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The Peripatetic Cajun

The Peripatetic Cajun

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First, welcome to the forum..

You didn’t say what your budget is. As you will soon find out, if you haven’t already, is that these set ups can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
You also mentioned security. I also think this is a huge potential concern and for that reason I will not be getting a rack but instead a lockable canopy, in my case an Alu-Cab. I have used these before and feel they are the best choice for me. I ordered it from an outfitter in Asheville and hope to get it next month. It will be one of the first for the Gladiator in the US.

Welcome to the addiction! We’re glad to help you spend your money!

Appreciate the reply, I figure the budget will come and go as need be. Safety is a paramount, second is security. As you mentioned about the covered locked canopy, that is exactly what I'm looking for...if you wouldn't mind sharing the name of the company in Asheville, NC maybe I could get the second one. Thanks again for the info, All the best!!
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smlobx

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Appreciate the reply, I figure the budget will come and go as need be. Safety is a paramount, second is security. As you mentioned about the covered locked canopy, that is exactly what I'm looking for...if you wouldn't mind sharing the name of the company in Asheville, NC maybe I could get the second one. Thanks again for the info, All the best!!
‘Asheville Vehicles Outfitters

https://ashevillevehicleoutfitters.com/
The owners name is Eric.
I believe OK4WD is the actual importer for all things Alu-Cab and Asheville Vehicle Outfitters is one of the dealers in the US. He is relatively close to me so that’s why I went with him.
 

smlobx

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Another point regarding tents and the comment you made about your wife and bears.
We have taken multi week expeditions to various countries in Africa on several occasions.

‘When we were getting ready to go on the first expedition, my wife, who at home doesn’t make it through the night without going to the bathroom said she would probably try and hold it....

The first night we were in the Makgadikgadi plains and my wife made a very aromatic pasta dish for our group. Our leader told us we will “hear the lions tonight” we all laughed and after dinner went to bed. About 4 am we heard a large lion roaring in what felt about 10 feet behind our roof top tent. The lion continued to roar for the next 2 hours circling our little group. At 6 am our leader yelled from his rtt to not get out of out tents until he said it was ok which was fine by me!
About 7 am he gave the all clear and I told my wife let the other people get up first! We eventually got down and of course she made a bee line to the “potty” with me having to accompanying her.
Later that day I asked our guide, Nico, if we were “safe being up in the rtt and he said that the wild animals don’t associate vehicles with people and as long as you stay inside your vehicle you were safe. This is the way traveling in a majority of Africa is done.
You are not allowed to camp on the ground in most, if not all, of Southern Africa.
 
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The Peripatetic Cajun

The Peripatetic Cajun

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Another point regarding tents and the comment you made about your wife and bears.
We have taken multi week expeditions to various countries in Africa on several occasions.

‘When we were getting ready to go on the first expedition, my wife, who at home doesn’t make it through the night without going to the bathroom said she would probably try and hold it....

The first night we were in the Makgadikgadi plains and my wife made a very aromatic pasta dish for our group. Our leader told us we will “hear the lions tonight” we all laughed and after dinner went to bed. About 4 am we heard a large lion roaring in what felt about 10 feet behind our roof top tent. The lion continued to roar for the next 2 hours circling our little group. At 6 am our leader yelled from his rtt to not get out of out tents until he said it was ok which was fine by me!
About 7 am he gave the all clear and I told my wife let the other people get up first! We eventually got down and of course she made a bee line to the “potty” with me having to accompanying her.
Later that day I asked our guide, Nico, if we were “safe being up in the rtt and he said that the wild animals don’t associate vehicles with people and as long as you stay inside your vehicle you were safe. This is the way traveling in a majority of Africa is done.
You are not allowed to camp on the ground in most, if not all, of Southern Africa.

Wow! What a story! Those are the kind of memories we hope to make, remember and share. Definitely going to find a safe and reliable way to answer when nature calls. Though we may not hit Africa as of yet, I'm pretty sure we'll encounter wildlife sooner or later (Bears, feral animals, bugs, etc.) are always on our mind. I have looked into roof tents, but I'm leaning toward a bed rack with a tent on top, I have found a couple options as far as keeping the cover, but I'll either have to mod the old tonneau or purchase a new set-up. Softopper, UnderCover RidgeLander, and Over canopy modular bed rack seems the way to go as of late. Thanks again for the story and reply, all the best!!
 

KB Voodoo

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New member with a new 2020 Rubicon Gladiator and am glad to be part of this community.
Will be building said Jeep to do some Overlanding, some journeys, soul-searching, history making adventures, and so much more. But first I need help and advice from y'all, in order to return the favor one future day. I believe my first step is installing a bed-rack/tent combo or preferably a pop-up camper over bed. if anyone has suggestions, I would be so thankful. I've searched online and most of these companies will have those camper-step-up-roof-tents ready sometime close to Fall of next year. I'm hoping to start this Quest by Jan. I have high hopes we'll find something soon with y'alls help. Thank you all.

If you are still looking for a bed rack for your build, then give us a look:

https://www.max-modular.com/shop-max-modular/max-modular-jeep-gladiator-steel-bed-rack
https://www.max-modular.com/shop-max-modular/max-modular-jeep-gladiator-aluminum-bed-rack

We offer Gladiator specific bed racks in heights of 10", 14", & 18" high.

We also have tonneau brackets made specifically to allow you to use your factory installed tonneau cover if you have one.
 

Mark Doiron

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Just a couple advantages to consider vis-a-vis ground tents vs rooftop tents (with deference to those who have actual wildlife threats that necessitate an RTT--but a significant problem in the U.S. more in imagination than in fact):
  • My two person tent (suitable for one), sleeping bag and pad weighs less than ten pounds in their storage bag. An RTT (and associated mounting hardware and rack) will likely add a couple hundred pounds to the roof of your vehicle, moving COG higher. And wind resistance that will affect gas mileage. Which may necessitate carrying extra fuel--yet more weight.
  • A set up ground tent (or a trailer with an RTT) can serve to mark your campsite. During the solar eclipse expedition, we had planned to overland the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route to our planned campsite. But, as the event grew closer, it became obvious that the area would be slammed with campers. So, we decided to set up camp, then use that as a base camp for four days until the eclipse. However, several of the participants had RTTs. And they were afraid (rightly so) that if they took them down and left, they'd lose their campsite. These weren't actual campsites--they were basically open land designated for camping wherever on BLM managed property. So, leaving a table or chair behind likely wouldn't be sufficient. They stayed put while the rest of us went out and explored.
Here's the teaser for that trip, if interested ...

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