RTT....its days may numbered

[REDrum]

So my expectations were that a RTT would be the end all for track based camping, well I'm learning it is not...

I've had an ARB RTT for a year and a half, used it about a dozen times. While I do like being up off the ground it is getting to be a PITA for a number of reasons....

1) not a great item to have on ones roof when off-roading in places with a lot of canopy growth (like northeast US and Central America)
2) to drive anywhere you need to pack it up
3) leveling truck/RRT can be tricky, often ned to air down tires to get close to level
4) up & down....up & down....becomes a chore after a 12 pack at night.... (have not mastered peeing out of RTT yet)
5) displaces roof for other outdoor toys like kayaks and bikes
6) while it deploys fast, furling/stowing is an acrobatic chore when your truck has 4" of lift and is on 35" tires

While its not going up FS (at least not yet), I am looking, back, to ground based tents. Yes, and trailers...

 

[86tuning]

I always have a fear of falling out in the middle of the night if I ever need to go pee in the dark. An unfounded fear I'm sure. That, and the entry price has got me hemming and hawing still.

 

[mtnbike28]

I agree with your thoughts and even on my Conqueror, the put up time is a pain. My Flippac solves most of these issues except - roof load. I miss throwing kayaks, bikes, firewood and wet stuff on the truck cap's roof. I still have to pack up to drive anywhere, but it's a 1 min deal after moving bedding vs ???? - Leveling is not as bad as long as I get one end level (side to side) and lay with my head on the high side. Good luck with your search, but I think the "perfect" set-up does not exist for me, each has pros/cons.

 

[Kcdude]

For item#4....$6.95

 

[MANUCHAO]

^^^ thats fancy... a 32oz bottle of Getorade works too..

 

[mtnbike28]

Empty Gatorade bottle.... priceless

For item#4....$6.95

 

[MANUCHAO]

To the OP.
I too had the same problems.. I went with a lighter smaller and much much easier set up to adress this issues... The trade off was less space...

 

[1leglance]

I have owned roof top tents before, a variety of them...
Love my sleep inside suburban best of anything I have owned.
Quick and simple

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Yup, RTT's are about trade-offs and while they have many pro's, the come with con's too. My thoughts on the subject:
Is a Roof Top Tent for me? The RTT Conundrum


That said, I've not experienced many of your con's... I've set up my RTT's hundreds of times and never aired down a tire, I do often put rocks or MaxTrax under a tire or two to level it up but I still do that when sleeping on the interior system. Also the pee breaks were a non-issue, I do the Nalgene or 'let it flow from 6 ft' method, still do the same sleeping in the vehicle depending on circumstances. They really lose their luster on base-camp style trips where you would need to stow it and re-open it in the same camp spot, while not a deal breaker for me I'm not utilizing it as much with my 100 Series as I did with the Tacoma.

 

[Corey]

Never have I had to air down to get my rig level with my roof top tent.
I had to place a big rock once under one of the rear tires, but that was only once.

As for pissing, not to bad, had to do it with ground tents too, and that was worse as sleeping on a backpacking mat back in my backpacking around Mt. Rainier days I often slept cold, so mire piss breaks.
I sleep very warm and comfortable in my AirLander, and only have to deal with one piss break.
Throw on some sandals, and down the ladder I go.

Tried the red bottle one year to go in, did not like it.

As for having to pack up each night, not a problem with me, as my camp is a base camp, and I generally stay in one place for days until it is time to pack up and go home.

I could not go back to a ground tent after having had my roof top tent now since 2008.
Maybe it will end up on a Chaser type trailer one day.

 

[goodtimes]

We tried it for a while too.

It was comfortable - but way to far off the ground to be convenient, and still lacked standing room.

We ended up selling the RTT + the jeep it was mounted to in favor of a truck + FWC. It's a better match for the type of traveling & camping we do. Big bonus was the heater (g/f is happier), and the ability to make coffee before stepping out into the cold mornings.

 

[BIGdaddy]

Maggiolina/hard shell RTT's are different than the ones most are mentioning.

They're very, very quick to deploy or close up. They also do not get sopping wet like most do, due to the water mostly sheeting off the top fiberglass shell.

I also toured with a RTT and never had an issue with level ground.

The up and down part was a bit tiring, but honestly with the rocking motion from the wind and the plush matress, it was a very small negative.

Just my .02

 

[stioc]

I did a lot of research and thinking at one point when I was looking to buy an RTT. I found that they're great if you're on the move every day, the quick deployment and folding is priceless in those situations. The other issues you mentioned are minor and can be addressed in a few different ways. If you want to do base-camping then it's best to have the RTT on a chaser/trailer that you can leave behind. It also brings you a bit closer to the ground which is more convenient. Kids would absolutely dig climbing up and down the RTT and the views are generally better from up there.

However, in the end I decided, for me, a good tent with room for standing up coupled with some good self-inflating sleeping pads and down bags is the way to go. The setup and take down does take longer as everything has to be repacked into its bag but for camping 4 to 5 times out of the year I can't justify storing an RTT in the garage. As a side benefit I enjoy improved gas mileage and a lower CoG, thought probably not enough to be the main contributing factor.

Oh and even in the tent I keep an empty Gatorade bottle, who wants to go out of the tent in 35F in the middle of the night? Though my gf who's a total chicken when it comes to both cold weather and dark still does and completely refuses to use those things that could allow her to use the bottle too.

 

[java]

I like mine for the comfort. Way better than anything i have found on the ground. Kid and dogs go in the changing room. My biggest compaint is when it rains, and the tent gets wet, towards fall in the PNW, its really hard to find a place and time to open the tent back up to dry it out. Without taking it off the truck anyway.

Ideally id have it on a trailer, but then i wouldn't be able to bring the boat. Its all trade offs.... I like the comfort so far!

 

[Colonal Angus]

This is a good thread. I've been contemplating getting an rtt too. The initial cost is the only thing that has deterred me so far. It's not just buying a roof tent...you have to buy a roof rack capable of handling a roof tent first. It's good to hear the negatives.

Pros:
Quick deployment
Quick clean up
Small footprint
Kids would love it
Off the ground / cleaner interior, no critter confrontations
Cool as hell
Great for overland style camping (camping on the move)

Cons:
Two people required if removal was needed
Kills roof storage (bikes, kayaks/canoe, SUP/surfboard, etc)
Low limbs would eat it up
Raises center of gravity
Bad for basecamping
Midnight bathroom breaks
Cost

I have a Kodiak Canvas ground tent and it's great on all accounts except for set up/tear down time.