Roof Top Tents. Yay or Nay?

[Kev250R]

Maybe it's because of the area where I live but it seems every SUV, lifted truck and Subaru drives around 24/7 with a RTT strapped to their roofs. I'll admit that I'm not a fan. I do enjoy camping (I have a Travel Trailer) and I enjoy getting to my destination, un-hooking my Trailer and then having a vehicle to drive around freely.

I also don't get why people see the need to drive around with them mounted to their vehicles 24/7. Like they may find themselves on an unexpected camping trip on some random Tuesday while making a run to the Grocery Store.

This is the Debate Room so change my mind

 

[dmonkey]

They're an expensive convenience and I've heard people say they wouldn't camp in bear country without them. I think a bear would be better at climbing the ladder to it than I would be while tired though! Personally I prefer camping on the ground. Maybe not in a Walmart parking lot though.

In Colorado they are popular and to be fair people do regularly go out camping on weeknights. I used to camp at Gold Hill, Colorado regularly with friends and coworkers on Wednesday nights, then drive or ride 30 min down to the office in the morning.

 

[Kev250R]

They're an expensive convenience and I've heard people say they wouldn't camp in bear country without them. I think a bear would be better at climbing the ladder to it than I would be while tired though! Personally I prefer camping on the ground. Maybe not in a Walmart parking lot though.

In Colorado they are popular and to be fair people do regularly go out camping on weeknights. I used to camp at Gold Hill, Colorado regularly with friends and coworkers on Wednesday nights, then drive or ride 30 min down to the office in the morning.

I understand what you’re saying about bear country, though to be fair I regularly camp in my Travel Trailer in bear country and feel way better about being in a hard-sided metal box then I do a fabric hut on top of my car, should a bear come to visit.

A few years ago I worked in Arizona, just outside of Phoenix two weeks a month. While I was there I joined a HAM radio club andI made friends and once went on a mid-week camping trip 15 mins out of town out in the desert to play radio games in the brush (sounds way dirtier then it was LOL). ~10 guys sleeping in the backs of trucks, cars, one RV (not mine, I was in my work truck, wishing I‘d had a bench seat instead of buckets). The lack of a RTT did not prevent any of us from having a miserable nights sleep LOL!

Back to RTT. It seems like they‘d make whatever they’re mounted to very top-heavy.

 

[SneakyDingo]

I have a fancy tent that's really nice and very fast to pack in. I realized for the average summer vacation, a total of 2,208 hours, if I'm doing the most camping I've ever actually done in the USA, then I'm going to have that tent in use for ~252h (11%). The rest of the year, it's probably going to be in storage (3%). I wouldn't go camping MORE if I had a RTT. So that means 97% of the time, it's going to sit there unused, which is my argument against them, and that's the best case scenario. The closer scenario is 1% usage, 99% storage. I'd rent camping gear if it wasn't such a pain in the ass to do it.

RTT's where I am don't make sense because a good chunk of parking garages are somewhere between 6'8" and 6'11" in height. So it's somewhat rare to see them, and if you do, they're generally not allowed in parking garages. But it's really weird seeing something like that strapped to a Prius.

I like the convenience of having it mounted on a solid base already. In the PNW, it's wet here, so having a RTT would allow you to easily pitch it on a surface guaranteed not to flood. Additionally, if you were parked on the street near where I work and it had rained while camping, you could zip out, pop the tent up so it can dry out while having lunch, and then pack it in really fast. I haven't taken a good look, but one of the problems I had with a camping cot is airflow underneath, and the PNW is also a COLD place, so I think that's a vote against RTT's. However there are some people who use something similar when it's snow season, so I guess it's not that bad?

I'm also a fan of ground side camping, but I previously used a tarp for the longest time. For the same reason as I don't use a cot anymore, I don't like hammocks. Yes I know you can get quilts, it only solves half the problem of hammocks for me. I sleep better on a flat surface.

 

[Milkman]

I am not a fan of the RTT on my vehicle either. It may look cool to some but the beating of UV along with the drag and extra weight isn’t worth it. My father and I took a trip from NY to Moab and back with a custom trailer I worked on with another Jeeper. This was the perfect set up, pull it out when you want to camp and stow it away when you don’t.

 

[BaldRider]

As a new Subaru owner, my wife wanted an RTT. I know people keep them mounted all the time for street cred, mall-crawling and Instagram but they are really just too heavy to keep mounting and unmounting. They also aren't convenient if you want to set up a camp and go exploring in your car it is attached to.

We just bought an air mattress specially made for our Outback to sleep in it. Seemed easier. I did spend RTT money on a Front Runner rack to carry things on the roof but not a tent. Seemed more useful as I no longer have a truck.

I live in bear country and also camp here. I have had at least two bears on my deck that I know of. Never cook, eat or store food in (or near) your tent and you'll be fine in any tent you choose.

 

[Kev250R]

I have a fancy tent that's really nice and very fast to pack in. I realized for the average summer vacation, a total of 2,208 hours, if I'm doing the most camping I've ever actually done in the USA, then I'm going to have that tent in use for ~252h (11%). The rest of the year, it's probably going to be in storage (3%). I wouldn't go camping MORE if I had a RTT. So that means 97% of the time, it's going to sit there unused, which is my argument against them, and that's the best case scenario. The closer scenario is 1% usage, 99% storage. I'd rent camping gear if it wasn't such a pain in the ass to do it.

I admire the way you're able to break-down how much usage you get out of your gear! If I did that I doubt I could justify owning a Travel Trailer which if I'm lucky will see 8 nights of non-continous use this calendar year. Although in the not-summer months it lives in a spot next to my house and occasionally gets pressed into service as a guest bedroom.

A friend of mine who has been going camping this summer with me has been renting a Travel Trailer for he and his family. It's about $500/weekend. We're getting ready for another trip in a couple of weeks and he told me that after that one he's getting ready to buy one of his own as the hassle of renting is starting to wear on him and his family. It's a lot of work for them having to move in and out of an RV everytime they use it and I think he likes the idea of having all his camping stuff packed and stored in one place. I can be set-up comfortably in my Travel Trailer in less then an hour. The last time we went camping I think he finished setting-up about the time it was time to go home LOL!

RTT's where I am don't make sense because a good chunk of parking garages are somewhere between 6'8" and 6'11" in height. So it's somewhat rare to see them, and if you do, they're generally not allowed in parking garages. But it's really weird seeing something like that strapped to a Prius.

That's a good point about the parking garages. I too have seen one strapped to a Prius. In my area they're also really popular on Jeep Wranglers.

I like the convenience of having it mounted on a solid base already. In the PNW, it's wet here, so having a RTT would allow you to easily pitch it on a surface guaranteed not to flood. Additionally, if you were parked on the street near where I work and it had rained while camping, you could zip out, pop the tent up so it can dry out while having lunch, and then pack it in really fast. I haven't taken a good look, but one of the problems I had with a camping cot is airflow underneath, and the PNW is also a COLD place, so I think that's a vote against RTT's. However there are some people who use something similar when it's snow season, so I guess it's not that bad?

I'm also a fan of ground side camping, but I previously used a tarp for the longest time. For the same reason as I don't use a cot anymore, I don't like hammocks. Yes I know you can get quilts, it only solves half the problem of hammocks for me. I sleep better on a flat surface.

I was a Boy Scout all through my youth so I've done my time in tents in a variety of conditions. As an adult I only use ground tents when I literally have no other option, though I find using a cot in one does help. It's not that I have anything against them, I just find that I sleep better in other things which aren't as dependent on the ground surface, weather, or sleeping arrangements. My Silverado has a camper shell and a carpet kit in it; I've slept back there a couple of times on 'basic' camping trips and despite it being cramped (I carry a lot of crap) and cold (none of the times I've used it have I thought to lower the platform down so air isn't collecting underneath it) I preffered it in those situations to a tent. However I do a lot of camping in the desert where the ground is (generally) dry though you do sometimes have to worry about things crawling inside.

 

[Kev250R]

I am not a fan of the RTT on my vehicle either. It may look cool to some but the beating of UV along with the drag and extra weight isn’t worth it. My father and I took a trip from NY to Moab and back with a custom trailer I worked on with another Jeeper. This was the perfect set up, pull it out when you want to camp and stow it away when you don’t.

I'll bet that was an epic cross-country trip to Moab! Between '07 and '20 I went there pretty much every year and really like the place!

If I were to ever get a RTT it would be mounted to a trailer like yours. That makes the most sense as it keeps you off the ground, but also allows you the use of your primary vehicle for other uses.

As an aside, here's one of my favorite pics from one of my Moab trips. It was taken part-way down the Shaffer Trail. I'm sitting in my 'Buggy holding the brake (no parking brake on that car) so it won't roll, my passenger is sitting in the 'Buggy because she was afraid to get out LOL!

 

[Kev250R]

As a new Subaru owner, my wife wanted an RTT. I know people keep them mounted all the time for street cred, mall-crawling and Instagram but they are really just too heavy to keep mounting and unmounting. They also aren't convenient if you want to set up a camp and go exploring in your car it is attached to.

I think you nailed it with that statement, especially since most of the ones I see appear to have never (or rarely) get any use.

I hear you on the weight of the things! My neighbor has a RTT he carries on the back of his truck. I initially helped him install it prior to a trip then remove it the following week. When it came time to remove it we used my bucket truck to lift the tent off and on. Even then rigging it was sort of a pain, though if we did it more often it would likely go faster.

We just bought an air mattress specially made for our Outback to sleep in it. Seemed easier. I did spend RTT money on a Front Runner rack to carry things on the roof but not a tent. Seemed more useful as I no longer have a truck.

I think a roof rack is a much more valuable addition. I'm toying with the idea of adding one to the shell on my Silverado. If I still had an SUV I was using for road trips it would have a rack on it.

I live in bear country and also camp here. I have had at least two bears on my deck that I know of. Never cook, eat or store food in (or near) your tent and you'll be fine in any tent you choose.

Good advice, though people tend to be lousy about remembering not to bring snacks into their tents. People tend to get lazy and that's when tragedies happen.

 

[Cardinal Direction]

I think they are silly personally but if people want to buy them go for it I guess. The only thing I can really think of using one for is for my harbor freight folding trailer which is my truck replacement (sold my 98 ranger when the new baby was born). Space at my new place is at a premium and I could see mounting it on my trailer as a cheap/garage space friendly alternative to a camping trailer or pop up.

 

[dmonkey]

I have on occasion been tempted by the integrated pop-up tents like a VW Westfalia has. Almost bought a Honda Element that had an ECamper conversion last year but when I took it for a test drive it was obvious that the vehicle itself had not been maintained and was due for a lot of work that didn't seem to be reflected in the asking price.

Stock photo of that ECamper conversion:

 

[BaldRider]

I have on occasion been tempted by the integrated pop-up tents like a VW Westfalia has. Almost bought a Honda Element that had an ECamper conversion last year but when I took it for a test drive it was obvious that the vehicle itself had not been maintained and was due for a lot of work that didn't seem to be reflected in the asking price.

Stock photo of that ECamper conversion:

Those VWs are where it's at. If the new bus wasn't electric, I'd be all over one with an integrated

 

[BaldRider]

I think a roof rack is a much more valuable addition. I'm toying with the idea of adding one to the shell on my Silverado. If I still had an SUV I was using for road trips it would have a rack on it.

My Subaru has a dynamic load rating of 220lbs (700 static). The rack itself is 59. That does limit what I can carry a bit if you listen to the lawyers with their warnings. It is incredibly practical, though. It also allows for a much more organized camping experience. An RTT would not save me much space as a ground tent isn't that big.

 

[Msfitoy]

Maybe it's because of the area where I live but it seems every SUV, lifted truck and Subaru drives around 24/7 with a RTT strapped to their roofs. I'll admit that I'm not a fan. I do enjoy camping (I have a Travel Trailer) and I enjoy getting to my destination, un-hooking my Trailer and then having a vehicle to drive around freely.

I also don't get why people see the need to drive around with them mounted to their vehicles 24/7. Like they may find themselves on an unexpected camping trip on some random Tuesday while making a run to the Grocery Store.

This is the Debate Room so change my mind

I'm actually tired of my RTT...saving up for one of these toy hauler to bring my CT to camp...

 

[Kev250R]

My Subaru has a dynamic load rating of 220lbs (700 static). The rack itself is 59. That does limit what I can carry a bit if you listen to the lawyers with their warnings. It is incredibly practical, though. It also allows for a much more organized camping experience. An RTT would not save me much space as a ground tent isn't that big.

I like it! That will probably be the next upgrade I make to my Silverado. Nice choice of color for your Subie!

 

[Kev250R]

I'm actually tired of my RTT...saving up for one of these toy hauler to bring my CT to camp...

Good choice! Bonus to that it can double as a place to store bikes when you're not using it!

 

[Kev250R]

I have on occasion been tempted by the integrated pop-up tents like a VW Westfalia has. Almost bought a Honda Element that had an ECamper conversion last year but when I took it for a test drive it was obvious that the vehicle itself had not been maintained and was due for a lot of work that didn't seem to be reflected in the asking price.

Stock photo of that ECamper conversion:

I don't hate it, would be nice for a quick overnight trip. Growing-up I knew someone who had an early 80's VW Vanagon with the Westfalia package (pop-up top, basic kitchenette, etc) It was a neat concept and seemed to work well. Bonus that one on that Element seems to be a lot more aerodynamic then a RTT.

A few years ago I had a pop-up tent trailer which I hated. I was always afraid of ripping the canvas (which I never did) or having a problem with the cable's and pully's which opened and closed it (which I never did) but what I did have problems with was it getting rained on during a trip and then having to wait for it to dry-out so I could fold it up and put it away. Not really a problem when I stored it at my house and could leave it open after getting home to let it dry-out, but became an issue later when I kept it in storage near where I liked to use it.

It filled a need in my life at the time but I wasn't sad to see it go, especially since I actually made money selling it.

 

[Msfitoy]

Good choice! Bonus to that it can double as a place to store bikes when you're not using it!

Exactly!

 

[Msfitoy]

Those VWs are where it's at. If the new bus wasn't electric, I'd be all over one with an integrated

I had 3 Westfalias long ago...wish I'd never sold them...they're more expensive now than when they were new...VW's pulling back on EVs due to lack of customer interest with their current offerings...hopefully, they get the message and just bring back the van camper with ICE...

 

[Kev250R]

I had 3 Westfalias long ago...wish I'd never sold them...they're more expensive now than when they were new...VW's pulling back on EVs due to lack of customer interest with their current offerings...hopefully, they get the message and just bring back the van camper with ICE...

I think there could be a demand for more van-based RV's. Both the pop-top Westfalia's and the modified Element type. Much easier to park/store then a conventional RV and can easily be used as a primary or secondary vehicle if need-be.

A few years ago I was interested in buying a Class B RV (basically a fancy van conversion). Perfect for one or two people for a couple of days. However the couple of RV Dealers I went to kept trying to upsell me into much more expensive RV's and I quickly lost interest.

From what I've read, one of the reasons VW is having problems releasing the new electric VW van/bus is the weight of it. In Europe the completed vehicle would require a commercial drivers license in order to drive it. Here I think the range may be a limiting factor. Charging stations are harder to find the farther away from the cities you get, although I'm seeing more campgrounds offering places to charge or even renting-out empty sites on an hourly basis for electric vehicles which need a top-off.