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Roof Top Tents. Yay or Nay?

dmonkey

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Since the last post on this thread I bought a Jeep Comanche pickup in Florida that the previous owner had fitted a rooftop tent to. I had a few days of travel to give it a real world try staying at campgrounds on the drive home. For a "cheap" tent that retails for ~$1,300 it had some nice features and set up pretty quick. For camp teardown in the morning it had the same moisture issue as any tent. Unless you're somewhere arid there's the chance of morning dew, frost, or rain and having to later open the tent up again when there's hopefully a break in the weather and an opportunity to dry it out to prevent mold. The ladder was as annoying for me as I expected it to be. Fun the first few times, then annoying as I found myself needing to climb down and back up again. Ended up just throwing everything from inside the truck into a duffel bag and bringing that up into the tent to avoid more ladder trips. If you were parked somewhere scenic you might end up with a better view due to the height of the roof top tent, but not much advantage there at KOAs :LOL: It was neat to try it out, but I ended up selling the rack and tent to a couple who were downsizing from a Smittybilt Overlander rooftop tent. Though the Jeep is still as aerodynamic as a brick on wheels and has a sketchy high center of gravity, it's doing a much better job of living up to the "SPORTRUCK" decals with the tent removed.

florida-jeep.jpg

georgia-jeep-camping.jpg

kentucky-jeep-camping.jpg

tent-inside.jpg

Ended up ordering a Softopper for the Jeep because I like the idea of having a topper that can be easily removed for when you want to use the pickup truck bed as an open bed. Will see if I actually end up using it like that once the weather warms up. There is a tent entry available for the Softopper, but I'm undecided on if it's worth the hassle of setup to gain the expanded interior camping space of the truck bed having the tailgate down, and easier entry and exit. It's more conspicuous than just sleeping in the bed without it, so might draw unwanted attention if you were trying to stealth camp. If I'm not stealth camping I'd still probably rather just bring a regular tent and set that up on the ground instead.

dac-tent-for-softopper.jpg

The good news is that there are plenty of options available to cater to individual preferences!
 
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Kev250R

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Great looking truck! There's one similar to that in my neighborhood which I keep an eye on.

At least you gave the RTT thing a try. I remain not a fan as well but it looks like you had a great trip in it!

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on the Soft Topper as I considered getting one for my Tacoma a couple of years ago. I like the utility of being able to go from a covered to an uncovered bed quickly and easily but didn't like the security aspects as when I travel in that truck we generally overnight in Hotels and I didn;t want to have to un-load the truck (or move things into the cab) every night. For my Tacoma I went with a DiamondBack hard Tonneu cover. Super secure and somewhat easy to remove though sleeping back there is a no-go. Down the road though it might be a possibility.
 

Msfitoy

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I printed out an 1/8th scale of my slide in concept over Christmas...


Looking in through the entrance at the rear...



CGI render of the camper on my truck...

 

Msfitoy

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How many hours did that take to print everything?
I didn't keep track TBH...the large base takes about 12hours and the smaller panels 8-10...pretty much overnight printing for roughly a week...that's not counting failed prints and back to set up...repeat...

I forgot to mention that I can get in without dropping the tailgate and keep my CT mounted on my Mototote if I should choose...if I could find a free 3D model of our CT125 somewhere online...
 

dmonkey

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Thanks! I was happy to find one that's relatively rust free, the drivetrains often outlast the bodies due to rust.

I received the Softopper but haven't mounted it yet. Waiting for a warmer day when I have time to also wash the bed rail area prior to mounting it. Truck bed security hasn't been much of a concern for me in the past as I don't leave anything of value in there overnight that can't be chained down, but I could see how that would be an important consideration depending on what someone's hauling in the bed.

Nice 3D print model! That's a great idea for getting a feel for the physical layout.
 

dmonkey

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I have found a 3D model of our CT125 for sale online, but the purchase price is beyond my limited interest in the model, and digging into the site that is selling it lead to mixed reviews.

If anyone were to pursue it, please do your own due diligence before purchasing.
 

Msfitoy

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I have found a 3D model of our CT125 for sale online, but the purchase price is beyond my limited interest in the model, and digging into the site that is selling it lead to mixed reviews.

If anyone were to pursue it, please do your own due diligence before purchasing.
I saw that too...$190?!?!? $50 I might consider...crazy...
 

Kev250R

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Like anything pluses and minuses, I just don’t see the pluses. Can’t do a quick trip to town and all the other things mentioned here. I do like this picture about them….
LOL! I'll admit it, I've been that guy! It took me three summer's to convince my GF to try camping in my Vintage Travel Trailer with me. Now she loves it. Four-Wheeling and MC's...well that's taking a bit move convincing.
 

George

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Mar 21, 2023
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The biggest problem with RTT is that it is difficult to dismantle, install, and store.
Something of this weight should be permanently installed.
 

Kev250R

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The biggest problem with RTT is that it is difficult to dismantle, install, and store.
Something of this weight should be permanently installed.
I don't disagree. It sort of reminds of the folding Metal tonneau cover I have on my Tacoma. It's highly functional but unwiledly to take on and off easily so now that's just the truck with the tonneau cover on it.

As far as RTT's go. He only had it for a year or so but a friend of mine came-up with a complicated rope and pulley system in his garage which allowed him to remove and install the RTT on his truck without (too) much drama. His original plan had been to hang the RTT from his rafters when he wasn't using it and for him to park a car under it. That never happened though once he was reminded that we live in earthquake country LOL!
 
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