So why do people like roof top tents

[5JeepsAz]

Individual preference. So many right answers. For me it's answer C, sleep in the truck bed. That's why they call it the truck bed, right?

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[foxwalkhq]

What’s the purpose of camping on the roof? I can sure see why in Africa considering dangerous game and snakes, but what’s the advantage in the USA?

It must eat gas mileage too with all the stuff up top??

Full disclosure: I haven't bought my Jeep yet and I have no experience with overlanding. I do however have experience with camping.

The biggest concern of mine is also gas mileage because of the weight of the rack / tent etc. If you actually look at the numbers a lot of rooftop tents don't really weigh that much, and some of the racks only weight around 65lb. I saw a few rooftop tents weigh in at around 160lb.

That's really just like taking an extra dude who's maybe like 6'1 or someone shorter who's overweight. It's not really that much weight..

So what makes it better. Primarily is you're not losing heat to convection. Sure you can get a sleeping mat that's designed to separate you from the ground when you camp, but that's just one extra thing to carry around. Plus you're off the ground so you get a cool view of the lake or wherever you're camping, like others said critters etc.

In terms of dangerous game I don't think a rooftop tent is going to help you I mean I could be wrong, but I don't think the tent poles holding up the tent will really hold up to an attack from a larger animal that I think you have in mind in Africa (not anything specific-- there's a lot of dangerous animals in Africa)

 

[granpappygd]

Individual preference. So many right answers. For me it's answer C, sleep in the truck bed. That's why they call it the truck bed, right?

Spent a night <about 5 hrs>*in the bed* with 2 egg crates -- oof. I hurt the next morn. -- my solo*coffin tent* was hanging off the taligate --- need a better setup.

 

[5JeepsAz]

Spent a night <about 5 hrs>*in the bed* with 2 egg crates -- oof. I hurt the next morn. -- my solo*coffin tent* was hanging off the taligate --- need a better setup.

Thus me sticking to the long bed... With a topper! Looks like a great stopover so maybe it was worth the crick in yer back

 

[Cpt Adama]

I camp often but just pitch it on the ground. Have a mountain hard wear 3 man, a go-lite shangiila 5, and a 6 person seek outside tipi. I use a kifaru medium stove in the tipi and shangrila.

it’s easy to ground camp; and then you can drive off to go to town, go to a deer stand, or go scouting on the fire roads.

What’s the purpose of camping on the roof? I can sure see why in Africa considering dangerous game and snakes, but what’s the advantage in the USA?

It must eat gas mileage too with all the stuff up top??

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Especially up in Alaska with Grizzlies!

 

[jurfie]

Especially up in Alaska with Grizzlies!

Don't need to go that far north to encounter grizzlies (i.e. brown bears); we have them here in BC. Black bears are proliferate here too, though not likely to bother you unless it is sick or starving.

Also wolves, cougars (not the good kind) and rattlers.

 

[Cpt Adama]

cougars (not the good kind)

 

[tabrods]

I got my RTT, a Yakima Sky Rise 2 person, for my Wrangler Rubicon originally. Loved using it and the quick setup was perfect. The price was $749.00 with 25% off from REI. Switching it over to my Gladiator this season. Never had any problems or leaks with it and always took it off for the winter. Removing it was a snap with two people. The only con I can think of is that the windows, if open, puts you eyeball to eyeball with a Sasquatch....

 

[Guntar]

Top reasons in MY experience...
#1 Wife wanted it!
#2 It made the wife happy
#3 See Reason #1 & #2

It actually works and works well. This can go for many tents though.. wait see reason #3
Peace!

 

[ron168]

Cause I like it. and #3

 

[tysongladiator]

We still have our ground tent and our truck bed tent. But our RTT is definitely better. No issues with ground pests, I can set it up between 1-2 minutes, and I only lost about 1-2 mpg. I lost more with my lift and tire/wheel combo.

 

[Atticus]

I camp in southwest off top of head list
Western diamondbacks
Mohave green rattlesnake
Sidewinder rattlesnake
Black bears ( gives enough time to find gun that’s in tent somewhere)
Coyotes (my dogs for snacks)
Scorpions
Gila monsters (rare but still)
Tarantula spiders
Sand is cold at night

it is quick and easy to open and close leave everything in that u need
And I hate those stupid little stretchy string poles

as for weight and mileage it does less to mileage than putting on a stubby bumper and exposing your tires and undercarriage to drag which i don’t worry about
As for Ladder i turned my tent 90deg and access from bed of truck with folding stairs

 

[MaysvilleStig]

Just a few comparisons I have noticed between my buddy and his wife who we camp with who has a RTT on his Taco, and my wife and I who camp on the ground with a tent.

- He will have his tent setup before me "if" we are on a large portion of level ground. The leveling thing also seems to limit where he can get setup. Dense woods also require a bit of scouting before hand.
- During tear down, my wife and I generally have to do a little clean up inside the tent sweeping up dirt and what not, they don't. Sweeping is mostly the outside before we roll it back up.
- If we want to go explore, they have to either ride with us, or teardown again.
- The wind has folded his RTT up like a taco on more than one occasion. Nothing terrible, just annoying. (This may not apply to everyone, just something that happen, didn't care to investigate as to why nor do I think it's a hit on RTTs, it was windy AF!)
- They generally have to change clothes outside, where as we can stand up in ours and in general have more room. Not a huge deal.
- Reaching stuff in the bed can be a bit of an inconvenience sometimes for him. His rack is lower than most.

Ideally, I would have both as I believe its always best to just have the right tool for the job. But for the type of camping I do, the RTT doesn't work as well. He seems to love it, but like I said, nothing is perfect for every situation.

 

[Sportsbiz]

I camp in southwest off top of head list
Western diamondbacks
Mohave green rattlesnake
Sidewinder rattlesnake
Black bears ( gives enough time to find gun that’s in tent somewhere)
Coyotes (my dogs for snacks)
Scorpions
Gila monsters (rare but still)
Tarantula spiders
Sand is cold at night

it is quick and easy to open and close leave everything in that u need
And I hate those stupid little stretchy string poles

as for weight and mileage it does less to mileage than putting on a stubby bumper and exposing your tires and undercarriage to drag which i don’t worry about
As for Ladder i turned my tent 90deg and access from bed of truck with folding stairs

Dude! That stair set up for you pup is really clever. I may have to borrow this idea.

 

[Nigelcorn]

I live in Vegas and where I camp it is generally uneven and rocky. I've found it very easy and quick to put a couple rocks under tires to level the jeep, and the tent is deployed in under a minute.

I'm able to camp comfortably in places that I would never be able to use a ground tent due to uneven and rocky ground.

Plus, how else would people know that I'm overland AF if I didn't have a tent on there?

With how I have mine mounted, I didn't notice any change in mpg, for what it's worth

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