98dango -- I have spent some time in Roundup at a friend's ranch. There ARE some snakes there, as in most of the state - especially south of the Missouri.
I have been using roof top tents for more than a dozen years -- on my Landcruisers, on trailers, on my Ford SUVs, and my F250 and F350 trucks. I have sold several thousand of them to people who have used them all over the hemisphere. Your comment about your wife not wanting to sleep on the ground anymore made me smile, since we do sell a lot of AutoHome tents to women (and for men who like to travel with their wives and girlfriends). Your questions are intelligent ones and we often hear them. I'll take a shot at some answers…
Moving your tent from truck top to trailer or storage. This can easily be done by two men in about 15 minutes. Our average tent weighs about 120 lbs. and have hand grip points molded into the bottom - not a big deal. If you want the ultimate in convenience we offer a quality, American made hoist system that will let you single handedly lift, store, and replace your tent on the vehicle of choice in a couple of minutes.
Our tents have withstood raging winds in the worst climates in the World (excepting, perhaps, Antarctica). The are quiet in the wind and do not deflect, snap or pop in even very high winds. This one one of the reasons that people choose them over fabric tents. They hold up very well under a snow load and we have winterizing options.
Our tents have waterproof tops - with acoustic and thermal insulation - and need no extra fly or second cover to keep you dry.
Our tents are very easy to set up and stow away. Less than a minute in most cases to set up, and very little longer to stow for travel.
While you probably won't use them at every stop, our side tents (changing rooms) do offer a completely enclosed space that shelters the ladder and allow access to the vehicle. The have zippered and screened doors and window. They are provided with a zippered carry bag that can stow inside the tent while traveling.
AutoHome tents have a rigid bottom platform that is constructed like a Boston Whaler hull - a fiberglass/foam/fiberglass sandwich that doe not deflect under a load. You can safely put 500, 600, or more pounds in one of our tents without concern. The limiting factor is the static roof load rating of your vehicle - NOT the dynamic rating, which is the moving load you can carry. On a truck you should never have a worry.
Some of our tents have seen hard service for 15 years or more and are still functioning perfectly. They are built to last by people who have been designing, building, and improving them since 1958. In fact building and using roof top tents is all they do.
If you have any questions or would like more specifics, give us a call at 888-852-2359 or e-mail me at
mike@autohomeus.com