Rooftop Tents – The Good, the Bad, and what do you really think

Baz

Like you I have "camped " in a range of situations throughout my life graduating from backpack through to caravan.

I think the rooftop tent has many things going for it but I believe it is a young person's tent.

As we age we need to be careful not to expose ourselves to unnecessary risks and I count climbing ladders in this list. One mis-step could result in serious injury and we don't heal to well in later life. I even chose our van awning on the basis that I can set it up while on the ground.

I have found people with rooftop tents seem to be happy with them but those I know are young enough to quickly pack them to use the vehicle.

Alan

I am still young and I started in swags when I was single and thought they were great for many years because once set up you could drive away and stay set up.
Then the rooftop tent crept into my single life. Bought an ARB style one but because the outside fly would flap in the wind I hated these stupid things (rooftop tents). Then I bought a Maggiolina hard top version and loved it but as stated previous I could not stay setup for day trips or if the weather was terrible it was not practical for sitting in when I wasn't sleeping time.
Then hooked up with my now wifey and bought an Oztent, wow, these are awesome and still love it because it simply sits on the roof in its container and we would use that when we leave the van behind if we are doing things like creb, or otl etc...
For me it is caravan all the way because we have towed it into many places Lorella Springs, Savannah Way and doesn't stop us going many places and if we do take a bad turn off then it gives us reversing practice. hahahaha.

Interesting discussion Baz. I started out on my 1st 4wd trip with a cheap 2 man ground tent. The tent was fairly simple to set up (fly tent) however I got sick of hauling the bedding and mattress in & out all the time and sleeping on the ground. So I fitted a Howling Moon to the roof rack of my 40 series troopy. Loved the tent, never had a bad nights sleep in it, however bejesus that sucker was high ! A lot of climbing and crawling around to pack it away.

So when I built my next 40 with a tray I swapped it for a Maggiolina wind up tent which is my current set up. Again a great tent to sleep in and I mount from the side and a bit lower. At my current age (mid 50's) I don't find it too hard, however I'm already thinking about an easier set up in the near future. I'm about to embark on a project to re-configure the set up on the back of the 40 series to get some weight out of it. Currently the thinking is either similar set up with RTT or go towards a 2nd hand Heaslip tray top. The Heaslip is currently ahead in the race for two reasons.... 1. it has a cover out of weather area and 2. a damn sight easier to get to the sleeping arrangements.

Currently most of my travel is with a group of 4wd's where we are more interested in traveling remote tracks and most of our camping is either no more than 1 or 2 nights so the Maggi is ideal as it's so damn easy to set up and put away. However that is going to change and I'm looking to spend more time in one place so having a removable camper is looking more attractive.

My 2c worth...

Baz,
Similar to previous comments, we started out with a variety of tents, from 2 man to Tourers, then as the family grew (4 kids) it advanced to a Camper Trailer. Now with no kids, our sleeping outfit of choice is a Carry Me Camper. Whilst we are not quite at the age of consideration of wellbeing and worried about falls from ladders, we find this particular unit serves our camping and touring needs exceptionally well. A large comfortable bed up off the ground and away from the creepy crawlies and moisture, we tend to sleep better in this than our own bed. (Might be something to do with the stressless freedom and the amount of pre-sleep drinks!)
The other advantage is at this point in our lives, we don't need to tow anything, which gives better access to remote areas and just makes the trip less stressfull. Like previous comments, if you want to leave your campsite its a fairly simple packup and set up again, but you tend to do all those things prior to setting up camp for the night anyway.

Nice relevant topic for this forum Baz :)

We have done various tents, swags and a RTT but have never towed a CT or van. Our RTT sat dormant for a few years and I thought its days were over but my wife has fallen in love with it again so are making a new canopy set up that is more user friendly with it.

What she likes about the RTT in particular is:
-That it is a clean space up above all the dirt and mud
-You are up high off the hot ground and you catch more breeze.
-You are at a better viewing height in bed to just lie there and look out at the beautiful surrounds
-You can tuck into some nice spots that you would typically not want to set a tent up on
-The fast setup

I like it because she likes it...............nothing else matters really.

As you said there is no perfect solution and that goes for vehicle choice as well. We don't stay in one spot and move on most days so this style of accommodation works well for us at the moment but if the bride decides she wants to go back to the swag tomorrow the RTT will become a garage ornament again.

There are lots of advantages to not having to tow and I think many have little other choice than to use a rooftop which does have its own set of good points.

But having to "go for walk several times a night" doesn't fit well with the climb up and down Baz.

My wife would also never climb the ladders required either.

Our own solution of sleeping in the car has proven to be a much easier way of doing things from ease of access to being quieter inside as well as keeping out noise and increase saftey and increased thermal properties.

However it did require that all applicanes and fittings be tailored to fit the space available.

Baz, Over the years I have had tents, swags, and RTT in two configurations. First RTT was on the roof rack on the Patrol, good, but could be better. Second configuration was the RTT on top of a camper trailer, nearly perfect............ The RTT is on a rack that can be raised and lowered 300mm. Raised after set up for access under floor etc, fit annexe and lowered to pack up and for transit. Trailer has slide out kitchen and storage, and fish box storage above the kitchen etc. If you need to use the tug, disconnect and away you go. Drifta have a very similar set up. The only problem now is with me, the knees are not as good as they should be and I am having hassles using the ladder, hence the move to a hard floor Aussie Swag.

Always thought the Travelander slide-on looked a nifty bit of kit but never really looked closely.

Anyone know much about these?

If this has been said before in this thread - oops - I didn't read it all.

We have a Hannibal extra wide one and the full enclosed annex. This gives a large double bed size of 2.4 * 1.6 M. Sometimes the Grandkids sleep up there with us, or on stretchers on the annex floor. It also has a flap that matches the rear door on the 100 series giving us an enclosed "kitchen" area using the tailgate as a kitchen bench.

It's worth spending the extra dollars for one with good canvas. The bloke's thin one beside us at Coward Springs, on the Oodnadatta Track, was ripped to shreds.

The only drawbacks are extra height going shopping and you can't leave it at a camp and come home to a camp already set up. It has a habit of "wanting to be with you". We take a cheat tent to "reserve" our campsite.

They definitely have their place and are ideal for long CSR or Simpson Desert drives or high Victorian Alpine treks etc.

Baz. It is horses for courses. For what its worth this is my setup and why.

In answer to your question "But are rooftop tents meeting the expectations of purchasers?" For me the answer is yes, and in spades.

I have had my RTT for over 8 years now, have had about 860 nights in it (2014 was a bigger than average with 175 nights), have had it up and down about 700 times. When I am base camping I will often pack it up in the morning thinking I will use the vehicle but not actually use it. The setting up is not that difficult.

These days I am on the plus side of seventy and personal safety has always been my number one consideration. IMHO you need to be fresh and alert to clearly recognise all the potential dangers that can arise when touring this great country and in particular in the more remote regions. I good nights sleep is a prerequisite for being fresh and alert and for me the RTT is the only arrangement I have found to ensure this. The bed is huge, I find very comfortable, and because it is off the ground it is away from anything that might want to get you. No crocs, snakes, mice, dingos, creepy crawlies etc. I rarely have to zip up the netting as being high I find few, if any, mossies, sand flies, etc. I even feel safe when camped overnight on the side of the road or in truck stops as any uninvited guests coming up the ladder will find my heel or a lump of iron in their face. In camper trailers, caravans, and on the ground tents if you hear noises (real or imaginary) in the night you cannot see around you, whereas with a RTT you have a panoramic view.

As for RTT's being for younger people. Do not quite agree but you must be careful. The mere fact that you are travelling to remote places would indicate that you have some abilities, but its is inevitable that the day will come when you just are not able to climb a ladder. All I say is that the benefits of a RTT are significant and I am not about to throw them away lightly.

I see not towing as a huge benefit. Go anywhere, less fuel (=greater range), the safety factor of not towing, need less area to camp, can camp on uneven and/or rocky ground, don't have to put pegs in the ground, if its hot and there is shade I can setup in the shade and later drive to where I want to camp. As I usually cook using the fire I can setup near the fire and later move to where I want to sleep.

The Ladder. Everybody mentions "the ladder". Firstly you make sure that there is plenty angle on the ladder so it is easier and safer to climb, there are many ways to do this. Secondly for the blokes (and girls if they like, but usually not as much an issue) take a bottle with you ( I use a Liptons Cold Tea bottle) so one up and down the ladder per night. Quite apart from that, it takes about 7 seconds to ascend or descend the ladder, so for what is well under a minute of ladder time you get 8,9,10 or what ever hours beautiful sleep. It is a no brainer for me. Sure there can be an element of danger with the ladder which escalates as your mobility decreases with age, but by ensuring there is plenty of slope on the ladder I believe it is well worth it for the great sleep that you get from a RTT.

If you look carefully at the cover on my RTT you will notice it looks a bit baggy. Hannibal made me a much bigger cover at my request. So while it does not make the package look nice and neat, it is much easier to live with. I can leave more bedding inside the tent, I can put ground sheets on top of the folded tent before putting the cover on, I do not have to tuck the sides of the tent in so as to get the cover on, and it is far easier to get the cover on.

I have all the side skirts but only use them occasionally. When I am travelling with others I can easily move further away if I want more privacy. As I can move once setup it is easy to move to face the sun and/or into the wind for protection and shade.

RTT's I have found to cope with the elements far better. No chance of blowing away being bolted to a 3+ tonne anchor and easy to reposition if necessary. On cold nights they are very warm with the few extra covers. On warm nights I have both ends open so you get any breeze going. Even the not so warm nights I will have both ends open so I can still see the stars and have a cool breeze on my face. I like to face the vehicle east so that from my pillow I can see the sunrise.

For safety reasons I take a grab bag into the tent each night containing, vehicle keys, PLB, Spot device, Garmin GPS, Mobile phone (it has my phonebook), Sat phone, 2 torches, camera (in case of a spectacular sunrise), and water.

Which way to go, “budget” versus “quality” ? Again a no brainer for me. At 860+ nights so far "quality" is the obvious choice. My RTT is looking a bit faded but there are no tears and not one screw has come loose, it does the job today just as well as the day I brought it. I have no reason to believe that it will not continue to deliver for a long while yet. I never take my RTT of the vehicle so the external cover has to cope with all the elements. My current cover is the second one I have had and I will need to replace it sometime in the next twelve months. In the time my RTT has been on the vehicle it has travelled 200,000 kilometres.
Condensation. I have heard many people complain of condensation in their RTT. I have never experianced condensation in my RTT nor have I heard of it from another Hannibal owner. If you are planning to get a lot of use from your RTT I would suggest that you need the tent made from a breathable material like canvas and to steer away from the so called "budget" models.

I cannot over emphasise the benefits and freedom of not having to tow anything. On the occasions that I travel as one vehicle, there is not a track that I cannot go down. As an inquisitive outback/remote tourer I put great importance in having this ability. So when I am based camped and have to pack up to go for a drive I remind myself of the money, time and hassle I am saving by not towing and the pack up process no longer seems a chore.

Years ago I said that as I get older and had done many of the more challenging tracks and destinations I would get a camper trailer. Well the chances of me getting a camper trailer are diminishing as the RTT is just so very easy to live with.

We all know about "happy wife, happy life". My partner does not come with me very often unfortunately but for other reasons than the RTT, She likes the RTT for its ease, comfort, and simplicity. But the ladies place more importance on other issues and the two hurdles they tend to have difficulty with is "the ladder" and the fact you cannot stand up in a RTT. When my partner comes I would use the side panels more often (easier to put up with two of you) and if travelling with other, camp a bit further away and maybe just string up a tarp to change behind. For what its worth, a big comfy double bed firmly anchored can be a lot more practical for to two people than a shaky camp stretcher.

As I said at the start it is horses for courses. We all know that every setup is a compromise, there is no such thing as the perfect setup. So at the end of the day you have to decide on what is, and is not, important to you and what you are prepared to compromise on.

Not that big on RTT's, my own reasons, but a mate recently bought a Bundutec. This must be the rolls royce of roofies, and a similar price.

have to say i am not a fan
what happens if you have to move for what ever reason? what if you want to go out and get some fire wood?
or set up camp and then go for a look around?

and if your like me and have to get up a few times thru the night

i have an instant tent , i think its easier than a swag and you can stand up in it . i might get howled down but i think rtt are just a bit trendy.
my instant tent is up or down in 5minutes
where can you stop with your rtt that you cant put up a tent?

dennis

I'm not a fan of trailer campers, mainly because some of them need some much effort out into setting them up that you don't want to actually pull them down each day. I also generally only stay 1 night and don't trust people not to steal my stuff, so set up and pack up times are important to me.

I bought one of the cheaper RTT's from Austrack Campers who have a regular shop, rather than an on-line store, I figured if anything went wrong I like a counter I can beat my fist on.

For the price the canvas is reasonable quality but the floor is double skinned aluminium, unlike the marine ply floor you find in the Hannibal product. It does makes it cheaper and lighter, but probably won't last as long. One thing I did find is that with the mattress out and crawling around inside the tent my knees did dent the floor, but the mattress spreads the load under normal circumstances.

I have done a few mods to mine and included some LED strips that are hooked up to the battery via a dimmer switch, as well as re-enforced some of the attachment points.

I started camping with Mum and Dad in those poxy, leaky A shaped nylon tents everyone had in the 70's. From there I progressed to hutchie's, swags and dome tents, but found transferring everything from the car to the tent and back a pain, especially when I took my own kids camping and they would disappear whenever this job was to be done. The wife isn't interested in life in a tent, so I do it on my Pat Malone.

Now I have roof top tent, it is easy to set up and I can just lay the sleeping bags flat, throw the pillows in the car and zip it up. i'm not an old fart, so unless I have had a few drinks before bed I don't need to water a tree in the middle of the night. I did a trip up north and spent 16 nights straight in the tent, 3 of those it rained solidly and the side wall started to let the water though on the last evening, but once it dried it was good again. Even when wet we could fold it up and the sleeping bags didn't get wet, but the best bit was I could pull up and have the tent ready for sleeping in in all of about 10 minutes and then get dinner on, packing up after breakfast was about 1/2 an hour, but that was packing the kitchen away too.

Zipping the cover on was probably the hardest bit, but I can climb all around the tent as it is on the back of the ute, on a wagon it would be a bit more difficult.


The best addition I found too: it is a small movement activated LED flood light. It has a magnet (or the screw on mount) and I'd stick on the back of the ute pointing at the ladder. if you do need to get up in the night, then a foot on the top rung was enough and the light came on for a minute. It was also handy for keeping white tailed rats out of the camp and from eating the car electrics....they did get my shaving cream though.


http://www.osram.com.au/osram_au/products/led-technology/indoor-led-luminaires/mobile-helpers/spylux/index.jsp?search_result=%2fosram_au%2fsearch%2fadvanced_search.jsp%3faction%3ddosearch%26inp_searchterm_1%3dspylux%26website_name%3dosram_au

Baz

Good topic - thanks

Having used (and still using as the occasion requires) swag, tents, CT and a van, I am looking at the pros and cons of a super cab tray top, dual cab size, with a Carry Me Camper - Walk In version. There are others of this genre as well, eg Tailgate campers.

Rather than a tall ladder and no room to stand, this model has a drop down tail gate with just a few steps up to an enclosed landing, then up onto the bed.

Why the dual cab version? So I could utilise the space between the front of the camper and the front of the tray to carry a few things such as a second spare tyre, extra fuel / water and perhaps a Honda generator.

My thoughts are to get a smaller van and tow that with the ute, with the option of leaving it somewhere while I access difficult to get to places for a few days OR sometimes just head of by myself with the ute.

Worth having a look at this option I reckon.
Cheers
Andrew

Had ours for 5 years and all good but as we age , things may change. It must be the fastest unpack and pack up around. Love it!! Michael

We have had ours for just over 7 years now. It fits in with my other camping setups and definitely has a place. Not for everybody, but for touring and being in a different spot each night they are great. Makes it easy to really utilise and organise the space in the rest of the vehicle too. I made a slide out kitchen out of one of my drawers in the twin cab and the whole system works perfectly.

Slightly off topic but I was discussing with a mate the other day about the price of the premium imported brands of hard shell RTT's starting at $3,500.00 with the other option the cheap Chinese versions of the same at around $1200.00.

We were talking about why none of the local companies have not brought one to the market. The fibreglass shells could still be imported from China if need be and then trim them locally using Aussie canvas.
I would have thought there was scope for a decent margin to make it a viable venture and would be well received with the public?

Just a thought

Good post.
If the RTT is wet at pack up time can you leave your bedding etc in there.
Are any brands better than the other for this ?

Hi Forumites…

Thanks for taking the time to comment, I’m sure many will benefit from the various insights and thoughts on Roof Top Tents (RTT).

The thread highlights that not only are there many modes of camping, but also a great variety within the modes, for example the different styles of RTTs available.

I must say I’ve always like the hard-shell styles of RTT even if the Magnolia makes the vehicle look like an Esky on Wheels. Thanks to Scott for the picture of his esky, um rig…

And a call-out to Chris (Idler) for his thoughts and view point which he has included in a blog, Roof Top Tents (RTT), for future reference.

Good weekend to all…

Cheers, Baz – The Landy

Ps: Mrs Landy said, nice try Baz, but just hook-up the TVAN for a weekend away!

Hello all,

May I add my comments to this roof top tent discussion... firstly, I totally agree with The Landys comment "...and concluded there is no perfect solution to sleeping arrangements".

I also agree with the downsides of using a roof top tent - the need to pack 'everything' away before going for a drive.

of course, I do agree with the ease of set up and pack down, plus all his other comments by Eighty Matey.

I recently travelled from Port Macquarie NSW to Melbourne and return (1400km each way) and simply popped my Shippshape open in the middle of the night for a quick snooze. Same goes for weekend and touring holidays out bush - very quick and easy. They can be a pan when you want to set up for a week and need your vehicle to go sight seeing - putting any tent up, down, up, down, up, down gets to you after a while.

Regarding climbing a ladder to get in and out of bed... that can indeed be a pain depending on your ladder climbing abilities and how often you wake to find yourself busting for a nature walk on a freezing cold night.

Now, regarding buying cheap: I totally understand that not everyone can afford "the best", which is where there is a huge market with the imported roof top tents appearing on every second 4x4 we see floating around.
Do I like them, well yes and no. They serve a purpose, are cheap to purchase, lightweight and take up less room on the roof racks compared to our own Shippshape tents.

BUT, as per Eighty Materys comment of "we've been using a Shippshape rooftop tent for about four years."... we have customers with Shippshape roof top tents that are 15 to 20 years old. Sure, they have been asking for replacement covers from time to time, plus have minor canvas repairs carried out... BUT>>> I'll wager there are NO elcheapo roof top tents floating around in 10 to 15 years time. You won't get them repaired and the resale value will be (close to) ZERO.

Hope that helps someone.

Regards
Mark
Shippshape Roof Top Tents

I got a Rooftop tent as a byproduct of purchasing a Waeco CFX50 fridge through a well know 4WD Magazine online shop.

I wasn't actually looking for a tent but it came with the fridge at a price of $1467 delivered for both.

I normally camp in swags.

As I had planned a Cape York Trip (3 1/2 weeks Cairns to Cairns) I decided to give it a go.

As said before no need to tow a trailer.

Quick to set up and pack away. Main issue being the height above the ground means you are clambering around your car standing on wheels etc.

Lots of room inside allowing you to sit up or kneel and easy to get dressed/undressed.
Suprisingly easy to climb up and down ladder. (Friend who I went with and I are both in our 50's)

Stays dry even in heavy rain and heaps of ventilation with big flyscreened windows and doors.

You don't have to worry about the state of the ground, you just need to be reasonably level.

Tends to take up most of your roofrack space so things like tables/chairs and other things I normally store in a rooftop bag have to be stored elsewhere. (A bit of a pain)

You can feel the weight up there. (Weighs approx 65kg)

Cover picks up a lot of dust so you can get grubby packing/unpacking.

I think best use of it is something like a weekend camping where you would setup and stay for 2-3 nights, or where ground conditions make it difficult to swag/tent.

Would i buy one outright if it hadn't come basically free? Probably not.

Will I use it again, yes i think I will.