Official Is a rooftop tent (RTT) for me?

[cruiseroutfit]

Is a Roof Top Tent for me? The RTT Conundrum​

(ARB Simpson III Tent - Beef Basin, 2009)​

I get asked this question quite often, be it from customers, fellow travelers or randoms that wander into camp and peer at these strange devices. The delivery of my answer may change a bit but the overall message is the same, "it depends". Its not a cut and dry yes or no, rather it depends on the individual situation. Everyone has different needs and ultimately they need to decide if the tent works for them.

(Mombasa Expedition Series (Gen 2) - Lockhart Basin, 2007)​

I thought I would concentrate my thoughts and expand on the a bit. This isn't meant to be the definitive guide on how to decide, rather my personal thoughts and experience from both a user of roof top tents (RTT's) and a retailer of them alike. Through my travels I've had the opportunity to spend several hundred nights in RTT's and closely examine many (most) of the different brands on the market. Units from Italy, South Africa, Australia, Asia and South America ranging in price from $400 to $3000+. The range of tents is radical, thus I'm not attempting to break down the difference between them as these are often best done in person or in an entirely different article. If there is any interest in product reviews of the tents I retail and use I would be more than happy to oblige.

First a quick history on RTT's. As best as anyone can decipher, the first units were likely home built or low production units built in the late 40's and early 50's when auto 'touring' started to gain in popularity in both the US and overseas. Though it would have been more common at the time to see them on a family station wagon than a 4x4. By the late 50's Italian manufacture Autohomewas building production tents. Fast forward to the late seventies/early eighties and South African companies like Eezi-Awn, Hannibal, and Howling Moon had started mass production for their local markets and later for international export sales. Regions in Africa and Australia absolutely live by them, you don't camp on the ground there like you would here. "Keeping you out of the food chain" they often say. Fast forward to the current trend and they are gaining popularity all over the globe, especially here in the United States. Whereas there was once only 2 or 3 companies importing them to the states, just about every major RTT manufacture has a distribution infrastructure here in the states. Will the trend continue? We shall see.

(Mombasa Gen 1 - Hole in the Rock Trail, 2006)​

Now do you need one?

Lets start with a quick run down of the basic pro's and con's. They are in no particular order users will weight them differently based on their personal needs.

Pro's

• The do a good job of keeping you out of the food chain
• They stay cleaner and bug free in comparison.
• Mounted, set it and forget it. Its one less thing to load in the back of the rig and in many cases uses previously unused room up on the roof.
• No need for level ground, its far easier to toss a couple rocks under a tire than it is to try and find a level flat spot for a ground tent.
• Built in mattress in most models. Some allow you to leave sleeping bags and pillows stowed with the tent too.
• No stakes, guy wires or ground covers.
• All season camping. Some better than others in this regard, they can be equipped with winter hoods, tent heaters, electric blankets, etc.
• Fast setup. Some as quick as a minute, most under 10 minutes from the time you turn of the ignition to the time your zipping up the door and slipping into your bag. I've got mine down to a couple of minutes.
• They are quite comfortable and roomy, depending on the model they can be well suited for 2-3 adults or 2 adults several children.
• Can be mounted over a pickup bed, over a flatbed, on a trailer or the conventional roof top setup.

Con's

• Expensive, simply put. For a good reason. They have a remarkable amount of engineering, fabrication and assembly, far more than the average ground tent. That is not to say the price is proportionally fair compared to a ground tent, but given the radical market ratio of the two options, its easy to see why RTT's manufactures have to demand a higher price to turn any kind of profit.
• Must have vehicle capable of mounting. Some vehicles simply do not, either they don't have the needed mounts or the factory mounts are not up to the task. Additionally you may have to purchase mounting systems, load bars or even a tent compatible roof rack to mount and distribute the load.
• Your tied to your vehicle. Where you can get your vehicle will dictate where you camp. So if your camping at a state park or improved campground, you'll likely be setting up your tent in the parking area while the ground tent guys are in the soft grass.
• Basecamps require your vehicle stay put or pack it up daily. This is one of the bigger deal breakers for most. Unless your style of travel has you on the move each day, the RTT might be a pain. You would have to unload, stow and cover the tent each morning, just to redeploy that night. A deal breaker? Maybe. While its just a few minutes to set the tent, all the gear that would normally be left in a ground tent (clothes bags, blankets, etc has to go back in the rig or left in the open at camp.
• Constant weight and clearance on top of your vehicle. A RTT can weigh anywhere from 50 lbs to 150 lbs and stand an additional 12" or more above the standard roof line. A run in with a tree or scuff against a rock could result in an expensive repair or replacement. Along with that they can affect the aerodynamics of your rig and result in lower fuel mileage.
• Can be uncomfortable or dangerous with children. With a typical on the roof mount, you could be dealing with a tent that is six feet off the ground. The middle of the night bathroom breaks could be more of a pain.
• Size issues. For a larger family or even a small family that packs a bunch of stuff, a RTT may not work or will feel very claustrophobic.
• Cold. All that air underneath you makes for a cold tent. Most manufactures have offset this by using foam filled bases and thick mattresses but its worth mentioning.
• No matter how much you spend on a RTT, it is still just a tent. On the ground or on the trailer or vehicles and a windy night can leave you restless. If this is a concern perhaps a hard sided camper or shell on a truck would be a more suitable investment.

Ultimately they are just another piece of gear, another tool that can potentially make your camping experience that much better. Some feel that having a mounted RTT will allow them to camp and get out more often, maybe I suppose but it hasn't proven to be the case, I would not recommend buying one with that line of thinking. Others have wives and kids that "may" camp more often if they had a RTT. I would challenge you to really decide if that is truly the case, it very well could be, or it could be an expensive trial. At the end of the day they are just a place to sleep and beyond the easy of use and setup time, can't really preach to offer any better sleeping experience than that of a ground tent. For me personally, the benefit comes in terms of that extra time I save at camp, the place I'm able to camp comfortably. Additionally I like to leave as much stuff loaded in between trips, so not having to worry about packing the tent, sleeping bags and pillows does the trick. Your results may vary.

So after reading this I would ask you the question. Is a roof top tent for you?

Common Roof Top Rent Brands: (Circa 2009, see new list below)
3 Dog Camping
African Outback
Anaconda Tents
ARB
Autohome
Camping Lab
Eezi-Awn
Expedition Cabin
Hannibal
Howling Moon
James Baroud Tent
Mare
Mombasa
MyWay

(these are just the common names, there are literally dozens of other smaller, re-badged or our out of business manufactures/brands)

Pics of some of the popular models to get your minds thinking

Autohome Maggiolina

Eezi-Awn Family Tent

African Outback Aluminum Base Tent

Feel free to add you personal experiences and pictures of your RTT too!

Updated Manufacturer/Labeler List (US based or distributed)
23 Zero (Utah based too) Copy/Paste
Adventure Sole
Anaconda
Bigfoot
Bundutec
Camco
CVT
Darche (copy/paste)
EcoTrek
Feldon
Freespirit Recreation
Front Runner
Geo4wd
Gordigear
Hinterland/Hitents
Hutch Tents -https://hutchtents.com/ (copy/paste)
IKamper
James Baroud
Odin Designs
O-Spec
OverRoam Roof Top Tent (Denver Outfitters)
OverlandLabs
OverlandingOffroad: http://www.overlandingoffroad.com/index.php
OverlandPros
Roam Adventure Co (copy/paste design)
Roost
Sahara 4x4
Smittybilt
Tepui
TopTent
TJM
Tuff Stuff
Treelike Outdoors
Wild Coast Tents

 

[lewis]

Yep, still want one. Thanks for posting this.

 

[jackjoh]

Great presentation, I think you covered all the bases.

Now my story, I cut up an old tent to fit on the back of my scout, tailgate down, rear window up and I had out of the weather cooking and sleeping. Loved that Scout.

 

[Greg]

Awesome RTT article Kurt! Lots of good information to help those who are thinking about getting one.

While I do love our 1st Gen Mombasa, it's gotten to the point where it needs some serious attention to continue use. I'm at the point where I need to fix it before I can use it again. I'm considering moving to newer RTT.

 

[Rot Box]

Perfect. Thanks for the writeup Kurt

 

[cruiseroutfit]

The other neat in bed solution is the Flippac. I had the chance to really check out Travis's down at SEMA. It looks to be up to the rigors of off-road use and is probably a little more manageable offroad (ie lighter and lower profile) than the FWC. As with everything both have tradeoffs. The Flippac is not refined and setup on the inside like the FWC, but it allows you to be far more liberal with your packing.

 

[solidfrontaxle]

Good article. You forgot the REAL reason people get them: the "expediton bling" factor. :greg: I guess that could be a pro or a con, depending on your point of view...

As cool looking as they are, this article once again makes me reailze that an RTT really isn't for me. I'm not hating, I sometimes try to talk myself into one, but I keep coming up against:
-center for gravity
-aerodynamics (yes, I seriously do care about that in an 80 series )
-comfort, especially in cold, equals that of a ground tent and can't compare to sleeping in the vehicle
-I'm not on the food chain

I can see it working for alot of people, but my sleeping system just works too well for me.

Cool topic though. Its always nice to see how people like and dislike and use certain types of gear. For those of you that have one, what do you like and dislike about them?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Good article. You forgot the REAL reason people get them: the "expediton bling" factor. :greg: I guess that could be a pro or a con, depending on your point of view...

I don't intend Glampers (Glamour Campers) to read my writeup.

Glampers do buy RTT's, along with aluminum pie iron devices, emergency poncho's and bright orange whistles

As cool looking as they are, this article once again makes me reailze that an RTT really isn't for me. I'm not hating, I sometimes try to talk myself into one, but I keep coming up against:
-center for gravity
-aerodynamics (yes, I seriously do care about that in an 80 series )
-comfort, especially in cold, equals that of a ground tent and can't compare to sleeping in the vehicle
-I'm not on the food chain

I can see it working for alot of people, but my sleeping system just works too well for me.

To each their own, that was the whole idea with this thread. I personally despise having to unload all of my gear just so I can go to sleep. I've spent quite a few nights in the back of my Tacoma and with two adults you literally have to unload the entire bed to make it work, not a feasible option for me. I like to roll into camp, open the tent and be sitting in my camp chair with a cold beverage watching everyone else labor around their camps

Its always nice to see how people like and dislike and use certain types of gear. For those of you that have one, what do you like and dislike about them?

RTT's are not a home run satisfaction item. I've never had a customer buy a freezer-fridge and say, "I don't really need it" or "It just doesn't work for me", instead they all say "I can't believe I didn't do that sooner". Your not going to find that with a RTT and I hope reading through all this helps some question their real needs. If they decide a tents for them, awesome, stop by

 

[Cody]

I like them, but I go back and forth on whether they are for me or not. I've decided a trailer isn't something I want to deal with on the trail, and my current rig wouldn't like a heavy tent on top of an already heavy body that is on top of a soft suspension that is already prone to be sketchy off camber.

But, with the right vehicle I think they are killer. Kurt's is a nice setup I think. I also really like the idea of a flippac and if I ever get to do some serious expeditions I think that is the way I would go. I just don't like the looks of them.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

There is another option, the Wildernest. They are probably the least kind to the eye but they have

Closed:

(to come up with the length they need for various applications they stretch the top on shorter bed applications)

Open:

 

[mbryson]

There is another option, the Wildernest. They are probably the least kind to the eye but they have

Closed:

(to come up with the length they need for various applications they stretch the top on shorter bed applications)

Open:

Kurt, I dig the one on that fullsize. Do you know of any similar products for the later model, tapered beds?

 

[SAMI]

Great write-up Kurt.

I want to add that there is a DIY style RTT coming out soon as well. This is to attempt to cut cost of a new shipped unit from another country. A guy on ExpeditionPortal has been in developement phases for some time, and has now contracted with Utah's very own Kirkhams (home of the springbar tent).. Of course this tent is being called the "M.O.A.B.", (Mobile Outdoor Adventure Bedroom), and should be available for order in just a few weeks..

Projected price is approx $800 for a unit with a changing room.

Benefits to this system is that you can customize your setup. Build the DIY tent into a trailer, chop the top off of your bed cap, or go balls deep and cut the roof of your Xterra off - replacing it with the DIY tent.. Kind of like a Wesfalia..

Thread on ExPo here

 

[Rot Box]

-aerodynamics (yes, I seriously do care about that in an 80 series )

For those of you that have one, what do you like and dislike about them?

Aerodynamics are even worse when you have one on a truck with a 20R 35mph assault here we come!

Good call. This is sort of unusual but the part I like the most about my Mombasa gen 1 is that my kids play pen fits in it along with me and my wife comfortably. She goes right to sleep when she is in that thing and sleeps the whole night and that makes it REALLY nice.

One time while in Oregon we parked in a red ceder grove on a steep hillside that overlooked the ocean. Opening the tent window and having that view was indescribable. We really felt like we were in a treetop hundreds of feet up in the air and the view was one of the best I can remember :greg:

For myself I don't really use it, but when I take the family I can easily navigate some fairly technical trails and sleep above ground. We have awoke to a flooded campground twice now and if I had been in a ground tent it would have been really cold and miserable.

That being said I plan to get a Simpson III as they seem to be quite a bit more rugged and a little more compact (won't need the play pen in a few months I hope) than mine. I like the optional stand up second room below that is accessible without going outside. That is an option that most don't have.

One day I will get a four wheel camper. That day will be when I have the time to go to the places that will take several days to explore. Hopefully that day is sooner than later...

 

[SAMI]

I've seen uber budget RTT's as well.. The idea of getting up off the ground level doesn't have to be expensive..

double cot tent secured to roof when in use:

Or, build a retractable drawer under the roof rack, and pull it out when you want to set up your regular ground tent:

 

[Stephen]

I've always been enamored with Roof Top Tents, but the hold up for me has been my choice of vehicle. A Samurai is just a bit too small to use as a platform for a RTT. The smallest ones that I have found would still overhang. Also, the Samurai's beastly power and brilliant aerodynamics make the added drag of a RTT a serious consideration. I've thought about building a trailer, but again adding that additional weight for the Samurai to pull on the highway is a big concern.
For now I think I'm stuck with ground camping, which is fine by me. One day when I grow up maybe I'll get a Grand Vitara and mount a RTT on that.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Kurt, I dig the one on that fullsize. Do you know of any similar products for the later model, tapered beds?

I can't say I do but I really haven't done much searching either. If you find something post it up.

...I want to add that there is a DIY style RTT coming out soon as well. This is to attempt to cut cost of a new shipped unit from another country. A guy on ExpeditionPortal has been in developement phases for some time, and has now contracted with Utah's very own Kirkhams (home of the springbar tent).. Of course this tent is being called the "M.O.A.B.", (Mobile Outdoor Adventure Bedroom), and should be available for order in just a few weeks...

I've been following his progress for a long time, exciting to see it coming to fruition. It may very well be a good solution for some.

I've seen uber budget RTT's as well.. The idea of getting up off the ground level doesn't have to be expensive...

Oasis (an old ARB aquaintance) actually designs their tents for roof mounting applications. Obviously adapted from the ground cot versions but they are intended for use up on the vehicle, not just ghetto fabbed.


It is interesting how popular tents have become in just the last 2 years. Take SEMA for example. Seeing a RTT was actually quite rare 3 years ago, there was maybe one or two? Last year there was a handful, maybe 4-5. This year there were a few dozen, many setup in a glamper fashion, ie the way they were mounted or installed they couldn't even be used lol.

With that you now have a bunch of dealers popping up everywhere, some are very vested in the idea of tents and have much personal experience, others just wanted a way to offset the cost of their own and have little experience with them. I would highly recommend a potential purchaser really shop around and figure out who and what is best for them. There are guys like Mike from Autohome and Paul from Equipt/Eezi-Awn that will blow you away with their product knowledge and experience.

 

[Brian P]

There are guys like Mike from Autohome and Paul from Equipt/Eezi-Awn that will blow you away with their product knowledge and experience.

Lets not forget the knowledge of the OP

BTW, I love mine, Someday I will need an upgrade.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Lets not forget the knowledge of the OP

Thanks

BTW, I love mine, Someday I will need an upgrade.

Post a pic or two of your setup and the mods you've made

 

[iceaxe]

This has become the hardest question to resolve for any of my future build plans , thanks for putting all the pro's and con's together Kurt.

Considering the MJ built for overland use, I have looked at everything from bed tents and airbed matresses to trailer and flip-pac style options as well as your setup on the Tacoma. I keep ending up right back at one of those few setups at SEMA I spotted several years ago, a truck with a hard Tonneau over the bed and RTT mounted to it. I like the idea of a low profile high clearance approach to the RTT option, making for easier setup and takedown, and something I can piece together over time. The M.O.A.B tent actually looks kind of interesting.

 

[SAMI]

It will be interesting to see what folks end up doing with the DIY tent.. I'd imagine it's not long before someone Is basically making their own wildernest type truck cap.

Too cool.. Pop top tent on the FJ55 maybe? Haha..