Why use a RTT?

[Deleted member 9101]

Sadly, parking anywhere without pavement is ''expo'' now. Or between any two points of such.

Don't forget you need 40k of mods on a 10k truck and a 100.00 hat.

 

[Buliwyf]

Don't forget khaki pants with zip off legs.

....oh, and a snorkel that's three times taller than the level of any river the truck could actually cross.

 

[DCH109]

The the OP post. I just moved to a RTT (getting it this weekend), this is going on my '86 FJ60 when the rust is repaired (what I can see) and the rig painted.

I ended up with a hardshell Maggiolina crank style (preferred for me over the Airtop style as those gas struts do fail over time). Why? Outside of camping with my kids, I rarely camp in one place more that 1-2 nights. With the kids it may be up to 3 nights. But then I will have picked a place and not moved from it. If I needed more then I would built an offroad trailer.
I was looking at a ground tent and may still buy one for a bathroom/ change room area but ultimately I decided for my style of camping a RTT is a better solution.
I am not a fan of the soft style, I have have 2 now and liked neither. I have had one other Maggiolina RTT and regretted selling it to this date. That said it was the largest one they made (an adventure model), it was heavy to lift and huge. Once on the rig, at that time a lifted FJ Cruiser with 33" tires, it was solid and never once did it feel top heavy on the interstate or off road/ off camber.

What did I not like about the soft style? It never felt solid, I did not like how it hung over the side, It was more of a PITA to setup and overall it was a tent on the roof of our vehicle.
With the hardshell, It feels like a small camper, or hard topped tent trailer. When the wind whips up yes it hits the sides but never once did it ever feel like I was in a tent. Plus it stayed dry, much easier than the other type. This is my experience and opinion only.

Each has their preference. As an example next summer I am taking 3 weeks and traveling though the Canadian maritimes and driving the Trans-Labrador hwy. I will camp 1 night at most places. Most of the time wherever possible I will just pull off the side of the road and camp.

 

[STREGA]

I enjoyed the 8 years we had our RTT's and traveled all over Utah and Colorado with it on top of our FJ Cruiser. Did quite a few hard trails with it and always stayed warm and dry in some pretty crappy weather, a ground tent would not have worked for me.

Unfortunately for us we got to the age where climbing up and down a ladder was probably not a great idea, the wife was starting to struggle with it and I didn't want to see her fall and break a leg or something. We went to a popup camper that has a more manageable step to enter/exit from. I do miss my RTT.

One tip I can give for those who are concerned about having to get up in the middle of the night and having to climb down the ladder to take a pee, drink Bourbon around the campfire instead of beer.

 

[vtsoundman]

Lol @ expedition camping. There is no such thing in the US. Everything is mapped out, and someone else has already been to where ever you are going.

I think that is pretty much true everywhere these days...with the exception of the Artic and a few mountain ranges here/there, the world is a very well traveled & explored place, Now while it may have been a while since someone was there before you...there was someone there before you and mapped it out...

 

[CSG]

I always liked the idea of RTTs right up until the day I first checked out a Maggiolina. Between the ladder, expense, and top heaviness, I was convinced that I was ahead to suffer in the back of my Lexus Land Cruiser. Fortunately, I have a camping van which, while it can't go as deep as the LLC, has pretty much everything I need to spend a comfy night. I don't do what I consider dangerous trails (like parts of the White Rim and similar). Didn't like them when I was young and I downright hate them now.

 

[vtsoundman]

Don't forget khaki pants with zip off legs.

....oh, and a snorkel that's three times taller than the level of any river the truck could actually cross.

What is a thread complaining about the excesses of overlanding without a comment or two about snorkels & rivers. Seems most people forget they are damned useful in both high & low deserts, sandy, and dusty locations...one year I swapped out my engine air filter a dozen times in my jeep...and I was really starting to push it towards the latter half of the year. I was really missing a snorkel then...for its ability to pre-filter and be a bit higher than a good bit of dust. If I were to spend anymore time in that portion of the Sierras, a snorkel was going to be elevated to my short list.

 

[reaper229]

This why i sold mine and now i am only using my ARB awning with the tent room plus a small awning on the back the jku.

You need to be a freaking monkey to open ban rtt on a lifted véhicule.

I am trying to wrap my head around Roof Top Tents. I just don't get them for the vast majority of camping situations.

IMHO-
They are expensive,
heavy,
you have to deal with a ladder,
you can't drive away for the day,
they are exposed to dust/dirt/rain at highway speeds,
it is tough to carry things like boats and boards on top
you have to get your vehicle parked just right

I guess if you spent a lot of time in swampy conditions and/or in areas that have potential predators- they would be useful. But those conditions are not prevalent in North America.

Given all of these potential negatives- why use one instead of a tent?

Help me out here.

Thanks,
Christo

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