Best Rooftop Tent for long road trip.

Looking to buy a rooftop tent for my 2016 4runner, we are 2 people and be traveling for 3 months so looking for something comfortable and easy to use, don't want to be squeezed in to the rent as this will be our home for couple of months.

Looking for something that is durable/good built/easy to use and best for the money

What about these 2 from REI, good thing is that if not satisfied I can always return them.
Tepui Tents Autana XL Sky 4 Tent
Or
Yakima SkyRise 3 Rooftop Tent

Any recommendations?

 

I would definitely lean towards the Tepui/ CVT Tents instead of the Yakima. From what I have heard the Yakima is made of a lighter weight tent material that is less durable.

_Charlie

 

Check out the one from ikamper. Very well engineered with a hard shell topper.

 

Just got the yakima sky rise 2 person from REI. Super quick to open and close. But unfortunately as its their first go around the material is a bit cheap. Im trying to decide if I want to return and go with a brand thats bin around longer. The others are canvas material so I'm worried it will get hot and stale inside at night. I already run hot so that would be the death of me.

 

I have the CVT Denali, it can get warm in there, but with a 12v fan it's not bad. Seems to cool off at night with the windows all open.

 

wanna know some crazy shit? totally forgot about the new height after the tent was on my truck. Drove into a parking garage and cleaned the tent right off my rack!! I pride myself on my situational awareness but sometimes shit just happens. FML

 

That sucks!

 

I am wondering how much the fuel consumption of the truck is it by a roof tent?

 

We highly suggest the Tepui Autumn XL Tent. Tepui has done an exceptional job at designing these tents. There is a big difference in the quality, size, and craftsmanship of the Yakima vs. Tepui. While Yakima is a great company and make some wonderful products, they were late to the Roof Top Tent game and lack some of the features and designs that Tepui has. We recently did a trade show with a Tepui RTT next to a Yakima RTT and it was amazing to hear the feedback between the 2 tents. Most people noticed the quality difference pretty quickly.

That being said, we have been running a Tepui Ayer on our 3rd gen and have about 45 nights in it and it's been a game changer. Takes us less than 7 minutes to set up and break down, we store our sleeping bags and pillows in the tent while traveling, and the tent has help up great under some seriously questionable conditions. While I would recommend Yakima for racks and other accessories all day, I feel that Tepui has the upper hand in the RTT world.

We're running some 4th of July Tepui Tents specials if you're looking to order this weekend, we could hook you with a good deal. I'll send a PM your way with some info.

http://www.theoverlandshop.com/store/p185/Tepui_Autana_XL_Sky_Roof_Top_Tent_(4_Person).html

 

Do you have a floor plan that show us that 4 adults can sleep in your tent?

 

I don't have a "floor plan" but the dimensions for the tent are Open (72''W x 122''L x 52''H). The last 4 man we sold fit 3 full adults and a small child in it. I will say, it's a tight fit for 4. They say 4 man but more comfortably it's a 3 man. The big advantage to the Autana XL is it comes with the Annex which many people have utilized for adding a cot or 2 for additional sleeping spaces. This works out really well with bigger families and might be a good option to consider for using the annex.

 

I did the same with a brand new Yakima bike rack, it was only about two inches higher than my roof rack but apparently my truck only has less than an inch to spare in my garage...luckily I just bent it up a bit, I am pretty sure it will still work fine, but I ended up not taking it on a camping trip. Total bummer when that kind of crap happens, like getting punched in the stomach!

 

My mileage actually improved by 1.5-2mpg after installing mine with a wind deflector.

 

If I was in an RTT every night for that long, I'd only look at hard shell pop-up tents. Alucab would be my choice. We plan to get one to replace our Tepui Kukenam Ruggedized as soon as funds allow.

 

What's your reasoning? I looked at iKamper. One issue is that most of the hard shells you have to preorder and it could take over a month. One thing I don't like about them is that the ceiling is low and not many windows.

I'm most likely going with CVT pioneer stargazer extended. Everyone says they're better build than Tepui, not that Tepui is bad. I also like that the CVT stargazer has an opening on top that can be completely open, clear plastic closing or mesh

 

Hard shell is instant setup/take down with almost no effort. Unlatch, lift until struts take over to pop tent completely. Bedding stays inside, so just hook the ladder and throw up your clothes bag and you're ready to sleep. Watch an Alucab video, they pop it and close it in less than a minute, doesnt get easier than that. I own 2 standard RTT's (TJM Yulara and the previously mentioned Tepui) and while they have benefits over ground tents they are not particularly fast or easy to set up and take down daily on the roof of a lifted 4runner, it gets old fast when doing it daily on an expedition style trip.
Plus some hard shells allow for additional cargo to be carried on top, cant do that with a soft tent.

 

Alucab are from Africa and I suspect they will cost one arm and probably one leg.... Too

The product is from North America and seem to be OK but how does it react in the cold with aluminium has first product close to you?

And how much does it cost delivered in North America?

Were can I see and try one?

 

Alucab is very expensive, One place I found they sell a model and it's $9000 http://ok4wd.com/shop-by-vendor/alucab/alu-cab-icarus-roof-top-conversion.

I already ordered the CVT, wish me look

Created an instagram account for the trip, "overlanding_2_alaska" planning on leaving on 7/20.

 

Also tomorrow ordering a Frontrunner Slimline II (full length), at least one jerry can.
Already ordered a ARB 50qt refrigerator/freezer.
I have to order some recovery equipment...

 

I am from Montreal and I did Yukon and Alsaska last summer with my 4runner. If you have time try to spend few days a the Tombstone park in Yukon at least 3 to 5 days just amazing place.

http://www.env.gov.yk.ca/camping-parks/tombstonepark.php

Then coming back to Dawson take the Top of the World Highway to Alaska. Just amazing!

Dont forget Dead Horse in Alaska too

Bring a camera... and of course 2 spares.... lots of gravel ouf!!!

 

IOTOI, post some pics and stories here so the non-instagram peeps can follow along! Good Luck and have fun!

 

I know the OP found a tent but for the others searching this thread just wanted to add another plus 1 for the Tepui (Kukenam.)My wife and I have been running ours for the last few months generally 3-4 nights per every other week. The 3 person model fits the two of us and a 25lb dog in it perfectly. Easy up and down and built with very solid materials!

 

Is that a soft top? I was going to ask about soft vs hard RTT for extended use.

 

Tepui makes a soft top, but at a fraction of the price. We looked into a few hard tops but the few we saw started at $2500 and went well into $4k.

 

I knew the price difference was substantial. I really wanted to know thoughts on the up/down and driving with it. Size and cost are the drawbacks of the hard tent it seems.

 

The Tepui is really easy to go up and down on my 4R with 33’s. It doesn’t even take 10 minutes all together. It definitely isn’t as sleek and aerodynamic as the hard tops, but with the added height comes the ability to store your blankets, pillows and such inside when it’s collapsed. We found this super useful when traveling to different campgrounds in the same trip.

 

You should really nail down how you are going to be using the tent, how long you are going to keep it, and how many people you will need to accommodate. The hard shells, except for a few, are usually for 1-2 people max. As far as price, I think all these things, no matter which style, are too expensive. I researched for over a year before deciding on the tent I just ordered and it was a very difficult decision because of the price. But if the tent lasts longer than my 4 as it is claimed, the initial upfront cost will be more than worth it in the long run. I am actually more worried of someone stealing it than ever having a problem with it. In this case, and it was not an easy choice, I chose the buy once cry once philosophy.

 

Hey guys, im new to the RTT world. Always liked the idea of it but want to be sure about some things before I invest. I have a 2018 SR5 and would be using it mostly for weekend trips to the beach.

Do I need to get a roof rack or would be ok with crossbars?

I'm leaning towards CVT prolly the MT. Shasta.

I'm on a budget and am ok with just using crossbars if that works.

 

Although a bit tough due to clearance for the attaching bolts, you can put it on the actual stock bars. If you plan on taking the tent on and off I would recommend a cheap rack set up. I have the base line Thule bars ($99) with the universal attachments ($150ish) that connect right to my stock crossbars. Easy on and off and a super solid connection.