Thread: School me on roof top tents

Hey Everyone,

I've been pondering the idea of getting a roof top tent to go on the utemaster canopy/roof rack.

What are the pros, cons, things to look out for etc?

Thanks in advance,

Rich

when you get pissed you will end up sleeping in wagon rather than climb ladder...also when need to piss....got to climb down n back up LOL

Make sure you have settled for the night before putting it up. Can't leave it set up like a tent. No last minute beer runs or drive down to the river for a fish once it is set up.

I had one, sat on my truck roof for like 2 years dragging down fuel economy to get used a handful of times. Ended up taking off because of that and just ended up selling it. That was a soft version, next time you see a car with one you’ll notice it blows up like a big parachute. The hard shell ones are better for that reason and easier to put up/pack down.

Awesome if you do lots of small missions as the pack down pack up is easy as, once tried to set it up in the bush. I had to move a few times as it was just to high up and couldn’t open it under the bush canopy.

If doing bigger camp missions where you plan on spending decent amount of time on one spot but need to travel for day trips - pain in the ass effectively having to pack and unpack your camp site.

I personally would one buy one again but on the list of things I wanna spend money on right now it’s on the bottom of the list - and would have to be a hard shell version. But for now I’m going to stick to traditional tents.

Originally Posted by SpeightsDrinker

I had one, sat on my truck roof for like 2 years dragging down fuel economy to get used a handful of times. Ended up taking off because of that and just ended up selling it. That was a soft version, next time you see a car with one you’ll notice it blows up like a big parachute. The hard shell ones are better for that reason and easier to put up/pack down.

Awesome if you do lots of small missions as the pack down pack up is easy as, once tried to set it up in the bush. I had to move a few times as it was just to high up and couldn’t open it under the bush canopy.

If doing bigger camp missions where you plan on spending decent amount of time on one spot but need to travel for day trips - pain in the ass effectively having to pack and unpack your camp site.

I personally would one buy one again but on the list of things I wanna spend money on right now it’s on the bottom of the list - and would have to be a hard shell version. But for now I’m going to stick to traditional tents.

Good points

The few people i know that have had them only used them a couple of times before the novelty wore of. Pita if you need to move. Ok in aussie where everything wants to kill you.

Sleeping in the car works well depending on vehicle. Enough space and rear seats that fold fully flat are ideal which is why I prefer SUV style vehicles over utes. When I was doing a lot of farm hunting, I did this all the time. If that won't work for you, then I reckon an Aussie style swag rather than a tent is the way to go.

Get two tents, a small pup tent for when you just need a place to sleep for one night, get a larger canvas tent you can stand up in, and a wood burner when you need a base camp.

That's my two cents (or tents )

Mate had mold issues with his - had to occasionally take it off his ute and set it up in his garage with fans to wash out then dry.
Seem like ok solutions for people who get out a ton, live in dry climates, or live somewhere like Aus with all manner of venomous animals.

Hard shell all day everyday. I had one on my truck for a while and was great when I was doing a lot of off-road touring, also for when getting in to rivers for boating, or blocks for hunting, late at night, it was easy set up and made that a lot easier. But in the end I got rid of it in favour for a set up inside the truck for quick trips, and swag for longer trips. (Plus a hiking tent for foot based travel!) They’re brilliant for what they do but you need to really look at whether or not it’s the right choice for your situation. Lot of $$ to sit on the roof and drag down fuel economy unused as others have said… That said if you go ahead, I recommend RMR or Feldon