Why roof top tents?
- Thread starter BigAl
- Start date
flyingwil
Supporting Sponsor - Sierra Expeditions
Here is why I have one:
- Quick and easy set up... open and done!
- No sleeping pad... has them built in
- Durability and Quality... for the price of a quality tent that will last, the Rooftop tents are just slightly higher.
- Dont not have to wory about poles or stakes, ground cover, or the forgotten hammer.
- Space- Can leave the bags and pillows in it and pack it up, and has the built in sleeping pad and allows for a payload of other things.
- Comfort - way more comfort than a gropund tent
- Off the Ground- My wife likes it because she doesn't have to worry about criters and creatures
cshontz
Supporting Sponsor
They can be deployed relatively quickly, easily, on any terrain keeping occupants high and dry, and comfortable on-the go, usually with a built-in mattress. They ensure you'll have a comfortable sleeping platform when you don't know where you're going to end up at the end of the day.
Its all about convenience imo. I use a ground tent and air mattress that takes roughly an hour to 1) find a spot, 2) set up tent, 3) inflate air mattress. Of course it could take hours to find a suitable campsite if you don't know where you're going. You go with an RTT, and you 1) park, 2) unfold tent.
An RTT might be inconvenient if you're camping at a fixed location, and driving during the day - only to return to the same location each night. In which case you'd have to fold it up every day. Its a trade off, but one can get around it by putting the RTT on a camping trailer and have the best of both worlds.
Depends on what you do too - if you just go four-wheeling, then I don't think you'd want to lug around a RTT, nor raise your cog with that kind of thing. But if you do alot of overlanding, and cover alot of ground, an RTT makes all the sense in the world.
Its all about convenience imo. I use a ground tent and air mattress that takes roughly an hour to 1) find a spot, 2) set up tent, 3) inflate air mattress. Of course it could take hours to find a suitable campsite if you don't know where you're going. You go with an RTT, and you 1) park, 2) unfold tent.
An RTT might be inconvenient if you're camping at a fixed location, and driving during the day - only to return to the same location each night. In which case you'd have to fold it up every day. Its a trade off, but one can get around it by putting the RTT on a camping trailer and have the best of both worlds.
Depends on what you do too - if you just go four-wheeling, then I don't think you'd want to lug around a RTT, nor raise your cog with that kind of thing. But if you do alot of overlanding, and cover alot of ground, an RTT makes all the sense in the world.
xcmountain80
Expedition Leader
Cause they are the Shiznit !!
Aaron
Aaron
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Yeah, it's not that they are the end all, be all. But, I like having my 'Nest (which I'll lump with RTT because I /think/ the reasoning is the same) mostly because of ease of set up. I pull into a spot and get the truck level, unfold and there you go. No worries about mud, snow, rocks, whatever might be there. If you can drive there, you will sleep in comfort. If it rains, there is no river running through your camp.
adventureduo
Dave Druck [KI6LBB]
For all the reasons listed above by other members. Oh and cause i can't stand setting up ground tents. The only drawback is getting down in the middle of the night.. but you get used to that quick.
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xcmountain80
Expedition Leader
SOCALFJ said:
People have asked me this. I look at them like well then maybe a roof tent isn't a good fit for you in the event you own one and somehow manage to forget your 8' of the ground,,, serves you right I guess. Someone else asked what if you have to go to the bath room well for the men in this forum the answer is simple just stand there, for the women I'll ask my wife...... oh she says you have to get down.
Aaron
flyingwil
Supporting Sponsor - Sierra Expeditions
ZooJunkie
Explorer
what happens when your truck isn't on level ground? Does it shake around a lot when you're up there? On most RVs, they have jack stands underneath their RVs when they are parked. Wouldn't the same hold true for these rooftop tent set ups? That's an awful lot of weight up there that will make your truck top heavy when there's a cross wind or when someone is restless in bed.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
I keep some lumber with me, a few 4x4s, a few 2x4s, that I can stack to level the truck (they also work as wheel chocks, bumpers for recovery, lots of stuff). If the ground is so far off level that they don't work, I'll park with a wheel on a rock or dead fall to level the truck. If it's even worse, I'll just keep driving... As far as shaking, my WilderNest has two outrigger poles that keep you from getting seasick. Most people think they are supports, but they are just anti-sway poles. But, yes, you do get a /little/ rocking.ZooJunkie said: