Thanks for this video. I'm sticking to the old fashioned way. I'm 72 years old and been tent camping all my life including my backpacking days. I considered a rooftop tent but decided against it for a few reasons. First the cost. Second, with the tent on my roof, I could not fit my vehicle in my garage. Too tall. Third, the weight. My roof weight limit is 150 lbs. The tent I wanted weighed more than that. And finally, wind noise. I talked to someone who had the clam shell model RTT and he said there was definitely wind noise at freeway speeds. I'm now considering getting an off road tear drop type trailer. But I don't really like towing anything either, so maybe not.
Why sleep on top when you can sleep in a perfectly good vehicle? I rather store stuff on top & sleep in my Springbar tent. I would hate to sleep on top when I’m not feeling well. If I went on a hike & twisted my ankle, I wouldn’t want to climb up there. What I want is a van to sleep in & have a EBike. We all get older & stuff happens.
The Algorithm brought me here, and I'm really glad because I've been considering saving up to eventually get one 😁 You guys did a great job highlighting the pros and cons, thanks for sharing!
The trailer idea is worth it. I have a Sparrow XL, which I built a trailer for. It has worked out perfectly. I can pull up and set everything up in 10 minutes. Which includes leveling Jack's. Then, take off in the pickup to venture out. My top water kayak is always with me as well.
Damn, this looks sick - great video. I probably don't camp often enough with my car to justify getting one (lots of hikes), but definitely a big upgrade over my ground tent when I'm with the car
The pull behind trailer with the tent on top is a great idea. That way we can keep the kayaks on top of vehicle while adventuring and leave tent set up on trailer behind at site. Come back to base camp and its all ready. Thanks for the great idea!
Thank you Lauren. Finally a positive video with the pros and cons. I plan on getting a rooftop tent so that I can go camping and feel more comfortable being off the ground with the quick set up.
Fantastic! It is more comfortable for sure. I would say look into different mattresses or mattress toppers depending on the tent you choose. Mine is comfortable enough for now, but I would love to change it out and make it more comfy in the future.
@laurenrs I'm looking at a Thule Approach. I have a smaller cargo van that I have been trying to figure out how to cram everything into it and then these rooftop tents solved the biggest part. I've watched a lot of videos that were very negative to the point of making it a issue getting one. Your video makes me feel better going in this direction
@normscorner6047 I think going from a regular tent to a rooftop tent is a huge upgrade. You'll love it! I think the people that don't like rooftop tents just want an RV in my opinion. 😅
If I received my $4000 tent with a hole in the bottom, I would expect a brand new one to be sent out to me immediately. I wouldn’t expect them to tell me to waste my time and effort to give it a less than factory perfect repair.
Unfortunately, it was kinda my fault. I didn't read the delivery instructions fully, which said that I should check the box carefully upon delivery. I think I was just excited it was here, and I signed that the delivery was in good shape before the company left my house. So thankfully RoofNest still helped me out. If I would've seen the damage at delivery I probably would've been sent a new tent. Lesson learned!
@@laurenrsRoof nest is liable for hidden damage. Under the UCC, your product warranty can be extended up to 4 years depending upon circumstances. I ALWAYS get a new product or reimbursement, but that takes knowing the law and being willing to fight.
Leaving the tent on vehicle works for yourself and others, but for my daily life and commute, it wouldn’t be ideal for my vehicle because of my parking situation both at work and at home. This also brings up the necessity of how to take on/off the tent when not in use and storage. Myself, I have thought about this as my garage door isn’t tall enough for me to drive in/out it with the tent installed on my vehicle. The trailer option makes it possible with the extra expense. In short, thanks for the video and the “food for thought” in my deliberations about getting a rooftop tent. 🙏🏼👍🏼✌🏼
I'm so glad to help! I can't wait to get our trailer and be able to easily move around with minimal effort. It is definitely my main gripe about having a rooftop tent.
@@laurenrs I've been doing a lot of research on trailers that can take a RTT, and it's hard to find a base less than $8k, ouch! One quick question, what are your tips for keeping your car clean with a RTT on it? Are you hand washing (driveway) or power washing at a self-serve place? I'll be too tall for most auto washes...
I have the same RTT what helped me was getting rid of the mattress and getting an air mattress that way I can keep all blankets and pillows in it just air up when needed and air down to close it. It closes just fine. Maybe you can try that.
That's a great idea! What kind of air mattress do you use? A self-inflating or one with a pump? Do you find it as comfortable as the installed mattress? Sorry for all the questions!
I got mine at Walmart it’s a king size I believe 9 in height. I use an electric air pump that I hook up to my Jackery and it’s pretty comfortable but what I like the most is that I keep everything in there, I no longer have to put in the cab of my Tacoma. It depends how much you want to spend.
GREAT VIDEO!!! Well done and a lot of great points! I have a Roofnest Sparrow and I love it as well and agree with a lot of this video. There is one part I agree with 100%, but disagree with at the same time for the purpose of a RTT. That is putting it on a trailer as an option to not have to take it up and down. It does get old, that is the part I agree with, but I also think most people that purchase RTT is because they want to get to places that RV's or campers cannot. You add a trailer to put this on top of, you just removed that option. It's a great idea and I have seen it so many times, but the point of this tent is to not have to pull a trailer, even a small popup camper (which these would be most comparable to). You restrict the best places by doing this. Roofnest makes it super easy to put the tents up and down, it is putting your items in and taking them out that is the time consuming part. Keep it minimal if you know you will be putting it up and down a lot to make it easier. What would be the best setup you ask? Have 2 of them!!! LOL One on a trailer you can drop where ever you are camping, but have another on the top of your vehicle so that if when you are out adventuring and come to the perfect spot on a mountain top, you can just pop up and stay for the night on a whim (which is the most perfect part about RTT's =D).
Thank you! I completely agree. It would definitely take away the freedom of going places big rigs can't get to. I guess because I just have a standard Subaru, I can't really get to some places like a Jeep or 4Runner could get to anyway, so it doesn't seem like it would be that much of a difference with a trailer, but I could definitely be wrong! I still want to try with a trailer and see how it goes. Great points, though, and thanks for watching!
While a RTT does provide a "feeling" of safety, know that predators and varmints are able to climb ladders. Give it time. As far as ease of relieving bladder stress in the middle of the night, I'd have to give the win to a ground tent. If you spend multiple days/nights at a campsite and explore using your vehicle, you have to pack/unpack everything every day (related to the tent) in order to venture out for the day. You just can't take off. The type of trails we go out on, off-camber and weight up high are not a good mix. We do like 4-person hub tents. So do the dogs! :))
Agree with getting up in the middle of the night, it's a pain in a roof top, but I just try not to drink too much before bed so I can avoid it. :) At the end of the video, I explain how I want to buy an off-road trailer to store my tent on instead, so that way I can just unhook at a campsite and go out for the day with everything locked away in the trailer.
@@laurenrs The trailer makes sense. I also think that for your particular vehicle, a RTT works really well. But having a trailer will really open things up for you, your husband and your dog! It's a wonderful addiction. :))
I have the weird fear of critters , so I like being up high. That being said, I have never, ever had a critter of any kind except for maybe a mosquito, try to get in a land based tent.
@zzzzingify So the roof rack will hold the tent in place while driving. But the static weight (aka the weight while the car isn't moving), will hold a lot more. I don't think there really is a weight limit on the roof rails if you aren't moving, but I'm not 100% sure. The most important is that your roof rack can hold the tent's weight while driving. If it can, it will be fine when stopped. We can easily sleep 4 adults in the tent without any issues.
@@zzzzingify You will need to check the dynamic weight for driving and static weight for you + guests while camping. Ask a company that specializes in roof racks to make sure you get this right.
In terms of the floor of the tooftop tent, it's definitely warmer than a tent on the ground. But because the sides and roof are the same as a traditional tent, it still lets in the cold.
Gr8 review. That brand of rooftop tent looks great, easy to put up and put down. Ideal for 1 or 2 nights. Better than paying expensive hotel prices. Attaching it to a trailer seems a superb idea. Do any companies sell them together as a combined package? 🤔🏕️🚗
I just use good old-fashioned plastic tubs! And obviously, put them into bear lockers if required. I have a video showing my camp set up on my channel as well if you're interested.
Check out our videos- rooftop on a small offroad trailer we built was a game changer. Also, using the changing room to set up a propane heater. Camped with kids all winter!
I have no idea why I'm looking at roof nests. I have never camped today in my life lol. Lol @ 4 people sleeping in that tent after a full day of outdoors and no showers 😮
Good video. Rooftop camping is something I am thinking of doing in the future. I see you have a Forester (non-Wilderness) which has a lower weight capacity for the roof rails than a Wilderness edition. I have a '21 Outback Premium. I figure if the tent is safe on your Forester it should be on my Outback. What is the coldest weather you have used it? Would it be suitable in snow/freezing weather conditions or just a 3 season weather tent?
Thanks! I have been camping at around freezing overnight temps, it's definitely as cold as a regular tent! However, the newer Roofnest models now have a space to put a vent so you can user a diesel heater in the tent. That seems to be pretty popular for people who often camp in cold climates.
Appreciate your candor on the pros and cons of RTTing. We are also working a plan to tow a small trailer possibly with an RTT so we can have a base camp and keep the car freed up. Great job on this video!
I just bought the 23 Zero Kabari Lite roof tent . Used it in Sedona and near the Grand Canyon . Except for the 27 degree mornings at the Grand Canyon I loved my set up .
Hi. Great video, thanks a lot. I am about to buy one. Could you please tell if it limits your driving speed at highways. What is the maximum speed you drove or usually drive at highways with RTT? Thanks.
Hi! Thanks for watching. I drove at the normal speeds I did before on highways with the RoofNest. I could easily go 85 if needed. Only thing was on camping trips when the car was loaded with the roofnest, going on long uphills was tough on my engine, but a Subaru is not a particularly powerful car. 🙂
Great video. It's fun to see other folks talk about their setup. I have the Roofnest Sparrow which comes with a warning to stay under 120 kph (i.e. 75 mph).
