Hello sorry if this annoying but I want to set up a roof top tent but the price is ruff for me. I can buy a 4 season tent that has been used in everest for $500.00 but a simple roof top tent is over $2000. what gives? I know you get what you pay for but to me this seems really expensive. I would like a RTT because we had an issue with a bear on our last trip and want to get up high to give us extra time and space if another encounter were to happen. Any ideas that others have tried??? thanks
why are roof top tents so expensive??? any home made ideas??
- Thread starter r3run33
- Start date
Well an RTT is a bed and a tent and more complex design. The high end ones are heavy wall canvas and well made. The lighter ones still have all the components but are made from lighter material and syn floor. You can get a 2-3 person one for around $1000 delivered. I have a Tepui which has been called by people that have sold both ARB and Tepui, the same design and materials. Do not know never have seen an ARB in person. The lighter ones are perfectly good 3 season in my book. I was just over at the bundu site looking at the howling moon brand my self....nice.
A rooftop tent is expensive because it has:
Hinges
Thick poles
A ladder
A cover made to withstand daily duels with sunlight, trees, critters etc
A mattress
A baseboard to withstand up to 1000# in it.
Etc. Etc
I think it is pretty easy to see; there is just so much more hardware that make a RTT safe to use on a vehicle, with a significant load on/in it.
A tent made for Everest can be sold and bought in REI by tens of thousands of people, and quite frankly, the differences between a tent made for Everest and a tent made for the beach are very few. It's all basically just Nylon Taffeta fabric with aluminum poles. Conversely, a RTT is a niche product use by a small segment of campers. Even if the RTT was made for a larger buying base, there are only so many ways you can get the price down in a RTT.
Quite simply, there is a reason they are expensive. Trust me, none of us selling them is retiring any time soon!
Hinges
Thick poles
A ladder
A cover made to withstand daily duels with sunlight, trees, critters etc
A mattress
A baseboard to withstand up to 1000# in it.
Etc. Etc
I think it is pretty easy to see; there is just so much more hardware that make a RTT safe to use on a vehicle, with a significant load on/in it.
A tent made for Everest can be sold and bought in REI by tens of thousands of people, and quite frankly, the differences between a tent made for Everest and a tent made for the beach are very few. It's all basically just Nylon Taffeta fabric with aluminum poles. Conversely, a RTT is a niche product use by a small segment of campers. Even if the RTT was made for a larger buying base, there are only so many ways you can get the price down in a RTT.
Quite simply, there is a reason they are expensive. Trust me, none of us selling them is retiring any time soon!
you posted this while i was typing. Thank you very much for the compliment.
I'd think that if you're any kind of craftsman, professional or hobbist, and are willing to take the time to research grades of aluminum and aluminum stock, fasteners, hinges, tubbing and fastening devices, can find someone with the skills necessary to do what you can't do and get them to work for beer, maybe a little more, investigate types of materials and again, get a good awning company to work off line after hours, maybe, and take the time to design what you want, electrical connections, screens, heavy zippers and snaps, then you can probably come out with a really nice rig just for you for less than many of those rigs cost of the showroom floor.
You'r also paying for engineering (of some kind) design work, research and development, knowledge of materials and construction methods as well as the labor, overhead and materials. Most folks here probably could do such a project, but they may not have the time, energy or cash to pay for it as they go along, as such units can usually be financed as well.
As for me, I'd build one, but I'm kinda ahead of the game in many ways and it would still be a big PITA!
You'r also paying for engineering (of some kind) design work, research and development, knowledge of materials and construction methods as well as the labor, overhead and materials. Most folks here probably could do such a project, but they may not have the time, energy or cash to pay for it as they go along, as such units can usually be financed as well.
As for me, I'd build one, but I'm kinda ahead of the game in many ways and it would still be a big PITA!
HillbillyfromAL
Explorer
I got my Carbon Reflex 3 for around $500 when they came out. As mentioned above the basic design is tweaked and refined but not all together different from many other cheap ground tents.
If you want to compare the RTT's to a tent you have to start looking at your Canvas covered framed tents. The ones considered "Guide" quality. Those usually start out at around $900. Those are just basic designs too that have been around since man needed shelter. Now if you compare the weight of materials and use similar weights your at $1300 for a Canvas framed tent that weighs in about the same as the $1400 RTT.
Now the big kicker that got me to order a ARB from Amazon was setup time. I've got 2 boys ages 3.5 & 2.5 that I like to get out and do as much as possible with. So setup time is a bigger deal to me. My big family sized tent takes about 25 min to get setup nicely. The RTT should take less than half that and be cleaner which saves a lot more time again. All in all I think you get a lot for what you pay for in a RTT no matter which one you choose. Then again it all depends on how you use it and what's important to you. There's a couple of used RTT's for sale on here too that would save you some money. I've seen some well used ones go for 5-600 in the past. JMHO
If you want to compare the RTT's to a tent you have to start looking at your Canvas covered framed tents. The ones considered "Guide" quality. Those usually start out at around $900. Those are just basic designs too that have been around since man needed shelter. Now if you compare the weight of materials and use similar weights your at $1300 for a Canvas framed tent that weighs in about the same as the $1400 RTT.
Now the big kicker that got me to order a ARB from Amazon was setup time. I've got 2 boys ages 3.5 & 2.5 that I like to get out and do as much as possible with. So setup time is a bigger deal to me. My big family sized tent takes about 25 min to get setup nicely. The RTT should take less than half that and be cleaner which saves a lot more time again. All in all I think you get a lot for what you pay for in a RTT no matter which one you choose. Then again it all depends on how you use it and what's important to you. There's a couple of used RTT's for sale on here too that would save you some money. I've seen some well used ones go for 5-600 in the past. JMHO
HillbillyfromAL
Explorer
I'd think that if you're any kind of craftsman, professional or hobbist, and are willing to take the time to research grades of aluminum and aluminum stock, fasteners, hinges, tubbing and fastening devices, can find someone with the skills necessary to do what you can't do and get them to work for beer, maybe a little more, investigate types of materials and again, get a good awning company to work off line after hours, maybe, and take the time to design what you want, electrical connections, screens, heavy zippers and snaps, then you can probably come out with a really nice rig just for you for less than many of those rigs cost of the showroom floor.
You'r also paying for engineering (of some kind) design work, research and development, knowledge of materials and construction methods as well as the labor, overhead and materials. Most folks here probably could do such a project, but they may not have the time, energy or cash to pay for it as they go along, as such units can usually be financed as well.
As for me, I'd build one, but I'm kinda ahead of the game in many ways and it would still be a big PITA!
I don't know with the price of materials and trail and error you might wind up spending just as much. Ordering in mass quantity helps those big companies keep price down. And the amount of sewing isn't anything I'd think of paying someone for.
thanks for the replies: I do apologize and do understand the fabrication etc. and to basically answer my own statement I purchased a LX470 instead of a land cruiser because I believed the materials were better quality. I wish there was a basic model which was offered by these companies that could be an starter. By the way I will look for a 2nd hand one. thanks
JIMBO
Expedition Leader
:sombrero: You could consider an "Airzone" tent--3 different sizes and will stand 60mph winds and can be sealed--windows/doors
They take less than a minute for set-up, course then another minute for staking-
HD Nylon and very strong-
Easy packaway in black bag/w handles and stakes/drawcords/rainfly-
About 6 years ago they were under $300 bucks, don't know now-
:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
They take less than a minute for set-up, course then another minute for staking-
HD Nylon and very strong-
Easy packaway in black bag/w handles and stakes/drawcords/rainfly-
About 6 years ago they were under $300 bucks, don't know now-
:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
4x4x4doors
Explorer
ExPo user JamesDowning made his own and documented it in this thread beginning with post 132 http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/28029-Expedition-TrailBlazer-Project/
roamingyak
Observer
I don't understand why more people don't just put a wooden platform on their roofrack and pitch a 'normal' tent up there. You could make a simple Ali cover or something to put over it so you could leave your bedding up there as you drive. Lighter and cheaper.
I always buy 2nd hand. Companies will charge as much as enough 'people' will pay. Overlanding has become a 'lifestyle' product so prices are inflated. In the case of Howling Moon and the South African tents, there are a few middle men making their profit between you and the person who designed and made the tent in South Africa. Add in currency conversions, taxes, shipping etc and a product made for $250 (guess!!) in South Africa becomes $2,000 to you. Its one of the wonders of capitalism ;-p
I always buy 2nd hand. Companies will charge as much as enough 'people' will pay. Overlanding has become a 'lifestyle' product so prices are inflated. In the case of Howling Moon and the South African tents, there are a few middle men making their profit between you and the person who designed and made the tent in South Africa. Add in currency conversions, taxes, shipping etc and a product made for $250 (guess!!) in South Africa becomes $2,000 to you. Its one of the wonders of capitalism ;-p
Ummm, no! You would be wrong, in that somewhat ludicrous assumption. As the North American distributor for Howling Moon, I wish I could buy a tent for even remotely close to $250 from the factory, so your guess would be ridiculously far off. And no, there are not a "few" middle men; maybe if you include the shareholders and the CEO etc. I buy it directly from the factory, and sell it directly to the customer, or it gets sold through a dealer at the same price. That is the same for my Eezi-Awn counterparts. They are not expensive because they are a "lifestyle" product; they are expensive because the South African tents in particular are really expensive to make; for a reason. They have the very best fabric, skill and parts involved. My cost on a tent from South Africa is more that the retail price of one of the many Chinese knock-offs. As i said in a previous post; none of us are retiring any time soon.
roamingyak
Observer
As I said, I was only guessing and generalising to explain how a tent can be apparently worth $2,000 which seems crazy to most people. I didn't say anywhere that +you+ buy the tent for $250, just that is probably what the actual materials costs before all of the suppliers costs and profits are added on and the process of getting a tent to the USA starts. I know Eezi Awn started using cheaper canvas to keep their costs down to keep the tent prices down as they were getting too high.
By middle men I also mean the currency convertors who make about 4%, the shipping companies and ports, delivery companies etc. Everybody needs to cover their costs and make a profit. Also the US$ isn't that strong. I wasn't implying anything about you or your business, I didn't know you import HM products etc. Calm down ;-)
By middle men I also mean the currency convertors who make about 4%, the shipping companies and ports, delivery companies etc. Everybody needs to cover their costs and make a profit. Also the US$ isn't that strong. I wasn't implying anything about you or your business, I didn't know you import HM products etc. Calm down ;-)
Sorry if I came across as offended. Not at all. Just laying out a few facts, since many people cannot understand why they are so expensive, and did not want people actually thinking I buy them for $250. And I did assume that you did not know I was the guy behind Howling Moon. The truth is that this business is so far off the norm of retailing in many sectors. Where clothing and sports good retail is usually at well over 50% margins, we are very well below. Most often, especially with the premier brands, we have to lower our prices to what the market will bear. You are absolutely correct; duties, freight, currency all take their toll. And continually having to explain why our tents are $2k gets quite tiresome, especially when confronted with a $799 Chinese model.
Thanks for the input, and the smiley face. I am calm and carrying on.
Rou
NothingClever
Explorer
I respectfully disagree. I purchased a Technitop tent several years ago because it was commonly reviewed and regarded as the very best RTT here and in other forums/publications. While it was a nice tent, I found the quality of stitching, the plastic components on the frame and the installation of essential hardware weren't that great. When I see that sort of delta between reviews and the actual product, it's hard not to conclude that there's a lot of actual and potential customers out there a little bit blindly enamored with a "lifestyle".