Roof Top Tent or not

jeeeep

jeeeep

Hooked
I'm in the process of buying/upgrading camping gear, I've looked at trailers, ground tents and what I feel may be a combination of both - roof top tents.

anyone use a RTT?

how do you like it?

how does it change the Jeeps' handling?

do you wheel with it in place?

I have a Rubicon trip coming up - can't decide if a RTT will be good or if it'll make the Jeep too top heavy.

I like the idea when I'm off fishing in the event I decide to stay overnight - the Jeep seats suck for sleeping (I'm considering Baja seats for their full recline)

thanks :beer:
 
I like to camp and I'm pretty much at same tipping point, the jeep is still a daily driver so I don't know whether to do a rooftop tent or a trailer with a tent.

From an MPG perspective a rooftop tent has to bring down the mileage at least one or two mpgs


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I did one trip with my rtt on top and I did not like it at all. If your going slow it's not bad, but I highway speeds it's horrible. I've since put mine on top of my m-416 trailer.
We have a good quality ground tent for adventures that I don't want to involve the trailer in.
I absolutely would not take my tepui rtt on any serious trail runs on the roof of our jku.


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I have thought a long time about a RTT. I never bought one, but i thought I would share my reason for not getting one.

1) gotta get a roof rack that will support a good amount of static and moving weight. Only a few good options out there for that. I don't like the exo cage look (Gobi and others), so that leaves AEV and Front Runner, which means cutting the hard top.

2) i like having a base camp and going out exploring. Which means i would have to fold up the RTT every time i wanted to go wheelin.

3) i have a wife and one kid, and im big boned (meaning i ate to many cheesy poofs and pot pies). Which means i would have to get one of the bigger RTT's which cost over $1200 from most manufacturers.

4) the only logical solution to me because of what i wrote above is to get a trailer. Now I'm in it for $1200 for a tent and $3000 minimum for a decent off road trailer.

I went with an 8 man easy up tent and a couple cots. Just sucks losing the interior space.

My 2 cents.

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While I love the idea of a roof top tent, I would never run one. The convenience factor is small especially when negative factors of wind noise, measurable MPG loss due to drag and the raising of your center of gravity are so significant.
 
thanks everyone, it seems the idea of it is better than the actual use.

the convenience is not what it seems in terms of the effects it has on the overall Jeep's handling.

anyone have any good suggestions on tents? I like to be able to stand up - 6'1", the ones I've looked at are light but the materials seems so cheap to me for the price.
 
I camp with a couple friends who have them (both on trucks) and they are pretty cool. They set up quick, break down decently quickly etc. They appear to be warmer than a normal camping tent (at least according to them). However one of my friends decided to move the tent onto an offroad trailer, so he could set up base camp and go explore easier. Another friend has a super nice canvas tent... pretty amazing if you want a legit standup tent.

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I love my roof tent. Ya it hurts mpg if you are doing highway driving, no question there. Ya it raises roll center.

I have driven with it on for 2 round trips to moab, roughly 3200 miles round trip not counting my driving once there.

I won't do serious wheeling with it on, but for the most part, serious wheeling and then driving it home don't mix anyway. I did top of the world and Fins and things with it on and lots of little minor here and there type trails.

In all honesty it takes a few minutes to mount and dismount if you wanted to go do some hard trails.

Personally I like the idea of not being on the ground for where I live, cougars (mountain lions) and grizzly bears are common and I like the idea of having a little more warning before I reach for my insurance policy.

It is warmer Than on the ground and really convenient for bike ad kayak camping trips and the like.

I liked the idea of 5 minute planned camping trips. For single nights with one of the guys on my watch who also had a roof tent. We would Order a pizza grab my one Rubbermaid bin and go find a quiet spot where no one else can get to only 20 or 30 min from town.

It has its ups and does, if it fits your adventure style or idea of a weekend get away do it. If you are a hardcore wheeler that can't imagine how close to rolling your jeep every trip out on the trails, I'd pass.

My wife and I would never go back to ground tent.

Edit: Full disclosure I am building an offroad trailer for the tent so I have more room for the 75lb GSD and his things. I am running out of room in a 2 door for trips more than 1 or 2 nights. It will also give me a base camp type ability for my trips.
 
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jeeeep said:
thanks everyone, it seems the idea of it is better than the actual use.

the convenience is not what it seems in terms of the effects it has on the overall Jeep's handling.

anyone have any good suggestions on tents? I like to be able to stand up - 6'1", the ones I've looked at are light but the materials seems so cheap to me for the price.
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Take a look at Slumberjack. Good well built stuff from my experience, although i only have their cots.

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jeeeep said:
tanyone have any good suggestions on tents? I like to be able to stand up - 6'1", the ones I've looked at are light but the materials seems so cheap to me for the price.
Click to expand...

The problem with big tents is that they don't do a good job of keeping you warm and they won't hold up to strong winds. Ideally, you want a good 3 or 4 season tent that one that's just big enough or a bit bigger than you need for sleeping. Of course, if you're not camping out in areas that sees strong winds, snow and rain, I suppose this won't be an issue for you.

jkrichard said:
It is warmer Than on the ground...
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With the right kind of camp bed, being on the ground isn't cold at all - not even in below freezing temps.

..if it fits your adventure style or idea of a weekend get away do it. If you are a hardcore wheeler that can't imagine how close to rolling your jeep every trip out on the trails, I'd pass.
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To that, I'd have to say that a lot of ones adventure style is defined by where you live and where you can get away to in a weekend. Me, I can be up on the Rubicon or Fordyce in under 2 hours. Both are what I consider overnight camping trails and neither are ones I would want a roof top tent on.

My wife and I would never go back to ground tent.
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It's funny because neither my wife or I could ever imagine wanting to do it any other way. :crazyeyes:
 
jeeeep said:
thanks everyone, it seems the idea of it is better than the actual use.

the convenience is not what it seems in terms of the effects it has on the overall Jeep's handling.

anyone have any good suggestions on tents? I like to be able to stand up - 6'1", the ones I've looked at are light but the materials seems so cheap to me for the price.
Click to expand...
Like Eddie said, most bigger tents take a beating in the wind, and are actually colder than a small tent. A friend has this Kodiak 6 person canvas tent and its 4 season I believe, at 6'1 you would be able to stand in it. Camped with him in 30 mph winds and it was fine... but that said its $700, heavy as a tank and takes up a ton of room to transport.

Kodiak-Canvas-Flex-Bow-6-Person-Canvas-Tent.jpg
 
Check out springbar and oztent for heavy duty canvas. Personally I use an rei 6 man dome. It stuffs down the size of a backpack.
 
I have a kingdom 6 from rei. It's a great tent and honestly way more room than my girl, dog and me need buuuut it's comfortable and easy to set up. Not that my girl is a diva but if it makes her happy and keeps us going camping then it's worth it.
 
SDG said:
Like Eddie said, most bigger tents take a beating in the wind, and are actually colder than a small tent. A friend has this Kodiak 6 person canvas tent and its 4 season I believe, at 6'1 you would be able to stand in it. Camped with him in 30 mph winds and it was fine... but that said its $700, heavy as a tank and takes up a ton of room to transport.

View attachment 246903
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I've gotten lazy and spoiled having hotels or 40' 5th wheel nearby lol

thanks for all the input and things to think about.

looks more like I'll want something I can put a cot in but not necessarily a walk-in - I like staying warm at nights, if I sleep on the ground I may not get up lol

I think I'll revisit the trailer idea for the times I know I'll have a decent base camp option.
 
Got a rtt... put it on a homemade trailer... it's dry when it pours or snows... the 3 inch memory foam is nice... and with bears, it feels a little safer in the night.
I also like setting up the base camp and leaving for the trails.

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I love my rtt. Keeps life simple for me. Sets up and breaks down in just a few minutes. I dont have to rake the ground or move rocks. I put my phone on the center console with my level app and find the sweet spot. There are times I wish it was on a trailer but thats a project for a later date. Im an old cav/infantry soldier so Im done with sleeping on the ground lol. To each is own though. Theres pros and cons to everything. Oh and yes its a noisy bastard on the hwy but than again f'it. Im driving a noisy ass Jeep anyway.

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I was having this discussion earlier today with a friend while planning our Rim Rocker Trail trip in May. He pulls an off-road trailer with a RTT and just purchased a second for his rig. Clearly he swears by them for the reasons stated by some here. I on the other hand while giving serious thought to one have decided against it. My reason is that I think it would lock me into a location once set up and I prefer more flexibility in terms of how much my camp is tethered to my rig. With a ground tent I'm able to hit the trails at night if so inclined without disturbing my camp. That's how I like to manage it anyway.


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I like the idea of a rtt, but I don't think it is the best route for any decent trails. One on a trailer would be good but only if you can take the trailer where you are going. The trailer can be a weight penalty though.

Too many years of sleeping on the ground make me appreciate a bed. Either a decent cot, or an air mattress (or both) are huge difference for a ground tent.
 
I have a Tentrax trailer and Oztent RV-5 I use for hunting/camping. I decided against the RTT due to the put up and take down pain every time you want to go anywhere. I like the Tentrax trailer because I can put all of my camping equipment in the trailer and my Oztent on top and keep the center of gravity low on the Jeep. Wouldn't change a thing. IMG_1744.JPGIMG_1745.JPG
 

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