Rtt's pricing compared to ground tents?

[rotary]

I wanted to open up this thread for experiences and opinions about roof top tents as compared to their ground counter parts. I really love the idea of a quick deploy tent that's up in the air and frankly it's one of the only ways to make my wife feel comfortable with camping. However, like most of us I have bills to pay and I can't help from noticing the prices for a rtt are 3-4x the amount of their ground brethren. Obviously they have extra engineering, an aluminum ladder and what appears to be a more heavy duty structure with a sleeping base. My goal was to start rtt'ing towards the end of 2017 but with a young family a 4 man tent fetches a hefty price tag. For those of you that own one I'm looking for opinions and thoughts. This thread isn't meant to be negative but I do believe these tents are pricing themselves out of the market in some cases.

 

[VDawg1115]

I think they are great but not necessary. If you do really technical off-roading, I notice that having an RTT on top can make things a little more challenging as it moves your center of gravity higher, but also run a great risk of being caught on trees when off camber. You also take a hit on your highway MPG.

But I will say that I have never slept more comfortably while camping than I have with my RTT. It's cool not having to roll up my sleeping bag each night or pump up an air mattress.

I bought mine second hand from Craigslist. My pockets aren't deep and I got a good deal on mine. You could look there

 

[AZ_Overland]

You could check out the suspended tent from tentsile. Though I think the largest they make is a 3 person.

Sent from my SM-N900V using OB Talk mobile app

 

[norcalsurf]

Bought mine on Craigslist for half the price!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using OB Talk mobile app

 

[raundhaus]

I agree that the cost of a RTT is high. My budget is too small and there are far too many other things I would add to increase the capability and reliability of my rig before investing $1000+ in what could largely be considered a creature comfort. If someday I find myself thinking that I just can't go on without a RTT, then I will begin considering it. But to be honest, the only thing that has ever made the thought cross my mind is seeing them on other people's rigs, NOT my own experiences actually making me wish I had one. So I will continue sleeping in the rig or in a ground tent.
No disrespect to those who have purchased RTTS. In many cases all someone needs is a tent on top of a stock vehicle and that is enough to give them all the adventure they need. Like every modification or piece of gear, it is a matter of priority. For many it is a low priority, and for many others it is a must-have. I can appreciate both sides.

Sent from my SM-T560NU using OB Talk mobile app

 

[boehml]

I think they are great but not necessary.

If you don't already have a roof rack and/or bed rack (if you drive a ute), you may as well consider that as part of the purchase. I would recommend a swag, but that won't do for a family of 4... So how about an Oztent? It isn't cheap, but it is cheaper than an RTT and Rack, provided you have the space to transport the thing without a rack (it's like 6ft long). And for the record, I have nothing to do with Oztent and have never used one.. just seems like a good alternative. Here are some of the pros I can think of:

- Doesn't increase your height or COG (if you can run it in your ute bed)
- Is easy to remove from your rig when you run around town or DD
- Allows you to explore with your rig and have a base camp
- Easy to setup and clean in your back garden after your trip
- Lighter than an RTT

 

[VDawg1115]

If you don't already have a roof rack and/or bed rack (if you drive a ute), you may as well consider that as part of the purchase. I would recommend a swag, but that won't do for a family of 4... So how about an Oztent? It isn't cheap, but it is cheaper than an RTT and Rack, provided you have the space to transport the thing without a rack (it's like 6ft long). And for the record, I have nothing to do with Oztent and have never used one.. just seems like a good alternative. Here are some of the pros I can think of:

- Doesn't increase your height or COG (if you can run it in your ute bed)
- Is easy to remove from your rig when you run around town or DD
- Allows you to explore with your rig and have a base camp
- Easy to setup and clean in your back garden after your trip
- Lighter than an RTT

Heard great things about them. As long as you got a roof over your head while overlanding, it doesn't really matter what is used. Seen many options, from people sleeping on top of their drawer systems to just putting a sleeping bag on top of the vehicle. But I think many of us would agree, our ladies prefer the RTT though.....mine certainly does

 

[NoOneBetter]

I would seriously consider an oztent and I do have an RTT already. As others have said, the RTT adds a considerable amount of weight and height to the vehicle and its especially a pain to mount/unmount to the vehicle.
I've got caught on trees plenty of times with the RTT.

From personal experience here are the pros and cons that I see for an RTT.

PROS RTT:
No Mess (wet/dusty/dirty ground)
easy to deploy
can keep bedding inside
partial awning (depending on model)
above ground
Use built in metal loops in base to hang items during camp (lanterns, towels, wet clothes, etc)

CONS RTT:
Heavy
gas mileage hit
Height addition to vehicle
more effort to pack away than to deploy
Hard to mount/unmount from vehicle.
Takes up roof space
Vehicle is immobile after tent deployed
Affected by high winds more than ground tent


An oztent has some of the pros of an RTT and almost none of the cons of an RTT.


That all being said, my lady definitely prefers the RTT also.

 

[NoOneBetter]

Oh, another pro I forgot to mention is that terrain is no longer a factor for setting up the tent. Here a photo of me camped out it a wash. Would not have been fun sleeping on the ground there.

 

[ExGEO]

I saw Francis St Pierre White discussing the ground tent vs the roof tent and he said something that has resonated with me for years. I'm paraphrasing a bit, "a ground is much cheaper where a roof tent is often quite expensive. Now a rhinoceros or elephant can get to you either way. When people ask me if the cost is justified for a roof tent then I have to say yes if it makes camping a more enjoyable experience for you." If you feel you need a roof tent or if it will offer some feeling of security to you or your family then you should do it. I have an ARB Simpson and I will say that it is by and large more comfortable and easier to setup than a ground tent. I have a friend that used to "forget" his tent so he could sleep in the truck. Add one roof tent and he's a happy camper now. You will save a considerable amount of space inside the truck for sleeping gear.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using OB Talk mobile app

 

[vegasjeepguy]

I would seriously consider an oztent and I do have an RTT already. As others have said, the RTT adds a considerable amount of weight and height to the vehicle and its especially a pain to mount/unmount to the vehicle.
I've got caught on trees plenty of times with the RTT.

CONS RTT:
Heavy
gas mileage hit
Height addition to vehicle
more effort to pack away than to deploy
Hard to mount/unmount from vehicle.
Takes up roof space
Vehicle is immobile after tent deployed
Affected by high winds more than ground tent

Almost all of which can be mitigated by trailer mounting the RTT. I have always owned a 4WD vehicle because I wanted to have the ability to get to just about anywhere I want anytime. I bought my current vehicle, 2004 Jeep Rubicon, in 2007 after my previous Jeep, 1999 Sahara, was totaled. With my son being 8 years old at the time, I knew we would be heading out on more road trips and camping trips and our trips evolved over time the more we got out.

Initially we were pretty minimalist with a backpacking tent and basic gear. In the early days, we didn't even take a cooler. Then it was a 6 man ground tent that eventually added cots, tables, camping chairs, camping stove, etc. As the amount of gear grew it truly tested the capacity of my Jeep. For a time I considered a roof rack but the same Cons listed for a vehicle mounted RTT would also be on a roof rack list. Additionally, the cost of a quality roof and basket can run upwards of $1k.

That's when I decided the solution to all my problems was a military style trailer. I did spend over two years in my "casual" search when I stumbled on a CDN M101 listed locally on Craigslist for $1k. I snatched it up as fast as I could and quickly wondered how I had lived without a trailer all of these years. The previous owner had fabricated a rack on a piano hinge for the top with the intention of eventually installing a RTT. I was just thrilled to have the extra space and could now comfortably get all my gear (and more) out for multi-day+ trips.

Eventually the RTT bug began to gnaw at me but I was surprised by the cost. One of the big RTT companies at the time was ARB and I was looking at between $2-3k, much more than I wanted to spend. Again though, patience paid off and I eventually ran across a fairly new company called Tepui that had a tent listed for $899. Concerned about quality at a price lower than competive tents, the reviews were all very good and I decided to take a chance. I was not disappointed.

The tent mounted very easily to the rack on the trailer and the hinge gave me easy access to the gear stored in the trailer. The tent itself actually offered some protection from the elements by acting as a cover keeping out most of the weather. The RTT itself was still a bit of a cool novelty, but it wasn't until my first night sleeping in it that I became a true believer. As others have said it was by far the most comfortable night I have ever spent "out in the woods".

After a few years, I decided to "upgrade" to the ruggedized XL version which was well worth the $2k and offset a little by the $500 for which I sold my old RTT. RTT do have their limitations and I still use a ground tent at times for gear storage, changing room, additional sleeping areas for friends when out for multiple days. I have always just considered the RTT my bedroom, but it sure is a heck of bedroom for camping.

 

[VDawg1115]

Almost all of which can be mitigated by trailer mounting the RTT. I have always owned a 4WD vehicle because I wanted to have the ability to get to just about anywhere I want anytime. I bought my current vehicle, 2004 Jeep Rubicon, in 2007 after my previous Jeep, 1999 Sahara, was totaled. With my son being 8 years old at the time, I knew we would be heading out on more road trips and camping trips and our trips evolved over time the more we got out.

Initially we were pretty minimalist with a backpacking tent and basic gear. In the early days, we didn't even take a cooler. Then it was a 6 man ground tent that eventually added cots, tables, camping chairs, camping stove, etc. As the amount of gear grew it truly tested the capacity of my Jeep. For a time I considered a roof rack but the same Cons listed for a vehicle mounted RTT would also be on a roof rack list. Additionally, the cost of a quality roof and basket can run upwards of $1k.

That's when I decided the solution to all my problems was a military style trailer. I did spend over two years in my "casual" search when I stumbled on a CDN M101 listed locally on Craigslist for $1k. I snatched it up as fast as I could and quickly wondered how I had lived without a trailer all of these years. The previous owner had fabricated a rack on a piano hinge for the top with the intention of eventually installing a RTT. I was just thrilled to have the extra space and could now comfortably get all my gear (and more) out for multi-day+ trips.

Eventually the RTT bug began to gnaw at me but I was surprised by the cost. One of the big RTT companies at the time was ARB and I was looking at between $2-3k, much more than I wanted to spend. Again though, patience paid off and I eventually ran across a fairly new company called Tepui that had a tent listed for $899. Concerned about quality at a price lower than competive tents, the reviews were all very good and I decided to take a chance. I was not disappointed.

The tent mounted very easily to the rack on the trailer and the hinge gave me easy access to the gear stored in the trailer. The tent itself actually offered some protection from the elements by acting as a cover keeping out most of the weather. The RTT itself was still a bit of a cool novelty, but it wasn't until my first night sleeping in it that I became a true believer. As others have said it was by far the most comfortable night I have ever spent "out in the woods".

After a few years, I decided to "upgrade" to the ruggedized XL version which was well worth the $2k and offset a little by the $500 for which I sold my old RTT. RTT do have their limitations and I still use a ground tent at times for gear storage, changing room, additional sleeping areas for friends when out for multiple days. I have always just considered the RTT my bedroom, but it sure is a heck of bedroom for camping.

View attachment 13738

View attachment 13739

Same reason I did one

 

[boehml]

@vegasjeepguy, a trailer on small tracks isn't my ideal solution, but if you really wanted to run an RTT I guess that would solve those cons. So thumbs up for a trailer and RTT if it's suitable for the terrain you go on.

But in @rotary's case this would add additional cost, similar to the roof rack scenario.

 

[vegasjeepguy]

But in @rotary's case this would add additional cost, similar to the roof rack scenario.

Which is why it's all about having a plan, patience and continuously moving forward as you improve and upgrade your setup. From the time I started this it has taken me 9 years to get to where I am today.

 

[rotary]

I'm so glad you guys linked the oz tent. If nothing else because it anchors pricing for rtt's, plus it is a nice piece of equipment. At the end of the day all of these tents are basically canvas, zippers and aluminum frames in different configurations and thickness. What I couldn't justify is rei having and 8 person tent for $500 and a rtt going for 2-2.5k. No they aren't the same but some of the manufacturer websites don't do a good job explaining what's going into these tents. I just want to know my money is going to a quality product and not an price gouge because overlanders will pay more.

 

[budder]

I wanted to open up this thread for experiences and opinions about roof top tents as compared to their ground counter parts. I really love the idea of a quick deploy tent that's up in the air and frankly it's one of the only ways to make my wife feel comfortable with camping. However, like most of us I have bills to pay and I can't help from noticing the prices for a rtt are 3-4x the amount of their ground brethren. Obviously they have extra engineering, an aluminum ladder and what appears to be a more heavy duty structure with a sleeping base. My goal was to start rtt'ing towards the end of 2017 but with a young family a 4 man tent fetches a hefty price tag. For those of you that own one I'm looking for opinions and thoughts. This thread isn't meant to be negative but I do believe these tents are pricing themselves out of the market in some cases.

i dont have any major preferences but normal tents can be a real pain if your putting them up every night even hiking tents, especialy after long journeys ands lots of driving. even then in flating mats and air beds is quite annoying. also you normally find you get full matresses in RTTs that are much more comfortable. and the rolling up of standar tents is a pain the bacause the factory bag is bearly big enough.
Also bugs and wild life with normal tents.


regards kyle

 

[budder]

Almost all of which can be mitigated by trailer mounting the RTT. I have always owned a 4WD vehicle because I wanted to have the ability to get to just about anywhere I want anytime. I bought my current vehicle, 2004 Jeep Rubicon, in 2007 after my previous Jeep, 1999 Sahara, was totaled. With my son being 8 years old at the time, I knew we would be heading out on more road trips and camping trips and our trips evolved over time the more we got out.

Initially we were pretty minimalist with a backpacking tent and basic gear. In the early days, we didn't even take a cooler. Then it was a 6 man ground tent that eventually added cots, tables, camping chairs, camping stove, etc. As the amount of gear grew it truly tested the capacity of my Jeep. For a time I considered a roof rack but the same Cons listed for a vehicle mounted RTT would also be on a roof rack list. Additionally, the cost of a quality roof and basket can run upwards of $1k.

That's when I decided the solution to all my problems was a military style trailer. I did spend over two years in my "casual" search when I stumbled on a CDN M101 listed locally on Craigslist for $1k. I snatched it up as fast as I could and quickly wondered how I had lived without a trailer all of these years. The previous owner had fabricated a rack on a piano hinge for the top with the intention of eventually installing a RTT. I was just thrilled to have the extra space and could now comfortably get all my gear (and more) out for multi-day+ trips.

Eventually the RTT bug began to gnaw at me but I was surprised by the cost. One of the big RTT companies at the time was ARB and I was looking at between $2-3k, much more than I wanted to spend. Again though, patience paid off and I eventually ran across a fairly new company called Tepui that had a tent listed for $899. Concerned about quality at a price lower than competive tents, the reviews were all very good and I decided to take a chance. I was not disappointed.

The tent mounted very easily to the rack on the trailer and the hinge gave me easy access to the gear stored in the trailer. The tent itself actually offered some protection from the elements by acting as a cover keeping out most of the weather. The RTT itself was still a bit of a cool novelty, but it wasn't until my first night sleeping in it that I became a true believer. As others have said it was by far the most comfortable night I have ever spent "out in the woods".

After a few years, I decided to "upgrade" to the ruggedized XL version which was well worth the $2k and offset a little by the $500 for which I sold my old RTT. RTT do have their limitations and I still use a ground tent at times for gear storage, changing room, additional sleeping areas for friends when out for multiple days. I have always just considered the RTT my bedroom, but it sure is a heck of bedroom for camping.

View attachment 13738

View attachment 13739

i would love a setup like yours, but theres just no jeep parts in the uk and the ones there are cost $500+ for shipping and there all for XJs.
and there are no off road trailers and its illegal to build them otherwise you'd get a massive fine from the driver vehicle licensing agency for "illegal chassis tampering"
and importing them costs litteraly $5000 to get them then you have to insure them from an importing insurer and that costs litterally $1200 a month to insure an $8000 camper trailer.


regards kyle

 

[OffroadTreks]

I wanted to open up this thread for experiences and opinions about roof top tents as compared to their ground counter parts. I really love the idea of a quick deploy tent that's up in the air and frankly it's one of the only ways to make my wife feel comfortable with camping. However, like most of us I have bills to pay and I can't help from noticing the prices for a rtt are 3-4x the amount of their ground brethren. Obviously they have extra engineering, an aluminum ladder and what appears to be a more heavy duty structure with a sleeping base. My goal was to start rtt'ing towards the end of 2017 but with a young family a 4 man tent fetches a hefty price tag. For those of you that own one I'm looking for opinions and thoughts. This thread isn't meant to be negative but I do believe these tents are pricing themselves out of the market in some cases.

You're right. I have a family two, and just committed to buying a 23Zero Byron RTT.

We've been on the ground for some time. It's not a straight apples to apple comparison though as you noted. Most RTT's have an aluminum fold over the base plate, mounting rails, aluminum poles that pivot and allow for fast deployment. Aluminum collapsible ladder. And then usually a heavy cover. Almost all are 4 season as well. And usually, feature some type of ripstop material that is thicker than your average ground tent.

It's not a straight comparison to a Colemen tent. If you want a 4 season tent for example, you're usually paying $300+ for a quality 4 season ground tent.

The closest comparison is the RV-5 from OzTent in terms of materials, fast setup, etc. But go check out the price tag. The same arena almost.

The interesting thing is that I've heard there are only three factories actually producing these tents and multiple sellers.

A lot of them all appear nearly identical. But with price points all over the place. A friend of mine with a CVT just commented to me before I bought the 23Zero tent that he was camping with a guy who had the SmittyBuilt and it was identical except for some velcro. And he was pissed he paid so much. (Of course we all know SmittyBuilt's rep) But the point being, it might be more prudent to shop around and that name brand or well known might not play as large a roll in this market.

None of the tents are made in the US, that much seems to be true. So there might be some truth in that statement.

Most of your easy come by ground tents will always be cheaper. It's not until you get into large ultra light backpacking tents and things like the OZTent that you get up into the $1k mark.

We made the switch, because we have young ones who think the tent is for jumping on. And it's been such a hassle setting up on the ground all the time. The ground is uncomfortable and I don't want to load up something as large as the OzTent RV-5 and then load cots and other stuff. We can leave our sleeping bags in the RTT, so this saves even more space. It's more comfortable, and we did a test setup and take down and it felt faster than the ground tent.

It can be a bit of a cost to swallow. But I think it will be worth it for us. I dropped $2,264.00 on our tent and paid $280 on top of that for shipping and lift gate service. Pretty big camping investment for sure.

 

[1derer]

I wanted to open up this thread for experiences and opinions about roof top tents as compared to their ground counter parts. I really love the idea of a quick deploy tent that's up in the air and frankly it's one of the only ways to make my wife feel comfortable with camping. However, like most of us I have bills to pay and I can't help from noticing the prices for a rtt are 3-4x the amount of their ground brethren. Obviously they have extra engineering, an aluminum ladder and what appears to be a more heavy duty structure with a sleeping base. My goal was to start rtt'ing towards the end of 2017 but with a young family a 4 man tent fetches a hefty price tag. For those of you that own one I'm looking for opinions and thoughts. This thread isn't meant to be negative but I do believe these tents are pricing themselves out of the market in some cases.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/pts/d/tepui-ayer-sky-blue-roof-top/6235201925.html

This is not going to last long

 

[Jeepney]

I have a 6-person Cabela's tent, i remember paying $500 way back and it looks like those type of tents are cheaper now.

This year we moved to the TuffStuff RTT which comes with an annex around $1200. Of course I need a roof rack to mount it on so all in all is definitely way more expensive than a ground tent. But here are a couple of reasons why I went with it

- The idea is to extend our camping in the colder season with a help of a Buddy heater. 2x early this year, the RTT was really warm.
- We started dispersed camping and a few of areas we stayed in will have issues with a family-sized tent.

I was ready to sell it if it didn't work for us but so far it definitely has improved our camping experience especially now that we are gravitating towards dispersed camping. Having said that, I will favor my ground tent when I base camp in an established campgrounds.