Opinions on RTT’s

Looking for opinions on Roof Top Tents. What brands to look in to? What works and what dosent? It would be me ,wife and Mali. thanks

 

I was in the market earlier this summer! I love them. What is your budget? The range is vast... for what it’s worth in my search I found out that a lot of companies get their tents from the same manufacturer and add in little things and crank up the price. I ended up with a Smittybilt Overlander I found for around 650 and it is no joke the exact same tent as the Tepuis I was looking at that were in the 2k range used. The 3 person tent has plenty of room for my wife and I + our 60lb Aussie. I would assume that holds true for most brands.

 

Not sure how much the range on the tents are but don’t really want to spend more than 1500-2k figuring I will need bed bars and heavier leaf springs.
I will definitely look into the smittybilts. Thanks

 

$650 new?

 

You won't need new leafs for adding 150 lbs. That's not even an extra passenger most of the time.

You can probably diy 2 or 3 cross bars for under $100. Check out 8020 profiles. Otherwise there are plenty of ready made racks but they are overkill for just a RTT and pricey.

There are too many choices for RTT nowadays. Last I looked, the biggest factor was choosing between a hardshell (pricier and less roomy) or softshell.

Once you figure that out, my advice is seek out the cheapest option you can find because you will likely want to change or upgrade after a few trips when you see what works and what doesn't.

I jumped on a hardshell group buy over on tacoma world a few years back. It was within your budget and I sold it after a 3 week trip for $200 less than I paid. Might be something to look into

 

No I was scouring the used market. The smittybilt new is around 1k

people are unloading them now that camping season is coming to an end. You can score some almost new tents for a great price. Keep on eye on Facebook marketplace and craigslist

 

Not sure how much they weighed.. Don’t really have a budget.. just what I’m trying to keep it at.I’ve seen some decent tents around that range. The bed bars wouldn’t really be hard to make at all, which I thought about.

 

I don't have one yet. Ordered a tepui but it was back ordered and eventually my order was cancelled. Haven't reordered since.

For me I want an annex with the ladder on the inside. I am not lifting a 80+ pound dogs into the tent. I want them to be comfortable in the annex and able to peak on them from the tent. Also I was looking for the heavier fabric for water resistance and 4 season capabilities. I have it narrowed down to a tepui autana ruggedized or CVT Mt Shasta. But CVT is no longer making the summit and haven't been able to find dimensions for the new hybrid series yet.

 

Craigslist is one of my best friends for getting great deals....

 

Same here! My advice for OP would be to find a good deal on a used one, decide what you like and need in a set up, then spend big money on what you find you really want!

 

That’s what initially kicked me to buy used. Couldn’t find a new tent literally anywhere.. I would definitely checkout smittybilt if you Are looking into tepui soft shells. The materials on the canvas are EXACTLY the same. Same rods and canvas, everything. The smittybilt will just the about a 3rd of the price.

EDIT: I believe CVT uses the same manufacturer as well

 

Matt my only gripe is all of the goodies are for Tacoma’s -__-

 

I will keep that in mind. Thanks.

I have heard similar to quoted above. Same manufacturer on a lot of these tents(China). Just that some have QC guys on site and it shows from what I've heard. But I have never seen a list of companies that actually have QC guys on site for their products. I've checked locally for used but they all have seemed to have been put away wet and have mold stains on them. Just a little weary of them.

 

I'm a ground camper. I have too many tents. One is 10X17ft cabin tent! Ha...
But......if I ever went the RTT route....Smittybilt hands down. Reasonably priced which is good because a RTT rack will set you back at least $750.

 

I check Craigslist every day. Slim pickings right now for sure.

 

Justin is a great guy and super helpful!!

 

GoFastCampers has a super affordable hard shell RTT (relative to other hard shell ones), that might be worth checking out. It's on pre-order, website says earliest availability November. $1,300 w/o mattress. I've had the Smittybuilt one on my truck for about a year, and it's been ok. Not terrible, but not great. Build quality isn't the highest, but the price is low. The cover is a pain to deal with, I'd imagine same with all soft covered RTT's