Is the roof tent trend over?

[Ozarker]

No it is going strong I see at least a half dozen each day around the city. Strange part is I see ZERO when I am in the bush or camping.

I saw 3 mounted on vehicles at the mall parking lot. When I drove through the campground at the lake I saw ZERO!

Neighbor across the street has an RTT mounted on a rack above the cab of his '22 Toyota pickup, it hasn't been gone for 2 days since he got it that I know of.

 

[Beardy]

The novelty wears off pretty quickly for most after they realize the cons far outweigh the pros.

The first time a RTT sleeps in a decent wind, it will be for sale shortly thereafter!

Pros:
-It gets you off the ground
-Makes you look overlander-ish (if thats your jam)

Cons:
-Its a giant sail in the wind
-messes up vehicles COG
-messes up MPG
-adds wind noise
-ungodly expensive for what it actually is
-requires decent solid. usually aftermarket mounting solution

Yeah, theyre silly... i had one about 20 years ago when Eezi-Awn was first coming to the US, and after using it a couple times in the wind, it was sold and never went back

Oddly, i am seeing them more and more in San Diego around town on weird vehicles that dont even remotely have the rack to support them. I find it humorous

You forgot
Ease of use
Bed is always made ready to go
Freed up storage space inside your vehicle that currently has your tent and all your bedding in it
Much better air flow in hot climates
Out of the snow or mud in cold climates
Not having to stow a wet tent in your vehicle
The view from bed
Unmatched pack up and setup times
Ability to setup on any rough terrain
Away from animals
Better in wind than most tents

 

[NatersXJ6]

For me the big pro was no sticks, rocks, holes, lumps in the floor. And I never really quit making tree forts, so this one is just fun to have with me camping. I admit I don’t use it nearly as much as I would like to, but that has more to do with the wedding cake I ate long ago than the rooftop tents I’ve owned.

 

[vintageracer]

CVT Clearance Sale (cascadiatents.com)

 

[rgallant]

I think this has been covered pretty well lots of folks bought them without much consideration during covid. Now they are not going out in the back country as much and dumping them. but I see them setup all the time in this part of country all year round

@RAM5500 CAMPERTHING as to your list of cons, that depends largely on the truck. I like mine even in high winds, and yes it is a big sail. But in the Pacific NW it can take longer to find a spot and clean it up before you put a ground tent up than to find a level spot to park and set up my tent.

As to COG yea I laugh every time I see a little jeep or car with a huge tent on top, MPG loss is not that big at least.

 

[danneskjold]

The novelty wears off pretty quickly for most after they realize the cons far outweigh the pros.

The first time a RTT sleeps in a decent wind, it will be for sale shortly thereafter!

Pros:
-It gets you off the ground
-Makes you look overlander-ish (if thats your jam)

Cons:
-Its a giant sail in the wind
-messes up vehicles COG
-messes up MPG
-adds wind noise
-ungodly expensive for what it actually is
-requires decent solid. usually aftermarket mounting solution

Yeah, theyre silly... i had one about 20 years ago when Eezi-Awn was first coming to the US, and after using it a couple times in the wind, it was sold and never went back

Oddly, i am seeing them more and more in San Diego around town on weird vehicles that dont even remotely have the rack to support them. I find it humorous

Totally, and don't forget that when it rains you need to open it back up (at some point soon) to dry out or else you will get mold - which if you live in a rainy environment (like the PNW) is extremely challenging.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

Totally, and don't forget that when it rains you need to open it back up (at some point soon) to dry out or else you will get mold - which if you live in a rainy environment (like the PNW) is extremely challenging.

That too

 

[rgallant]

Totally, and don't forget that when it rains you need to open it back up (at some point soon) to dry out or else you will get mold - which if you live in a rainy environment (like the PNW) is extremely challenging.

That right there is an issue for sure, in my case my Discovery is a second vehicle. So I get home open the tent, put a lightweight tarp over top, because it seems to always be raining, then run my diesel heater to warm up and dry the tent out.
And it can take a day or two, I have looked at an additional light weight fly for that very reason.

But it is the biggest problem, and if you do not have a place to open your tent it is a pretty big issue. Mind you it is the same with ground tents, just easier to find a spot to set them up them.

 

[danneskjold]

That right there is an issue for sure, in my case my Discovery is a second vehicle. So I get home open the tent, put a lightweight tarp over top, because it seems to always be raining, then run my diesel heater to warm up and dry the tent out.
And it can take a day or two, I have looked at an additional light weight fly for that very reason.

But it is the biggest problem, and if you do not have a place to open your tent it is a pretty big issue. Mind you it is the same with ground tents, just easier to find a spot to set them up them.

If you do that in Seattle you will come out to find you have someone sleeping in there ??

 

[Lemsteraak]

Yes, I know you are being humorous but you are right, you need to be careful. I had my rooftent stolen here in Portland. Last sighting about six months ago on a sketchy van.

The real reason it was stolen was I left it on my Volvo full time. Only weighed 80 pounds, made of carbon fiber. Still it was too heavy to take off and put on all the time. I have a new to me rooftent that weights 35 pounds and is modular so I can easily take it apart for storage.

 

[Ozarker]

Breezing through this thread again, seems most vehicles hauling RTTs are big enough to sleep in.

What happened to "car camping" sleeping in a vehicle? I mean, back in the day I took the seats out of a VW bug (not the driver's seat), built a platform with lids to store stuff below and slept in the car.

One of the pros about these RTTs was keeping a tent and sleeping gear out of the vehicle, then use a roof rack and a carrier box. Did I mention I didn't use a tent?

So now, we will be going this summer, sometimes taking the Jeep Cherokee Trail Hawk, we can sleep in it. Sometimes the F150, it has a tanoue cover, if that fails, got a truck bed tent. Simple and cheap, all the pros of the RTT checked off. Better weather protection inside a vehicle.

I have several tents, 5, I think, and this year I don't think I'll use them at all. Probably time for a garage sale.

I have a motorcycle camper, a Roadman trailer I can pull with my trike or other vehicle. It's about the size of a larger RTT but has an area to stand up inside. About all you do is sleep in it, everything else is outside.

Seems RTTs are pretty $$$$ when there are other alternatives.

 

[casioqv]

I have a new to me rooftent that weights 35 pounds and is modular so I can easily take it apart for storage.

What kind of RTT do you have that only weighs 35lbs and is modular? That sounds fascinating.

 

[concretejungle]

I think the truck-bed campers are now the new hype!

 

[Todd780]

in the late 60s early 70s camping went nuts in North America. The baby boomer families built a new industry built on tent trailer rentals. We did it for several years when I was a kid.... Then suddenly the Cruise Ship industry and the Charter Airline to the Caribbean option killed camping overnight.... cutting the need for campsites in half.

I say yes we are here again.... or maybe we are still here but maturing and wanting more convenience than the RTT can offer.... regardless I see many local low useage RTTs that are now for sale.

US, 1968... Otto Tent Trailer Rental hooked up for the Queen Charlottes.

View attachment 771258

Yep. I still recall our family renting a tent trailer and towing it with our Olds Omega from Edmonton to Penticton.
With those big old tow mirrors that used to attach to the front fenders, haha



Wow. It's really hard to find a pic of a car with those mirrors....

 

[moose545]

You get what you pay for. People right now are extremely cheap, selling everything sitting around or going for broke with trailers and slide-in campers. RTTs have been around a while and persist I think. I'll never sleep on the ground again, and while the idea of more space "inside" is appealing, dropping 12-15k isn't just yet. Not that I'm looking or have considered it lol. Not on a Gladiator or Tacoma, their already dog slow. The new Tundras are damn nice and better mpg getting there...