Roof Top Tent. Should I or Shouldn't I...

[ron168]

Looks great. What’s the heig of your bed rack?

Height? It's a 10" rack with about a 2" additional lift from the adapter for the tonneau. Worked out great cause I can also put my rooftop rack over the cab for the canoe/kayak without hitting the RTT.

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[tabrods]

Got a Yakima RTT last year. Put it on top of my Rubicon and loved it. Going on my Gladiator Sport shortly. Put a set of Yakima Overhaul racks in the bed to hold the tent. I like the Yakima tent as it's a reasonable price and got it through REI with a 25% off coupon. It's been through heavy rains, snow, and any other kind of weather you can imagine. Never let me down.

 

[j.o.y.ride]

What is the consensus on the Tepui Kukenam 3? They're on CL for a good discount.

 

[JWest]

Height? It's a 10" rack with about a 2" additional lift from the adapter for the tonneau. Worked out great cause I can also put my rooftop rack over the cab for the canoe/kayak without hitting the RTT.

Got it. Can you park in your garage with the rtt mounted on the bed rack?

 

[ron168]

Got it. Can you park in your garage with the rtt mounted on the bed rack?

Yes, it just makes it. My garage is 7'.

 

[Jaxmax]

Family of five in roof top tent in a camp ground mostly, perhaps you would be better off getting a small pop up camper, that would give you space, comes with stove ,sink ,water tank and all the things you will have to buy for your gladiator. I’m waiting on a Mojave and an RSI cap, and contemplated getting a RTT for kayak fishing and on the beaches I travel surf fishing, but that would just be two of us. I live in Pa. and have a old 19’ travel trailer I bought to take to kayak tournaments, and am now thinking of downsizing to a smaller trailer. So many of the guys with RTT, get to travel overlanding which I’m jealous of, but you might end up taking the RTT off and on half the time and perhaps having a bad camping experience with family.I can’t justify a tent on my jeep all the time and can’t even go back to a pop up anymore tents are a pain and have to dry and stuff, just a thought.....jack

 

[d k]

Same conundrum..

I feel like the RTTs are so overpriced.
I've been drawing and thinking of all sorts of options and pretty much all I want is a foldable platform of some type and I would want to place it over the cab, but nobody makes anything like it so I might have to make it myself.

 

[MMMII]

I’ve narrowed it down to this Smittybilt rtt. I’m only looking for my wife and I since the kids are old enough to chill in a ground tent.

It seems like this version is much improved over the last one. I’d prefer a hard pop up type like the iKamper but it doesn’t agree with my budget right now.

 

[Krash1642]

Same conundrum..

I feel like the RTTs are so overpriced.
I've been drawing and thinking of all sorts of options and pretty much all I want is a foldable platform of some type and I would want to place it over the cab, but nobody makes anything like it so I might have to make it myself.

I'm in the same camp as you are... Except, I have a soft top and typically have it open and want to be able to open it. I have been sketching out ideas to be able to have my rear plastic window out and somehow have a platform bed that would extend into the back seat area for sleeping (thinking of how i could tie in the closure to where the rear window slides into the soft top) and still be able to have our paddle-boards/mountain bikes or whatever on top of the rack... if that makes sense.

 

[d k]

I would realy love to see the roof top tent platform integrate into the jeeps top somehow.
And have an opening where you can get into the tent from the cab since it would be all open.

I'm scetching out ideas but basically, I want the base of the rtt to be movabel so it can slide over the bed or over the cab. That way, you can still put a dirt bike in the bed.
And I want the base to open up either over the bed or over the hood, not side to side.

There are a lot of options, I hope I can manufacture what I'm envisioning..

I'm in the same camp as you are... Except, I have a soft top and typically have it open and want to be able to open it. I have been sketching out ideas to be able to have my rear plastic window out and somehow have a platform bed that would extend into the back seat area for sleeping (thinking of how i could tie in the closure to where the rear window slides into the soft top) and still be able to have our paddle-boards/mountain bikes or whatever on top of the rack... if that makes sense.

 

[Krash1642]

I would realy love to see the roof top tent platform integrate into the jeeps top somehow.
And have an opening where you can get into the tent from the cab since it would be all open.

I'm scetching out ideas but basically, I want the base of the rtt to be movabel so it can slide over the bed or over the cab. That way, you can still put a dirt bike in the bed.
And I want the base to open up either over the bed or over the hood, not side to side.

There are a lot of options, I hope I can manufacture what I'm envisioning..

That sounds AMAZING and a lot like some of the ideas I have had floating in my head. I like to take my toys with me on adventures so a typical RTT or bed tent isn't ideal and getting my 95# lab mix inside a RTT with a ladder most likely wouldn't happen, lol! but something like you are talking about would meant the pups are still "with" us but maybe just in the cab

 

[d k]

I just think there is such an opportunity!

My MAIN reason for buying the Glad is that it represents a lot of different options. Otherwise, there is no way I would buy a vehicle with an engine as shitty as the Pentastar 3.6. its a shame FCA is sticking it to us and having us use an engine this unsuitable for off roading.
That, and the fact that the EcoDiesel is 6k more expensive and 400+ lbs heavier on the nose...
The 2.0 is the engine that should be in this car!

But anyway, different options with the roof, doors, bed cap, etc. etc.
I wish there was a way to incorporate all of that so that the interior space could be used along with the RTT (or whatever contraption).

Another thing that I'm going to look into is a passageway between the rear seats into the bed.
It's gonna involve some cutting and welding, but shouldn't be too difficult. Probably a 18" wide 'gate' with bracing to keep everything rigid and then with a cap in the back, you can actually use that space without having to leave the vehicle.

It sounds totally crazy, but everything becomes so much more usable if you can get stuff and move around while driving.

That sounds AMAZING and a lot like some of the ideas I have had floating in my head. I like to take my toys with me on adventures so a typical RTT or bed tent isn't ideal and getting my 95# lab mix inside a RTT with a ladder most likely wouldn't happen, lol! but something like you are talking about would meant the pups are still "with" us but maybe just in the cab

 

[InvertedLogic]

They were made by a company that makes roofracks (primarily for 4runners) here in Colorado called Sherpa Equipment. I saw that they used generally what I was looking for on their racks and reached out to see if they'd be willing to sell me just some crossbars at a custom length. Paid 200 for 4 of them.

They are M8 slotted I believe and are attached to the rack with bolts and washers. I also have them making feet for them so that when I switch to the RSI topper, I can use them on there too.

They're also making me end caps that can be bolted on that have tie down points on them to protect from the sharp edges of the aluminum and add some nice functionality.

Do you have any other pics of the cross bars? They look a lot like 80/20 extrusion from the side at least.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

Do you have any other pics of the cross bars? They look a lot like 80/20 extrusion from the side at least.

Yeah, that is basically what they are - customized in thickness, width, length, and coloring.

Since this photo was taken I have added some end caps to cover the ends, made by the same company who I got the crossbars from. They really look nice with those on, and they protect from the sharp edges.

 

[InvertedLogic]

Yeah, that is basically what they are - customized in thickness, width, length, and coloring.

Since this photo was taken I have added some end caps to cover the ends, made by the same company who I got the crossbars from. They really look nice with those on, and they protect from the sharp edges.

Yep definitely this profile https://8020.net/1545-ls-black-fb.html except 2.5x cheaper through Sherpa. Not bad!

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