RTT on a DD

[Dragos28]

So as the title implies, Roof Top Tent on a Daily Driver.
My truck is my daily driver, but I also hit the trails once every month or two.

Do you those of you who have RTT's on their DD leave it on all the time or take it off in between trips?

Trying to decide if its worth the hassle to remove and install it or just leave it on.

 

[Basil.]

I'd just leave it on, how far is your commute? Is it on the highway?


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[thethePete]

Almost every second rig that looks capable of hitting dirt around here has one on top full time. I'm sure it doesn't help your mileage, but I wouldn't sweat taking it off, tbh.

 

[OwyheeMagpie]

I just leave it on, it's not worth the hassle plus I do a lot of last minute trips too. The only annoying part is parking garages but that's it. I figure if I'm worried about noise or mpg I wouldn't be DDing a clumsy Jeep with poor mpg anyway.

 

[NatersXJ6]

I leave mine on. commute abut 15 freeway miles each way and about another 15 daily in town. barely notice it after a year up there. I use it about every 6-7 weeks although the goal is to use it about every 3 weeks...

 

[Dragos28]

I'd just leave it on, how far is your commute? Is it on the highway?


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lol, my commute is about 3 min. I should walk..

dont think my MPG's have been hurt by it... at least i dont see a difference, im used to getting 10mpg.

 

[lugueto]

I take it off between trips. And I hate it every time I do it. But, for me, its a necessary evil.

The issue for me is parking structures. Almost every parking structure down here is underground and have low ceilings, even my home garage. I can barely fit into them without the tent. Without it, I fit into 30% of them. With the tent I have to reduce that number to <5%.

Leaving the truck outside is dangerous, car theft here is a common occurrence, specially for Toyotas. Also, forgetting about the tent and slamming it into a ceiling is a couple-thousand-dollar fee for negligence (one which I am not willing to pay). Another plus is the tent doesn't get affected by the elements as much by storing it indoors.

I don't have an issue with gas mileage because gas for us dirt cheap, but it is certainly a deciding factor for you guys.

 

[justrom]

I've got almost the same setup as you. I leave mine on full time during the camping season. My commute is less than 12 miles round trip. If we don't have any trips planned for a couple months it'll come off to reduce weathering on the cover and tent fabric. For the most part it is too much of a pain to take it on and off.

 

[Dragos28]

I've got almost the same setup as you. I leave mine on full time during the camping season. My commute is less than 12 miles round trip. If we don't have any trips planned for a couple months it'll come off to reduce weathering on the cover and tent fabric. For the most part it is too much of a pain to take it on and off.

thats what i'm trying to decide, we have a trip coming up in march... do i keep it on until then..
knowing my group of buddies we might just decide to do a weekend trip from now until the bigger get togethers... so id hate to have to lug it off and on.. .

 

[freshlikesushi]

march? Pull it off. Mine is coming off and i daily mine

 

[Roger M.]

Besides parking structures, I find that living in places like the Pacific Northwest, where rain is a constant from about October to mid-March, the moisture always finds a way in past the zipper on the cover, and the Velcro covering over said zipper.
And if that rain happens to last a week or more at a stretch, you can't simply fold the tent out to let it dry.

It's also not just direct ingress of water past these two barriers (zipper and Velcro) , but also the inevitable humidity that permeates the entire rig even though it's under the cover.
The cover may be "waterproof", but it definitely doesn't create a vacuum - humid air always gets into the canvas ... and a damp tent is always the result.

I suspect this doesn't pose anywhere near the same level of concern living in the relatively warm and dry winters of the Southwest, or in the ultra-dry cold air through much of the Mountain States and perhaps even the High Plains.

But if warmer weather and incessant rain describes your winter ... a damp tent can be a serious issue.

The result is inevitably mildew on the canvas, and that's such a drag on an expensive RTT.

 

[justrom]

But if warmer weather and incessant rain describes your winter ... a damp tent can be a serious issue.
The result is inevitably mildew on the canvas, and that's such a drag on an expensive RTT.

This is my new concern, we moved from sunny (dry) southern California to sunny (humid and rainy) Florida. We've stored ours in the garage since we got here, it isn't air conditioned, but at least it is out of the weather. We haven't decided what we'll do this winter (camping season). Probably just leave it on and hope that it stays dry as my wife isn't much help putting the tent on and off the truck.

 

[PIC4GOD]

This is where a hard shell RTT shines. Less drag, less weight, and no worries about the weather impacting the tent. It is a royal PITA to remove the RTT for me but I don't bother. The only downside is the height of my rig keeps me out of parking structures less than 8'6".

 

[cactusjk]

Definitely easier to leave it on!

 

[Johnrunberg]

If you're not using it for while... Take it off! Fab a lift hoist for the garage and you and do it by yourself. As mentioned in previous posts you'll have less wear, less mold, less water and better mileage -- think 2-4mpg better.