Rooftop Tents

AbnMike

Well-known member
Apr 6, 2016
1,218
117
Western Slope, CO
There's a good reason for it [lots of them being for sale].
I owe pm a beer.

Prescient motherfucker.

RTTs suck. I hated mine (reference page 3). It does suck going up and down the ladder to pee. They shake like crazy in the wind (you're essentially sitting on four springs/shocks and are a goddamned sail). It sucks going up and down the ladder to pee. Oh, pee in a gatorade bottle? Sure. Now it sucks when your vagina-possessing partner is going up and down the ladder to pee.

But I can deploy it in a moment. Awesome. Except now your truck is stuck. Got to run to buy some beer? Or make a phone call? Or you want to drive to another place to fish or 4-wheel while your Sig Other wants to sit at camp and relax and read and nap in the tent? Too f'ing bad. Either they don't get what they want or you don't get what you want.

I don't think I kept mine a year before I sold it (at the same price I bought it for).

I guess in some situations they're good. But we tried ours in multiple situations and were always hating it.

I have multiple tents for various situations now - Hilleberg Atko for my solo motorcycle. Hilleberg Saivo for 15 degree snow camping in high winds, and a Kodiak Springbar for when I camp with my wife and kid. It's as bomber as a RTT and we can use the vehicle to go to the store, go four wheeling, drive to the titty bar (ahem, go get more groceries), etc and either partner can stay back at camp and relax in the damned tent. Plus it might take 5 mins to set it up. I can spare the 4 minutes between it and the RTT.

Also, and this was a bigger pain where I was in WV than where I am out west -- if it rains on your camping trip and your RTT is wet and you have to drive Monday guess whose tent is getting moldy if you can't set it up for a day and let it dry out? Yours.

When my Kodiak canvas or any other tent gets wet I can set it up at the end of my trip in my yard and still use my car.


Rant off. I wave everyone I know away from these things.

I still think they're a cool concept, and for certain people (solo travelers, people whose sig other is into the exact same things and going the same places you are all the time and never needs or wants to just sit at camp and read a book) are pretty useful. But I still never slept well in mine due to the wind shaking it.

And I drink beer when I camp. And so I have to pee 5 times a night.
 
Last edited:

Blueboy

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
3,205
459
Back in the USA; Rockwood, PA
Or camp with dogs such as Labs. Although my female did climb a swimming pool ladder once to get out. 😁
That and we carry too much stuff on the rack to have space for a RTT.
They do work well if it fits your camping style.
 

bri

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
6,178
152
US
I owe pm a beer.

Prescient motherfucker.

RTTs suck. I hated mine (reference page 3). It does suck going up and down the ladder to pee. They shake like crazy in the wind (you're essentially sitting on four springs/shocks and are a goddamned sail). It sucks going up and down the ladder to pee. Oh, pee in a gatorade bottle? Sure. Now it sucks when your vagina-possessing partner is going up and down the ladder to pee.

But I can deploy it in a moment. Awesome. Except now your truck is stuck. Got to run to buy some beer? Or make a phone call? Or you want to drive to another place to fish or 4-wheel while your Sig Other wants to sit at camp and relax and read and nap in the tent? Too f'ing bad. Either they don't get what they want or you don't get what you want.

I don't think I kept mine a year before I sold it (at the same price I bought it for).

I guess in some situations they're good. But we tried ours in multiple situations and were always hating it.

I have multiple tents for various situations now - Hilleberg Atko for my solo motorcycle. Hilleberg Saivo for 15 degree snow camping in high winds, and a Kodiak Springbar for when I camp with my wife and kid. It's as bomber as a RTT and we can use the vehicle to go to the store, go four wheeling, drive to the titty bar (ahem, go get more groceries), etc and either partner can stay back at camp and relax in the damned tent. Plus it might take 5 mins to set it up. I can spare the 4 minutes between it and the RTT.

Also, and this was a bigger pain where I was in WV than where I am out west -- if it rains on your camping trip and your RTT is wet and you have to drive Monday guess whose tent is getting moldy if you can't set it up for a day and let it dry out? Yours.

When my Kodiak canvas or any other tent gets wet I can set it up at the end of my trip in my yard and still use my car.


Rant off. I wave everyone I know away from these things.

I still think they're a cool concept, and for certain people (solo travelers, people whose sig other is into the exact same things and going the same places you are all the time and never needs or wants to just sit at camp and read a book) are pretty useful. But I still never slept well in mine due to the wind shaking it.

And I drink beer when I camp. And so I have to pee 5 times a night.

" , go four wheeling, drive to the titty bar "

Could you please PM me some camping spots please?
 
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Tugela

Well-known member
May 21, 2007
4,754
561
Seattle
@p m does that wearable sleeping bag come in a set with a Pokey outfit, too?

gumby.jpg
 
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