Best rooftop tents

Hey guys

I’m in the market for a rooftop tent, preferably a quality hardshell and one that does not break the bank. Any Rec’s are appreciated!

 

At one point i was contemplating just putting up a platform on the roof and using a pop up tent, that's probably the cheapest since all of them are expensive.

Best roof top tent is not to get one. I personally sleep in my 4Runner.

 

me too- The wife and i have done it several times. Is it comfortable - no. Does it get hot? - Yes. But hey when you're in bear territory and nobody is around for miles, it works.

 

Check out the ones on Amazon

 

I got the IKamper X-cover, best of both worlds. I had an issue with the rain fly, little rip where the pole goes through, with out an issue, they sent me a new one.

For me, going with a reputable name became important, as I tried one of those off brands, and it was nothing but a very large screw you issue.

for all those nonRTT folks, to each is their own. The wife and I tried to sleep in the back of the runner when we first got it. With no extra gear in the back, it was dam near impossible to sleep, no room to stretch, let alone fit. Now in less than 5 minutes, I can be in my Cali King size mattress up on my roof.

 

^This...
Guys, if you have nothing to contribute to OP's question you don't have to reply to this thread.

Yes there are pros and cons (as with anything) but the only things you should talk people out of here are raptor lights and 6" rough country lifts. RTT's are still coo

 

Friends dont let friends install raptor lights.

 

HA I just returned my raptor lights a few days ago….

 

I see the indoctrination is working well

I'll see myself out now since I don't have experience with RTT's and am too a peasant with a ground tent. Hoping some users with some hands on experience with roof top tents can point you in the right direction though! Good luck and remember to enjoy the journey.

 

We ground tented for a long time, but setting up cots and packing up wet tents is not on my favorite list any more. In some ways, ground tents are much better.

 

What's our policy on raptor lights on a 6" lifted RTT?

 

Undetermined. We’ll have to ask the collective

 

They're OK as long as they're installed vertically to represent how tall the vehicle is

 

Checks out

 

Yeah, I got rid of the wife. Saved tons of $$$ and now i have tons of room in the back of my 4Runner for sleeping. Best decision i ever made. And now im not top heavy in any way. lol

Congratulations, it's now a raptor lights thread instead of a reasonable conversations of RTT options or the Pro's and conns of RTT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJjLgYXZH8g

 

Alright, I'll bite. Nice video by the way.

I think a lot of us who enjoy camping have debated a roof top tent. Ultimately the cons outweighed the pros for me. The video you posted mentions most of these reasons so I'll do my best to not add redundant information.

In the last few years I've tried car camping, ground tents, simple hammock tents, and just sleeping in a regular hammock if the weather is nice. Ultimately, I've decided the best thing for my wife and I is a quick setup ground tent. We tried an instant setup Coleman at first, and it worked well for a couple years. Eventually, wind took it out.

I upgraded recently to a Gazelle T4 hub. It's very quick to set up and has a ton of room inside. Plus, I've seen it hold up to 50mph gusts and not collapse, which is damn impressive for any tent. I use a Coleman air mattress and I've had some of the best sleep of my life with that setup.

Still, if I know it will be very cold, or high chance of lightning, I'll go ahead and remove my rear seat before packing up. By doing this I have plenty of room to sleep comfortably with my wife in the back. (I'm 6'1" for reference) I usually pack pretty light if I plan on car camping. FWIW, it gets wayy too hot in Texas to even consider this during the summer months.

There are a few more points I considered before concluding I did not want a roof top tent.
-Center of gravity. I mainly bought the 4R as a reliable rig I could do some wheeling and camping with. I want to avoid bolting 80+ lbs to the roof and making this rig even more tippy.
-Height. I can still fit into my garage and most parking garages. I'd rather not lose that capability.
-This rig is my daily driver. I go to 4-5 events/ camping trips a year. Even if these are week long trips, that means the other 330 days a year I'm hauling around a roof top tent for no reason. Furthermore, I try to keep my "time to depart" as low as possible. Meaning if I want to go on an impromptu trip, packing up is easy. Everything is pre packed. Camp kitchen, camping supplies, restroom and shower setup; Everything is ready to go in stackable totes. I certainly don't want to bolt up my roof top tent every time I want to head out. Instead, I throw in my ground tent along with the totes and hit the road.

Roof top tents are cool, genuinely. And if I went camping a couple times a month I might reconsider. But ultimately for me I much prefer my Gazelle T4.

 

Has anyone done it with an awning? I have an rci awning and a Crestone rack. I have to find a roof tent that’s 48 in wide. They all seem to be 52 wide

 

Run it off center?

 

You mean have the extra hang off one side?

 

Yes, move the tent away from the awning so it sits off center, allowing both to be up there. Should only be over a few inches, yeah?

 

I see what you’re saying. Yeah. That could work

 

I’ll have to look for Picts, but I have a 270 awning with my Ikamper xcover. I actually use the awning to hold a pole to help when closing the tent to allow me to stuff the tent in better. One of the reasons we bought the x-cover, was because how I fit nicely on a crestone rack.

 

How does a rooftop tent connect to the crest one?

 

The feet clamp onto the Sherpa Crestone bars/slats that go across. There are 4 feet on the tent, and a long rod that you use to tighten and loosen the feet.

 

Gofast rtt are awesome for the 4Runner. Direct mount, lightweight, and quiet. Made in the us so expensive but very high quality. All the recent updates have made them better than when I bought, but support is great and I can upgrade with new parts as needed.

 

Thanks, really good info and detail, i feel the same way. I have a Gazelle gazebo and its so easy to set up.

 

thank you. Does the hardware come with the tent to connect it to the crestone or do i need to order it from Sherpa

 

...

came with the tent.