Always bring a packable tent in case you break down or get otherwise stranded and have to hike out.
Sent from a hijacked NSA satellite
Sent from a hijacked NSA satellite
Roof Top Tent or Ground Tent?
- Thread starter Michael
- Start date
And thats what it boils down to. Every option has its pros and cons. You just have to go through them and figure what works best for you.
Any Overlanders use hammocks?
Luv my Hennesy Expedition. I use it for backpacking, kayaking, overlanding...
Luv my Hennesy Expedition. I use it for backpacking, kayaking, overlanding...
Bashing RTT's is the new thing to do. We reached peak RTT popularity. Now it's hip to be anti-RTT.
I've been in a ground tent for awhile, and sleeping on the ground got old once I turned 30 and had kids. I have no desires to carry cots and inflatable mats. I'm not sure how that is all easier. And we looked into the OzTent RV-5 and for a quick deploy tent, it certainly takes up a lot of space. Has a RTT price tag and after watching a friend put one away, didn't look any quicker than my current ground tent setup. Actually, stuffing my ground tent was faster.
We switched recently. Tent is out of the way now of storage. So are sleeping bags, pillows and blankets. All in the tent. This free'd up a lot of space for us. The mattress is more comfortable, and we camp a lot in bear country, and I feel a lot better now. Bears have wandered into peoples tents.
Having a fullsize, I don't tend to suffer the off camber effects that happen to shorter wheel base vehicles. I have to be in a very precarious position to get that effect. So "tippy" isn't something that happens a lot when I wheel. We also built our rack to be not 100% at roof height. So this helps. And the 23Zero Tent comes in at 130lbs. And my truck weighs around 8000lbs, so it's not really throwing the truck anywhere.
Overall, it suits our family. And really, at the end of the day, people should be basing their decisions on their needs and what will work for them. Not what's popular and whats not.
I've been in a ground tent for awhile, and sleeping on the ground got old once I turned 30 and had kids. I have no desires to carry cots and inflatable mats. I'm not sure how that is all easier. And we looked into the OzTent RV-5 and for a quick deploy tent, it certainly takes up a lot of space. Has a RTT price tag and after watching a friend put one away, didn't look any quicker than my current ground tent setup. Actually, stuffing my ground tent was faster.
We switched recently. Tent is out of the way now of storage. So are sleeping bags, pillows and blankets. All in the tent. This free'd up a lot of space for us. The mattress is more comfortable, and we camp a lot in bear country, and I feel a lot better now. Bears have wandered into peoples tents.
Having a fullsize, I don't tend to suffer the off camber effects that happen to shorter wheel base vehicles. I have to be in a very precarious position to get that effect. So "tippy" isn't something that happens a lot when I wheel. We also built our rack to be not 100% at roof height. So this helps. And the 23Zero Tent comes in at 130lbs. And my truck weighs around 8000lbs, so it's not really throwing the truck anywhere.
Overall, it suits our family. And really, at the end of the day, people should be basing their decisions on their needs and what will work for them. Not what's popular and whats not.
Experimenter I
They do it on purpose. Ever notice they also prefer the fine tooth zippers over the big tooth zippers like you find on diving gear? There are easier ways. You can even get more reliability by looking in the history books.
Buttons and/or grommets will fix what their engineers couldn't get right in the first place. They hate the phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" so they came up with zippers and little rain flaps to get hung in them. lol
Use either a third piece that covers the seam or attached to one side with an overlap. Strong magnets work very well if it is calm.
Influencer II
I don't think it's about bashing the RTTs. They are cool, but after extensive evaluation, I can't justify the price/ usable space ratio. I can buy a good quality 4 season base camp tent like a Springbar, Cabela's guide tent, Oztent, 12 Survivors, or even some of the Artic Oven's, and it is still cheaper than all but the smallest budget RTT's. Throw in a high quality cot and mattress with the money I saved, and I am comfortable at all times of year, the dog can sleep in there, and the best part is, I don't have to take my rig, I can throw it in the car or anyone else's vehicle and travel like I'm on safari.
23 Zero RTT's $1699-$2599 (based on their website)
Springbar $349-$1579
Cabela's 239- 1569
For the record, I was spoiled while in the Serengeti a couple years ago, so this is my goal when camping now(maybe not quite this extravagant, but you get the idea). This was what our tent looked like for the weekend. Was all good until the elephant came in the middle of the night and drank the shower water. That'll wake you up!
23 Zero RTT's $1699-$2599 (based on their website)
Springbar $349-$1579
Cabela's 239- 1569
For the record, I was spoiled while in the Serengeti a couple years ago, so this is my goal when camping now(maybe not quite this extravagant, but you get the idea). This was what our tent looked like for the weekend. Was all good until the elephant came in the middle of the night and drank the shower water. That'll wake you up!
I love my roof top tents. I have 1 on my truck and 1 on my trailer. I generally only take out the trailer when I spend more then 1 night in the same spot. The truck is great for multiple nights in multiple spots. I do believe ground tents can be easier and faster but I don't think they hold up to weather as well and aren't ideal for putting away wet or dirty. In the end I choose a RTT for a good nights sleep. I sleep in my RTT almost every weekend. Its basically our second home. People should use what works for them. There is no right or wrong answer to RTT vs ground tent.
I think they both have thier merrits. I have used alot of tents in my life. Old miltary style canvas, to light wieght Marmot, etc brands. We have been running an Oztent RV4 since 2007 and just recently decided to pass on roof top tent due to the way we travel. We tend to base camp and use the car to go and do stuff alot, so I just don't want to climb up thier 2x a day to deal with the tent. We just bought a Jet tent f25x with full porch enclosure. However I think I am going to sell or return it because I find it just to heavy to get up ontop of my lifted 80 series. I think I am ultimatley going to get a trailer with a RTT but need to rethink the ground tent in the mean time. I have looked at tents like the Nemo wagon top 8 but just really dislike single wall nylon tents. They just do not breath and really make alot of noise in the wind. Although I love thier small size and light wieght in comparison to my Oztent I just can't get over how flimsy they feel. The times I have used a RTT on a Campa trailer I loved it and feel it is the ultimate set up for our family but sadly not quite in the budget yet for a trailer like that.
I think the simplicity of essentially just opening a rooftop versus the set up of a ground tent is the most appealing. I think about arriving at a destination later than planned, trying to set up in the dark and/or elements creates a whole lot of stress. I would much rather pull down a rooftop, go to sleep and assess in the morning. Also, the argument that it creates high weight on your rig. Yes, that's an issue if your rock crawling. That's not a flavor I associate with overland exploration. Height clearance, yes, that is a real issue, but not high weight. My humble opinion.
Enthusiast I
I'm seriously considering this, do you have any start up picks? Kinda looking around for some foundation ideas
Influencer II
I'm from grizzly country in western Canada. The elephant in the night was certainly the most"concerned" I've ever been with wildlife encounters...
Brooksjpb
Rank I
Contributor III
Love all these options. I have the ARB FIXED awning system with the add a room tent. Nice but a little small, Works for one to two people
Enthusiast I
The way we typically camp is to set up a base station with a tent, offload a bunch of weight (inside or around the tent), and then explore the trails in the area with a somewhat lighter vehicle and with more room inside. This means invariably for us a rugged canvas Springbar tent that is heavy in every way: heavy poles, thick canvas, strong metal zippers, over-engineered steel stakes that don't bind repeated whacks with sledge hammers. My thinking is, I would rather expend some effort when I am awake and usually in the daylight setting up a heavy canvas tent--it might take 30 minutes tops if I am doing it alone, half that if I have helpers--than realizing there is a problem in a windstorm at 3:15am and having to get out in the dark with a flashlight to deal with it, thereby making the next day not as fun because I am grumpy and sleep-deprived. There is something about the solidity and securty of heavy canvas -- it doesn't buffet in the winds as much as nylon fabics -- that allows me to sleep better at night when camping. I am a sensitive sleeper; the constant din of a nylon fly flapping against a nylon tent doesn't make for the best night's sleep. So it is either a Springbar or Kodiak canvas tent for me.
RTT on a trailer is in my future plans for for now it is RTT! no mud when it rains, no critters!
I've had both. RTT sounded better when I first started - but the few advantages soon were outweighed by the numerous disadvantages: Tiny, crawling up and down your rig, putting everything away to move the truck, no 'base-camp' option. I sold mine and bought an Oztent RV5 and have zero regrets. Most of the advantages of a RTT - with far fewer of the disadvantages. Sets up in minutes and you have a tent you can stand up and maneuver in. Throw in a couple of cots and you have a safari setup.
Bashing RTT's is the new thing to do. We reached peak RTT popularity. Now it's hip to be anti-RTT.
I've been in a ground tent for awhile, and sleeping on the ground got old once I turned 30 and had kids. I have no desires to carry cots and inflatable mats. I'm not sure how that is all easier. And we looked into the OzTent RV-5 and for a quick deploy tent, it certainly takes up a lot of space. Has a RTT price tag and after watching a friend put one away, didn't look any quicker than my current ground tent setup. Actually, stuffing my ground tent was faster.
We switched recently. Tent is out of the way now of storage. So are sleeping bags, pillows and blankets. All in the tent. This free'd up a lot of space for us. The mattress is more comfortable, and we camp a lot in bear country, and I feel a lot better now. Bears have wandered into peoples tents.
Having a fullsize, I don't tend to suffer the off camber effects that happen to shorter wheel base vehicles. I have to be in a very precarious position to get that effect. So "tippy" isn't something that happens a lot when I wheel. We also built our rack to be not 100% at roof height. So this helps. And the 23Zero Tent comes in at 130lbs. And my truck weighs around 8000lbs, so it's not really throwing the truck anywhere.
Overall, it suits our family. And really, at the end of the day, people should be basing their decisions on their needs and what will work for them. Not what's popular and whats not.
I don't think having an opinion different from yours on RTT's constitutes bashing. Opinions from differing points of view help me make decisions.
Trail Blazer I
Ground tent for me. I can get everything I need for two days in a backpack. Toss a couple backpacks in the back of the LJ and I'm good to go. Plus I already have three ground tents from scouting and tent camping trips. We also have a 4x4 Ram with a 9 foot Lance which is a great base camp. We tow the jeep until things get soft or tight and then drive in to the backcountry individually.
Enthusiast III
I think the comparison of a ground tent and a roof top tent is sometimes comparing apples to oranges...depending on the ground tent. While ground tents come in a variety of configurations offering multiple uses, roof top tents are pretty much exclusively a place to sleep and sleep very comfortably. And that is the appeal of a RTT. I've slept on the ground, I've slept on self-inflating mats, I've slept on air mattresses and I've slept on cots. It wasn't until I slept in my RTT using real sheets, a down comforter and real pillows that I enjoyed the comforts of home in the field. And that is exactly what my RTT is...my bedroom.
A RTT can't compete with a large ground tent in terms of sheer living space, Most 4+ man non-expedition type tents are tall enough for a 6ft tall man to stand up in the middle. Oz Tents are awesome for this, but the top of the ground tent heap is the canvas wall tent. Sure, I'd love to set up a wall tent in the field as my home away from home, but the challenges associated with that are legion.
With my RTT mounted on a trailer, it is only about 4 feet off the ground making an annex unusable. Because of this my base camp is supplemented with canopies and ground tents, most of which I have acquired over the years prior to "upgrading" my sleeping experience with the addition of the RTT. What I take is dependent on the weather and how many "guests" are tagging along. I will often bring my REI 6 man tent with me because I can stand up in it and it works well for gear storage, changing room or "guest" sleeping quarters... but I will never sleep in a ground tent again if I can help it.
That said, when it was just me and my son, we rocked the RTT minimalist style.
A RTT can't compete with a large ground tent in terms of sheer living space, Most 4+ man non-expedition type tents are tall enough for a 6ft tall man to stand up in the middle. Oz Tents are awesome for this, but the top of the ground tent heap is the canvas wall tent. Sure, I'd love to set up a wall tent in the field as my home away from home, but the challenges associated with that are legion.
With my RTT mounted on a trailer, it is only about 4 feet off the ground making an annex unusable. Because of this my base camp is supplemented with canopies and ground tents, most of which I have acquired over the years prior to "upgrading" my sleeping experience with the addition of the RTT. What I take is dependent on the weather and how many "guests" are tagging along. I will often bring my REI 6 man tent with me because I can stand up in it and it works well for gear storage, changing room or "guest" sleeping quarters... but I will never sleep in a ground tent again if I can help it.
That said, when it was just me and my son, we rocked the RTT minimalist style.
Last edited:
