Brian P
Misanthropic Fuel
- Location
- Taylorsville
Now where are you going to find tan and taupe paint?!?
Just kidding Lewis, It looks great, Nice set up
Just kidding Lewis, It looks great, Nice set up
Official Is a rooftop tent (RTT) for me?
- Thread starter cruiseroutfit
- Start date
Now where are you going to find tan and taupe paint?!?
Just kidding Lewis, It looks great, Nice set up
I know huh, don't forget the blue stripe.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
I'll eventually update the original article with some updated thoughts but a gentleman I was chatting with on another forum brought up some concerns he had with a RTT based on his age and mobility. He brought up some good points so I figured it was worth adding to this article. Our conversation:
Absolutely something to be taken into consideration. I wrote an article you might be interested in, Is a Roof Top Tent for me? The RTT Conundrum
While I didn't include the 'aging' crowd I did include a caveat about children:
"Can be uncomfortable or dangerous with children. With a typical on the roof mount, you could be dealing with a tent that is six feet off the ground. The middle of the night bathroom breaks could be more of a pain"
Next time I update the article I'll make a note about those with mobility concerns as it could be an absolute deal breaker for some. My wife and I (along with our 100lb dog) have no issues with the tent ingress/egress but I'll re-emphasize that they are absolutely not to be consider a one size fits all answer and in fact may work for less than more. As a retailer of tents I have been jest-fully poked about my articles such as this one but I feel far better talking someone out of a product that likely won't fit their needs then I do making a few bucks just to see them looking for a better solution weeks or months later.
Agreed, from my article: "Expensive, simply put. For a good reason. They have a remarkable amount of engineering, fabrication and assembly, far more than the average ground tent. That is not to say the price is proportionally fair compared to a ground tent, but given the radical market ratio of the two options, its easy to see why RTT's manufactures have to demand a higher price to turn any kind of profit."
For some (myself included) the added premium is well worth what could be just minutes when setting up camp. But spending 50+ nights in a tent each year those minutes added up to hours and hours. Combine that with no scouring the area for a flat tent spot, often after arriving well into the darkness and the added space I get by not having to store my tent, sleeping pads and mattress in the truck or bed space. It works for me but if my wife and I had a fleet of kiddos I'd absolutely reconsider a ground tent and likely would end up back in a Springbar where I started camping with my family as a child
Absolutely something to be taken into consideration. I wrote an article you might be interested in, Is a Roof Top Tent for me? The RTT Conundrum
While I didn't include the 'aging' crowd
I did include a caveat about children:"Can be uncomfortable or dangerous with children. With a typical on the roof mount, you could be dealing with a tent that is six feet off the ground. The middle of the night bathroom breaks could be more of a pain"
Next time I update the article I'll make a note about those with mobility concerns as it could be an absolute deal breaker for some. My wife and I (along with our 100lb dog) have no issues with the tent ingress/egress but I'll re-emphasize that they are absolutely not to be consider a one size fits all answer and in fact may work for less than more. As a retailer of tents I have been jest-fully poked about my articles such as this one but I feel far better talking someone out of a product that likely won't fit their needs then I do making a few bucks just to see them looking for a better solution weeks or months later.
Agreed, from my article: "Expensive, simply put. For a good reason. They have a remarkable amount of engineering, fabrication and assembly, far more than the average ground tent. That is not to say the price is proportionally fair compared to a ground tent, but given the radical market ratio of the two options, its easy to see why RTT's manufactures have to demand a higher price to turn any kind of profit."
For some (myself included) the added premium is well worth what could be just minutes when setting up camp. But spending 50+ nights in a tent each year those minutes added up to hours and hours. Combine that with no scouring the area for a flat tent spot, often after arriving well into the darkness and the added space I get by not having to store my tent, sleeping pads and mattress in the truck or bed space. It works for me but if my wife and I had a fleet of kiddos I'd absolutely reconsider a ground tent and likely would end up back in a Springbar where I started camping with my family as a child
spencevans
Overlander
- Location
- Farmington
I finally spent a couple nights in my new (to me) Camping Labs RTT and it was a huge upgrade over the old 1st Gen Mombasa I've had for the last 2 years. The mattress was much more firm, almost uncomfortable at first, but I got used to it and was very happy that my hips didn't sink to the floor, like they did on the old tent. I woke up feeling good, not sore like had happened before in the old tent. This new Camping Labs tent is very nice, the vestibules over the windows and doors add to the setup time, but for the added protection from sun and rain, it was a welcome change. I really like the darker fabric of the newer tent as well, it keeps the light out so much better and actually allows one to sleep in beyond sunrise. The old Mombasa was so light colored, you woke up at first light because it was so bright inside.
All in all, I'm sold on the RTT. I see myself hanging onto the current Camping Labs tent for years to come and using it often.
I feel so sorry for the sucker who bought you old tent. I hear he has a father and sons outing with his 4 year old son in that tent this weekend. I will get some pics of the sucker.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I feel so sorry for the sucker who bought you old tent. I hear he has a father and sons outing with his 4 year old son in that tent this weekend. I will get some pics of the sucker.
The old style Mombasa is a great beginner tent, especially for the price. Some minor tweaks here & there and that thing will be great! But there is a huge difference between the old tents & the new tents, mostly in the simplicity of the design... newer tents being more complex. I was going to add some carpet padding or thicker foam to the old Mombasa, depending on how you sleep you may feel the floor. I sleep on my side and could feel the floor thru the mattress.
airmanwilliams
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Provo, Utah
x2 on making a smaller one. a buddy of mine is going to try to make a platform for his samurai but it will be knowwhere near as nice as these.
I finally got into the RTT ball game. I picked up a never before used Mombassa Gen 1. Obviously they are not the brand spanking new models out there, but at least I get to test it out and see how much I like it.
I'm probably going to attatch it to a camping trailer instead of the LC, but I have to build the trailer first, so It'll stay on the roof of the 60 for a while
The rack is a simple 1" tubing flatbed with Diamond rack clamps. Should be pretty sturdy and I can't wait to try it out. The kids already want to sleep in it in the driveway
I'm probably going to attatch it to a camping trailer instead of the LC, but I have to build the trailer first, so It'll stay on the roof of the 60 for a while
The rack is a simple 1" tubing flatbed with Diamond rack clamps. Should be pretty sturdy and I can't wait to try it out. The kids already want to sleep in it in the driveway
Attachments
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Right on Mace!
jeep-N-montero
Formerly black_ZJ
- Location
- Bountiful
I have been looking at different models myself and may bite the bullet on one soon.
I picked up paul's camping lab tents. The first night I owned it we took it Af canyon for the night. Very easy set up, and take down. I am not certain it is fast than my turbo tent, but it is faster than most tents. We slept quite warm and the high density of the matress was welcomed. The temp was about 32 as some of the road puddles were a little iced in the morning. We had only our centra comforters and a toddler who is a furnace to keep us warm, but no problems. It did feel the floor a little through the mattress was it wasn't bad as long as I could change positions. So far very happy with it.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Welcome to the RTT fan club You put the whole family up there?
You put the whole family up there?
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Very cool, I'd be interested to hear how it works for you as the little ones continue to grow.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Local Eezi-Awn for sale (Salt Lake area): My good pal Dave is selling his RTT, details as follows:
Eezi-Awn 1400 Series 3 tent with ladder extension. $1300 obo.
It's in decent shape. Probably been used approx 150 nights. I just don't use it anymore. I love it for longer trips but for the shorter trips I'm able to take now it's easier to just sleep on a tarp or a backpacking tent. I can't fit in my garage with the tent on my truck so taking it on and off isn't worth it for shorter trips. I miss the comfort and simplicity but it's too much work to throw it on the truck for quick trips.
More Pics: http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...B-64qt-Fridge-and-Eezi-Awn-1400-Series-3-tent
Items are located in the Salt Lake City area. I'd rather not ship due to the size and difficulty but I will at buyer's expense.
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Contact him directly: dave@expeditionamericas.com
Eezi-Awn 1400 Series 3 tent with ladder extension. $1300 obo.
It's in decent shape. Probably been used approx 150 nights. I just don't use it anymore. I love it for longer trips but for the shorter trips I'm able to take now it's easier to just sleep on a tarp or a backpacking tent. I can't fit in my garage with the tent on my truck so taking it on and off isn't worth it for shorter trips. I miss the comfort and simplicity but it's too much work to throw it on the truck for quick trips.
More Pics: http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...B-64qt-Fridge-and-Eezi-Awn-1400-Series-3-tent
Items are located in the Salt Lake City area. I'd rather not ship due to the size and difficulty but I will at buyer's expense.
Contact him directly: dave@expeditionamericas.com
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- Location
- Bountiful, land of rocks
Anyone have any ideas about securing the RTT to your rack? In most applications, the RTT is on the vehicle you'd be wheeling with. However, I'm thinking I'd leave it on my trailer or pickup at various trailheads unattended for hours at a time. Makes me want to make it as difficult as possible for someone to decide they want to own it.
What kind of security options are out there for the tents?
The only thing I've seen that addresses security is this from Autohome.
http://www.autohomeus.com/accessories/tuffnut.php
What kind of security options are out there for the tents?
The only thing I've seen that addresses security is this from Autohome.
http://www.autohomeus.com/accessories/tuffnut.php
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Use an anti-theft nut on several of the mounting locations and I think you would be good to go. Quick google search yielded some decent options:
http://www.tufnutworks.com/
http://www.offroadtuff.com/ipfaccessories.php
http://www.tufnutworks.com/
http://www.offroadtuff.com/ipfaccessories.php
- Location
- Bountiful, land of rocks
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
I used to stock the IPF options here but they melted and I never brought more in. If there was one you were interested in I could bring them in on my next stockorder, you could look at them and see if they will work before you buy.