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Roof Top Tent (RTT) Discussion

Escape Hatch

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Location
North Carolina
Current Ride
22 Tremor Stone Gray
Current Ride #2
24 Nautilus
I will have my overloading rack on the truck next weekend and have been researching RTT. I am leaning more towards a hard shell for ease of use, insulation, and durability as I will leave the tent on my rack. Also to note, I do not park my truck in the garage so consistent UV exposure is a consideration. With that said, what RTT are you running and why? Please provide pro's, con's, and pics if you have any. Thanks in advance.
 
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I have an Overland Pros Anza 1400, I haven’t used it in my Tremor yet but I’m all set up to do so in two weeks, weather permitting. I’m running a Diamondback cover with their Frontrunner load bars. I’ve had it for a couple of years and previously ran it on my FJ Cruiser.

I got it because it is a little different design than the ‘typical’ soft cover RTTs in that it emphasizes big mesh openings on either end with no side windows. As such it’s a little quicker than those with side windows to put up/take down.

The hard tops look neat but not neat enough to justify me upgrading, I’ll likely upgrade to a small trailer next.

Pros:
-Soft tops are still generally lower cost than hard.
-I like all the mesh when it’s warmer out.
-The mattress is excellent.
-The rain fly isn’t required to keep out water in case of unexpected rain.

Cons:
-I can see a slight advantage to a traditional style RTT if it’s a bit rainy or you just want to have a side window open with its own awning. On the Anza you just have to open a main zip.
-Soft tent packing takes a little practice to be fast/efficient at vs hard.

Otherwise it is a solid soft cover tent. It has served me well and I look forward to using it for years to come. I’ll update this post with pics on the Tremor once I have some.
 

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I have an Overland Pros Anza 1400, I haven’t used it in my Tremor yet but I’m all set up to do so in two weeks, weather permitting. I’m running a Diamondback cover with their Frontrunner load bars. I’ve had it for a couple of years and previously ran it on my FJ Cruiser.

I got it because it is a little different design than the ‘typical’ soft cover RTTs in that it emphasizes big mesh openings on either end with no side windows. As such it’s a little quicker than those with side windows to put up/take down.

The hard tops look neat but not neat enough to justify me upgrading, I’ll likely upgrade to a small trailer next.

Pros:
-Soft tops are still generally lower cost than hard.
-I like all the mesh when it’s warmer out.
-The mattress is excellent.
-The rain fly isn’t required to keep out water in case of unexpected rain.

Cons:
-I can see a slight advantage to a traditional style RTT if it’s a bit rainy or you just want to have a side window open with its own awning. On the Anza you just have to open a main zip.
-Soft tent packing takes a little practice to be fast/efficient at vs hard.

Otherwise it is a solid soft cover tent. It has served me well and I look forward to using it for years to come. I’ll update this post with pics on the Tremor once I have some.
How is insulation with either retaining heat or not getting too hot in the summer? Thanks for the in-depth reply, exactly the kind of information I am looking for.
 
How is insulation with either retaining heat or not getting too hot in the summer? Thanks for the in-depth reply, exactly the kind of information I am looking for.
I would highly recommend a small fan no matter the season actually. The mesh is thick so unless there is a decent breeze there really isn’t a ton of airflow. I have a fan that clips onto one of the poles that I use to draw in or exhaust air when it’s too warm and to circulate air when it is cooler or cold. The circulation helps prevent condensation on the metal poles when it’s really cold out which can drip. Talking like 40 and below though.

Otherwise there isn’t any insulation on the sides or top, just the bottom is insulated.

I’ve had it out below freezing and when it is a bit warmer than I’d generally prefer, the fan is pretty much a must have. Mine is USB rechargeable and I have a handful of USB power banks to run the camp lights and charge phones and whatnot. The fan itself can run for a couple days at low speed without recharging but it‘s nice to have the ability to power it off a USB bank if I forgot to charge it before going out.

Edit: The other thread about heating a RTT got me looking at diesel heaters as I hadn’t looked into those before for when it’s really cold. Just trying to figure out how loud they actually are in person and if it’d be too annoying sitting right outside the tent.
 
We have a Go Fast Campers (GFC) Platform RTT on my wife's Gladiator. It is amazing, and pricey, but we searched for the best MADE IN USA RTT units we could find, and this is what we came up with.

Hard shell, can mount our solar panels on top (up to 75 pounds and the hydraulics lift it), stuff our bedding in it when closing up camp, has an immense amount of room compared to other RTTs.

Highly recommended!
 
I have ordered the Alto Hard Shell Mini from Colorado 4x4. This is a new tent offering with memory foam 3 inch mattress, diesel heater port flap, LED lighting and more for a great presale price. The pictures show a plastic shell however the new tents will be aluminum like their other offerings. The first container will arrive in April with shipping to commence then. Looking forward to receiving it and running through it's paces.

 
I’m looking for some RTT storage solutions.

Garage ceiling pulley type setups……Has anybody found a good HD one, or built their own?
 
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I just bought that one, it seems pretty light duty. My RTT and bars will add up to the maximum 200 lbs.

I thought I would ask for suggestions before I decided to keep it or send it back.

How has it held up for you?
 
honestly it has worked great for me. I have an Alucab RTT which weighs right around 200lbs as well and I have bars and solar on top too so I wouldn't doubt if i'm over 200lbs. I've also used it to lift my RSI cap off and it did fine for that too.

I've had my RTT on and off probably 50 times using this system and it makes it so simple

I do use ratchet straps to hold the weight of the RTT when it's in storage though to keep the load off the Harken stuff.

Harken makes some seriously high quality components for the sailing world and I wouldn't doubt if they have a 2x safety factor on that 200lb rating even with the small blocks. Just for comparison each of those microblocks has a SWL of 200lbs and there's 4 of them in that system.
 
Very good review, thank you for the input….I’ll get to work!

Where do you anchor the extra ratchet straps to?
 
Very good review, thank you for the input….I’ll get to work!

Where do you anchor the extra ratchet straps to?
I have open rafters in my garage so I just wrap them around the rafters. But you could also jus hook them on the eye bolts that come with the kit
 
Thanks for your input, I picked up some extra eyebolts for the ratchet straps to help distribute the load. Decided to go kiteboarding today, so this will be my Thursday project.
 
Came here to post that I too use the Harken Hoister and it has worked great. My tent is lighter than yours it sounds like but it also has the crossbars mounted to it that I lift as one along with some traction boards. The pulleys really do make it easy one person/one hand operation that keeps everything smooth and level.

My only issue with my setup is everything sits 1-2” too high for me to back into the garage without hitting the ladder on top of the RTT, so I get a little workout every time I mount/remove it via throwing bags of gravel on the tailgate to squat things down.
 
Came here to post that I too use the Harken Hoister and it has worked great. My tent is lighter than yours it sounds like but it also has the crossbars mounted to it that I lift as one along with some traction boards. The pulleys really do make it easy one person/one hand operation that keeps everything smooth and level.

My only issue with my setup is everything sits 1-2” too high for me to back into the garage without hitting the ladder on top of the RTT, so I get a little workout every time I mount/remove it via throwing bags of gravel on the tailgate to squat things down.

haha i had that issue at my old house with my old truck and RTT set up too. I would actually take the ladder off the top of the RTT, let some air out of my tires, and throw some weight in the bed to clear under my garage door header.
 
Came here to post that I too use the Harken Hoister and it has worked great. My tent is lighter than yours it sounds like but it also has the crossbars mounted to it that I lift as one along with some traction boards. The pulleys really do make it easy one person/one hand operation that keeps everything smooth and level.

My only issue with my setup is everything sits 1-2” too high for me to back into the garage without hitting the ladder on top of the RTT, so I get a little workout every time I mount/remove it via throwing bags of gravel on the tailgate to squat things down.

Thanks for the review! I haven't had time to put it up yet, but will report back here after the install.
 
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Added some rear wing today, should help with grip through the turns. ;)

Decided to make a rack for the RTT, I was concerned with hanging 160 lbs from my trusses. It turned out well, can easily scoot it over to the bars at the same height.
 

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I’ve got an EXPEDITION Mini on my rack. Super lightweight, compact, and easy to set up solo. It’s designed to withstand UV exposure better than most softshells, which is a must if your truck stays outside. Among the pick up rooftop tents I’ve researched, this one hits a great sweet spot for durability and affordability.
 
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Been trying out the RevTent on some company expeditions. It’s about 85 pounds all together but the tent portion comes off and is about 30 pounds. It’s a little slow to setup but the modularity is neat. Ideally I’d like to get this onto a trailer so I can more easily leave a base camp set up to go out on the trails. It’s hard to keep up with all the rich Ford folks with their fancy setups they can close up on a whim.
 

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