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Roof Top Tents: What is the advantage?

27K views 70 replies 34 participants last post by  AgnesFJ  
#1 ·
I do a lot of outdoor stuff - camping, hunting, fishing, canoeing etc. one of the reasons I got the FJ.

I'm trying to understand what the big deal is with roof top tents - I have a few 'normal' tents that I use in different conditions. What is the 'use case' that makes it worth the $$$?
 
#2 ·
I can set up my tent in 30 seconds while the rest of my friends are barely getting their tents out. I usually end up helping them anyways [emoji28]. Also, the feeling of being off the floor and safe throughout the night while sleeping on a mattress really gives me a great night's rest. Makes a huge difference. It also depends how many times you intend on using your tent. If you spend the money, you better get your moneys worth [emoji4][emoji106]
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#48 ·
Not sure what type of RTT you observed that took a 1/2 hour to set up. but the hard-shell tents with gas-struts open fully in less than 30 seconds. The manually-cranked units take about 1 minute to unlatch and crank up, and about 4 minutes to collapse if you take extra time to carefully fold and position the fabric as the upper and lower shells come together.

Does the 30 seconds include sourcing and stacking the right combination of rocks to level the FJ ;)
 
#3 ·
I had the same thoughts, until I slept in one. I'm an early riser to begin with but couple that with the fairly uncomfortable and unlevel sleeping options that normal tents offer, I'm usually pretty ragged after an evening in the woods. I've played around with pads, mattresses, cots, hammocks and every other type of sleeping option I could find and just never got a good nights rest without having to drag an asinine amount of gear out with me. With my RTT I have a level, queen size bed with actual bedding in it. You practically have to drag me out of bed now. It helps make my entire time out there more enjoyable. The FJ already has all the aerodynamics of a brick so I mounted mine to an offroad trailer so that once camp is set, I still have the option of using the truck if needed.
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#4 · (Edited)
-usually fast set up and take down
  • you are not on the ground if it rains
  • usually holds up better in the wind
  • camp/sleep where ever your vehicle is
  • sometimes easier to level the vehicle then finding level ground
  • depending on the rtt you can leave your bedding/sleeping bag inside making more room inside your vehicle
  • depending on the tent/manufacture rtt's have thermal wall inserts for winter
  • off the ground from critters/ animals
  • better scenery
cons
  • be prepared if you have to pee in the middle of the night (bring a big bottle)
  • weight/ higher center of gravity (excluding some companies)
  • aerodynamics for some models/designs
  • a pain to install by yourself
  • cost
  • when / if you want to explore you have to pack up the tent (unless on a trailer)
  • lose roof rack gear storage (depending on manufacture/model)
  • UV heat distortion (excluding hard shells made with aluminum)
 
#5 ·
I personally am not a fan. The lone upside I can concede is that since you're off the ground it's an overall drier experience if there's rain snow or frost. But if you have a good-quality backpacking tent it's nominal. With a classic ground tent, you can usually find a better spot that you can drive up to, even if it's just walking a few hundred feet.

Also, I wake up to pee every night. With a classic ground tent that means just sticking my willie out the window VS. climbing down the ladder 🤣

That said, I'm a mountaineer, backpacker, and general outdoor guy. A bivouac on the ground with no tent at all doesn't bother me. Some people appreciate the more luxurious experience.
 
#7 ·
Also, I wake up to pee every night. With a classic ground tent that means just sticking my willie out the window VS. climbing down the ladder 🤣

the big bottle fixes the need to climb down problem


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#8 ·
With 50+ years of camping, backpacking, and ground-sleeping behind me, including plenty sans tent or other shelter, adding an RTT has been by far the best modification I have made to my FJ. The advantages listed above pretty well cover the major positives. For me, the biggest advantages are the ability to be warm and snug in bed literally 2 minutes after shutting off the engine with zero site prep (EVEN IF IT IS RAINING), and the ability to store bulky blankets & pillows inside the RTT rather than taking up volume inside the vehicle.

The only negatives I can think of are the change to vehicle center-of-gravity, slight additional wind resistance, and slightly increased sensitivity to sidewinds.

Cheech, you stated: "I personally am not a fan" of roof-top tents. How many nights have you slept in an RTT, and under what conditions?
 
#11 ·
For 12 years we camped in a Westfalia EuroVan with poptop tent, with interior set-up , access to births and you can fully stand up inside. We would sometimes pull up in a rainstorm, set-up, sleep, breakdown, drive away all without exiting the van, no ladders, no roof racks... vastly superior to today's add-on RTT... and I don't miss it. Largely because it was attached a VW Eurovan, and ground gear is simple to access, easily scaled and stowed away after use. When I'm solo a tent-cot makes for fast setup on any ground.

Tree houses are fun, a higher vantage point unique, windy nights less so, top heavy trailing not so much.
 
#12 ·
@NyNomad covered the pros and cons pretty well. I tried a RTT out and while it’s really nice to sleep in, I didn’t like the way the FJ felt on the trails with that weight on it. Additionally, I had to find room for everything I used to store on my roof. Getting down in the middle of the night is also a pain.

So far I’ve been happier with an awning room and either a hammock or cot inside. I can stand up inside it and still not be sleeping on the hard ground.
 
#18 ·
@NyNomad covered the pros and cons pretty well. I tried a RTT out and while it’s really nice to sleep in, I didn’t like the way the FJ felt on the trails with that weight on it. Additionally, I had to find room for everything I used to store on my roof. Getting down in the middle of the night is also a pain.

So far I’ve been happier with an awning room and either a hammock or cot inside. I can stand up inside it and still not be sleeping on the hard ground.
I keep adding as they come to mind
 
#13 · (Edited)
I don't raise my RTT until a minute or two before going to bed. I mention this because with a hard shell RTT you are NOT stuck in camp all day like so many people mention. The only thing I do when arriving at camp is finding the level place to park the truck come bed time and /or find some rocks to drive up on to level things out if needed. If no rocks are available I use my Max Trax.
I'm trying to find a nice small, aluminum gantry to give me the ability to remove and replace the tent without my Son having to help. If only I had a large tree branch to hang a small block and tackle from ...................

And, like mentioned above, you DON'T have to get down in the middle of the night, pee in a BOTTLE. LOL :) That excuse does not hold water, unlike a pee bottle!
 
#14 · (Edited)
I want to be able to remove and replace my Maggiolina essentially by myself. The rig is too tall to get into the garage, so no conventional garage-ceiling-mounted hoist system will work.

I'm thinking of some carpet-faced 2X4s that clip onto the roof rack & a rope-and-pulley snubber that would allow me to unbolt the RTT and slide it down the rails, off the rear of the rack.

Then transfer to a cart that would allow the RTT to be stored vertically (on its side) to take up minimal space in the garage.
 
#37 ·
Here is my crude but effective setup for my Maggiolina.
The 2x6’s are notched to hold on to the bull bar, and relieved at the top to contour to the roof. I use a packing blanket to pad the roof. I slide the Maggiolina up the ramp a bit, then while holding it with one hand, I set the cross bar in place with clamps. That way it does not slide down on me and I can take a break at that point. After my break, i climb up on the bumper and slide it up the rest of the way. It would be easier with 2 for sure, but ive always done it alone.
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#15 ·
After moto camping this weekend, I'm reminded of how simplicity is key at times. RTT are usually for those that want to camp, but don't really want to camp (just my opinion). I know we have a lot of RTT owners on here and I have even owned one myself for a brief stint but it's limited in that you always have to carry and close your tent when going anywhere, unless it's on a trailer. For those with bigger pets that are carried up to the RTT, it seems like a hassle IMO. Also you're carrying a metal and fiberglass frame about 120+ lbs up top with less clearance. In some trails this may be annoying as there's some cool underpasses you can only make with some height restrictions.

.., ground tents are slow but some would imply that it's faster to set up the RTT. Anyone that says it takes too long to get a ground tent set up, might take a look into better tent. Recently used an REI Passage 2 and it took less about 2 minutes. Another example is Costco sold a spring actuated tent that took about 90 seconds to set up. With the recent popularity in camping overland, the products have been improving though.

Went from ground tent->rtt->better ground tent.
 
#19 ·
...Anyone that says it takes too long to get a ground tent set up, might take a look into better tent. Recently used an REI Passage 2 and it took less about 2 minutes. Another example is Costco sold a spring actuated tent that took about 90 seconds to set up. With the recent popularity in camping overland, the products have been improving though.
It's not necessarily the tent itself that takes long to set up, it's the whole ground setup. I've been using a pop-up tent on the past few trips, which takes about 5 seconds to set up. But first I need to lay out the footprint, then the tent, then carry the pad, sleeping bag, pillow (x 3, since I'm usually camping with the wife and kids), etc from the car to the tent, unroll and inflate the "self-inflating" pad(s), unroll the sleeping bag(s), put away all of the carry sacks, etc. On average, it takes me about half an hour to set everything up, and another half an hour to pack it away. And since I usually only spend one night at a campsite and move on to the next one, that's a lot of setup time.
 
#16 ·
In the past I have used ramps with this cart-SNAP-LOC ALL-TERRAIN PANEL CART DOLLY RED with 1500 lb Capacity, Steel Frame, 4 inch Casters, Panel Bars and optional E-Strap Attachment

I am so invested into the RTT life that I raised my garage opening from 7 to 8 ft so now the full rig fits in the garage. I have a side mount garage door opener that leaves the roof open to installing a hoist. So my next step is to install a Harken hoist for the tent and a second hoist for the awning.

Note the side mount garage door opener limits how high the door can be opened so take that into consideration. Center mount openers can pull the door higher but the motor would be in the way of a hoist. This lead to some anxious moments. I only have about a 1/2 inch to spare.
 
#17 ·
160-180 lbs for hard tops, plus the roof rack another 75lbs and any gear you leave in it 10-20 lbs.... so it's approaching 300 lbs on the roof, least preferred place to add weight.

Not to mention higher profile cutting into your MPG (in some cases your garage header).

... serious pucker multiplier on difficult trails.
 
#25 ·
160-180 lbs for hard tops, plus the roof rack another 75lbs and any gear you leave in it 10-20 lbs.... so it's approaching 300 lbs on the roof, least preferred place to add weight.

Not to mention higher profile cutting into your MPG (in some cases your garage header).

... serious pucker multiplier on difficult trails.
160 - 180 lbs for a hard-shell RTT?

My Maggiolina Extreme, with a thicker fiberglass shell than the other Maggiolinas, is 135 lbs.
 
#39 · (Edited)
Au contraire, I believe it's just the opposite....
If you're a rock crawler, don't comment on the use of a roof top tent unless you have experience using one ......
Strong words.
I'm not sure if I'm considered a "rock crawler". I have crawled on rocks, I liked it, I don't crawl on them daily, but in spite of your demands, I'm pretty sure I can still comment.

I think anyone who wants to buy a RTT should. It's their money. No need to label everyone and judge who should and who should not purchase one.

If people find out they don't like it, no big hairy deal. Not a life changing investment.

For me, I laugh out loud when I see them on top of jeeps, trucks and suvs.
I'm not hating, just laughing. They bring me joy.

I'm sure in Africa, I would feel much differently about them.

I've owned just about every type of camping vehicle/tent/RV there is. Except for a RTT.
Choosing the perfect one is a real chore.
What works extremely well on one trip, isn't practical on the next.
The main thing is that we are getting out, enjoying nature with our friends and loved ones.

Happy camping,
MJ
 
#34 ·
From a less technical perspective, what makes you want to get out camping more often is what makes sense. Years ago we overpaid for a used VW Vanagon Westfalia (pop-top w/ bed). Kids loved it, wife loved it. It was never a struggle to raise enthusiasm for camping. Cozy, comfy bed = happiness. I know for a fact we did a lot more camping because of it. I don't own a RTT, but see this as being very similar. Plus, who doesn't like to sleep in a crows nest?!
 
#40 ·
I didn't dwell so far on the comfort aspect of the RTT, but it is probably the single most important factor, especially when camping with my GF. The 3" closed-cell mattress is supremely comfortable, and provides excellent thermal insulation from below, something that is very hard to achieve when on the ground.

It is essentially as comfortable as my bed at home, which makes it very easy to get a full night's sleep and wake up refreshed and ready to go.

I like a very firm pillow, and there is room to store 2X medium-sized buckwheat-hull pillows & a comforter, which is normally all that we need.
 
#36 ·
For me it’s a sense of safety being high up off the ground. I do a lot of solo camping and it gives me peace of mind that it’s unlikely that something will be able to harm me while I sleep. I got the IKamper which is extremely easy to set up and take down. I can do it alone in under a minute. It stays super warm in the winter, I camped last week in 19* weather in my usual sleeping bag and no layers. It is the best investment in my exploring hobby by far!
 

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