As someone that loves adventures, off roading, vehicle based camping etc. I don't set up my vehicles for anyone but myself and with that being said I slept inside my jeep for years and getting a rooftop tent was a game changer we go 2 or 3 times a month and also do multiple long trips a year like 3500 mile 7 day loops 😊
You entirely missed the point. It's about the force multiplier (leverage) of load on the REAR suspension, in particular, due to the significant increase in drag at the highest point of the vehicle. How much of an increase in wear of the rear suspension components is it? That's quite specific to each rig and likely no one has done sufficient testing so it's all theoretical, but sound reasoning and a minor point compared to his other points. For me, the #1 reason against having a rooftop tent is that it would put our van into the next height tier on the ferry and cost us more money every couple months when traveling back and forth between Germany and Finland. Bottom line, to each their own. :)
@@ronson-natsarim- lol. This is dumb AF. Force multiplier? It’s like 4” thick when folded down. Drag, sure…but like some crazy “force multiplier”, lol. You’re putting 150lbs of 4” slab on your roof. It’s like carrying a couple people in the back seat. The springs aren’t going to start sagging. Lol.
@@rickybobby6605 Disregard the choice of words (force multiplier) if it bothers you. I was simply clarifying the point the author was making regarding the significant increase in drag and, therefore, load on the rear suspension. What measurable difference it would make I have no idea and neither does the author seem to indicate he does. It wasn't a primary point of concern, merely ancillary, so the original commenter in this thread (the one I was replying to) made more of an issue out of it than the maker of the video did.
Most people who use a RTT arent camping in the same spot evrry night... The whole point is to be able to go anywherre, to a new spot every night, and everythign is with you and setup in minutes
@@robbarber7253 okay so if I can setup my tent in 2 minutes, or my RTT in two minutes, what's the difference? I could leave all my gear at my base camp then just pull in after exploring, and pop up my RTT lol Only difference is if your setting up a elaborate bed system or tables in your tent, then sure that you can leave all in your tent when your gone
@@Gendreau113 The difference is you don't have to park on a level surface, it's not physically attached to your truck so your not limited to truck camp spots (ex: boating, hiking, ATVing etc), you don't have to pay 5 times the price, ground tents accomodate large pets, you don't have to climb up and down to go pee at night, the list goes on RTTs are just another gimmicky piece of "overlanding" gear
@@robbarber7253 I get your point sure, but imo there just built for different types of people, if you don't like them no one's fo cing you to buy one? So why are you so upset about it
@@Gendreau113 Not sure how you concluded that in upset or being forced to buy one I was literally responding that there's ground based tents that setup in 2 mins
because of where it is on the vehicle the more weight the higher up the higher the center of gravity it is. that's like say how dose a few hundred pounds effect the center of gravity of a hundreds of ton aircraft. yet they calculate center of gravity in airplanes because planes have and do crash on takeoff when the center of gravity is not correct. and those things weigh way more than a car.
That's why you get a small offroad trailer and put an RTT on that. Keep the weight low, inline with your vehicle and can drop at the trailhead and come back to a set up camp.
@@robbarber7253Pretty much anywhere u can drive a 4x4 u can drive a trailer. Even off-road, you’d be amazed by what a single axle trailer with chunky tires can roll over.
People aren't even smart enough to know what overlanding is. Been overlanding since the early 1960's, never owned a truck or a 4x4 even. Younger people lack understanding because they lost their minds. The more information is available, the dumber they become. Logic left the room when Merrikuns stopped reading. Their downright dumbness is self-inflicted.
It's always interesting to hear people's views, depending on what works for them. I have a RTT (a Bundutop), which gives us extra packing space for long trips inside the vehicle canopy, as our bedding stays in the tent. It's extremely comfortable and very quick to erect and close down, so moving around daily is not an issue. Our overlanding trips don't involve tackling extreme trails, so the bit of extra weight on the roof isn't an issue. I live in South Africa and can go anywhere on the continent with confidence.
3 reasons you’re wrong: 1. Packing up- only an issue depending on the type of RTT you buy. Soft shell- horrible- wet, take forever to put away. Hardshell Wedge- away in 2 mins, set up in 1 min. And it’s often not the RTT that is the pain to put away, it’s all the other crap that people attach to their vehicles and has to be put away to move the vehicle- all of this stuff can be put up not attached to the rig so you can leave it at your site. 2. Wheeling with weight up high- it’s not a problem except for the most extreme rock crawling where you would really want a specialized vehicle. And you can counter-act it by how you pack- especially your water and fuel, and other ways- example I put a 35 lb tranny and oil pan skid on my JTR. 3. MPGs- I took a bigger MPG hit on my Gladiator going to a stubby front bumper and 35s than with the RTT. I can’t really see any MPG hit- at most maybe half a mpg. Shocked me. But my working hypothesis is that the flat front of the JTR makes the air go up above the RTT so that the RTT sits in the aerodynamic bubble created by the shape of the vehicle. I also own a Gazelle tent when I want more room or really am base camping for a few days. And it’s a great tent. But there is still more set up, it’s not as well insulated (actually not at all and is not great in colder temps), and you don’t wake up 6 ft above the ground, which is just such a nice thing. Honestly I’m surprised you didn’t mention the up and down of a RTT. That’s the biggest pain in the butt to me- if I forgot something once I get up there it’s like 🤬 to have to put on shoes and get down to get it. Or nighhtime bathroom runs etc. But to me, the ability to be prepacked and be able to get outta dodge on a Fri after work quickly and easily without a lot of packing and then roll into a place 10 at night and be in bed within 5 mins means I go on more trips- and there is nothing better than more trips. Obviously this just my perspective and works for me- and you’re nit “wrong” bc it is always whatever works for each of us, but def wanted to give other perspective. For me, Im never going back to the ground on the regular.
3 reasons you're wrong. 1- You have a rooftop tent that's why you're batting for the RTT community. 2- Your fuel economy is up and centre of gravity is UP as well but you won't admit that because you have a RTT. 3- Roof rack companies and RTT companies will tell you in fine print what your on road and off road load capacity is and most roof top tents exceed that. To me that's fraud. They don't care about your vehicle or your safety just sales. So you be happy and comfortable with your RTT, each to their own.
That Gazelle tent you own saved you enough money to where you could buy a nice blow up mattress, portable battery, heater, anything else that you come up with as being a negative over the super overpriced RTT. "Let me compare it to something that is 1/5th the price".
I think the point of the video is that roof top tents are not as glamorous as they seem. Like you pointed out. A RTT with a fast set up time is critical but there’s a lot of ones that are slower and more annoying, not to mention even the crappiest roof too tents run you more than $1000 and to get a really nice one you have to shell out a lot more. There are some people I’m sure it works out for I think people should be informed about the pros and cons before they blindly purchase anything
@@stavio12 1. Nah. Did you not see where I said I have both and use both? 2. I’m not making stuff up. I just got back from a trip today- 15.5 mpgs on the roads there and back. You know what I got before the RTT- 16 mpgs. Did I say no hit? No, I said not much, maybe about .5 mpgs. I also explained that it could be due to the unique shape of Jeeps. And of course a lot has to do with the fact that not all RTTs are the same. A soft shell that is a 10 inch brick up there will be a lot different than a 5 in clamshell that I have. Btw, fuel economy is down, not up. Of course center of gravity is up- I didn’t say it is not. What I did say is that (a) it can be counter-balanced by how you build and pack and (b) it’s not as big a deal for what most overlanders do (and even more so as I wheel mine a fair bit on blues and easier blacks) and really becomes an issue if you are doing hard wheeling. I know this from experience of hitting trails on the same rig with and without, not just speculating. 3. Wow who has some anger issues? I have never seen a RTT company that has the load capacity for vehs. If they do tho, good for them for providing that info. And if you are mad that your veh doesn’t make the list of vehs that can’t handle the weight- buy another veh. Cause yeah, you shouldn’t put one on a veh that can’t handle it. My Gladiator has an Alucab canopy with a 750 lb static load capacity and 350 lb dynamic, so I am fine. The problem with making an argument “against RTTs” is that there are many varieties made out of different materials which drastically affects all of the things about them- set up take down time, wind resistance, weight, room etc. This guy’s complaints apply mostly to soft shell RTTs, hence my comment to point out why he’s wrong applying his gripes about them to all styles. As I said at the end, my comment was for information purposes, we all use what works for us. But since you didn’t lay attention to many of the words I wrote, I guess you missed that too.
Everything you said makes sense. With my wife we bought one in 2019 and the reasons I’d recommend it are: she barely enjoyed camping, now she really likes it (it makes her feel she’s not sleeping surrounded by spiders. I’ll never tell her the truth.). We road trip more than we off-road and We don’t often stay at the same spot more than two nights. Being able to get to a state park in the middle of the night and be ready to sleep five minutes after we stopped the motor works well for our trip style. But it’s a steep price. It absolutely is a non essential luxury item. And it has its shortcomings.
This is a touchy subject. For some reason, people do not understand that certain equipment and setups work better for others versus themselves. I am not an RTT guy, as I prefer my camper shell, but that does not mean the RTT is any worse than my setup. I think its silly how much ego is now involved with overlanding, and I think it has to do with how expensive everything has gotten. Nobody wants to feel like their thousand dollar investment was unnecessary. One key perk of sleeping in an RTT or camper shell is the protection from bears and/or tweakers. Sometimes the RTT is used as a fashion piece, but so are shackles, maxtraxx, etc..
Im over 50. For any guys over 50 we know what that means at nightime. I do not fancy navigating a ladder, in the middle of the night, half asleep. My other reason is the first reason he gave.
Sounds more like personal preferences. I didnt hear any issues. None of them would ruin my day. Rule 1- no soft shell RTT's. Thats it. Have a great day, and dont be afraid of some work...
Lo que pasa es que el hace offroad y su prioridad es el desempeño del vehículo, mientras que los que usan rooftop tent es por qué su prioridad es hacer camping, eso creo 😅😅😅
I just bought RTT, if you really want to save yourself some $ buy a slightly used one for 1/3 of retail price, then you don’t need to justify why you bought it😂
My pop up RTT is great 15 seconds to set up and 30 seconds to break down , RTT are great on long trips in a pinch you can sleep anywhere you can park your vehicle. My makes no noise when I drive and 100 pounds has made no difference whatsoever, but I also have upgraded suspension. Not to mention sometimes on trips along the coast it’s nice to just pullover pop open the RTT and enjoy the ocean . Can’t just pull over and put down a tent on the side of the road .
I don’t want to climb down a spindly ladder in the middle of the night to pee. The whole concept makes no sense unless you need protection from critters.
Overland trailer is the move! Easy enough for pretty much anyone to build themselves with some relatively simple power tools and off-the-shelf parts. Trailers give of use of a rooftop tent with the flexibility of one you can take in/out of your trunk. I put a little wagon handle and a chunky jokey wheel on to drag it into “tent only” areas with no trouble from park rangers. The whole setup weighs no more than 500 lbs fully loaded with water and Jerry cans. Can keep everything stored in it and hook up for weekend warrior activities.
Rooftop tent means you camp where the vehicle goes. Some of the best camp sites require a hike beyond the parking lot. Better off getting a really nice tent at fraction of a rooftop tent and using the saved money for sleeping bag, air pad, cooking equipment, fuel, food, etc.
I had one in Northern Australia on my Defender. We would fish a lot, it was great, no snakes, not worry about crocodiles. But the high weight was an issue. I did wonder if I could bold one to a rear wheel carrier and flip it off the back on little stilts, so your still off the ground. I loved just keeping all my bedding in it and the pack up speed.
I got a ground tent and roof top tent .. can still set up camp and leave everything there …got a rtt so the wife could come and not bitch about critters all around the tent 😂😂….what ever works for people just got out and enjoy ..
My biggest reason to not have an RTT… my vic would be up tall to park in the garage. Since it would have to be outside I either need to remove it or risk having it stolen. Reason 2, my dog. Climbing in and out with him would be a pain in the ass on an unimaginable scale. He’s 70lbs. I’ll stick to my backpacking tents
Three (3) reasons a person would use a rooftop tent: 1. Being a Basecamp for a backcountry traveler (backpacker) or other semi-sedintary/semi-mobile disbursed camp situation (Forest Service, archaeology/ecology surveys) 2. Being in a campground with other localized transportation modalities (ie. A bicycle) 3. Camping with more than one vehicle and in a very small party Otherwise, Most people that want a tent might be better in their vehicle. But, your comment is good, non-conventional info for suspension/alignment mechanics, at least as some things to think about.
But good thing has roof tent! In summer, it protect you from summer heat while you drive or having a traffic jam! The cooling effect in your car will be steady! Second having nice few on top of your car! Specially if you park on a parking lot in the city and there will be an event on the street afterwards! Like parade! There are lot of people around you standing in crowed trying to see the parade! But you are laying or sitting on the corner of your roof tent having Alcohol free beer and chips and see the parade with your family having best few! Also in nature, some places they do have wet air! In only living in the tent on floor everything has wet feeling! But on the top of the roof tent there is less wet air and if it has a little wind breeze❗️you feel better! Also having best few！ And last at least! You are more protected from wild life on the roof!
Who goes back to the same camp every night. It's overlanding. Backtracking means you're doing it wrong. 100lbs up on top isn't moving your center up enough to matter. If you're gonna use your daily for this stuff, removing the tent is just part of unloading the gear. 3 reasons this guy made excuses to sleep on the ground. 😂
He said ‘be able to’. I get what he means, bc often you want to be able to do both with a setup, more camping and ride style or pack up everyday and move on over-landing style. I would agree that a ground tent or using the vehicle itself to sleep in is more versatile for this, although you’d probably want a fast pitch tent, not a complicated palace tent. The center of gravity part I would agree is mostly negligible unless you are putting like 500lbs up there, but you lose the storage up there if you are sleeping inside the vehicle or just need more room for stuff. Some people have a little pulley in their garages to take down the tent, but without something like this I could see how it could get annoying to mount it and dismount and would likely require at least an extra set of hands, so if you are solo, it would suck.
If you're making any meaningful decisions either way off of a RU-vid short, let alone one this one sided, can I offer you some ocean front property in North Dakota? You seem like a smart guy who would see the value in that.
I don't own of this myself but those were the exact reasons i thought of myself and why i wasn't a big fan of them. They're cool nonetheless but these 3 things were my thoughts as well
Do what you want… period! I love my rooftop tent, not a big deal putting up and down. Heck once I left my walker in one of the pockets quickly opened it up and back down in minutes. I get why some of you hate them but lots of us love it. We have a travel trailer too and sometimes we use that . So enjoy what you like . Not all of us do rock crawling but easy trail driving . 100 lbs affecting center of gravity… geez
And why would you put a soft shell tent on top your vehicle anyway? Mine is a hard top and it takes less than 5 minutes to take down. If off roading is your thing 1. You bought the wrong RTT 2. Sleep on the ground
I have my rooftop tent on a homemade trailer works great can set it up unhook my trailer and go to the store. Leave the campsite and come home and everything still the same.👍👍
1 & 2: in Australia we have ‘Jack off canopies’. So basically high lift your entire canopy onto legs and drive away. Easy, simple and you’re good to go for harder wheeling
If you're an off-road driver then you have the space you'd need for it what these are for is to save space inside the car for different gear over a huge tent and sorry honestly I'm not going to take anything from anyone who uses a icefishing tent as a regular tent
200 pounds for a pick up Truck is like bringing your mom in a trip. 200 pounds is nothing, it would do nothing to the suspension. A truck camper weight 1500 pounds and stays on the truck for 6 months and nothing happens. You don't use a rooftop tent because you can't afford one.
So I keep doing back to wear you said a roof top tent is 100lbs but if someone has a camper cover over the bed they way a lot more and iv seen trucks have them the whole owner ship I agree with the center of gravity but having to up grade your shock and leaf springs is alittle much
I almost never set up a tent. Only if it's gonna rain/snow or if mosquitoes are bad. I want to see the stars and sunrise. A good sleeping pad and sleeping bag in the back of my truck or on flat ground is all I need. As backcountry wilderi guide I would spend over 100 nights a year sleeping outside. IMO A bivy sack is better than a tent or we would just roll up "burrito" in a tarp. You can break camp in no time. Pro tip: always point your feet into the wind.
exactly, that is a solution that all these negative nellies never mention. You really don't need anything more than a storage box on a heavy suspension. Built mine for roughly 1,500 bucks, 20 years ago, way before they became popular.
Say hi to the criters.. but my RTT is on a adventure trailer.. I like glamping.. as in shower, toilet, and being able to stay out for a week or two.. To each their own..
And you think you know every person's unique circumstances and needs? How very enlightened you must be. It's okay if it doesn't answer your needs, but mine are very different.
Baffles my mind why anyone puts mpg in the same sentence as offroading in a lifted machine with giant tires. I've watched these overland guys literally pay 3000 more for a tent to say they saved 5 minutes per day. These aren't explorers or campers. There glorified Maddonas that want to act rugged 😂
Not an overlander but a recreational four wheeler. Different needs. If an overlander, then a short-term overlander (weekends to 2 weeks). Again different needs compared to longer term overlanders (mid term, long term, full time).
RTTs are for people that actually camp in the middle of nowhere. Ground tents are for people that go to campsites and don’t have to worry about bears, snakes, and mountain lions. Real off-roader’s aren’t sleeping at ground level with that bs
