Roof top tent

[Danielleblutt001]

I’m looking for recommendations for roof top tents.
I’ve been looking to do a cross country trip and would love to purchase (or rent) a roof top tent. If anyone has any brands or set ups that like I’d love the info!
Also, I’m going to be traveling with my 45pound dog. I know that most of these tents have a ladder to access the actual tent which means I would have to carry her up the ladder. I am ok with doing this but was wondering if anyone else has experience with this. TIA!

 

[FishinCrzy]

There are numerous threads about RTTs. Try the SEARCH function and I am sure you will see everything you might wish to know.

 

[Old Tanker]

... I’m going to be traveling with my 45pound dog. I know that most of these tents have a ladder to access the actual tent which means I would have to carry her up the ladder. I am ok with doing this but was wondering if anyone else has experience with this. TIA!

If the ladder is sturdy, you could train the dog to ride your shoulders into the tent. You could also look for tents that have an extra opening towards the front of the vehicle, and put a mat over the window and hood, so that the dog could scramble up into the tent. The concern there would be 45 pounds leaving dents in the hood.

Our dog weighs 105 lbs so we're holding off on a rooftop tent for the time being.

 

[Danielleblutt001]

... I’m going to be traveling with my 45pound dog. I know that most of these tents have a ladder to access the actual tent which means I would have to carry her up the ladder. I am ok with doing this but was wondering if anyone else has experience with this. TIA!

If the ladder is sturdy, you could train the dog to ride your shoulders into the tent. You could also look for tents that have an extra opening towards the front of the vehicle, and put a mat over the window and hood, so that the dog could scramble up into the tent. The concern there would be 45 pounds leaving dents in the hood.

Our dog weighs 105 lbs so we're holding off on a rooftop tent for the time being.

Thank you for the advice! I have looked into the expandable ramps that some people use to get their dogs in the trunk but have yet to find one that is long enough.

 

[Old Tanker]

Thank you for the advice! I have looked into the expandable ramps that some people use to get their dogs in the trunk but have yet to find one that is long enough.

Maybe a folding stairway meant for attic access could fold into a package that could be strapped to the roof rack.

 

[sabjku]

@Danielleblutt001 , here's a link to a number of threads that will probably answer almost all of your questions in regards to the different options for RTT's:

Search results for query: Roof Tent

www.overlandbound.com

Two quick comments:

There's primarily two styles, soft shell tents, and hard shell tents. Soft shell's are generally less expensive, and typically come in a wider range of sizes, but at the expense of being a bit longer set up and pack away time. Hard shell's are going to cost more, but offer a much faster set up and pack away time. I can tell you from owning both styles, I would never buy a soft shell again as the hard shell's really are easier to deal with, and they are a much lower profile when on top of your roof. But that's just my opinion.

There's only a handful of manufacturers over in China that make these things, and they make them to the spec's that are specified by the companies that sell them. The more common brands are CVT, Tepui(Thule), Free Spirit Recreation, Roofnest, Ikamper, and a few others. You'll see many similarities between them. Smittybilt makes a decent product at a slightly more economical price point. Also, check out Hi-Vis Overland. Brad(the owner) has a great range of tents, all spec'd very nicely, and priced very fairly when compared to the bigger companies. His new hardshell tent is very well made. I have a few friends with his product and I would buy his hard shell in a heartbeat if I was looking for another RTT!