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Roof top tents

silvercruiser

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
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3,368
Hi All

After Enquiring about Karl's Roof top tent, and then the Wife getting involved, im in need of a bit more info from experienced users.

I liked the look of the hardtop roof tents and they are pretty low profile when packed, are their makes/models to avoid?

I also liked the simplicity of pop up, get in etc. but the wife reckons she might feel a bit claustrophobic and the larger fold out/extending ones would be better, are they still pretty easy to set up?

Did you buy one, to totally regret your decision and then buy another?

This probably stems from my Motorcycle trip to the NC500 this year which i did with my Dad. Id like to take the wife on the same route in the land cruiser and use a roof top tent. some of the bays i visited had some lovely campsites and would love to wake up looking out at the views.
 
I had the maggiolina airtop on my 80, loved it for the setup speed. I didn’t have any issues with feeling claustrophobic, but I can understand some people may. My main issue with the setup was the lack of shelter in bad weather, yes i had an awning but still not good in the wind and rain.
 
We like the iKamper, lots of room.
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This is an early one, they have updated but it has an annex and other bits with it.
 
I would buy the same again i think .

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My very specific want was a tent narrower than the 80's surprisingly narrow roof , that it leaves a third of my roof rack free for breakfast in bed was a bonus . I'm never quite sure if the mrs is in it with me or not in the morning , i have to search for her so no not claustrophobic at all .
 
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We have a tuff trek that’s fitted on the teardrop.
It has an “awning” that covers all three openings which works well.
Used it for one season now without any issues - touch wood.

Good luck choosing!
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Thanks for the replies so far, at the moment i like the Ikampa on Andy's. the website shows over a kingsize bed and the folding away looks pretty simple.
Shayne yours is pretty similar, what make is yours?
 
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Everyone is different, and each RT design has compromises, so the best choice depends on how those compromises work out for you and your intended usage, which can change. I've tried a few different designs over the years, for different use cases, and feel I've worked out the right mix of compromise for my use case. Yours will probably be different. Budget is a big consideration, and possibly the biggest compromise - some options are very expensive ...

Here are some of the things I think about when I choose my latest roof tent:

How thick is the mattress, and can I leave my bedding in the tent? Not all tents have a thick mattress or allow leaving bedding in. Hauling bedding in/out on a daily basis is an extra hassle I don't want and takes extra storage space.

Can I have the windows open for ventilation when it's raining? Ventilation is important to avoid condensation and that clammy damp feeling, so windows without cover can be a problem.

Is it easy to get in and out of, when a 2nd person is already in the tent if there will be 2 of you? How claustrophobic does it feel? Head room seems to be the main factor for this.

Is, or can, the ladder and entrance be sheltered from rain? A bonus is to have the option of a completely enclosed ladder, for privacy and convenience. But, it mustn't be too much effort to have this, or I won't use it and may as well not have the option.

How hard is it, and how long does it take, to put up and down, especially in wind and rain. If you do choose a design with a covered entrance and think you will add a downstairs annex most times, include that, because it can make for a very tedious set up / take down on some designs.

I have a Bundutop hard shell. The mattress is nice and comfy, and our bedding stays inside. A small canopy pops out to cover the windows, so they can be opened in almost all conditions. Doorways are a little wider than similar Maggiolinas I had in the past, and I find that makes it easier to get in and out. Headroom is good for a hardshell box style and it feels less claustrophobic than similar Maggiolina's I've had. It goes up and down at the press of a button, so it couldn't really be easier to put up/down. The complexity would worry me, but they have an excellent reputation for reliability and the mechanism is actually very simple, but clever.

In good weather, I release 4 catches, press the up button for something like 10 seconds, attach the ladder and I'm done. It goes away just as easily. It has a simple drop down canopy as an optional extra, that stays attached to the tent, and takes about 2 minutes extra to deploy or take down. Another 2 minutes adds or removes the lower annex if needed. It's not a big living space, more a changing space and shelter for getting in and out of the tent. In my case it doubles up as a toilet and / or shower enclosure. It's not 100% weather proof either. Because of gaps in the design, there are some drips in heavy rain but I can deal with that.

I have a 200 watt solar panel on the roof that does a good job of keeping the aux battery charged and I like that the hard shell design means I can attach things directly to the tent.

An awning with optional side panels is the best way to add living space for wet conditions. Self supporting ones like the Ostrich wing are very easy to use and so are more likely to be used.
 
Thanks for your write up Jon. this is exactly why i asked. still I'm in no rush to buy one as i have holidays booked abroad already. but like to be armed if the right one comes up Il have a look at the one you have and see what its like.
 
@silvercruiser - I could say it depends where the missus wants to sleep ;), but I have three children, so the boss and myself take the trailer with children at the top.
This was my position pre RTT
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I do quite like the wedge shaped pop up hard shells as well. They have great headroom and feel quite spacious because of it. I had a Maggiolina Columbus for a while and really liked the headroom, simplicity of put up / down, ease of mounting on the truck, and being more aerodynamically shaped. There are other, more expensive options ... The Bundutop I have is a huge box with the aerodynamics of a brick, more complicated to mount and much more expensive to buy. Like I said - compromises!
 
Brilliant Write up by Jon ,

pisses me off that i can't leave my 4 seasons double sleeping bag in my tent though i might have more luck with a single sleeping bag , if i had one .

Mines a cheap and nasty Chinese with no brand name and at buying time i could only find a white hard shell top . It was a mistake to paint it black with Raptor because the thick coating and hot sun caused some warping issues for the abs plastic which is entirely my fault .

Daktent Khosi is exactly the same tent , probably from the same factory but has a badge on it so that'll be about a million pounds please :lol:

Something I often wonder about when i see the many off road camp trailers is the strange omission to recognize that few of us westerners can sit comfortably cross legged on the floor for any length of time , if at all . So for us living space means we can sit on a chair with our feet on the ground .

RTT is a bed and your living space is under an awning in my view , separate purchases for separate purposes .
 
Full bad weather set up. You'd avoid putting all this out for a one night stop if you can, but it's nice to have the option of doing so if you need it.

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We were still sleeping, but @fbnss took a lovely sun rise photo of better weather camping set up.
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As you mentioned the better half and the NC500 Joe...... here's my '10 penneth'.
When we did the Outer Hebrides and the North & West side (only parts worth doing!) of the NC500, we only ever stopped one night. So we didn't take the RTT annex, as too much hassle.

However, if we stay anywhere for 2 or more nights, we generally like the option of attaching the annex, as it's completely enclosed, watertight and somewhere to store stuff out of rain etc..

Having said all that, for me, although the Howling Moon is the good quality, heavy duty canvas, I'd probably go for a clam shell RTT, purely for ease. The only downside is you've then got to have a separate awning with sides if you want additional enclosed space.
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I love my Bundu Top, even the wife loves it..

The speed of setting up and packing up is the best thing. It really does take seconds and you're ready to go either to sleep or to get on the road.
 
I have had two rtt from 4x4 direct. Loved them both.
The first one was the larger model, would sleep 3 comfortably and probably 4 would fit.
Forest Green RoofTrekk 4 Person Hard Shell Roof Top Tent - [Leaving Land Cruiser Club]
This is a large tent and was taking all the roof of my 95 series, I swapped it for the smaller version, super comfy for 2 adults and can fit one child too, 3 adults would be a squeeze
Forest Green RoofTrekk 3 Person Hard Shell Roof Top Tent - [Leaving Land Cruiser Club]

I love that the smaller one allows me to have some extra gear on the roof (recovery tracks and 2 frontrunner boxes or one box and a jerrycan with water)
The tent is basically a clone of an ikamper and is well built. It has enough overhangs to shelter rain and keep ventilated even in bad weather. Mosquito netting on all openings was handy against midges and we did get a couple of windy storms and slept just fine.
It’s also quite dark inside once closed up, handy in summer when north if light bothers your sleep.
The mat is pretty comfortable and get very little condensation even in cold weather as long as you keep a bit of ventilation.
I can close it with two single 3season bags left inside too
Closed on top of the truck looks good too, not too boxy.
Hope this helps!
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forgot to add… above there was a question about rtt feeling claustrophobic, I don’t think they do any more then any ground tent. Some have a skylight window, mine does, that may help and gives a nice light to wake up to in the morning too
 
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