The TRUTH about ROOF-TOP TENT Camping - (watch before you buy, pros and cons) Tacoma Overland
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 14 авг 2018
- My favorite camping gear - www.amazon.com/shop/lastlineo...
Ultimate Overland Bed Setup - • Overland Bed System (o...
Leveling Blocks - amzn.to/2Oycb4E
Rooftop tent camping is cool. Roof Top Tents are fun. Roof-top tents automatically turn you into a professional overlander / camper! Not really, but there are some clear benefits to owning and using a rooftop tent for camping. There are also a good amount of cons. Rooftop tents aren't for everyone, but hopefully this video will help you decided if they'd be a good fit for you and your camping needs.
More Overland Tacoma on IG - / lastlineofdefense
CVT Rooftop Tent - cascadiatents.com/shop/mt-sha...
CVT Awning - cascadiatents.com/shop/standa...
Skycamp (hardshell + fold out) - www.ikamper.com/
Cheapie backup popup ground tent - amzn.to/2KWJQ5X - I use this sometimes just to 'hold' a camp spot while I finish a trail or something sometimes - it is really low quality...
Pelican Cases - amzn.to/2OdgZMS
better prices usually - www.pelicancasesforless.com/
DiamondBack Bed Cover - bit.ly/2IrQUHA
Racks (that broke, but have been replaced/upgraded) - amzn.to/2PbWbGU
Prinsu Roofrack - www.prinsudesignstudio.com
PelfreyBilt sliders/skids - www.pelfreybilt.com/
Maxtrax - amzn.to/2vNm1c7
OD GShock Watch - amzn.to/2LYhz4g
#rooftoptent #rtt #tacoma #overland
-- FILMING GEAR --
Mini cellphone tripod - amzn.to/2FbL3os
Joby GorillaPod - amzn.to/2swvvVI
Vlogging tripod/grip - amzn.to/2ihyazr
Lumix G7 - amzn.to/2saaWkP
Lumix G9 - amzn.to/2tzzntE
Cheap lens - amzn.to/2DdQeC3
Expensive lens - amzn.to/2tttluT
Wireless lapel mic - amzn.to/2uubSRw
Cheap Mic - amzn.to/2G8Q0iw
-- COUPON CODES / LINKS --
VERTX (LLOD for 25% off) - vertx.com/
Premier Armor (LLOD for 10% off) - bit.ly/2o96GPm
Baja Designs (LLOD for 10% off) - bajadesigns.com
FieldCraft Survival (LLOD for 10% off) - fieldcraftsurvival.com/
Dangerous But Good (LLOD for 10% off) - bit.ly/2xKoTtT
OpticsPlanet (LLOD5 for 5% off)
Tactical Distributors -
Snake Eater Tactical - bit.ly/2wFd2J9
Black Rifle Garb Apparel - bit.ly/2gTDKr0
DiamondBack Truck Covers - bit.ly/2IrQUHA
Chief Ammo - www.chiefammo.com/
-- LLOD THINGS --
LLOD Instagram - / lastlineofdefense
LLOD Facebook - / lastlod
LLOD B Channel - bit.ly/2uuI5tQ
PATREON - / llod
Holsters / LLOD Gear - llod.us
Some of the most innovative tents out there now - bit.ly/2lLN2ef (the current tents I've been using since this video)
Last Line Of Defense great video!! I just posted some of my first videos! Let me know what you think!!
May come as a shock to you but when you're inside a plastic tent you're breathing poisonous fumes and a fair share of microplastics. That plastic smell you know? It's carcinogens.
For $4,000.......It is really nice....but holy crap.
iKamper is the most ridiculously expensive RTT out there. If I get a 1 for free like popular youtubers, then I'll take it. Otherwise, I don't wanna pay their ridiculous price for an occasional sleep. Sorry
Topanga Reyna Midol much?
Biggest disadvantage: walking out half awake at night to take a piss and falling 10ft on your face. Next diy project: rooftop tent piss platform.
This is a real concern
NOTHING WORSE THAN A BROKEN PENIS
OR PISS IN A BOTTLE..BETTER MARK IT THOUGH!
Fact
LOL
The fact that you don't have to worry about rain - snow - snakes - insects and uneven terrain is selling point for me. Most of the times those things are what ruin a camping weekend.
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
No such thing as a bad weekend spent camping
@@ML-ki9tr i think you're the stupid person that always gets his tent flooded, complains that he did not sleep well because of rocks and uneven terrain or gets bitten by a snake and has to be airlifted to the nearest hospital.
$1600.00 OMG! My wife will leave me.... can't do it. But if she left me, I'd have a tent to live in... Hmmm?
Sounds like you made a decision!
Har Har Har; All bullshit aside, I have an 8' bed and camp in that. Then again it's in a pop up camper but I mean it's basically the same, this guys truck costed as more than my pickup camper and my old 88 F-250 costed me less than his tent system. No worries. To each their own. I'll come tow him out if he needs it. I can also use my truck as a truck not an RV in my off-time. You don't mention how you take that off to use your truck as a truck, right now it's a tent on wheels, about 20k wheels.
@@IVAO04ifyI'm in research model now for what I actually want. I won't camp from my truck that much; only when my daughter visits (rock climber). I'm a bushcrafter with tons of gear so getting yet another tent is still something I am considering hiding from the wife. SERIOUSLY HIDING IT.
Never tell a female how much some thing cost or they will expect you to spend as much or more on them to feel happy and contented....but a great way to get them to stfu is give them the car seat while you have the tent .
Shit that's a cheap one!! I saw some small ones starting at 3200. No thanks🤑 But if you have a 45000 truck I guess you wouldn't care about a 3000$ tent😂
It's like a tree house for grown ups I think that's the Appeal.
Yeah if you figure it's a vacation like experience. It will pay for itself.
@@Nextgen_Account And if you take care of it well it'll still hold 50-60% of it's value when you want to sell it, you go on a vacation and the money is gone forever.
In certain parts of Australia your far better off the ground than being in a tent near crocks .
My wife said she’d leave me if I buy this tent....sure gonna miss her
At least you will have a tent to live in...
A tent can’t cheat on you at least
That’s until she runs into those guys from the movie deliverance and they make her squeal like a pig.
I'm new at being old, I never thought ladders would be difficult, they eventually become not easy, then one day you wake up and you try to avoid them. Nice Video.
Exactly. I climb ladders regularly as my daily job. I'm getting older and I don't want to have to climb ladders on my days off!
I am 76 and have no problems with this or other ladders. Perhaps I will in a few years time, but right now I still follow the maxim of use it or lose it. ie. it is a good form of exercise.
So true with age some times come vertigo 🤦♂️
Years ago my father-in-law told me to "never get old". I tried to follow this advice, but somehow it is sneaking up on me anyway. I sure like the looks of these things, but I might have to agree on the avoiding ladder thing too.
I have to pee 3 times a night. No stairs or ladders
This exact Tacoma is the one that made me fall in love with the design, off-road capability of the TRD Pro. This truck in any color (preferably blue or silver) is what I would love to have in my driveway with all the camping gear and hunting stuff with dirt bikes in the back would be a dream come true but that’s why im a work reallly hard in school to buy myself one.
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
I thought about a RTT, as I rarely camp in a designated Campground... The 3 issues I had that sold me on an off road tent trailer instead are- 1) You have to break up camp if you want to drive anywhere 2) There is no place to sit and relax / change clothes etc. and 3) My 90lbs Rottie won't go up ladders...! I really love my tent trailer as it is set up for off road (15" off road wheels and tires and suspension, lightweight and short).
Any recommendations for brands?
Hi. I really enjoyed your video. You and I appear to be very like minded. Recently my wife, daughter and I travelled the Australian Outback for 1-year and lived in our canvas rooftop. In order to visit the most far-flung places - a rooftop is by far the best. There are far too many Pros to list - however here are my biggest Cons that you should factor in planning your next 4x4 intrepid trick: 1. Wind (with/without rain) is a rooftop's biggest enemy. The thin outer-most waterproof fly is at huge risk of tearing - wrap your rooftop in rope, round and round before you sleep and park with bonnet pointing into the incoming wind (for a rear folding tent); 2. Low branches and narrow 4x4 trails can damage your folded tent when you are on the move. I'm going to put up a sacrificial canvas wrap or metal shield for my next trip; 3. When staying multiple nights at one spot, you are forced to pack away the tent if you want to pop away to see an attraction or visit the supermarket in your vehicle. A bit of a pain; 4. After a few months the canvas and elastic will age and you'll need to be agile enough (for us 50+ types) to climb the roof and tuck away the edges when folding up the tent. My Land Cruiser tent with 4x4 lift kit is 2.6 metres off the ground. I was amazed how non-agile my body was in those first few months ! Other than that ... rooftop is the way to go. Nothing to tow. Nothing to eat you on the ground. One more tip: If your tent rack is stretching the weight limits, then add more feet to spread the load. I've got 6 feet down both sides of my 4x4. Regards, Shane from New Zealand
Thanks for taking the time. Appreciate the info.
I expected this to be a nitpicky video about tents. I was wrong! This is very informative and practical. Thank you!
Great video,as far as leveling I found a good welder locally and build my own rack so either side I could push up and pin it to level instead of the vehicle....keep up the good videos thanks
A shovel a rock or piece of wood or leveling blocks is cheap and easy. I've had my RTT for 3 years and it's never been difficult to level.
They could build a spot level into the tent design or you can install one that is installed in the driver's compartment.
Great video from the pro and con department for the best part is I'm being told by somebody who actually uses the equipment 👍👍👍👍👍🏻
Great video! Really good explanation. Thanks for sharing your experience
I've been ground-tenting it for a few years now, touring on my motorcycle. Now 60, and a year from retirement, I want to get my wife to see why I enjoy it so much. We're breaking ice with a simpler (cheaper) truck tent plus an inflatable truck bed mattress. Hopefully, she will like the kool-ade and we will have a new passion for our next 40 years of marriage! Once again, I thank you for a terrific video.
Thank you for an excellent comparison on this! I also thought of the expense of changing vehicles and replacement parts needed to move the tent to another vehicle. Going up and down that ladder for some of us 'seniors' would definitely be entertaining. I still love the idea of camping up among the trees. I'll probably settle for a hammock. Lol
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
Great video! I was considering buying a rooftop tent and your video helped me out a lot. Very informative!
They work great. Nice to be off the ground
Great review man. You have another subscriber 👍🏽
Currently in the market for one of these. Thanks for the detailed review. I’m glad I found your channel!
Another plus! The view when waking up in the open field or mountains
You missed the biggest Con I have. Spending weeks in Yellowstone, Yosemite, etc. there are places to drive every day. To do so, you would have to break camp and set back up when you return. And hope someone isn’t occupying your space thinking you left.
Yeah! Hmmm, I definitely talked about that when i recorded it, but wonder if I didn't hit record or something. That's indeed one of the bigger cons for those types of trips.
I was going to mention this as well but its just a reason to buy an overland trailer lol
Trailer fixes this. Not a lot but only Sometimes it sucks; but it's been worth dragging it with me.
bingo
Chad Mitchell trailer means you have to drive slower on the highway though
I've been thinking about getting a rooftop tent on my tundra because it is way easier than a tent. I settled for buying a truck tent for the bed of my truck. It has some of the same pros but not as much cons. Although I do have to empty out everything from the back of my truck, I get the pro of being up high. Here are some pros and cons I have experienced with a truck tent--
1. lose space for a kitchen on the tailgate
2. lose space for things in the bed of the truck
3. able to use the tent as a ground tent and save my camping space if needed
packs into a small bag
4. deconstruct the tent every time I wanna take my truck out on a trail
I do like to go off-roading in my truck so having a place to put my stuff plus having a good place to sleep at a low and efficient cost, makes getting a truck bed tent a good option.
This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for...great presentation...very helpful...
Awesome video 👍🏻 my husband just bought me a Jeep we are now looking into a trip around the US. I told him about RTTs and he was all for, cutting down the cost of our trip by A LOT and making it way more memorable for us to camp out wherever we find ourselves at the end of the day
Good job. Maybe I didn't listen as closely as I should have, but another three key advantages are the great ventilation of a roof-top tent. I've slept in the hottest environments and ventilation with all the windows open is superb. The awnings capture a little bit of that wind and direct it into the tent. These awnings extend well over the windows and provide excellent rain protection. Finally don't forget about the view! You are raised off the ground and here in California I often pull to the edge of an ocean bluff and the view is amazing.
he also covered the water thing, but it is much more advantageous as in heavy rain events in a ground tent nearly ALWAYS leaves some part of you or your gear soaking wet. that wont happen with a roof top!
it cost as much as my note 9 512gs... lol i guess it not that much lol
Sorry...off the specific topic...but can u give me some good campgrounds in california to car camp with a rooftop tent? And also interested in where you can pull off and camp by the ocean...thanks
Melanie Simpson San onofre state camp ground is cool. Or carlsbad campground.
@@nnnnnnnnnick5557 Thanks Nick!! Ill check those out. :-)
That seals it. No rooftop tent for me. Thanks for the video! 😁👍
Exactly the info I needed, Thanks brother just subscribed!
great job hitting all the valid points on both sides, you spoke loud and clear, and very informative. Thanks
Ive never knew this type of camping existed. just popped up on my news feed, I would really be down to get into this.
Great video, I had been weighing the pros and cons for a while now. Ultimately, the dealbreaker for me is that drying the tent would be impossible in the Pacific Northwest where I live and camp year round. Ground tents are easy to hang up in a house or apartment to prevent mold and mildew. if you park in a garage and can't flip your tent open, or don't have a dry spot outside to let it breathe your tent isn't going to smell great the next time you pop it up.
leaf blower
@@craigcadagan635 That's brilliant.
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
Great content and excellent video work. You have used a quality mic! Well done!
Great video, this was very informative! I live in Wyoming, and I hate the idea of camping on the ground with snakes. This provided the review I was looking for.
Just stumbled onto this video. So well thought out, edited, and professionally presented. Very informative, and WITHOUT the irritating music, wind noise, traffic noise, barking dogs, radios, shaky camera, and other distractions. Refreshing!
Thanks for watching, Mike
Your Tacoma and roof tent looks amazing! I could sit on a camping chair and look at them for hours. I want a Tacoma so bad it hurts. Great video! Thank you
Thanks for creating & sharing this, Last Line of Defense ✨
Thanks for the video. I am just thinking of getting started in overland camping and have been doing a lot of research on everything from the vehicle I want to the style of camping I want to do. I’ve done a lot of just regular camping in ground tents but have never used or even checked out a roof top up close. You’ve been a big help.
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
Quality video. thank you for your time!
Great video makes you really think about what works best for your type of camping. We backpacked for for years then got horses and horse packed for years , then started car camping four wheel into some place and set up a ground tent with coolers , stove , screen room , solar shower . Did that for another 10 years ( we don’t stay in Campground’s if at all possible) . Rented a pop up tow trailer loved it moved us off the ground.nice bed kitchen inside heater could take it off road . Purchased a pop up used it for several years sold it bought another one ( put lift kits on them ) to keep us out of campgrounds easy to tow and back in tight places :-) we often said we could not understand why you would want a travel trailer ? And here we are with a 23 foot Lance four season travel trailer with a full side slide, bathroom kitchen , queen bed , refrigerator solar etc .put a 6” lift on it use it 90% of the time off the grid dispersed camping . Since our backpacking days we would mostly camp for a week to two weeks at a time for over 40 days a year ( our jobs allowed this ) with our travel trailer the only limiting factor is how much water we use and how much our black water tank can hold before we have to empty it . It’s really nice to get to a place where you would like to camp and all you have to do is level open the slide and camp . So as you can see the only thing we have not camped in is a rooftop camper which I find to be very interesting . The problem is my wife and I are 70 years old so lifting big dogs up ladders is not in our wheelhouse anymore . The bottom line is get out as much as you can even for just a day and find what works best for you .
Happy Trails
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
Marvellous video. Excellent information, nicely filmed, great editing, well presented, and a charming young man to boot. Well done.
Nice informative video! Covered all of the cons (and more) that I could think of. Thank you!
Nice info. Thanks for sharing!
You left out a plus for me: Being higher in the air also makes it a little cooler and you'll catch a little more breeze. A plus for when you're in Texas or anywhere in the south. Of course, if its really windy, being higher is not always a plus.
Very informative video. Thank you for taking the time to make and post. Great job.
Love this video. Ordered my Ursa Minor in July. Should be any time now. Waiting patiently. Thanks again buddy!
You kill it at these videos my dude
A camping hammock works great too as long as it's not too cold (the wind goes right through it). You can insulate yourself with padding and a good sleeping bag. That's all I use and I've camped comfortably in temps in the 20's. No level ground or clearing needed and there's no trace you were ever there. All you need is two trees.
A REALLY well prepared and articulately presented review. Nice work~! Thank you~!
Thanks for the video. We currently have a Napier truck bed tent and we are considering buying a RTT. Good info!
I appreciated this! Thank you!
One thing I learned from having both a soft top RTT and a hard top RTT is that while I miss the shelter above my head from the fold out soft top tent, I do NOT miss making the bed and putting bedding away which the hard top tents shine at. Bedding takes up so much space in the cabin. I not only have my bedding in place when storing the hardtop tent but there's also extra space in there for misc items that I chuck there. I've a good 4" gap and compressible mattress or more when needed due to its design.
So would a hard top be long enough for someone over 6ft tall to sleep in comfortably?
@@kylemarienthal my James Baroud would go up to 6'-5" I think. I'm not over 6 foot but there's ample room at my legs and front of my head. I'd check your height against the internal dimensions of the RTTs you're looking at. They should all publish them.
With your pros and cons this makes the best vid on the planet to help make your mind up .. 👍
Good pro and unbiased con. Definitely learned something watching this video.
This was a really good, balanced run-down of the pro’s and con’s of roof top tents. Having camped extensively with both, in Europe and Africa, I would underline a couple of things that you touched on. First, a “pro” is that no pegging is required, meaning you can park on hard-standing if necessary and still erect the tent. But a “con” is that you have to pack everything down if you want to move the vehicle. So, setting it up as a base camp from whichnyou want to do vehicle-based touring is a no-no. This was a pain in the butt in Africa, when we wanted to do early morning game-drives and then come back for breakfast. Everything had to be packed away first. Also, you lose your spot. They do make a good base-camp if you want to do hikes out from the camping area. They are lovely to sleep in though, and you do get that extra sense of security (even though it may just be psychological!). For me, heart says rooftop, head says ground, for the practicality.
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
First time I watched one of your videos. Very good work, excellent vid, immediate sub :) Also love the truck and the pup!
Same lol
Roof tent camping looks so fun! I cant wait to get my tacoma trd 😁
Awwwe man. Dooope vid bro. Helped me out. I got a tundra. Happy to see your TRD, almost purchased that color. You clarified a bunch. Wish me luck 😊👍🏻🇺🇲
I've been known to have an adult beverage or 3 when I camp so climbing down that ladder every time I need to take a wiz during the night might be hazardous to my health. A tent fixes that. Oh, and let's me use my vehicle too for other adventures away from camp.
You are changing my mind on the roof tops man. Been a ground guy all my life, sometimes just my mummy sack on the ground but I'm liking these.
cointoss election I've got a Titan XD now and have an in bed tent m, but these over bed ones look super nice
cointoss election crap mine was actually given to me by a buddy who sold his Titan I'll look when I get home .
Appreciate the video! Thinking of getting one for my Jeep! Happy Camping!
Thanks so much for this video. Nice job putting this together
Hey I've watched a few of your videos. In one of them you mentioned that you were going to post a video on how you store your rooftop tent through the winter. You mentioned a pulley system. Did you post the video as I can't find one. I'd love to see how you do it.
Pro/Con: Sleeps cooler in the summer. Sleeps cooler in cold weather both because the air that is allowed to circulate under the tent.
After a few years, I am considering one. Have slept in a couple now and they're decent, but I really feel LLOD is absolutely right. Bring a ground tent as a backup. They take up very little space and weight and are better in different circumstances.
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
I love these tent suggestions. Roof-top tents limit more hassle when you just want to do a quick weekend getaway.
Good honest review of the pros and cons.
Personally I'm a big fan of the swag and stretcher combo. You're off the ground with respect to mud and creepy crawlies. Setting up the ground sheet, stretcher and swag can be done in 5 minutes and it delivers a very comfortable sleep.
WIND! That is what nobody talks about with roof top tents. And you will notice this more if you camp in more open desert areas. We have had some nights in ours where you simply can't get any sleep at all. The flapping constantly wakes you up, especially every time a gust comes along. Which is why I'm going to switch to to a camper shell and build a bed inside the truck bed. Also, if you want to go somewhere, you have to take down the tent, and then put it back up again upon return. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't go this route. Rather use a hard truck shell, and a Clam to set up for a hang out/cooking area.
Great vid with solid pros/cons... I gotta as a production question though - how were you recording your killer audio? Lav mic tucked under the brim of the cap??
There's no wire running down the back of his neck so I would guess a lav under the shirt
Thanks for the great review, it was very helpful!
My (undetailed) choice: a bed shell/topper to sleep in with "some" decent storage, and a roof racking system for additional storage. A hitch carrier also helps me out quite a bit. This system works great for camping, and tailgating at the university on game day. I'm good to go. Really good video. "Thumbs up" from this Kentucky boy.
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
I am going to own one. One of my dreams!!!!!
We're looking into roof top tents like yours to be able to camp out of our truck and still be able to hold our three big dogs with us and let them sleep in the truck bed. They seems like the best option for us but they're so expensive, a bit hesitant to call the shot. Your review helped a lot. Subscribed and very nice looking truck! 🤙🏻👍🏻
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
I go off roading with my buddies once a month and we typically leave after work on a friday, drive 4-5 hours away and then end up wheeling till 1 in the morning. Having a RTT to just pop open after a long day like that is the main reason I decided to get one after a year of fighting a ground tent or using a hammock when out on the trail in the dark. To each their own but I think if you can use it often its a great investment and a huge space/time saver.
Nice video. I’m considering getting one and this has been informative.
I love my van.....and my feet have well over 12 thousand years of development in over-landing.
Mate, this is a fantastic video. Very honest and I like that you state that it's YOUR specific case. Best informational video on the subject I've seen so far - thanks for taking the time to make it! :) One thing I would recommend tough. If you could be more careful with the camera's focus during the video it would be even more awesome as it's kind of distracting that you are grainy when you speak to us - gives you a headache if trying to pay attention to you as you normally would look at a person when they speak to you. No biggie, but might be useful to you.
Zoltan Varadi you said you 10 times lol
Really great video thank you. Scotland based and just bought a ford ranger wildtrak and looking forward to getting a tent on the back.
Hi. Have got it already.
Thanks dude this was helpful!
For the cons, you forgot temperature. RTTs sleep colder than ground tents if you properly elevate your body from the ground. Also if weather such as strong wind is an issue, it will be more of an issue with a RTT since you're up and exposed. Ground tents can be positioned or even moved to a more sheltered location to be shielded from the wind/weather.
One absolute pro that I've found out, and you have to check with each park to see if it holds true. RTTs do not count as a tent where parks limit campsites to a certain number of tents per site. Often, I would be with a group of 4 friend and go out camping/backpacking etc. and stay at a campsite that only allows 2 tents per site. Most of us want to sleep far away from each other (due to snoring) but want to share a campsite. One year, a buddy had an RTT setup and it was not counted as a tent on the site. Of course in the bigger scheme of things, paying an extra $22 for a campsite is far cheaper than a RTT but it was still pretty cool. It was also the only way his wife would go camping. She didn't want to be on the ground for the mentioned reasons at the beginning of the video.
I'm with her, no worry of bears.
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
@@1Troutguybears have no issue with getting in your rtt lmao
@BaldKiwi117 yeah, they climb trees 🌳 lol
I picked up a used Kamp Rite cot tent which works great for southwest camping. All the benefits of an RTT, off the ground yet easier to get in and out of, way way way cheaper, makes for a great base camp without having to tear down when you want to go explore, and takes about 45 seconds to set up. If i could afford shipping, I would definitely go for an Australian Kulkyne swag tent, the Aussies have camping down.
Yep, swags for sure! Bedding's all in there ready to roll out and jump in, and you can drive off and have your camp still there when you get back (although up north Qld the RTT would come into it's own getting away from the crocs).
Agree and agree, obviously 😆
Yes! We have a Kamp Rite double cot tent-- it's great.
Me too! Yea it's great! Balling on a budget lol
You are the first to tell how you combine a roof tent and a dog ! tnx
Had my RFT for 2 trips. Everything you hit on, positive and negative has come up. Great overall review!!
This is a pretty cool video. I’ve been considering something like this for hunting season. I’m not really up for buying a whole pull behind camper, but I’m not sure what all of my options are for a tent that goes in the bed of my truck either. Thanks and God bless
Robert - check out Freespirit tents. gofsr.com - they have a 4-season tent called the High Country Tri-Layer. Tepui and other brands also offer what they call ruggedized 4-season tents. They are a little more expensive than their standard versions but offer year around use and more durability.
Hi just come across yr comment
Thought you might like my Hilux.
Have a look “out There Touring” for some ideas.
Happy for you to like and share, subscribe
Cheers from Australia
Out There Touring
Here's an option, regular ground tent set up on the bed of a pick up truck.
lol, was just thinking this. Or make your own foldable platform to bolt down to the rack once arrived and toss normal tent on it. Save thousands.
I'm glad I own a suv. Sleeping in the back is the best. Then buying a nice cargo basket.
He would be losing all the storage underneat though.
Hooha888 $800...... They start at $1,100 and that’s on sale, was looking today
Thank you for the breakdown, you have such a great speaking voice!
Simp
I love your truck!, hope some day in my life, i´ll get someone just like yours.
This guy is living my dream life while I’m stuck in hot ass Texas
I'm living my dream by being in hot ass Texas 🤷♂️
I lived every day, day to day in a roof top tent for 12 years with the exception of 2 summers for 3 months each. First in a Maggiolina Extreme on a 1998 Durango that I later transferred to an 07 H3 and later replaced it with an Air Top. All in the desert around the Coachella Valley and in the mountains above Palm Desert. Once parked I could deploy the Air Top in less than 1 minute and take it down ready to travel in less than 3. I did this while holding down a full time job as an IT professional. I regularly experienced high winds and sand storms. I learned how to always camp down wind of Tamarisk or Mesquite clusters or similar good desert wind breaks. I experienced rain, freezing temps, snow, frost and never needed anything other than a good sleeping bag. I developed a series of a dozen or so prepared off road camps in the desert and another dozen or so at different altitudes up Hwy 74 into the mountains up as far as Garner Valley. I rotated between them so as to rarely ever be seen at all and never more than once in any week. I was never bothered by municipal police, Sheriffs, BLM, Border Patrol, drug smugglers, copper thieves or other off-roaders though I saw their tracks and detritus. I made friends with coyotes and foxes. I have never met or heard of any person with more actual experience using a roof top tent in the desert or mountains than myself. I have many strange stories to tell but they will likely die with me as I don’t like people much and they wouldn’t believe me anyway.
I want to hear your stories
some person what type of roof top did u have
For those who posted replies,
I mentioned 2 different models of roof top tents that I used during the time I was talking about in my post. First was the Maggiolina Extreme (a bicycle chain based crank-up fiberglass clamshell) and later the Air Top (basically the same tent but a gas ram pop-up instead of crank and chain). Both are products sold in the US but produced by the Italian company AutoHome. This class of product adds the ability to quickly deploy a sleeping space above the ground to a vehicle and that is all. An adult cannot stand up or even sit comfortably in it or do much of anything else but lay down and sleep. This is convenient for small, narrow gauge, short wheelbase, high ground clearance, 4 wheel drive vehicles of the kind necessary for access to the most demanding, remote and nearly inaccessible locations where Sportsmobiles, Four Wheel pop-up campers and even camp trailers cannot or dare not go. You will still be outdoors and in the weather and wind for everything else unless you are sitting in the vehicle cab. Actually living in one day to day, every day, for years while holding down a full time job in a city is definitely not for everyone and very likely not for anyone who still considers himself in any sense normal or sane. I have some cautions for anyone fool enough to consider such a thing, just a few of which I will say here. Be prepared because:
You might get so used to pooping in a hole (until you finally figure out that’s a waste of time) that white porcelain will begin to look rather odd and unnecessary to you. You might even learn to use a single sheet of wet wipe on your ass folding it into successively smaller rectangles and placing it neatly into a 1 quart freezer bag stacking it along with 2 months of its relatives before zipping the bag for the last time. You might also examine the colors and textures of the mold that grows there through that clear plastic window on the history of your intestinal past.
You could spontaneously discontinue the practice of tossing out a cup of coffee or anything else just because some dirt or a bug gets in it.
You might stop going to truck stops or gyms just to take a shower and will perfect a means of bathing yourself outdoors by stripping yourself naked in any weather and getting the job done with the same small terrycloth shop rag and bar of soap you have been using for over 6 months and 8 ounces of water the temperature of which is no concern to you, at all. You might even start shaving with the same plastic disposal razor and no soap or water at all. After you figure out that most of the stink emanating from one who cannot or does not bath regularly comes from the clothes and not from the human body, you might figure out how to do your laundry without going to a laundromat or even the machines at hotels or apartment buildings. You might figure out how to use a mesh bag in a domestic water canal just to avoid people because you don’t like them and in your rig, you can go where people wouldn’t find your dead carcass until the condors, ravens and coyotes had long finished with you and the maggots had all flown off.
You will discover you don’t need to worry like all those other nomads that build themselves a “stealth camper” that you might get a wake-up call and an order to move in the middle if the night. There is nothing “stealth” about your camper except where you can drive and park it! Yes, a level area is best for sleeping and I have always found it quite doable with a little effort and often with no real effort at all but if you think you need to bring something with you to do that you have stopped using your brain and it is probably safer for you to stay home.
You might change your night time leisure practices and entertainment choices. Things you never thought of before might become a regular practice. You might begin to recognize the time of night and seasons by those little lights in the sky. You might start to explore the areas around your camps to see what the wildlife has been up to and what has changed from the bugs to the birds to the cacti. You might still feel that thing that goes down your spine when you see a big rattler but no longer be afraid of it or want to kill it and just watch it and sometimes try to talk to the slow moving reptile.
You might even take up a new hobby because even though you are a loner you still might need to get help where there is no cell phone access, you can’t afford a satellite phone and a spot won’t cut it. Thank you Marconi or Tesla for what became Amateur Radio. You don’t need a license if you never key up except for an emergency and you can always just turn it on to see if people still do exist besides yourself even if you never talk to them.
Be careful now, you could start doing strange things. On moon lit nights in sandy desert washes, dry playas or just sand dunes you might strip naked and barefoot and see how far from camp you dare to go on foot trying for that primal animal experience. You might start to celebrate with the coyotes when they yip up after a catch and have something to bring to the pups and even join them in a little yipping of your own. You might start feeling like you are a part of nature and not just an occasional visitor. That is until you have seen that same fox for the fifth time and it just stares at you for a while before always just moving on instead of coming over to you for some friendship as you were hoping. It’s curious but somehow lets you know this raw nature is not really your native world anymore and that you and your contraption don’t really fit in so much and that most of your species hasn’t for a very long time.
-Some Person
Man, thank you so much for this story!
Unbelievable
Love your channel dude thx for your efforts.
Very informative to make an intelligent decision
Thanks for sharing the information
My iKamper is the best decision I made. 100% satisfied.
Thank you - this was awful honest and informative. I've been debating and I think the 'cons' still outweigh it for me and Jeep Wrangler. It seems like a small step up in comfort from a Tent Cot (which I already own and can carry in my jeep and set up in minutes) and I'm not that much of a fan of the ladder and the middle of the night trips up and down that would need to happen unless I cared to sleep with a pee bottle (which I try to not do anymore after a couple of decades of having to do that.)
Overall...I really like the RTT 'idea' but since it 's just me 99% of the time...and between my hammocks, the Tent Cot, and also a pop up "room" if I'm stuck all day in horrible weather....it gives me a place to be not in the jeep....I think I'm gonna stay where I am - at least until I (maybe) migrate to an off road teardrop-type design when I'm a decade or two older...lol.
Thanks again - your honest and complete review was very appreciated.
Great video. Thanks for the info and perspective
Appreciate your honest account of this! Def leaning towards getting one!
Hope you enjoy it!
I've hiked almost 1500 miles with a hammock. I use tents and a pop up with family. I like going out without having break everything down every day when with family. I get to move my truck all day without hauling everything with me. I think this great if your driving every day it makes it easier to move every day. Biggest problem is cost. That entire rig cost a lot and it's still a tent. You have to add the cost of all the mounts and platform. But I get the allure to it.
I was just starting to get interested in a rooftop tent so timing of this video was great. Thanks for the detailed comparison.
They are great!! Nice to be off the ground
Just the video I was looking for. thanks for this information
these are great points to think about! thank you!
Great video! Thank you. You missed one of the cons that hits my RTT friends on almost every group adventure. Overlanders love to go on drives while on camping trips. To check out local off-road trails, scenic areas, eateries, etc. Our RTT friends literally have to break their entire setup down just to go on a drive. Not just the tent, but basically everything. While those of us that are ground tenting, hammock, or in-vehicle, simple close the doors and go. Some go with the RTT on a trailer option for this reason, but that adds even more complexity and cost and loss of performance on/off road. I hate to be the one to mention it, but the folded style with the cover (like yours) also simply look unattractive on many vehicles. Yours fits naturally behind the cab, which looks pretty decent. But many of the SUV drivers that have your style of tent...they just look awkward and ungainly up there. Their folded height is a bit much, then add the ladder bump on top of that...and it just sticks out in an unattractive way. I have noticed that almost no manufacturers of the soft/folding RTTs present their products in their marketing material in the "down/folded" position. They always show awesome pictures of the tent deployed (which of course looks bad ass!). But they seem to know that the folded RTT on top of an SUV is a turn off (aesthetically) for many. Not so much the case for some of the sleeker hard shell types. But I have been surprised that there hasn't been a bigger push in the last couple of years to produce lower profile designs, I would think they would be more attractive to many potential users.
Jordan u hit the nail on the head. Set up and take down gets old unless your stationary. A friend invested a couple grand in a similar setup. He fishes tournaments and tows his boat. Sold it after 1 summer, actually practically gave it away. Too much time trouble setting up and breaking down he hated it.
Wow thank you for your comment it never ocurred to me that we would have to take it down just to drive into town or anywhere. Thats a deal breaker for me
Yeah it takes me one minute to pack my ikamper , what a chore
Bring a tent.. if youre going on a trip where you’re gonna be driving/ overlanding just bring a tent to pitch so you can just close the doors and go. If its a lowkey, hunker down type outing pull out the RTT. Im not an owner of one so idk but ive seen a few videos and that doesn’t really skew my decision.
Great pros and cons thanks for that!
Excellent video of the pros and cons. It gives me another option for camping.