Any Budget Friendly Advice?

Hey all,

I'm located in the PNW and planning a trip all around Oregon. Building my first "Overlanding" Rig and looking to put a Body Armor Pike Tent on my Ranger. So far, it seems like the right size, a great price, and has a lot of great reviews for something at the $1,000 mark. My Fiancé and I were looking at the CVT Tents, and they're great tents and its a huge plus they're located in Oregon but they're just a little too spendy.

Does anyone have any experience with them? Or have any better ideas or brands?
 

Lemsteraak

Adventurer
+2 Ground tent - you should always have a nice ground tent. Oregon has a rather mild climate and not too many hungry critters.

Roof tents are a specialty. Years ago, back in the last century the only folks who bought them were outdoor professionals, like field biologists, photographers and folks on epic journeys. There are a lot of downsides to roof tents which are well covered in this forum so I will not go into it. The upsides go up logarithmically as you use a roof tent. If you use one 200 days a year, then you love them, but if it is once a month .... more hassle than they are worth.

If you do decide that this is the way to go then buy a good one because they will last a lifetime. Yes, they will need repair or get damaged in use but you can rebuild the good ones. We have rebuilt fiberglass ones with crushed roofs, smashed in, broken lifts, you name it. They are designed to be repaired in the field in countries with limited resources. This is where they shine. If you are lucky enough to find a used high end roof tent, buy it because in general, they are very well made and designed for rugged conditions. Buy one that fits you, think like you are buying a sleeping bag and get one that is sized for you and made for the conditions you go out in. Again, because they last a very long time and will outlast your vehicle. I've seen folks with them originally for their '60s VW vans now have them on their current trucks having worn out several mattresses along the way. Last piece of advice, check the weight, the lighter the better and one reason high end tents are expensive is they are light. This will become clear why once you use a roof tent.
 

billiebob

Well-known member
Hey all,

I'm located in the PNW and planning a trip all around Oregon. Building my first "Overlanding" Rig and looking to put a Body Armor Pike Tent on my Ranger. So far, it seems like the right size, a great price, and has a lot of great reviews for something at the $1,000 mark. My Fiancé and I were looking at the CVT Tents, and they're great tents and its a huge plus they're located in Oregon but they're just a little too spendy.

Does anyone have any experience with them? Or have any better ideas or brands?
Not sure how big the price spread is but if you like the cheap one for price and love the expensive one for ?? features. durability, ease of setup, fit.... don't buy the cheap one....

ps all that counts is whichone does yer wife love
 

billiebob

Well-known member
no idea on price but have you looked at..


One of the few RTTs which lets you reposition the vehicle while set up. And wonderfully open and airy.

DSC_0063.jpeg
 

Roaddude

Long time off-grid vanlife adventurist
Hey all,

I'm located in the PNW and planning a trip all around Oregon. Building my first "Overlanding" Rig and looking to put a Body Armor Pike Tent on my Ranger. So far, it seems like the right size, a great price, and has a lot of great reviews for something at the $1,000 mark. My Fiancé and I were looking at the CVT Tents, and they're great tents and its a huge plus they're located in Oregon but they're just a little too spendy.

Does anyone have any experience with them? Or have any better ideas or brands?
.
If set on a RTT, my advice would be to not limit yourself to just fold-out types. Fold-out RTTs--as opposed to hard shell pop-ups--take longer to set up and stow back away and have more to tend to in general. Less downsides to a hard shell, in my experience. I see a lot of folks switching to hard shells after having fold-out types.

I chose to go hard shell because of greater stability in big weather and overall ease of setting up and packing up. I have mine on a trailer, though would not hesitate to put it on a vehicle.

I've had mine going on four years. I had it out more than 600 nights pre-pandemic, in all sorts of environments and weather. From multi-week lakeside camping in New England and the mountains of east Tennessee, to overnights in rest areas or along the trail, to camps in the bayous of Cajun country, to ocean beaches and extended stays all along the Mexican border, it has simply been one of the best investments I've made in adventure gear.

My hard shell has weathered the worst of storms, straight-line winds, hurricane rains and baking desert sun and has taken it all in stride. Other than cleaning/lubricating the zippers once a year, I've had no repairs needed or malfunctions of fabric, shell, lifting arms, or latches.

As already mentioned, the more regularly one uses an RTT, the more sense they make. Hard shell RTTs have been in use in Europe since the late 50s for general consumers and travel pros alike. I used to see them in campgrounds when I was a kid in Germany and thought they were clever. The concept has more recently come to America and become popular here, but they've been around for decades.

I bought mine used for just about what your budget is, from a fellow who used it on one trip with his son. It is simple and easy to use, literally goes up in a minute with the release of four latches and stows back away in less than five. I can back country camp with others using ground tents and have mine set up and ready to use while they are still scouting a suitable flat spot free of roots or cactus.

One thing to note with tents these days, is that many of them seem made in the same few factories and then private-labeled with a couple distinguishing features or colors. Some vendors have had absolutely no design or manufacturing input into what they're selling; they're simply ordering wholesale and passing them along with their name sewn on.

The outdoor recreation market is hot right now and a lot of vendors are out of stock or have a long back order list on everything from RTTs to awnings to vehicle mods and parts. Most prices have gone up, too, some considerably.

I'd poke around in the classifieds on all the adventure forums as well as do searches on craigslist in surrounding states. Put the word out on social media that you're looking. There's a ton of adventure gear being sold practically new or lightly used as folks realize it's not quite what they wanted, or have decided to switch to something else because they've changed vehicles or goals, etc.

Pays to shop around, seek friends or showrooms that have them, climb in and out of them, and do all the measuring and weight calcs you need. In general do all your due diligence before making a final choice and plunking down the pesos.

RTTs might not be the right choice for everyone, though having my hardshell RTT has greatly expanded my potential for adventuring, and tremendously reduced the amount of time needed to set up camp, whether for a night or extended stays. Examples of both below. I go a lot more places now, knowing I can set up so quick and easy and don't have to worry about having a level spot large enough and free enough of roots etc for a ground tent.

If I can answer anything else, don't hesitate to DM or ask here.

Good luck with your research and final choice!

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no idea on price but have you looked at..


One of the few RTTs which lets you reposition the vehicle while set up. And wonderfully open and airy.

View attachment 667240
We’re trying to keep it close to $1000. But if we found something that was $1800 and right we’d do it.
 
Not sure how big the price spread is but if you like the cheap one for price and love the expensive one for ?? features. durability, ease of setup, fit.... don't buy the cheap one....

ps all that counts is whichone does yer wife love

To be honest, she doesn’t care as long as she doesn’t have to do any work!
 
.
If set on a RTT, my advice would be to not limit yourself to just fold-out types. Fold-out RTTs--as opposed to hard shell pop-ups--take longer to set up and stow back away and have more to tend to in general. Less downsides to a hard shell, in my experience. I see a lot of folks switching to hard shells after having fold-out types.

I chose to go hard shell because of greater stability in big weather and overall ease of setting up and packing up. I have mine on a trailer, though would not hesitate to put it on a vehicle.

I've had mine going on four years. I had it out more than 600 nights pre-pandemic, in all sorts of environments and weather. From multi-week lakeside camping in New England and the mountains of east Tennessee, to overnights in rest areas or along the trail, to camps in the bayous of Cajun country, to ocean beaches and extended stays all along the Mexican border, it has simply been one of the best investments I've made in adventure gear.

My hard shell has weathered the worst of storms, straight-line winds, hurricane rains and baking desert sun and has taken it all in stride. Other than cleaning/lubricating the zippers once a year, I've had no repairs needed or malfunctions of fabric, shell, lifting arms, or latches.

As already mentioned, the more regularly one uses an RTT, the more sense they make. Hard shell RTTs have been in use in Europe since the late 50s for general consumers and travel pros alike. I used to see them in campgrounds when I was a kid in Germany and thought they were clever. The concept has more recently come to America and become popular here, but they've been around for decades.

I bought mine used for just about what your budget is, from a fellow who used it on one trip with his son. It is simple and easy to use, literally goes up in a minute with the release of four latches and stows back away in less than five. I can back country camp with others using ground tents and have mine set up and ready to use while they are still scouting a suitable flat spot free of roots or cactus.

One thing to note with tents these days, is that many of them seem made in the same few factories and then private-labeled with a couple distinguishing features or colors. Some vendors have had absolutely no design or manufacturing input into what they're selling; they're simply ordering wholesale and passing them along with their name sewn on.

The outdoor recreation market is hot right now and a lot of vendors are out of stock or have a long back order list on everything from RTTs to awnings to vehicle mods and parts. Most prices have gone up, too, some considerably.

I'd poke around in the classifieds on all the adventure forums as well as do searches on craigslist in surrounding states. Put the word out on social media that you're looking. There's a ton of adventure gear being sold practically new or lightly used as folks realize it's not quite what they wanted, or have decided to switch to something else because they've changed vehicles or goals, etc.

Pays to shop around, seek friends or showrooms that have them, climb in and out of them, and do all the measuring and weight calcs you need. In general do all your due diligence before making a final choice and plunking down the pesos.

RTTs might not be the right choice for everyone, though having my hardshell RTT has greatly expanded my potential for adventuring, and tremendously reduced the amount of time needed to set up camp, whether for a night or extended stays. Examples of both below. I go a lot more places now, knowing I can set up so quick and easy and don't have to worry about having a level spot large enough and free enough of roots etc for a ground tent.

If I can answer anything else, don't hesitate to DM or ask here.

Good luck with your research and final choice!

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I do agree with you on the Hardtops, but there isn’t much used around us. Atleast not in this area and anything that is used they’re asking what they paid for. And right now I don’t have my rig set up for anything in winter weather. We could do rain and hot weather, but I just don’t have the tools to set it up for winter like I’d want. Thanks for the info though.
 

alia176

Explorer
Hey all,

I'm located in the PNW and planning a trip all around Oregon. Building my first "Overlanding" Rig and looking to put a Body Armor Pike Tent on my Ranger. So far, it seems like the right size, a great price, and has a lot of great reviews for something at the $1,000 mark. My Fiancé and I were looking at the CVT Tents, and they're great tents and its a huge plus they're located in Oregon but they're just a little too spendy.

Does anyone have any experience with them? Or have any better ideas or brands?

Might I suggest renting few RTTs to see how either of you like the concept? Some folks detest climbing down for the midnight pee and others try to figure out how to shove their 100# dog up there :rolleyes:. If you're moving daily, some folks don't like to deal with the cover/straps/etc., especially if they're wet from a rain.

Take your time and do tons of research. You might learn something about the future Mrs ;)
 
Check out 23zero tents. We have their awning and it is really nice. I tried a Tepui autana tent. It leaked a lot in the annex. This was on the second use. I returned it. (We use the annex for sleeping so having it waterproof is a big deal) 23Zero assured me that their annex is waterproof. They have pads that you can put on their ladders that make going up and down in socks easier.

I think the CVT tents are really nice. I find their hybrid interesting. I hear they have great customer service and that is important.

I like roof top tents but I would argue that they are not worth the money.. but they are fun. You can set up a good ground tent in about 20 minutes.. maybe less, including staking it out. Ground tents are a lot less expensive and they weigh less. We have a North Face Wawona 6 and Nemo Wagon top. I prefer the Wawona. my honey prefers the Wagon Top. They have both done well in the rain and wind. The rooftop tent did the best in the wind.

The rooftop tent gives me a sense of security that I really like plus I like the fact that we can all sleep in it and we don't need 2 tents. For you and your sweetie that won't be a problem. These are just food for thought. They rooftop tent was a lot darker inside than the ground tents. I like the light coming through of the ground tents but some folks do not. When it was cold out the roof top tent was warmer than the ground tent. I really liked that because we camp in the mountains and any extra bit of warmth helps. Some of them even have liners and I bet that keeps it even warmer. If nighttime potty trips is a problem get an annex and stick a luggable lu or something similar there. Some folks use urinals(pee bottles) in their rooftop tents.

If your rooftop tent is attached to a car/truck remember that every time you drive somewhere you will need to break camp. For some this can be a problem.

I hope this helps.

Good Luck and have fun!
 

4000lbsOfGoat

Well-known member
If your rooftop tent is attached to a car/truck remember that every time you drive somewhere you will need to break camp. For some this can be a problem.
I think this is often overlooked and one of the main reasons for all the comments saying "it works for some types of travelers".

It is important to think about *how* and *where* you expect to camp and where the bathroom facilities are going to be in relation to where you camp. I've stayed at several FS\BLM camping areas where the nearest pit toilet was a quarter to a half mile away. If you ever need to use the toilet, which I think it's safe to assume that you will, then you're either looking at a long, potentially uncomfortable walk or you're breaking down your whole tent so you can drive there.

If you want to go for a little day trip to town or out to a trailhead for a hike, you're breaking down your whole tent and then setting it up again when you get back.
 

billiebob

Well-known member
To be honest, she doesn’t care as long as she doesn’t have to do any work!
Save yer money, and motel, hotel it like my parents did.
hm 0035.jpg

From their 1947 trip around America,
Starting in Vancouver, BC...
San Diego via the west coast highway, they stayed in a hotel overlooking the Naval Base and loved watching the ships.
Tampa, FL to visit relatives.
Up the east coast stopping at every Naval port.
Washington, DC for all the monuments.
Montreal, Niagra Falls, Detroit etc touring all the auto makers plants.
And home under the Great Lakes, across the prairies and by ferry back to Ocean Falls, BC.

I really want to do this before I die, I'd love to do it in a Tesla but i'm betting very few of the places they went welcome the public today.
 
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