Why do people like roof top tents so much?

[AzScorpion]

in my opinion, getting in is the easy part...going for a 4am piss.....wont be.

That's why you keep empty Gatorade bottles.

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[JAKE2.3]

That's why you keep empty Gatorade bottles.

Or wet the bed

 

[Jim C]

Hey - gators climb very well. Just ask any airport operator how the gators get on the property...

came across this
havent seen "many" in Michigan though

 

[JAKE2.3]

came across this
havent seen "many" in Michigan though

That's why I can't live in the south. Too many things trying to kill you. I'll deal with the snow up here in the north ha.

 

[Megawatt]

Some people like not having their azz eaten by the honey badger.

 

[Msfitoy]

when i wake up with cotton mouth, i tend to search for a nearby drink to quench that thirst...

That's recycling...?

 

[Megawatt]

I went camping in the big bend area of Texas years ago. Woke up to 50 javalinas all around the tent having midnight snacks. Some of those guys can get pretty big. They didn’t care about me and it was cool seeing all of them. Could of turned ugly if they stampeded. In that case a roof tent would have been handy.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I went camping in the big bend area of Texas years ago. Woke up to 50 javalinas all around the tent having midnight snacks. Some of those guys can get pretty big. They didn’t care about me and it was cool seeing all of them. Could of turned ugly if they stampeded. In that case a roof tent would have been handy.

Hi Joe,

Cool experience! One note...never ever get between a mommy Javalina and her baby....gets ugly real fast. Also they can run about 25mph to 30mph, so you cannot out run one... Neighbor tried to shoo them away from his yard and one charged at him....Neighbor made it into the garage and into the house slamming the door. Javalina tried to break down the door and then hung in the garage waiting for a chance to attack the neighbor.... some of javalina are nasty tempered.. Wife and I on hikes will give them a wide berth...

best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[T Bone]

Some people like not having their azz eaten by the honey badger.

here is the semi famous honey badger video be advised not safe for work, or folks that dont like bad language:

 

[YaBoiNewton]

I went from a cabin tent to a hard-sided teardrop.

I don't like rooftop tents for several reasons.

A lot of them have been mentioned already, but I'll add my own.

• Getting up to pee in the middle of the night? No, thanks.
• It's still soft-sided, so less weather protection than something with hard sides
• More comfortable mattress in the teardrop (I have 6" memory foam currently. could do more)

why I prefer a hard sided trailer.

• ALL of my camping gear is stored in the trailer. so getting ready for a trip is much more streamlined. I just need to deal with packing food, clothes & toiletries, and anything else I want to bring along on the trip.
• Zero setup required to go to sleep. Park the truck. go from the truck to the camper, go to sleep. works great on road trips. can leave it attached to the truck.
• active ventilation built into the camper keeps it surprisingly comfortable when it's hot out.

I really don't think you're protected from "floods" in a RTT. your elevated off of squishy ground, sure. But if there's a legit flood, you're in trouble if you chose that spot to camp regardless of what you're sleeping in.

Oh man I am so ready to move on to teardrop camping! On my last trip I woke up to cold water dripping on my face and a nice pool around my air mattress cause the rainfly split just above me.

Shit like that just doesn't happen with a fiberglass roof.

 

[Groo]

Groo here
Keeps you away from bugs and such ,and away from HOT ground.....

 

[Hounddog409]

Is there something I'm not understanding here? I do a TON of camping, all over the place, but I just can't wrap my head around spending a few grand for a rack and tent system when I can just bust out my trusty $200 REI tent and set that up in a few minutes.

It seems the pros are:

• Quick to set up (just pop it open)

Cons:

• Added weight
• Added wind resistance
• Have to climb a ladder to get into the tent (cumbersome when drinking or carrying an animal/child into the tent)
• Can only sleep on top of your truck (i.e. can't set up your tent anywhere you want that your truck might not be able to navigate to)
• Cost

I assume there are other pros that I'm not considering, but on the surface it just seems like a huge waste of money for something that adds minimal benefits while conversely introducing lots of detriments.

They get you off the ground.

What if you are in a very rocky area? Ice or snow? What about animals that view you as dinner?

Not everyone camps only at campgrounds

 

[slowmachine]

Oh man I am so ready to move on to teardrop camping! On my last trip I woke up to cold water dripping on my face and a nice pool around my air mattress cause the rainfly split just above me.

Shit like that just doesn't happen with a fiberglass roof.

You could buy a new tent every month for less than the cost of a small trailer. The purchase is only the beginning.

 

[GTGallop]

There are pros and cons for RTT's. Some of them even valid and legit.

But most people that I know that have one do it because that RTT looks super rugged sitting on top their truck in the mall parking lot. "Look at me! I'm an adventure guy. I go camping in the wilderness all the time." Ask any RTT owner about their tent and most of them an only name three or four times they used it for camping. The rest of the time they pop it up at Little League Practice so the kids can have a fort to occupy them while an older sibling plays ball.

There is a very narrow segment that they work for, but it's no where near as big as the market for them. I do, however, think they are genius when added to a Camping Trailer. Mom and Dad sleep in the tear drop and kids bunk-out in the RTT on top. A family of five can easily fit in a small trailer like that.

 

[YaBoiNewton]

You could buy a new tent every month for less than the cost of a small trailer. The purchase is only the beginning.

Obviously tent camping is far cheaper- that's not my issue. My issue is the function of my equipment. Sure I could buy another tent, but if I'm being completely honest I'm not looking forward to spending another weekend in the mountains cold and wet because my fabric tent failed me.

I've done my fair share of primitive camping even just sleeping on a tarp in the desert. I'm OK with a little luxury in the form of a queen sized bed in an enclosed teardrop.

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