Truck bed campers vs rtt

[Turnbull_Ox]

I was originally plannin on an engine swap in my current 99 yukon. But my circumstances have changed and I will instead be getting a new(er) rig. I have decided an extended cab pick up is what I want. I'm pretty well set on a specific make a model that will fulfill my preliminary requirements of power, economy and initial cost. The idea is lengevity of comfort. I plan on taking multi week trips regularly in assorted weather. This may also have to play the role of daily driver on occasion as well. My question at this point is the sleeping situation:

If you had a small pick up with a 6 foot bed which of these options would you go with an why?

A) traditional camper shell

B) low bed rack or tonneau with roof top tent.

C) other, please explain

 

[RyanC]

I bought my tacoma with a 6 foot bed with the thought of putting a shell on it and sleeping in the back. I ended up putting a half height rack of sorts and a RTT on those over the bed. That let's me keep all of the bed width and length and a decent height for cargo and let's me sleep on a mattress with sheets and a pillow like at home.

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[1derer]

Difficult to answer really depends on your preference. As a younger man wanting more rugged trails the camper shell is the ticket. Light weight enough to sleep in (kind of) or enough to make due. Then the RTT is the ticket adds weight gives you back storage you would use for sleeping and if you are like me means I can bring more stuff with me. Now I'd go pop up camper with bed, stove, seating... perfect. Just depends on what your goals are.

 

[[DO]Ron]

I would take the RTT I think.. still have loads of room in the bed.. besides, if it has to play the daily driver role for a longer time you can always remove the RTT and save weight (and fuel!). Its harder to remove a complete camper shell I guess? And where would you store..

 

[Anders0nic]

By Small pickup can we assume you are referring to a Mid size or mini size pickup, i.e. Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado...?

If we can assume these as facts, then lets dive into real world use of said small pickup. Is this going to see more paved roads than dirt roads?

Paved road choices typically need less investment in the rear suspension. A good set of airbags to handle the load and your typically all set.

Dirt roads with adverse conditions gets you into a whole different ball of yarn and thats where you must decide what amount of financial investment you are willing to put into it.

A. Traditional camper shells can be super useful in the fact that you can modify them into a sleeper fairly easily. Some basic tools and plywood will yield a sleeping platform that can also double as a storage unit. That also means more stuff. More stuff means more weight. That means you would need to address the rear suspension and its capabilities of handling the weight in a competent and safe fashion. Camper shells are also a great option if you travel with pets or more than 3 people. Again, more people equals more gear. More gear requires more storage capacity.

I personally have a camper shell and am still addressing the rear suspension issues related to it.

B. A bed rack or tonneau cover with an RTT can make a lot of sense when the camping scenario revolves around simplicity and low occupancy numbers. I say this because the more people you haul means the more gear you haul. Its difficult to haul all the gear you need for a family of 4+ without more usable storage cubic feet. The irony of a bedrack/RTT setup is that it can weigh just as much if not more than a camper shell setup. So weight and rear suspension issues still play a vital role.

This discussion can be broken down into many sub categories and we can go on for days, but the reality is that what it really requires is for you to set a budget, pick a vehicle and then start to experiment with equipment to find what makes you most comfortable.

 

[Turnbull_Ox]

Yes, I have my eyes on a chevy colorado specifically. I understand if there are a couple people saying "really??" Cause I kinda felt that way at first, but after some research I came to this conclusion based on fuel economy (I recently moved back east) and I personally am a big fan of inline motors.

For the most part it will be just my dog and myself on these outings. But on occasion, my lady tags along.

I don't plan on rock crawling, but being able to get into the back country on rougher roads is a definite necessity.

 

[Anders0nic]

Yes, I have my eyes on a chevy colorado specifically. I understand if there are a couple people saying "really??" Cause I kinda felt that way at first, but after some research I came to this conclusion based on fuel economy (I recently moved back east) and I personally am a big fan of inline motors.

For the most part it will be just my dog and myself on these outings. But on occasion, my lady tags along.

I don't plan on rock crawling, but being able to get into the back country on rougher roads is a definite necessity.

Great! That means you know the dimensions your working with. That also means you now have the info you need for weight carrying capacity and that gives way to research on how you want to deal with the rear suspension.

If your looking for backcountry exploration type of overlanding, the attention to rear weight capacity and functionality are key.

Like I said earlier, I have a campershell. I am still not happy with what I have for load carrying capacity. I plan on installing more heavy components, i.e. RTT and aftermarket rear bumper. I carry a lot of weight when camping. The wife likes everything including the kitchen sink...

Weigh your options and start the experimental process that is finding the sweet spot between useful daily driver and #EAF...


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[dblack]

I've tried a few different configurations. Eventually moving away from them for various reasons over the last 20 years. Here are a couple of my notes:

1. Started with a 1/2 ton truck & Fiberglass topper. Loved the setup in the bush. The fact that it never leaked was a huge bonus. Eventually I moved away from the topper to an inexpensive camper setup for "Convenience" in wife speak. To me it was ideal because it was light and my sleeping bag never got wet. Only minor drawback was condensation (Sleeping warm breathing bodies will do this anywhere) inside when it was cold.

2. Same 1/2 ton truck, overload springs and a small camper. Liked it, but heavy. Hauling an 8' camper and a small trailer for quads etc was a lot to haul for a Chevy with a 305. Also the camper was old and tended to leak. PITA. Unloading and loading also became a chore. Loved having a kitchen in the camper, but if you're going to have a kitchen one needs a bathroom... Apparently.

3. So for the family I upgraded to a Dodge Diesel 3/4 ton and 26ft trailer. Hated it. Loved the trailer and the truck, but hated pounding that poor trailer over miles and miles of rough roads. Then when I get to a location I needed to sweat the clearance just to get through a ditch. I did it for years, but it wasn't the best setup for rough camping. It was too "City".

4. Now, Toyota Tundra Half ton and an RTT, and/or a relatively inexpensive 19ft hybrid ultralight RV. Love them all. I can haul them all or any particular one as far as I like. I don't feel bad pounding the trailer over rough roads, and the RTT I never even notice.

So, in summary, given my experiences, if I were looking at a Colorado, I'd think light. RTT, or super light pop up camper AT MOST. I always prefer to run under my vehicle limitations for loading and power. You CAN add air bags, overload springs, performance chips, and start beefing things up, but customization costs money. A suggestions is to keep it simple (For goodness sake don't look to my truck build as example of simple lol), RTT and a cage to mount it is a good example.

Above all, post photos of what you decide.

 

[Turnbull_Ox]

How are the rtt's in colder weather? Is it pretty much the same as any other tent, condensation and all?

Another idea I considered is a pop-up tonneau tent. I've seen examples that function like a normal tonneau as well as a couple custom examples that pop straight up at all four corners. A.R.E. has an option available with their camper shells that provides an electronic lift, however I'm not sure it would work with a tonneau.

Suspension upgrades are first on my list, long before anything else. I haven't quite nailed down my exact plans, but I am heavily researching my options.

 

[RyanC]

How are the rtt's in colder weather? Is it pretty much the same as any other tent, condensation and all?

Another idea I considered is a pop-up tonneau tent. I've seen examples that function like a normal tonneau as well as a couple custom examples that pop straight up at all four corners. A.R.E. has an option available with their camper shells that provides an electronic lift, however I'm not sure it would work with a tonneau.

Suspension upgrades are first on my list, long before anything else. I haven't quite nailed down my exact plans, but I am heavily researching my options.

The tent walls are quite a bit thicker so they tend to hold heat a little bit better but it's still a tent so the temperature difference for me on a 38 degree morning was noticible, but still cold when I woke up. And condensation definitely still happens.

Tepui makes a weather hood for theirs that they claim turns it into a 4 season tent. I think James Baroud might have a hood for theirs too.

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[dblack]

My RTT in the cold weather is pretty much the same as every tent that I've owned. I open a window just to keep the condensation down.

Under the mattress I also use a masonry ventilation mat. That helps immensely for mattress moisture. Either way, I'm always careful to dry it out when I get home.

Pop up tonneau sounds interesting. Not sure the benefits of that vs a fibreglass topper. But it seems like a good option.

 

[Turnbull_Ox]

Right off the top of my head, I would say aesthetics as well as fuel economy.

I prefer the look of a tonneau or open bed over a camper shell. And you get to use a roof rack without having it sticking up over the roof line and effecting your aerodynamics so much. Lastly, it's a lot easier to take a tonneau on and off than a camper shell.

But i suppose there are some sacrifices too.

 

[dblack]

I like the tonneau cover look too. But I was referring to just an empty fibreglass topper. Like a "cap-it topper".

When I used a topper, I hated the look. Looked like a grandpa truck. Lol

 

[Teh_Viking]

I used to have a tonneau cover on my truck and it defiantly looked the best because it still looked like a truck of course.

But it provided no room to do anything with so I found a cheap camper shell on craigslist and painted it to match my truck. Simple and cheap solution. Built a sleeping platform, ready to explore.

Id say depending on your height, you might want to go with a RTT, Colorado's only have a max 6ft bed? So that might not work for ya. The half height bed racks look nice so you can keep the overall height down with the RTT and you can still store a good amount of stuff.

Overall it comes down to budget and just what you prefer. If I had more funds I would still go camper shell just because everything is protected all the time and put a hard shell pop up tent on top.

 

[Turnbull_Ox]

Budget is what kind of led me to thinking about a pop up tonneau camper. Its sort of the best of both worlds and cost effective.

 

[Captain Josh]

I would go with an Aluminum topper - you can seal those way better than with fiberglass, plus you can have side access doors to get at all your gear easily. Then put an RTT on top of that. Should be nice and relatively light-weight, while still affording lots of cargo area, and even limited sleeping if you forgo the RTT.