Roof Top Tent (RTT) Questions

[Randun]

Shoot a few and word will get around!!

I've been using a cheap battery operated motion detector that seems to work good within about 50 ft. Harbor Freight has them for about $15. Then you would have an idea where to aim!!

Great idea on the motion detector! I will have to check those out.

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

Shoot a few and word will get around!!

I've been using a cheap battery operated motion detector that seems to work good within about 50 ft. Harbor Freight has them for about $15. Then you would have an idea where to aim!!

I do have a good tactical system -- scares bears away (and humans too). HAHA

 

[Lil Bear]

I purchased a Mt Rainier from CVT. It is a bit heavy at 175lbs but it is a California king size and sleeps 3 of us and our 2 dogs fine. One is a wiener dog and the other is a shepherd lab cross. We haven’t had it long but it seems to be strong enough. Just make sure your racks support the weight also.
My pros:
Off the ground.
Easy to set up and take down.(takes me about 10 min both ways and I have a soft one).
Very comfortable bed. (I like it better than my purple mattress, this will also depend on brand you get).
Lots of ventilation.
Very durable.
Has a nice annex with flooring (depends on brand and model)
Can fold your bedding up in it.
Bonus is all the storage space you have under the tent in the bed of your truck because you don’t have to store a tent or bedding.

Cons:
Price.
Setting up and taking down if you need to run into town or leave camp to travel somewhere l.e. A hike away from camp.
Taking it off when not in use if on your primary vehicle.
Have to purchase racks. (These usually don’t come with the tent and can run $500 and up.
Instructions can be basic and explain just the setup and not all the options you got with the tent.

All in all I like my tent. I have it 7” off of my bed, but also have the option to put it on my cab if I want up higher. I would say, if you camp quite a bit and want to get away from crowds, then it’s worth the money. But if you camp a couple of times a yr then not worth the purchase imo.
Hope this helped.

Man that's a good looking rig! I have the CVT Mt. Denali on my Titan. Nice tents and very roomy but a pain in the arse to put on and off the truck so mine stays on most all the time!

 

[Randun]

I do have a good tactical system -- scares bears away (and humans too). HAHA

I like it! :)

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

Great idea on the motion detector! I will have to check those out.

There are a few out there, such as the perimeter trip alarm systems (make sure to use blanks!).

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

I was going to go too! Covid changed my plans too.

Hopefully we will all get back to our new normal soon.

Thank you again for your opinions. I really appreciate it!

Keeping fingers and toes crossed! *smiles*

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

Man that's a good looking rig! I have the CVT Mt. Denali on my Titan. Nice tents and very roomy but a pain in the arse to put on and off the truck so mine stays on most all the time!

Thanks!

That is the only negative I have to say about my RTT. I am forced to remove it at the end of my adventures which is a real pain, hence one of the reasons why I am looking at trailers. Just want to be able to park my gear in my garage (after cleaning it/winterize it) and that's it!

 

[FishinCrzy]

Thanks!

That is the only negative I have to say about my RTT. I am forced to remove it at the end of my adventures which is a real pain, hence one of the reasons why I am looking at trailers. Just want to be able to park my gear in my garage (after cleaning it/winterize it) and that's it!

My semi-solution is a cheap chain hoist to lift it on and off. Still 20 minutes of un bolting and putting slings around it but is a one-person job. It's good if one has a garage with enough clearance...or a convenient limb?

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

My semi-solution is a cheap chain hoist to lift it on and off. Still 20 minutes of un bolting and putting slings around it but is a one-person job. It's good if one has a garage with enough clearance...or a convenient limb?

It's all that work that I want to avoid. :(

 

[FishinCrzy]

It's all that work that I want to avoid. :(

Well, I usually get the butler or the gardener to do it. Unless it's their day off. Then, I usually just wait. I really hate to make the cook or maids do it. Still need to supervise them some.

 

[Paula - Canadian Explorer]

Well, I usually get the butler or the gardener to do it. Unless it's their day off. Then, I usually just wait. I really hate to make the cook or maids do it. Still need to supervise them some.

HHAHAHA...

 

[MMc]

Randun, I apologize of my mistaking you gender. Do you spend much time in Baja? I love it and “Baja Fever” pretty bad, it is my primary go to. I’ll be heading to the middle of Baja at the end of next month, both sides for a bit of kayak fishing and surf if there is swell in the water. I roll around in a Ram 2500 with a big rack and shell on it white with black rack. If you see it stop by for a coffee or drink.
It sound like the RTT idea suits you, I went to last years Expo and was very impressed with some. The better ones are more money, unfortunately.

 

[Randun]

There are a few out there, such as the perimeter trip alarm systems (make sure to use blanks!).

Thank you so much for the tip!

 

[Randun]

Keeping fingers and toes crossed! *smiles*

True that! :)

 

[Randun]

Thanks!

That is the only negative I have to say about my RTT. I am forced to remove it at the end of my adventures which is a real pain, hence one of the reasons why I am looking at trailers. Just want to be able to park my gear in my garage (after cleaning it/winterize it) and that's it!

Oh I completely agree with you.

I wish I could afford a trailer. They are gorgeous. I always gravitate towards them whenever I am around one.

 

[Randun]

My semi-solution is a cheap chain hoist to lift it on and off. Still 20 minutes of un bolting and putting slings around it but is a one-person job. It's good if one has a garage with enough clearance...or a convenient limb?

Great idea!

I have seen such amazing set ups in people's garages before. Hoist systems with pulleys that keep the tent fully suspended when you are not using it.

Some people are so inventive. I love it!

 

[Randun]

It's all that work that I want to avoid. :(

True that!

 

[Randun]

Well, I usually get the butler or the gardener to do it. Unless it's their day off. Then, I usually just wait. I really hate to make the cook or maids do it. Still need to supervise them some.

I like your style!

 

[Randun]

Randun, I apologize of my mistaking you gender. Do you spend much time in Baja? I love it and “Baja Fever” pretty bad, it is my primary go to. I’ll be heading to the middle of Baja at the end of next month, both sides for a bit of kayak fishing and surf if there is swell in the water. I roll around in a Ram 2500 with a big rack and shell on it white with black rack. If you see it stop by for a coffee or drink.
It sound like the RTT idea suits you, I went to last years Expo and was very impressed with some. The better ones are more money, unfortunately.

No stress! I get it frequently due to my name.

I spend as much time as I can in Baja. My parents took me down a lot when I was a kid, and I have never stopped going back. I'm like you, I love it down there.

Your trip sounds amazing! Now I have Baja on the brain. If I'm going down the gulf side, I primarily stay around Gonzaga Bay, or if I'm staying near the West side, I'm usually near San Quintin.

I'm pretty much sold on a RTT. I think it will be a great addition to my program.

 

[LONO100]

I never pulled the trigger on a roof top tent, but when I was weighing out the decision to buy one a while back, the two biggest pros for me was that a roof top tent will keep you off the ground. The ground can suck the heat right out of you. This and ease of use compared to finding a good flat piece of Earth, kicking all the rocks out and all that set up. What ultimately kept me from pulling the trigger on a RTT are 2 cons mainly. The first being that I cant really set up camp until I'm done using my vehicle for the day. If I suddenly had the urge to drive out into a clearing to do some night photography or something like that, I would need to break the tent down. I also now have a young son who comes camping with us, and I just don't trust him yet coming in and out of a RTT via ladder. The other con to me was the reduction in MPG I stood to lose. My vehicle is a brick as it is, and my truck is also my daily driver so I would be compelled to pull that tent off my vehicle and put it back on whenever I went on a trip.

This isn't to say that not getting a RTT is the answer, it was just the answer for me. I know plenty of people who run them and love them, but for my situation it wasn't the right choice. I have found a fix for using ground tents and staying off the ground and it isn't an air matress. It is a little more pricey, but if you or anyone else wants to stick with ground tents but sleep like a baby even in the freezing cold, look into the EXPED sleeping pad. It costs a few hundred bucks, about 400 for a full size version, but it is hands down the best sleeping pad I have ever used. They don't take up much room when broken down and packed up, and feel just like your matress at home. I've been sleeping on the ground and under the stars for decades, have always been anti-air matress, but this is so much better than an air matress or anything else I have tried through the years. So a decent tent, an exped and a quality bag, and you are housed for the fraction of a RTT, and you don't need to pull the tent off your vehicle when you are back in civilization if your truck is also your daily driver. Just the solution I have recently come up with that works really well for me and my family.