Is the roof tent trend over?

[Paddler Ed]

The anti-trans jokes are disgusting, let's build a community here where everybody is welcome.

Apart from bigots, racists and sexists. I think society has on the whole decided they aren't needed, and many place tell them they aren't welcome in civil society.

p.s. I recognise that avatar and user name from another forum - that one is much more welcoming to all people in their offtopic (unless they fall into the bigot, racist or sexist categories)

 

[vintageracer]

Isn't this thread a roof tent topic ?

Not Now!

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

Oh well ..Maybe the moderators will flush it.

 

[Lemsteraak]

It was a kinder gentler time, when Jeep was commercial, Hummer was military. Brands didn't have so much importance....

 

[Smileyshaun]

Don’t know if I’d call something that’s been around for 100+ years just a fad .

 

[Beardy]

We are on our second RTT and love them. Originally had the soft top type for about 5 years which can be a bit painful to zip up particularly in cold weather but changed to a hardshell unit 2 years ago and there is nothing simpler to set up or pack up.
We did a 3.5 months / 25,000k road trip last year and was an ideal setup for us.

 

[BritKLR]

Don’t know if I’d call something that’s been around for 100+ years just a fad . View attachment 770635View attachment 770636View attachment 770637View attachment 770638

I actually saved a complete "Camp-o-tel" from the scrapyard years ago. I was going to use the aluminum material for a project until I realized what it was. I still have the red and white striped canvas and some of the aluminum storage boxes.

 

[Kevin108]

Now that most of the world has gotten back to living like they were pre-2020, things are changing. Since people can again go to plays, concerts, movies, and church, there's a lot of people who haven't gotten back to the outdoor activities.

With that in mind, tents probably did reach market saturation - at least at a particular price point. There are a lot of gently-used tents on the market now, although most sellers seem to be depreciating from the bloated pandemic pricing they paid, rather than where the market is now.

For those waiting for new rooftop tent prices to come back down a bit, that's now. Tuff Stuff Overland had a basic 2-person tent that was going on sale for $650 in 2019. Right now it's $850, which is what I paid for my Smittybilt back in 2015. With the massive inflation we've had over the last couple of years, this is probably the bottom dollar, and a good time to buy.

The whole trend is far from over. The designs have evolved from soft clamshells and fiberglass pop-ups to speedy wedges and massive 3+ person hybrids. More people than ever have discovered the luxury and convenience of having your lightweight but bulky bedding and tent all stored securely overhead.

3 vehicles, 8 years, and 200 nights, it has been a fantastic purchase.

 

[DirtWhiskey]

I know of multiple folks here in SLC who have had them STOLEN and rip sawed off the top of their cars/trucks. Most went to a wedge truck camper style. I think they are great for some people though. Especially the hard shells that are quick deploy. I pee twice a night, depending on beer intake levels so it's not for me.

Also I'm pretty sure not many modern cars are really engineered to hold 700lbs on the roof.

 

[1000arms]

... I think they are great for some people though. Especially the hard shells that are quick deploy. I pee twice a night, depending on beer intake levels so it's not for me. ...

You might want to consider the following two ExPo links:

The Nalgene Wide Mouth Rectangular Bottle (64-Ounce) work for me, and I don't worry about confusing them with my 32 oz cylindrical Nalgene drinking water bottles.

I actually have TWO of them, and I have traveled over 40,000 miles with them in all sorts of weather. ... ... ... My cost per urinary mile is quite low.

 

[Photomike]

No it is going strong I see at least a half dozen each day around the city. Strange part is I see ZERO when I am in the bush or camping.

I think right now it has become the same as the kayak on the roof that gets put on when the snow melts and taken off when it falls and is seldom if ever in the water.

It is he extra fuel can, jack-all, expedition sticker for 2023.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

The novelty wears off pretty quickly for most after they realize the cons far outweigh the pros.

The first time a RTT sleeps in a decent wind, it will be for sale shortly thereafter!

Pros:
-It gets you off the ground
-Makes you look overlander-ish (if thats your jam)

Cons:
-Its a giant sail in the wind
-messes up vehicles COG
-messes up MPG
-adds wind noise
-ungodly expensive for what it actually is
-requires decent solid. usually aftermarket mounting solution

Yeah, theyre silly... i had one about 20 years ago when Eezi-Awn was first coming to the US, and after using it a couple times in the wind, it was sold and never went back

Oddly, i am seeing them more and more in San Diego around town on weird vehicles that dont even remotely have the rack to support them. I find it humorous

 

[casioqv]

The first time a RTT sleeps in a decent wind, it will be for sale shortly thereafter!

This was certainly true with my first RTT, a generic bi-fold soft shell tent. But with a hard shell iKamper oriented with the shell into the wind, and quiet zippers, it's quieter and more secure in strong winds than any ground tent I've used.

 

[RAM5500 CAMPERTHING]

This was certainly true with my first RTT, a generic bi-fold soft shell tent. But with a hard shell iKamper oriented with the shell into the wind, and quiet zippers, it's quieter and more secure in strong winds than any ground tent I've used.

I strongly disagree with this statement, but for each is own!

 

[Ozarker]

1959 the family went camping in a '55 Pontiac station wagon, mom and dad slept inside in the back and I had bed on a table on a luggage rack on the roof. It was summer and I'd sleep without a tent up, but I had an Army pup tent that I could raise over that table. I could get up on the tailgate, put one foot on the fender above the taillight and hop up there. As a little kid I felt safer thinking the creepy crawlies couldn't get me. In about '62 dad bought a Sears 3 room ground tent, dad said I was getting too big to sleep on the roof of the car.

As to the fad, I never thought much of it. As a kid I didn't have potty trots in the night, as an adult having a few beers means at least 2 trips out of bed. And no, I'm not opening the canvas to see how far I can shoot.

I've mentioned before that spending that kind of money for a tiny tent was just nuts, there are many ways to fab up shelter on a flat roof or on a utility trailer.

So much of this camping/overlanding stuff has gotten to be faddish and snobbish flaunting.

I'm more impressed by ingenuity and creativeness than by someone's checkbook buying a solution. That also goes for HAM Radio with a nice homebrew station than a stack of Icom rigs. To me, there is no pioneering adventurous spirt in some mobile Hilton.

For those that own these RTTs, better use them well while you can because there will be a day you'll be selling it or giving it away because you're done climbing a ladder. Basically, for the same reason kids stopped building tree house platforms.