Rooftop Tents

[BRTreedogs]

Are only supportive posts welcome these days?

Do you at least have any supporting arguments on why there dumb?
Cause just stating they are dumb isn't helpful in swaying me ether way.
So maybe I'll think there dumb to if you after I read your reasoning.

 

[Dos Perros]

Do you at least have any supporting arguments on why there dumb?
Cause just stating they are dumb isn't helpful in swaying me ether way.
So maybe I'll think there dumb to if you after I read your reasoning.

Yes I do.

1) Relatively expensive (compared to traditional tents or sleeping under a topper)
2) Dependent on a flat spot the size of a vehicle where a vehicle can go
3) Garbage in the wind, you'll be rocking all night up there
4) Peeing in the night is now a chore
5) Can't add a heat source
6) You can't really cook and eat up there
7) They look stupid
8) They degrade your gas mileage, therefore more cost, and noisy while driving
9) More prone to theft (maybe a pro, someone would be doing you a favor)
10) Setting up isn't any faster than throwing a pad and bag down under a topper; if it is you're packing wrong
11) They aren't versatile like a Cimarron or Redcliff might be; can't take a roof tent on a river float, can't take it into the backcountry, can't fly with it, have to always take your truck
12) They occupy space that is more useful for a roof rack
13) More prone to mechanical failure and personal injury
14) PITA to mount/un-mount if the vehicle is your daily
15) Most are made in China of Chinese materials; some are made in USA of Chinese materials; very few outliers
16) I know I already listed it but it's worth repeating: they look dumb up there

 

[tdhanses]

Do you at least have any supporting arguments on why there dumb?
Cause just stating they are dumb isn't helpful in swaying me ether way.
So maybe I'll think there dumb to if you after I read your reasoning.

For one the price for what you get. A regular tent is just as mobile and really takes little time to set up plus doesn’t lock down your vehicle to shelter duty.

To me these are the flat bills of the tent world.

 

[WRO]

I'm hunting out of my truck a bunch and always want to empty if possible..

I have a cabelas tent cot that I love, sets up as fast, and costs 10% of an RTT.

Also I agree they look dumb.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[Ron.C]

Another truck hunter here. Spend my time chasing spring bears fall deer/elk where the plan is sometimes to be mobile and camp where I plan on walking into the next morning. Sometimes this is sleeping in the box of my truck, other times a small tent. And if I decide I want to use my truck and come back to the spot, there is no need to strike down anything.

The rooftop tents seem to be pretty popular around these parts for the mountain biking crowd. I looked close at a couple last year to get a feel for what all the hype was about and I just didn't see it. They certainly haven't got any traction with hunters around here.

The vast majority of vehicles I see them on also have a couple gas cans, water jugs, shovel, bumper jack...and other items mounted the the vehicles that looks like it's never left the pavement. It's pretty obvious in my area the marketing strategy is towards a very specific customer base.

There are always lots of them on the local used goods websites so I expect many folks couldn't justify having spent the big $$$$ for one.

As for set up time, I'm not sure how long it takes any of you guys to pitch/strike down a tent /matress and bag but one of these rooftop tents would have to set itself up, take itsef down and start boiling water for coffee for me to even think twice about time savings.

Like anything if it works for you, great. But I personally don't see the value in one of these things. For less money your into some pretty awesome tent choices plus some kickass accessories to go with.

all that said, I wonder how many hunters would buy into the trend if KUIU, Seek Outside, or another prominent manufacturer of hunting gear got into the rooftop tent game

 

[BBob]

For quick and dirty I have an Australian style two person SWAG tent. I can take the center pole out and fold it over itself then throw it in the back of the truck in a minute or so and same to re-set up. I still use a cheap tarp thrown over the bed or side of the bed more often though

 

[isItFallYet]

Two benefits, and maybe the only two that I can think of are:
1. If you travel far for hunts and have to stop at a rest area and your bed is packed with gear then you can easily sleep in a rtt.
2. If you’re in grizz country and you don’t want to empty your truck bed, you have a little more peace of mind when sleeping on the top of your topper or suv.

Oh, my kids like them for the drive-in movie theaters around here.

 

[tdhanses]

Two benefits, and maybe the only two that I can think of are:
1. If you travel far for hunts and have to stop at a rest area and your bed is packed with gear then you can easily sleep in a rtt.
2. If you’re in grizz country and you don’t want to empty your truck bed, you have a little more peace of mind when sleeping on the top of your topper or suv.

Oh, my kids like them for the drive-in movie theaters around here.

Expensive movie seat

 

[Dos Perros]

17) can’t easily get a fatty up those stairs.

 

[Hackleback]

That first step is a doozie.

 

[isItFallYet]

Expensive movie seat

I believe I only paid like $700 for mine. But yeah, I agree.

 

[Elkfitness]

I posted above, but it’s funny reading the comments. I use all types of tents (tarp/wall/regular) and they all have their benefit. I like the RTT for rocky ground (Moab, muddy areas, or base camp type stuff where I’m staying put). Before the RTT I had a topper on a full size truck and slept in the back end. All worked well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Weston]

I’ll bite.

I have a RTT and have a love hate relationship with it. It’s absolutely great for scouting where I often Bomb somewhere after work getting there in the dark, I can park wherever I plan to scout from throw the tent up in a couple minutes and have all my nice sleeping stuff inside that’s way bigger and more comfortable than my various cots, sleeping pads and other sleeping options. After years of setting up wall tents and kodiak tents for clients and myself I am pretty quick at setting and taking down big tents but nothing is close to the speed of the RTT.

Our ground sucks here rocks everywhere never have to worry about grooming the ground with the RTT, unlevel ground is also not a problem I carry a few 2x4s in the bed and between that and rocks leveling the truck literally takes seconds if it’s needed which is rare.

Most of my personal hunting is from a backpack as I much prefer the remoteness and that style hunting but few of my friends hunt that way and situationally it doesn’t make sense (most of our elk and antelope stuff).

The RTT doesn’t make sense for two week long late season hunts from a base camp where a wall tent with a stove or trailer is the cats meow and sometimes pulling the tent down first thing in the morning is annoying if otherwise you would leave it up to camp in the spot another day.

I still have a few ground tents including wall tents and kodiaks, floorless and floored 3 and 4 season backpacking tents, cowboy rolls etc. and I don’t plan on getting rid of any of them, situationally I like to have different options.

The truck I use for hunting is my hunting truck, I have a take home vehicle for work, and we transport the kiddo and family in my wife’s SUV 95% of the time so the tent lives on my truck (along with my hi lift jack and two fuel cans so I can look good at the mall).

My rooftop tent has had probably 150 nights in it over the last few years and I bought it used for 1000$ with the rack so I’m probably under 10$ a use even with the decrease in MPGs which is well worth it to me for a good night sleep.

One other thing I like about it is getting to a trailhead I’m going to backpack in from sleep until light and bomb out for 1 or two or three nights backpacked in, then come back and depending on the time of day sleep in it or take a nap before driving home, it’s pretty excellent to have a nice comfy bed to look forward to that can be put away in a couple of minutes.

I love the bed rack with the tailgate locked all my tubs and coolers are safely secured in parking lots or trailheads. And I have significantly more room with the RTT than with a big ground tent and bedding and cots in the bed also) enough room to actually put elk in.

I literally built this truck to hunt out of weather it be close to home or wherever (has been to Canada, Montana, Idaho twice, New Mexico 3 times, Colorado twice and Utah in the last 3 years. And I absolutely love not having to pull my side by side to get into remote areas and having a comfortable easy to move base camp.

In short. They’re definitely not for everyone. Hell if it was my daily driver I don’t even know I would keep one on my truck. They’re insanely comfortable, awesome in weather, peeing isn’t an issue (open the door snd pee from the top or pee in a bottle) I’ve cooked in mine, I’ve put a mr buddy heater in it. And don’t foresee getting rid of mine for the foreseeable future, may not work for everyone and that’s fine but it works great for me!