Would you buy a RTT with air conditioning/heating??

[FloridaFJ80]

Thinking about buying an RTT, and wanted to ask all you veteran campers out there with RTT's if you would prefer to have a AC and/or Heat in your tent will camping. Thinking about all the different types of places and variances in weather when overlanding would having these "luxuries" be worth your while or is just an added expense. To run the AC unit you would need a small generator or a long extension cord if your camp has electricity hook ups. From the times I have been camping there have been nights where my small battery powered fan wasnt doing the trick and sleeping out in the heat just was unbearable. Also when shopping for an RTT what do you guys look for, there are so many variety of tent out there from different price ranges what makes one better than the other. You can find tents from $900 to tents that are $2000. Let me know what you guys think!!

 

[kingg5]

I think if i lived in a desert or very arid region that this would be nice, however...if htat were the case i would prob just have a camper of some sort with rooftop ac...

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I have a heated mattress in my poptop and love it. AC would require a good power supply.

 

[JKMikey]

I'm going to be hooking up heat to my kakadu this year for extended camping. Nights in alberta don't get too hot but they can certainly get cold.

While mine isn't quite a RTT it's close enough.

 

[LR Max]

I wouldn't care but my g/f would demand this.

That said, if you were doing it overnight, you could get a cooler with some ice in it and rig up a swamp cooler setup. That would probably be a good compromise to having some cool air yet not go full nuts on a generator, etc.

 

[Lemsteraak]

A/C adds complexity, weight and added hassle. Not only do you need the A/C unit, you need the power system.

I think it is best to look for a tent that has good passive properties. First off, RTTs do well in hot weather because they are off the ground and get a breeze. You also don't have the problem of having the earth act as a big heat source. Even in places like Florida, where it is like living in a dog's mouth, it will cool off nicely if you are up high. In the desert, this also is a problem as it can cool off so dramatically. Some tents have a second cover or a "winter hood" that helps in cold weather but work well in the desert. If it is reflective, it helps keep the tent cooler a little longer so you might even be able to sleep in.

 

[goodtimes]

No - especially in a tent. AC uses way too much power & makes way too much noise.

Heat - maybe. But I'd be afraid of burning the tent down or depleting the oxygen. Even in the camper, we don't run heat at night, and the closest thing we have to AC is a vent fan in the roof.

We live in the desert - if it's too hot to sleep in the camper, we don't sleep in the camper. Of course, as 'weekend warriors', we have that luxury. Even when we do volunteer work south of the border, we plan the trips around the weather (summer = higher elevation, winter = lower elevation).

 

[FloridaFJ80]

Thanks for the great advice.. Though I still think its a matter of taste and opinion. Would like to hear from the yearlong overlanders where camping is a daily way of life, what do you think?

 

[Dawgboy]

Sure, why not? Would love to know more about that little unit you showed. I have been running heat in my tent for years to keep my lady happy. Have also run AC in my tent at Burning Man, and that was a beautiful thing! I just bungeed a window rattler into one of the doors.


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[java]

Done that. Was awesome for 110 degree heat for a week. Definitely not something ill bring for short trips or ones where im moving a lot.

 

[madmax718]

Wouldnt the windowless AC's work better? They are able to duct the heat out?

 

[Fireman78]

Well, I will make a long story short. Two years ago I was working in Roswell, NM, in 113' heat. Living in my RTT. I HAD to finish a job out on the wildlife preserve, yet was suffering unbelievable in my tent at night. What did I eventually do? I bought a 22 foot travel trailer JUST so I could have an AC. Now, I am stuck with a monthly payment for a travel trailer I never use because I DIDN'T just do the RTT AC thing.
PS.. 22 foot Jayco Travel Trailer for sale.. Hardly used.
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