Roof Top Tent or not

[NecessaryEvil]

I love the idea of the rtt. I would love to build a expedition trailer with one. Love camping. I just don't think I would like to mount one on top of my jk. For various reasons already mentioned.


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[sunnysideup]

I have the rtt... but I agree there are some areas I just use my 3 man tent. I can set the trailer up and remote camp... or on an "expedition" sort of trip, I have camp with me. It takes 30 min. to go from folded up, to beds made and dinner cooking... cleanup is 20 to 30 min... To be honest, rolling up the backpack tent and re-packing stuff is about the same time.
I can speak from a few trips I've taken... the trailer is also a great base when family (kids and grandkids)are with me. I have fed 12 or thirteen people for 3 or 4 days with 20 gallons of water and 10 gallons of extra gas.... and didn't run out of anything, and had all the food, ice, and tools we needed.
But if I can get away without hauling it.... I throw in the backpack tent!

 

[jeeeep]

I have a Tentrax trailer and Oztent RV-5 I use for hunting/camping. I decided against the RTT due to the put up and take down pain every time you want to go anywhere. I like the Tentrax trailer because I can put all of my camping equipment in the trailer and my Oztent on top and keep the center of gravity low on the Jeep. Wouldn't change a thing. View attachment 247005 View attachment 247006

that's pretty cool setup, I like it

 

[piginajeep]

Has anyone woke up drunk as hell and your tall tent collapsed on you from high winds. While stumbling around the wind picks up and slams you to the ground.

Just as you find the exit door the rains starts pouring down and you can barely find your Jeep to sleep in the rest of the night.

Yeah, you don't see me owning a roof top or tall tent ever again.


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[wayoflife]

Has anyone woke up drunk as hell and your tall tent collapsed on you from high winds. While stumbling around the wind picks up and slams you to the ground.

Just as you find the exit door the rains starts pouring down and you can barely find your Jeep to sleep in the rest of the night.

Yeah, you don't see me owning a roof top or tall tent ever again.


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:cheesy: That was a fun night :crazyeyes:

 

[NFRs2000NYC]

For me personally, if I was looking for a park and sleep solution, the Ursa Minor top would definitely be it. I have no affiliation with this company, just think it's genius and super convenient.

http://www.ursaminorvehicles.com/campers/jeep-hard-top-popup-camper-package.html

 

[wayoflife]

For me personally, if I was looking for a park and sleep solution, the Ursa Minor top would definitely be it. I have no affiliation with this company, just think it's genius and super convenient.

http://www.ursaminorvehicles.com/campers/jeep-hard-top-popup-camper-package.html

I've seen a few of these around town and they looked nice. I'm sure they're a great solution for the right guy or gal but for the kind of exploring I do, there's no way I'd want to run a hard top let alone have all that weight up so high.

 

[professorkx]

thanks everyone, it seems the idea of it is better than the actual use.

the convenience is not what it seems in terms of the effects it has on the overall Jeep's handling.

anyone have any good suggestions on tents? I like to be able to stand up - 6'1", the ones I've looked at are light but the materials seems so cheap to me for the price.

It seems a lot of folks struggle the tent issue, especially guys like me on the tall side. Last year, I purchase a tent from standingroomtents.com. The concept is pretty simple, the tent hangs from a standard 10x10 easy-up, so you have to buy the tent and easy up. The tent was cheap enough to take the risk if I didn’t like it, so pulled the trigger, as we normally take a 10x10 easy-up anyway.

We were only able to take one long weekend off road trip last year because of a major house remodel, and the tent was pretty easy to setup and take down. We used an air mattress, but will switch to a queen sized cot this year to get us off the ground. The trip was in May, and it was pretty cold at night, so needed a little more bedding.

One of the things we like about this setup over a RTT is that the porta-potty can sit in one corner of the tent for easy use at night. Hey, getting older comes with changes, so we have to modify our camping strategies to accommodate the realities of life.

I’m 6’4”, and I was tired of having to constantly bend over (or crawling in and out) in other tents, and the standing room tent has straight sides and is as tall as the easy-up in the middle, so I have full use of the tent from side-to-side. For cold trips, I might add removable sides to the easy-up to help hold the heat.

We also looked at the oztent, but it won't fit inside the jeep, as it's 6'6" long when folded up. I like the concept, but I want to be able to carry the tent inside the jeep instead of on a roof rack. If we don't like the standing tent, the next option is to build an off road trailer, as we like point-to-point trips, and like camping as we wheel, so a normal RV just won't work.

There's a few more options…

 

[NFRs2000NYC]

I've seen a few of these around town and they looked nice. I'm sure they're a great solution for the right guy or gal but for the kind of exploring I do, there's no way I'd want to run a hard top let alone have all that weight up so high.

Supposedly it doesn't add much more weight than a standard hard top, and certainly nothing even remotely close to the weight of a roof rack + a RTT. I totally get you not wanting to run a hard top though for the kind of exploring you do. :thumb:

 

[highoctane]

For me personally, if I was looking for a park and sleep solution, the Ursa Minor top would definitely be it. I have no affiliation with this company, just think it's genius and super convenient.

http://www.ursaminorvehicles.com/campers/jeep-hard-top-popup-camper-package.html

Holy crap their options are expensive! $500 extra just to get tinted 1/4 windows in the hardtop.

 

[jeeeep]

Has anyone woke up drunk as hell and your tall tent collapsed on you from high winds. While stumbling around the wind picks up and slams you to the ground.

Just as you find the exit door the rains starts pouring down and you can barely find your Jeep to sleep in the rest of the night.

Yeah, you don't see me owning a roof top or tall tent ever again.


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That's funny as hell :cheesy:

 

[wayoflife]

Supposedly it doesn't add much more weight than a standard hard top, and certainly nothing even remotely close to the weight of a roof rack + a RTT. I totally get you not wanting to run a hard top though for the kind of exploring you do. :thumb:

A hard top alone is the weight of a fit average to small guy. That alone can be a liability and adding anymore to that would be just asking for trouble on some of the trails we have out here. Also, I've seen way too many of hard tops get trashed smacking into trees and rocks. Hell, for my purposes, I run super light weight Rugged Ridge half doors just so that I can ditch the weight that full doors add as well. You'd be surprised at how much more nimble your Jeep is on the trail without all that extra sprung weight.

 

[Stotch]

We have a 4-man Marmot Tungsten and even though it's only three season, it's done well in all kinds of bad weather. Below freezing, high winds (with all guy outs tied down), middle of the summer (lots of ventilation), severe thunderstorms, hail, backpacking (packs crazy small/light), you name it. You can't stand in it, but you can stretch out lying down... A good Thermarest and sleeping bag and you'll be plenty comfortable.

I could never do the rooftop tent, I can't imagine it would be better than my setup and the cost difference for the rack (or trailer) + tent is staggering.

 

[Hammmerhead]

I like the idea too and I think it has its place, but you set it up and you're there, no leaving. No buzzing around down to the creek to fish or out on a trail for a while. No running anywhere until you get all the crap packed back up and buttoned down.

A good old tent or small trailer makes more sense to me.

 

[jeeeep]

For me personally, if I was looking for a park and sleep solution, the Ursa Minor top would definitely be it. I have no affiliation with this company, just think it's genius and super convenient.

http://www.ursaminorvehicles.com/campers/jeep-hard-top-popup-camper-package.html

I've seen those, the price is

I tired to climb in one from the interior at EJS once, it was a challenge for an old overweight guy like me lol.

 

[Sharkey]

I've had my eye on a lead dog motorsports trailer for a while. It's not going to make it through the Rubicon well (if at all), but it would make a pretty sweet base camp without having to worry about climbing ladders and dealing with tents.

 

[NFRs2000NYC]

Holy crap their options are expensive! $500 extra just to get tinted 1/4 windows in the hardtop.

The windows themselves are I think like 250 or so, but the labor to cut out the hole (the roof is made in one piece) and install it is the other 250.

 

[Budman]

Tepui makes one of the best RTT's on the market, solid and plenty of options to customize.


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[GraniteCrystal]

Tepui makes one of the best RTT's on the market, solid and plenty of options to customize.


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Ever used those Maxxtracks? Toyota guys seem to like them.

 

[Chrismendoza10]

Tepui makes one of the best RTT's on the market, solid and plenty of options to customize.


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That's nice

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