no fear, you will probably wind up buying more than one RTT before you are done. There really is no better answer than to buy one of each that interests you....then keep the one that is most comfortable for you. I tried like hell to do all the Internet research I could before spending a single dollar. Still wound up with two RTTs. Nearly bought a third last week (thank god the low-post-count seller on this forum was a semi-honerable flake that sold the tent-in-question to someone else after I made an offer that met his conditions).

In my opinion, here is the bottom line: If you want camping to be "easy"...buy a hardshell Baroud or Autohome. If you don't mind the work involved in setting up a "real" tent (including driving stakes into the ground for vestibules...with a hammer...amongst tree roots), buy an Eezi-Awn folding tent. The other "lesser" folding tent options might be "just fine"...but I don't own any and therefore cannot opine. Buy used tents while you experiment. Save money. As for me, I don't care if the previous owner's child spilled grape juice on my RTT's mattress. Some people like to own new stuff though.

Let us know how it goes for you!

 

[ducktapeguy]

If you do any camping in warmer weather get a tent with the ventilation panels on the roof. A lot of the soft-shell tents have that feature available, i don't know about the hard shells.

I just spent 4 days in Death Valley and those sky panels are probably the best feature on the tent. I don't even bother taking time to setup up the window awnings anymore, I use the roof openings and doors for all my ventilation. Without them, these tents turn into an oven once the sun hits. Also, it's great to stand up out of them in the morning and look around.

The only downside is you have to remove the rainfly to use them, but if I'm going to the desert I normally take the rainfly off completely and leave it at home.

 

[The Raven]

Had a fold out and found it to be a pain in the ***. The mattress was thin, the zip on cover was troublesome and breaking down. The wind profile was unacceptable, so much in fact that I had to leave the tent behind on one trip due to the hit in MPG and lack of gas stations. The added rack space is nice until you realize you need to access it to use the cover and zip all the way around.

I ended up with a flat autohome and love my 1 min deployments and 3 minute packups. No to mention the comfy bed and not having to remake everything upon every deployment like I did with the flip.....

 

[t-rex grrr]

Had a fold out and found it to be a pain in the ***. The mattress was thin, the zip on cover was troublesome and breaking down. The wind profile was unacceptable, so much in fact that I had to leave the tent behind on one trip due to the hit in MPG and lack of gas stations. The added rack space is nice until you realize you need to access it to use the cover and zip all the way around.

I ended up with a flat autohome and love my 1 min deployments and 3 minute packups. No to mention the comfy bed and not having to remake everything upon every deployment like I did with the flip.....

Thanks for your opinion! How does your pop-up handle rain and windy conditions?

 

[spagthorpe]

Some hard shell have great 360-degree views, but you can't see the sky. Folders can also have great views, as well as being able to see the sky. The weather can make or break this as well. Here in SoCal, I basically assume that I'm never getting wet, so YMMV.

 

[NatersXJ6]

I've only had the folder, a Tepui. It has been on top of the jeep and parked outside in the Fresno sun and heat for over 2 years now. No mattress breakdown. Some slight chafing where the cover touches the corners. Certainly nothing structural.

I've had a few problems with the cover zipper, mostly due to tent fabric sticking in it. Taking time to zip/unzip carefully prevents that, so the problem usually happens in "hurry up" situations. I.E. driving rain or snow, stuff like that. Then the tent reminds you to slow down and relax!

I carry a small and light aluminum ladder to ease the setup, that has been a great buy for $30.

You can rent tents, and it is a great way to try them out. On the flip side, a tent will sell used for almost full value, so you can buy and try too. If you spend 5 nights and sell it for $200 less than new, you just saved $800-1200 on hotel rooms most anywhere in Cali.