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

[HeyYoSchmitty]

Like all the others here, I did my fair share of research. I wound up going with a Mt. Shasta, which is a 2+-ish person tent. My Family is a little smaller than yours (4) but the usability of the annex is where I am going to put the boys. I watched a YouTube video and the guy had bunk bed cots that he fit inside the annex (its actually pretty roomy). The reason I didn't go larger was purely because of bed size. Our bed is close to the Tacoma in dimensions, this guy pictured below mounted a Mt. Ranier (3+-ish people) and had a lot of overhang. I want to keep the tent below the roofline and that much of the tent unsupported, while probably fine, is unsettling to me. Also, My OCD would not allow me to have an overhang.

I'd give a photo of the GladiG8r but thanks to ol'COVID, my bed rack hasn't shipped yet.

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[Torro-Offroad]

I went through the same conundrum and ultimately decided on a soft tent due to price. We went with the ROAM with an annex(with nowhere to go). We are a family of 6 but my oldest will be in college next year so she'll be left out.

I'm also in Mass(Pembroke), my plan is to do some beach camping near the cape and head out to the mountains. Planning a trip to Rausch Creek in June but may have to delay it a bit. Nice Gladiator, good to see more on the roads. Maybe ;-)

I debated on the Roofnest condor(w/annex) but can't justify the cost. The one that @Torro-Offroad offers seem perfect, but I had already purchased my tent.

Yes, our Bantam tent is about perfectly proportioned for the Gladiator bed.

 

[TopOff]

Yes, our Bantam tent is about perfectly proportioned for the Gladiator bed.

Torro skyLux looks like a great value. Lots of add-ons! Need the space for my family- but with those “Free” add-ons it’s about 500 more than the Condor XL. What am I missing. I’m intrigued.

 

[DiscoDino]

I've been RTT-ing for the past 6 years...and for a family of 5, this is the only way I would camp...but I've also done hammocks, tents, lean-tos, huts, etc...it simply depends on the ratio of fun to work you want to have...the RTTs help with less work and more fun...

 

[Factoid]

To the OP, if your daughter is the 14yo, I cannot imagine her having ANY interest in sleeping inside a RTT with her parents, let alone her brothers. I’ve used RTTs for years, although today I have a bed tent and mattress that is perfect for my wife and me (basically a queens size bed for my 5’ 11” wife and 6’4” me) as the four kids are out of the house. This set up in total was about $500, a drop in the bucket compared to a hard shell RTT.

I’ve never liked having the kids in the tent with the wife and I once they are over about 6yo. In fact, I got them their own tent and put the oldest in charge. That worked really well!

So, if you get the RTT, plan on another solution for the three kids. It could be the annex idea with cots or a separate tent. Oh, the other challenge of packing everyone in the RTT, is that someone always has to pee!!! That becomes a real chore!

 

[TopOff]

I've been RTT-ing for the past 6 years...and for a family of 5, this is the only way I would camp...but I've also done hammocks, tents, lean-tos, huts, etc...it simply depends on the ratio of fun to work you want to have...the RTTs help with less work and more fun...

[/Q

And you all pack in the RTT? Or do you have a second set up on the ground? Thanks

 

[DiscoDino]

When the 3 kids (ages 8, 5 and 2) and I go, we all fit in the RTT (iKamper Skycamp 1.0)...when the wife joins, they 4 sleep in the RTT, and I have a folding cot I used to use when Motorcycle camping that I deploy in the bed under the RTT next to the ARB fridge...hang a fly net from the Tent Rack, earplugs and night shades and I'm good for 6-8hrs sleep even on my side .

Its just a matter of getting all the cargo down under the truck or on the other side of the bed...that was done twice before COVID lock down came in...I'm hoping Ursa Minor listens to me and creates a new hard top for the JT with a front folding 180 degree tent, then I can have that and have a smaller RTT that I can put when needed...then all 5 of us (and the dog) can sleep off the ground for the 2-3 night excursions we plan...

But all this is in planning phase...for now, we have a solution that is 100% for 90% of the time, and 90% for the remaining 10%...so I'm good...

 

[PhantomChameleon]

For me, a rooftop tent was about ease and convenience. I live in Colorado and climb a lot of 14ers and do technical rock climbing, mountain biking, etc. For many activities at higher altitude (specifically 14ers), you need to start very early in order to avoid afternoon thunder storms in the summer and mushy snow in the winter. This often means camping at the trailhead and waking up at 3am to try and choke down breakfast and get ready for the hike.

These early mornings always presented a conundrum...do I take the tent down in the dark and the cold/damp before hiking, or do I do it when I get back to the Jeep in the afternoon, tired and starving (and delay the post hike burger waiting for us in the nearest town)?

Putting up and taking down a nice high end tent isn't very difficult...but when its dark and cold and you're tired and trying to prepare for a long climb or you're tired and hungry and the end of long climb, it can really suck. Then of course there's the unpacking it and hanging it out to air out when you get home which adds to the unpacking process.

One of my friends had an early version of the Roofnest hardshell tents, and I spent many a morning jealously watching him drink coffee after his 10 second teardown while I struggled with my freezing cold tent poles. After a couple years I decided it was time, and bought a Roofnest Eagle.

It is a hardshell tent, about 11 inches high when closed. Its roughly a queen sized mattress on the inside and enough room to sit up comfortably (I'm 6'2). All the bedding can be stored in the tent, and it takes about 10 seconds to set it up - slightly longer to close it. It has made a MASSIVE difference in the level of convenience and comfort when car camping.

All of that to say - in my opinion, if you're going to get a rooftop tent, get one that actually provides some advantage. Some of these tents are basically just a regular tent that sits up on your car. They take some time to set up, they have poles, they're all fabric so they flap around in the wind and need to be dried out after even a little rain.

They are also very cumbersome on your vehicle when closed up and create huge wind drag unless you mount it below the cab. They might be cheaper compared to some hardshell tents, but in my humble opinion you might as well save even more money and just get a halfway decent ground tent.

If you're gonna go RTT, get one that actually provides some advantages.

 

[TopOff]

For me, a rooftop tent was about ease and convenience. I live in Colorado and climb a lot of 14ers and do technical rock climbing, mountain biking, etc. For many activities at higher altitude (specifically 14ers), you need to start very early in order to avoid afternoon thunder storms in the summer and mushy snow in the winter. This often means camping at the trailhead and waking up at 3am to try and choke down breakfast and get ready for the hike.

These early mornings always presented a conundrum...do I take the tent down in the dark and the cold/damp before hiking, or do I do it when I get back to the Jeep in the afternoon, tired and starving (and delay the post hike burger waiting for us in the nearest town)?

Putting up and taking down a nice high end tent isn't very difficult...but when its dark and cold and you're tired and trying to prepare for a long climb or you're tired and hungry and the end of long climb, it can really suck. Then of course there's the unpacking it and hanging it out to air out when you get home which adds to the unpacking process.

One of my friends had an early version of the Roofnest hardshell tents, and I spent many a morning jealously watching him drink coffee after his 10 second teardown while I struggled with my freezing cold tent poles. After a couple years I decided it was time, and bought a Roofnest Eagle.

It is a hardshell tent, about 11 inches high when closed. Its roughly a queen sized mattress on the inside and enough room to sit up comfortably (I'm 6'2). All the bedding can be stored in the tent, and it takes about 10 seconds to set it up - slightly longer to close it. It has made a MASSIVE difference in the level of convenience and comfort when car camping.

All of that to say - in my opinion, if you're going to get a rooftop tent, get one that actually provides some advantage. Some of these tents are basically just a regular tent that sits up on your car. They take some time to set up, they have poles, they're all fabric so they flap around in the wind and need to be dried out after even a little rain.

They are also very cumbersome on your vehicle when closed up and create huge wind drag unless you mount it below the cab. They might be cheaper compared to some hardshell tents, but in my humble opinion you might as well save even more money and just get a halfway decent ground tent.

If you're gonna go RTT, get one that actually provides some advantages.

You make an incredible point. I agree 1000%. If I end up making the investment- it should be for something that makes the experience so much more pleasant that everyone involves says "That was easy!" Otherwise, the return on investment over a "normal" ground tent may seem less exciting.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

You make an incredible point. I agree 1000%. If I end up making the investment- it should be for something that makes the experience so much more pleasant that everyone involves says "That was easy!" Otherwise, the return on investment over a "normal" ground tent may seem less exciting.

Exactly - otherwise it's just a novelty that won't pay off in the long run and will hit craigslist after a year or two. RTTs are definitely a bit of a fad, but some of them actually do present some solid advantages. There's a reason all of the overlanders in Australia and Africa have used hardshell RTTs for years now.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

Got our Roofnest Eagle on the Jeep for the first time this weekend! This sort of tent adds a ton of value as far as setup times and ease of use - absolutely worth it in my opinion.

 

[OneTraveler]

Got our Roofnest Eagle on the Jeep for the first time this weekend! This sort of tent adds a ton of value as far as setup times and ease of use - absolutely worth it in my opinion.

Got a side and a back view? Getting ready to pull trigger on the new Sparrow (looks like the Sparrow XL is replacing the Eagle)...and this would give me a good approximation. Thanks! You like the rack connection?

 

[PhantomChameleon]

Got a side and a back view? Getting ready to pull trigger on the new Sparrow (looks like the Sparrow XL is replacing the Eagle)...and this would give me a good approximation. Thanks! You like the rack connection?

Sure thing! And you're right, its now the Sparrow and Sparrow XL. We opted for what was then the Eagle just to have a little more space on longer trips but both are definitely usable...I got to take a look at both sizes before we bought one.

The rack is fantastic, solidly built and a good value for the money. One thing to note, I ended up getting three 1" tall by 3" wide aluminum crossbars and bolted them to the rack in order to get a little more clearance for the tent where it hangs over the cab. It probably would have cleared without them (barely) but I didn't want to risk bed flex causing the tent to contact the roof of the cab.

 

[OneTraveler]

Perfect! Thanks, I'm assuming the circled in red are the extra crossbars you added for height clearance?

And if i could ask you for one more photo (when you get a chance)...mind posting with the Eagle closed? a front or side view (gives me a sense of scale). As I have no easy on/off....it will def be living up top.
Thanks again and looks great!

 

[PhantomChameleon]

Perfect! Thanks, I'm assuming the circled in red are the extra crossbars you added for height clearance?

And if i could ask you for one more photo (when you get a chance)...mind posting with the Eagle closed? a front or side view (gives me a sense of scale). As I have no easy on/off....it will def be living up top.
Thanks again and looks great!

Yep, those are the crossbars! Soon I'll be getting some end caps with tie down loops on them to cap the ends of the crossbars, the raw ends are a little sharp.

It was a little difficult to load for my wife and I since she's a little shorter - we ended up getting our neighbor to help. I had a Cherokee Trailhawk prior to the Gladiator, and it could fit in our garage with the tent on top so we could use our pulley system to raise and lower the tent onto the roof...needless to say, the Gladiator is too tall with the tent so we are working on some ideas to make loading and unloading it easier.

One additional comment, when driving around with the tent loaded I don't even notice its on there. The Cherokee ways felt a little weighed down and there was lots of flexing and you could really feel the wind resistance. With the Gladiator I wouldn't have even known a tent was on there if I hadn't fought with it and muscled it up there, haha.

Anyways, here are some more photos!

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