Overland that doesn't "Overland"

[ATLalien]

I've seen many of the cool looking Overlanding setups on Gladiators and other off-road vehicles. I do a bit of camping with the family and thought that it might be a nice upgrade from the tent camping we usually do. But when I look at the cost of the set ups, I'm honestly baffled why so many spend the money.

Seems like a $1500-$4k proposition including rooftop tent and supporting rack. At the lower end of that, you can get a really nice tent set up with all the comforts of home or a solid, used, pop up camper at the high end.

I can understand how rooftop camping would be more comfortable than sleeping on the ground, and safer in Grizzly Bear country or whatever, but there are ways those issues can be mitigated enough in tents or Pop Ups.

So my question here is; what am I missing? Are "Overlanding" and roof top camping just a fad, or are there reasons that justify the high cost of entry?

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[Flying J]

I've seen many of the cool looking Overlanding setups on Gladiators and other off-road vehicles. I do a bit of camping with the family and thought that it might be a nice upgrade from the tent camping we usually do. But when I look at the cost of the set ups, I'm honestly baffled why so many spend the money.

Seems like a $1500-$4k proposition including rooftop tent and supporting rack. At the lower end of that, you can get a really nice tent set up with all the comforts of home or a solid, used, pop up camper at the high end.

I can understand how rooftop camping would be more comfortable than sleeping on the ground, and safer in Grizzly Bear country or whatever, but there are ways those issues can be mitigated enough in tents or Pop Ups.

So my question here is; what am I missing? Are "Overlanding" and roof top camping just a fad, or are there reasons that justify the high cost of entry?

I feel the same way.
The price of a rack and a RTT or the price of a trailer is to much $s
We have a large tent with carpet, cots, table, lights and fan.
I can have it all set up in no more then 30 minutes. All fits in the back of the truck. We camped in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho with this set up.
Does anyone think a bear couldn't get up to a roof top tent if he wanted to? False security.
We call Pop Up campers "bear hor d' oeuvre tables".
A solid trailer would offer security, but the cost, insurance and storage charges all add up fast. In reality, how many times a year would you really use it ? for me 6 times a year would be a lot. Cost/benefits just don't add up for me.
I'll stick with my tent, bears and all.

 

[ATLalien]

I feel the same way.
The price of a rack and a RTT or the price of a trailer is to much $s
We have a large tent with carpet, cots, table, lights and fan.
I can have it all set up in no more then 30 minutes. All fits in the back of the truck. We camped in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho with this set up.
Does anyone think a bear couldn't get up to a roof top tent if he wanted to? False security.
We call Pop Up campers "bear hor d' oeuvre tables".
A solid trailer would offer security, but the cost, insurance and storage charges all add up fast. In reality, how many times a year would you really use it ? for me 6 times a year would be a lot. Cost/benefits just don't add up for me.
I'll stick with my tent, bears and all.

Nice. Similar to our set up. Back in the bachelor days, I was used to something closer to a backpacker set up; really just a 2 man tent and sleeping bag, but the wifey likes a few more creature comforts!

 

[Etoimos]

It is a mix of ease and comfort and the fun of modifying you vehicle. Not much different than moding a sports car really. How much people spend comes down to how much they enjoy both the camping portion and the modifying portion of the hobby as well as how much disposable hobby money they have to spend.

"Overlanding" is also different then normal camping and as such "requires" different gear. When overlanding it is a rare occasion that you would spend 2 or more nights in the same location. Your 30 minute setup would become old very quickly on a 10 day A to B to C to D to …. type of trip. A 5-10 minute setup/breakdown on the same trip is much easier to deal with.

The RTT is not going to keep you safe from a bear (I'm not sure why everyone always throws that one out there as a pro or con), but it will keep 99% of the creepy crawlies out as well as other small mammals that might want to mess things up. It also does give some extra security from 2 legged predators as well. They have to climb up the ladder and are a height disadvantage with just their heads and chest exposed and no way to maneuver.

So there are advantages to these setups, you just have to decide if they are worth the cost to you.

 

[NorthEast]

I've never really done much camping but I'd like to start doing some outdoor exploring. A RTT sure does look like a nice way to go if you have the money to do it.

 

[Flying J]

I've never really done much camping but I'd like to start doing some outdoor exploring. A RTT sure does look like a nice way to go if you have the money to do it.

What I "WANT" is the Maximus 3 Bed Rack with side ladders, a custom canvas cover for it and a big RTT.!!!
I just don't see the value in it for me and the type of camping we do, but damn I do want to build this.
We tend to set up for 3 to 7 nights and folding a RTT up to run out to get some milk, (OK beer), sounds like a major pain.
Also, climbing down to go pee at 4am doesn't sound like fun!

 

[jurfie]

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/why-rooftop-tent.26849/

 

[ATLalien]

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/why-rooftop-tent.26849/

Oh right, somehow I missed there was already a thread on this, sorry for the duplication.

I suppose it does depend somewhat on how and why you're camping and I'm sure there are some use cases that actually do come out positive in the cost/benefit equation. Seems doubtful that would be the case for most though. Still if the reasoning is, "it just looks cool and I want it" that's fine too. We've all probably done mods for that reason before, I certainly have.

 

[noside85]

a tent in the bed would be okay for us, the main reason being bugs and things cant get to us as easy. and height is always better for security/vantage point. dunno when i can afford a RTT though. prlly will use the tent in bed for a while, just gotta clear the bed first.

 

[jurfie]

Oh right, somehow I missed there was already a thread on this, sorry for the duplication.

I suppose it does depend somewhat on how and why you're camping and I'm sure there are some use cases that actually do come out positive in the cost/benefit equation. Seems doubtful that would be the case for most though. Still if the reasoning is, "it just looks cool and I want it" that's fine too. We've all probably done mods for that reason before, I certainly have.

No worries. My providing the link wasn't intended to shame you for not searching (as the search function isn't great, so you may have searched but didn't find it); I just wanted to link to a previous discussion that might answer you question as to "why?".

There are advantages and disadvantages to RTTs, and while they may work for some, they may not for others. They might be a necessary option for some, for others it might just be the "cool factor". Some might feel they are a waste of money, while others might think they are worth every penny.

The discussion is a valid one, but likely won't change anyone's mind if they are firmly in their opinion camp; it is good to discuss the benefits/negatives so that someone on the fence might make their own decision if a RTT is something they want to try.

I'd suggest renting one the next time you go out exploring over multiple days and see if they are right for you.

 

[Etoimos]

I just don't see the value in it for me and the type of camping we do, but damn I do want to build this.
We tend to set up for 3 to 7 nights and folding a RTT up to run out to get some milk, (OK beer), sounds like a major pain.
Also, climbing down to go pee at 4am doesn't sound like fun!

For that style of camping, I'd highly advise against a RTT setup. It would drive you crazy.

Still if the reasoning is, "it just looks cool and I want it" that's fine too. We've all probably done mods for that reason before, I certainly have.

Lets face it, 99% of us have/want the JT because of the cool factor. Sure it can off road and it can haul things, but there are better options for both out there. I'd probably go so far as to say that 80% of all car buying is done because consumers like the looks of a particular car! lol

 

[PapaChop83]

I'd probably go so far as to say that 80% of all car buying is done because consumers like the looks of a particular car! lol

And for the other 20%, Toyota or Nissan.

 

[Etoimos]

I've never really done much camping but I'd like to start doing some outdoor exploring. A RTT sure does look like a nice way to go if you have the money to do it.

If I was to redo my RTT purchase, I would save up a bit more and buy the hard shell style. They are way easier to setup and break down and you can mount solar panels to them.

 

[Mark Doiron]

I was helping a friend film an advertising video for his business (pro video company, not me shooting the video). One night we camped in the Dixie National Forest outside of Torrey, UT. Five vehicles, four with RTTs on trailers, one with a two-person backpacking tent--me. The other four all had two folks in each vehicle. I was by myself, and had been on the road for the past ten days (had just finished WABDR across Washington). We all started camp setup at the same time. And we all finished within a minute of each other--took about six minutes to get tents set up and sleeping gear laid out. My tent, poles, stakes, sleeping pad and bag are all stored in a single crag bag (strong bag used by climbers to store their ropes, metal hardware, etc), so there's no searching here and there for gear stored all over. And my tent (an MSR Hubba Hubba) is designed for fast setup and take-down. If anyone is taking 30 minutes, then I hope that's because they spent 15 of them searching for that last plastic three-way fitting for the 24 poles that make up the metal structure that hold up their three room tent--and ended up having to MacGyver a tree branch because it was never found.

I'm not going to go into the advantages/disadvantage of RTTs vs ground tents. But I'm going to address the question asked in this thread: Why are people spending this much money? And I blame it on the likes of certain YouTube channels and magazines that promote what they're given, lending a certain style to what overlanding is supposed to be. For those folks, promoting expensive "must have" gear is how they pay their own way. And that is one of the reasons that, with my Gladiator, I'm attempting to go a cheaper way; Not in necessary gear, such as a winch, etc. But, in my videos on my channel I intend to explore a less expensive route to overlanding. And when I do mods (such as the upcoming dual-battery system), I'll explain why I did that in a series of studio chats as the mods occur. In that way, viewers can decide how my justification for the expense butts up against their own needs. I'll still have my more "luxurious" Wrangler on some trips, but when you see the Gladiator, it'll sometimes be in a more lean mode. And at other times I'll be in more of a trailer with a driver mode: Carrying extra gear for my traveling companion, who is responsible for all the regular luxuries (such as a fridge, shower, etc). For example, I might carry better chairs and a table than we'd normally have. And maybe a Dutch oven, so we can cook something fancy.

Anyway, if you think that sounds cynical of me, I'd agree. But, I'm worried about young people who look at someone like me and think, "Oh my, I need to build my Jeep something like Mark's so I can do what Mark does." Then they go out and get into hock up to their eyeballs to do so. I can afford what I buy. I'm retired and in a very good position financially. But I don't want to see overlanding limited to people like me. Preserving our public lands (and not so public lands) means folks need to have an appreciation for what we have. And the more people who actually experience it, the better protected those precious places will be.

 

[NorthEast]

I was helping a friend film an advertising video for his business (pro video company, not me shooting the video). One night we camped in the Dixie National Forest outside of Torrey, UT. Five vehicles, four with RTTs on trailers, one with a two-person backpacking tent--me. The other four all had two folks in each vehicle. I was by myself, and had been on the road for the past ten days (had just finished WABDR across Washington). We all started camp setup at the same time. And we all finished within a minute of each other--took about six minutes to get tents set up and sleeping gear laid out. My tent, poles, stakes, sleeping pad and bag are all stored in a single crag bag (strong bag used by climbers to store their ropes, metal hardware, etc), so there's no searching here and there for gear stored all over. And my tent (an MSR Hubba Hubba) is designed for fast setup and take-down. If anyone is taking 30 minutes, then I hope that's because they spent 15 of them searching for that last plastic three-way fitting for the 24 poles that make up the metal structure that hold up their three room tent--and ended up having to MacGyver a tree branch because it was never found.

I'm not going to go into the advantages/disadvantage of RTTs vs ground tents. But I'm going to address the question asked in this thread: Why are people spending this much money? And I blame it on the likes of certain YouTube channels and magazines that promote what they're given, lending a certain style to what overlanding is. For those folks, promoting expensive "must have" gear is how they pay their own way. And that is one of the reasons that, with my Gladiator, I'm attempting to go a cheaper way; Not in necessary gear, such as a winch, etc. But, in my videos on my channel I intend to explore a less expensive route to overlanding. And when I do mods (such as the upcoming dual-battery system), I'll explain why I did that in a series of studio chats as the mods occur. In that way, viewers can decide how my justification for the expense butts up against their own needs. I'll still have my more "luxurious" Wrangler on some trips, but when you see the Gladiator, it'll sometimes be in a more lean mode. And at other times I'll be in more of a trailer with a driver mode: Carrying extra gear for my traveling companion, who is responsible for all the regular luxuries (such as a fridge, shower, etc). For example, I might carry better chairs and a table than we'd normally have. And maybe a Dutch oven, so we can cook something fancy.

Anyway, if you think that sounds cynical of me, I'd agree. But, I'm worried about young people who look at someone like me and think, "Oh my, I need to build my Jeep something like Mark's so I can do what Mark does." Then they go out and get into hock up to their eyeballs to do so. I can afford what I buy. I'm retired and in a very good position financially. But I don't want to see overlanding limited to people like me. Preserving our public lands (and not so public lands) means folks need to have an appreciation for what we have. And the more people who actually experience it, the better protected these precious places will be.

Well said! Affordability is the key theme here. If you have the money, then go ahead and build what you want. My position is that you should not be borrowing money to buy fancy camping gear.

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