Roof Top Tents / Off-road Camping

I just have a loft in the back. Works great and there's not a brick on my roof. Also it's really nice to not have to pack it up when you wanna go somewhere. And it was way less expensive. I'm sure they're fun tho

My little bro has ran a smittybilt tent on his 3rd gen 4runner for a few years now. He got it for ~$800 a year or two before they became super popular. He spends around 30 nights in it each year and only carries it in the summertime. He absolutely loves it and I think he uses it enough to justify the cost. It makes a lot of sense in a place like Nevada with so much public land for camping

Pros:
- Way more comfortable than a normal ground tent. It's insulated really well from high temps and cold temps
- Instant Setup. He leaves the mattress and a double-wide sleeping bag up there all the time. Takes a minute to unfold and he's done
- Can sleep anywhere you can park a car
- Girls who are hesitant to go camping are more easily convinced when you have a boujee rooftop tent
- Looks pretty cool

Cons:
- Stupid expensive. Good luck finding one under a grand and some can run $6k+
- Need to install a new roof rack on 90% of cars. Stock racks usually aren't rated for that kind of weight
- Limited to wherever you can drive.
- Need to level your vehicle with rocks or traction boards
- Heavy as shit and annoying to install with 2 people on a lifted vehicle every summer. Takes up a lot of storage in the winter
- Noisy on the highway (But not as bad as my Yakima roof ski rack, which is surprising)
- 1-2mpg penalty

I wouldn't get one myself, but for certain people I think rooftop tents make sense. If you can afford it, have a capable rig, and would actually use it, I think it's a cool purchase

BrandoComandoCons:
- Stupid expensive. Good luck finding one under a grand and some can run $6k+
- Need to install a new roof rack on 90% of cars. Stock racks usually aren't rated for that kind of weight
- Limited to wherever you can drive.
- Need to level your vehicle with rocks or traction boards
- Heavy as shit and annoying to install with 2 people on a lifted vehicle every summer. Takes up a lot of storage in the winter
- Noisy on the highway (But not as bad as my Yakima roof ski rack, which is surprising)
- 1-2mpg penalty

ya thats why I just whip my van thats basically the size of a roof tent on the inside. Definately still loud as hell on the highway with my roofbox and AT tires and my gas mileage is in the shitter due to all that as well.

but hey I dont have to set anything up when I camp

CrunnchyVanManya thats why I just whip my van thats basically the size of a roof tent on the inside. Definately still loud as hell on the highway with my roofbox and AT tires and my gas mileage is in the shitter due to all that as well.

but hey I dont have to set anything up when I camp

I'm with you. I think all those VW bus hippies in the 60s figured it out. Vanlife is the perfect balance between comfort and liveability

Roof tents were like a fad, they're definitely cool though, but most people I know sleep in the back of their trucks/SUVs, call me old fashioned but I enjoy a regular tent on da ground.

BrandoComandoI'm with you. I think all those VW bus hippies in the 60s figured it out. Vanlife is the perfect balance between comfort and liveability

yeah, I would love to get an old Westfalia bus but they are so damn expensive and pricey to run. my parents had an 80s era westy that ran like new when I was a kid in Missoula, I wish they woulda kept it around cuz it was a dream

no van build will ever compare to a stock westfalia interior, they really thought of everything, from the backseat/bed, refrigerator and stove, rotating passenger seat, and perfectly placed storage

anyways sorry for the VW jerk off in a thread about roof tents but this is just the peak of camping vehicles

I've got an fsr one I throw on the truck like 10 times a year. Really good for like trailhead or road trip camping where I can throw it up in like two seconds and sleep comfortably

These things don't make any sense to me. Anywhere you can use them, you can also use a normal tent. Why spend all that money and deal with shittier gas mileage when setting up a tent next to your car is super easy?

roof top tents are cool and all but really the way to go is a van or a clapped pickup with some sleeping bags, a air mattress, and a canopy

I don't really get it. I see how they could be good on a safari or something but othereise whats the point. A lot of people have campers or sleep in the back of their runners etc. Also a normal tent takes like 5 minutes to set up even when youre wasted, you can put it anywhere including next to vehicle if windy and you dont have to sleep on the ground just because it's on the ground.

Idk I've never used one so maybe theyre sick but at least a couple years aho they were pretty expensive Didn't seem worth it to me but people can do whatever.

theabortionatorI don't really get it. I see how they could be good on a safari or something but othereise whats the point. A lot of people have campers or sleep in the back of their runners etc. Also a normal tent takes like 5 minutes to set up even when youre wasted, you can put it anywhere including next to vehicle if windy and you dont have to sleep on the ground just because it's on the ground.

Idk I've never used one so maybe theyre sick but at least a couple years aho they were pretty expensive Didn't seem worth it to me but people can do whatever.

Overlanding isn't about actually doing, its letting everyone know that you do it. Giant tent on top of a vehicle says a lot more than a coleman 3 person in the trunk.

I found a used roofnest on craigslist for $900 last June and decided to pull the trigger. So far don’t regret the decision since I got a pretty good deal but definitely have a lot of complaints. I have one of the first “generations” and I think some of my issues have been taken care of in later models, but for mine the design sucks. The materials aren’t particularly high quality and the poor design exacerbates this because it wears these materials out more quickly than it should just in its normal functions like opening and collapsing the tent. Also most places where I camp are in the mountains and are often windy. Rooftop tents are generally super loud in the wind and you are extra exposed on top of your car. In very high winds I often just end up in the back of my car. That said I take a lot of road trips and it’s super nice to just be able to pull over wherever and have a comfy bed to sleep in in 30 sec.