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Why are roof-top tents so popular?

grimmjeeper

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A few years back I was at the KOA in Ouray, CO. Some people next to us had RTTs on their Jeeps. Every morning they packed up camp, went and did a trail and then every evening they unpacked everything and set back up.

That really seemed like a hassle to me. At that point, I decided that for the type of camping I do, a RTT on the Jeep is not the best solution.

On the other hand, I did see someone later with an off road trailer that had a RTT on it. They pulled into camp and set everything up. The trailer was set up nicely to have a nice kitchen and it had awnings to cover the kitchen area and a small picnic table. They left it set up for the week while they did their day trips out on the trails. For the kind of trips I do, that made more sense.

Once I build my Comanche though, I'll have a tow rig with a trailer so an adventure trailer wouldn't work so well. For that, I'm looking into setting up a tent on the trailer or perhaps put a RTT on the bed of the truck. For that matter, a truck cap and a simple platform for a bed in the back would work well too. I usually stay at improved campsites like KOAs so I'd have easy access to the facilities.
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jaymz

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Iā€™d opt for a RTT for a few reasons. It seems theyā€™d be easier to keep the dirt out, less likely for bugs to get in, less likely to get full of water in a big downpour, no need to spend time clearing rocks or scouting for a good tent spot, etc.

That being said, Iā€™ll likely never own one. Iā€™ve never personally seen one that makes the cost seem reasonable. They are all easily priced double or triple what I think theyā€™re worth. Other than the housing, they arenā€™t significantly different than a ground tent.
 
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ryancalhoon

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However, at least for most people, they basecamp. This immediately negates the positives of a RTT. With a basecamp, the RTT is more of a PITA than anything else. This is the reason I love having our TT. We get to where we want, we drop the ready to go trailer(5 minute setup) and then we can go do what we want.
Do you pull the travel trailer with your Jeep? What length/size is it?
Even if moving to a different place every night, I would think it wouldn't take that much extra time to set up a tent on the ground, and it would probably have more space, and then the Jeep would be free to use still, as well as available instantly in an emergency.
If going to a place that you could pull any sort of trailer along that could be disconnected at camp, that would be my first choice.
And I wouldn't want to have all the extra weight up on top of the Jeep with a RTT, as well as the wind resistance. And they're expensive! A person could get a really nice tent and some other nice camping gear for less money.
 

AlgUSF

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Yeah I think it is because it looks cool when you're on the road and parked at the mall or your office job. It says "look at me, I'm rugged and adventurous". So often I camp and see people spend an hour opening up their overlanding rig, just to spend another hour to close it up the next morning to go somewhere (then repeat the next night at the same campsite). When I spend 15 minutes throwing my tent on the pad and leave it there for 5 days.

Not sure about the bear comment, bears mostly look for food and would have absolutely no problem climbing into your RTT in search of it. If a bear is searching for the food in your vehicle it may try to climb on top as a means to get to it.

It is their money, so more power to folks. Yesterday, I saw a dude at work with an "overlanding van" all decked out with a snorkel and such. Had the propane tank and jerry cans attached. Not quite sure what the value is of hauling around a propane tank and jerry cans around in-town are. I typically leave my propane tanks at home when not using them.
 

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You're overlanding and still have room to sleep in the back? I also assume that you're solo.
Yes, Iā€™m mostly solo. But Iā€™m also minimalist when it comes to gear. I have an Osprey 60L pack that holds all I need for a 14 day trip. Pack goes on the rack and the yeti sideways on the floor. Plenty of space.
 

N8TVTXN

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We had a slide-in truck camper and towed the Jeep - best of both worlds, the truck would take the camper any where we wanted to go and then we'd park it and use the Jeep.
 

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Iā€™d have to do a lot more camping to justify keeping a 140 lb object on my roof all the time. These are not the kind of accessory you just remove and re-attach whenever you feel like it.

If I was semi-retired and knew I was gonna spend lots of time on the road, I might consider it.

For now I like the fresh air and light weight of a high quality ground tent (even a Gazelle feels like itā€™s too heavy and bulky to haul around). If itā€™s raining really hard at the time I arrive at the campsite Iā€™ll sleep inside the Jeep.
 

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A few years back I was at the KOA in Ouray, CO. Some people next to us had RTTs on their Jeeps. Every morning they packed up camp, went and did a trail and then every evening they unpacked everything and set back up.

That really seemed like a hassle to me. At that point, I decided that for the type of camping I do, a RTT on the Jeep is not the best solution.

On the other hand, I did see someone later with an off road trailer that had a RTT on it. They pulled into camp and set everything up. The trailer was set up nicely to have a nice kitchen and it had awnings to cover the kitchen area and a small picnic table. They left it set up for the week while they did their day trips out on the trails. For the kind of trips I do, that made more sense.

Once I build my Comanche though, I'll have a tow rig with a trailer so an adventure trailer wouldn't work so well. For that, I'm looking into setting up a tent on the trailer or perhaps put a RTT on the bed of the truck. For that matter, a truck cap and a simple platform for a bed in the back would work well too. I usually stay at improved campsites like KOAs so I'd have easy access to the facilities.
That's the route we took....
20220911_070917.jpg

And we love it!!!
 

JEEP4U

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I can only speak about the Alu-Cab RTT-

All aluminum shell
Easy to open and close. Very quick.
Works well in storms
Keep bedding and gear inside dust free and dry
Can install a 180 watt solar panel on top
Weight is 170lbs
Can be utilized on Overland Trailer
 
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For where I camp a ground tent is ideal. But if Iā€™m anywhere near grizzly territory thereā€™s just no way in hell Iā€™m sleeping on the ground, even if Iā€™m armed.
Is this a thing though? I grew up and tent-camped in the PNW and Alaska. I have camped in places where camping neighbors who were dumb enough to leave food or food trash in their vehicles have had them broken into over night or while hiking etc. Places where I have hiked into a clearing to see a family of Brown, Black or Grizzly bears in the same clearing just chilling. I have never once ever been afraid of them getting into my tent. My cooler, etc maybe, but my tent - nope. They are just like any wild animal, just respect them and you are safe.

Except polar bears. Those bears you should definitely be afraid of. I was on a rig in the arctic, an ICE tech was fixing the gate, one of those fuckers came around a berm about a half a mile away, stopped, turned toward us, sniffed, then started running towards the rig. That guy was one of those guys you don't want to fly with (big), and I haven't ever seen anyone run faster than he did towards the hab.
 

Bug Splats

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Is this a thing though? I grew up and tent-camped in the PNW and Alaska. I have camped in places where camping neighbors who were dumb enough to leave food or food trash in their vehicles have had them broken into over night or while hiking etc. Places where I have hiked into a clearing to see a family of Brown, Black or Grizzly bears in the same clearing just chilling. I have never once ever been afraid of them getting into my tent. My cooler, etc maybe, but my tent - nope. They are just like any wild animal, just respect them and you are safe.

Except polar bears. Those bears you should definitely be afraid of. I was on a rig in the arctic, an ICE tech was fixing the gate, one of those fuckers came around a berm about a half a mile away, stopped, turned toward us, sniffed, then started running towards the rig. That guy was one of those guys you don't want to fly with (big), and I haven't ever seen anyone run faster than he did towards the hab.
All bears are opportunistic and itā€™s true unprovoked Grizzly attacks on humans are not common place, but they do happen. In fact, there have been two or three fatal Grizzly encounters in or near Yellowstone just in the last couple years, one of them being a 65 year old woman asleep in her tent. Thatā€™s enough for me to say no thank you to sleeping in a tent on the ground anywhere near them.

For me, respecting them is having a healthy fear and understanding that if a 400-800 lb Grizzly is hungry and desperate enough, or feels you are a threat to them in one way or another they will end your life without hesitation. Again, thatā€™s just me, you keep doing you brother.
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