If you’re looking to buy or just curiously searching about rooftop tents you could wonder what are the major advantages over tents on the ground or car camping.
The advantages of a roof top tent are the ability to remain dry and clean, offer luxurious, comfortable, and keep off the ground in a comfortable and straightforward manner.
These are just some of the most prominent benefits that roof top tents (RTTs) offer campers. They have many other advantages benefits to point out, some being obvious and some not so evident to the novice.
Let’s chat a little more about the advantages I have noticed in my experiences camping with a RTT! In the final part of the report, I’ll go over about the drawbacks I’ve come to find having owned one, too.
Cleanliness
For those who have spent time in a tent that is ground and experienced the dreadful smell, you’ll know how fast the tent will become dirty. It is covered in dirt as soon as you lay it down, and when you walk inside the tent a few times, you’ll be able to track dirt as well. Another problem is when it rains, and the ground is dirty.
With an RTT you don’t need to worry about these issues because it’s not on the ground. When you enter the tent, you can place your shoes inside a waterproof shoe bag that is placed just outside of the entrance of your RTT. Making sure you take your shoes off and on before you enter the tent is so much simpler than by using a ground tent.
Camping on the beach is great in theory but it is the quantity of sand getting into your tent and gear is the most damaging part. Sand always seems to find an opening to enter the tent but it will be significantly less when you use the RTT.
You won’t even have to clean or rinse the RTT after a camping trip like you would for a tent on the ground.
Comfort
The comfort in a RTT is unparalleled. One of the biggest advantages for me is the simple fact that I have a flat bed to sleep on. When in a ground tent and even with a good mattress , the bumpy and uneven surface makes it very uncomfortable.
This is particularly true if you go on an extended camping trip for a few days at one time. The built-in mattress that RTTs typically have is approximately 2-3.5 inches thick. They are made of high-density foam. The mattress is extremely comfortable.
In the context of comfort, let’s talk about the bed. The ability to avoid the hassle of blowing up an air mattress and making the bed is a huge time saver.
Many RTTs particularly hardshells permit you to keep your bedding in the tent after closing. This means sheets, pillows and blankets can be stored inside the tent, without having to remove them each time you use them.
Besides the fact that this will help you save a significant amount in time and effort, I like the idea of knowing I won’t forget anything as I head out of the house for my next camping trip!
Effortless setup
This could be a contested subject for some, but I find that RTTs are easy to set up. For one, I stay less messy since the tent doesn’t touch the ground.
Additionally, I won’t have to use these dreadful poles, tie-downs, or stakes to anchor the tent. Making a tent for the ground isn’t easy however, if you count the time required to set it up and also to make the bed will probably take about 15 minutes total.
Some RTTs are faster in their deployment than others. For instance, foldout softshell RTTs require you to take off the PVC cover, and then remove several straps before use. Based on the model, the set up should take around five minutes. It is my opinion that closing the tent will take just a couple of minutes to get all the fabric into it as you close it too.
But, many RTTs with a hardshell only require a couple of clamps that need to be taken off and then the gas struts will make the tent pop up for you. This takes less than 60 seconds to do with minimal effort required!
I’m aware of pop-up ground tents which can be set up in mere minutes, however, excluding the exceptions, RTTs in my opinion are the best choice here!
Gear that is packed less
When you go on a camping trip and pack your vehicle with all of the necessities, you realize the amount of space you have left to store everything you require.
This is where the RTT excels as it is situated on top of your car. Additionally, you do not have to fret about the space the air mattress would normally take up as well. In addition, as I stated when I spoke about comfort almost all of the bedding can be stored in the RTT once it’s closed!
I can imagine this being an extremely valuable feature for a big family with space that is limited inside the vehicle. It’s also helpful for people, like myself, who is always forgetting an item or two for my trips! Having the tent ready to go at all times gives you peace of mind, and is one less issue to worry about.
Luxury
There’s certainly a degree of elegance that comes with an RTT. It is a happy middle or even a step higher than an ordinary ground tent, but less luxurious than teardrop trailers. RTTs are pricey however not when you compare to other trailers!
Some RTTs are priced over $4,000 dollars and will be composed of steel and aluminum. Other features include built-in fan as well as solar panels, LED lighting as well as automatic closing and opening, an annex, awning and a host of other options.
You can convert your RTT completely electric using solar panels attached directly to the tent. Certain RTTs have USB and 12V power sources inside the tent that are ready to be hooked up to a source of power.
I could go on for hours about the possible upgrades that can be made to an RTT. There’s nothing quite as good in category of ground tents this is why I find RTTs to be more lavish for campers.
All-season use
The most effective way to extend your camping season to later during the year or all year is to have a well-equipped camping tent and the appropriate equipment. There are numerous RTTs for all seasons that are equipped with extremely tough material, anti-condensation mats flooring that is insulated, and other add-ons.
A natural advantage they have is that they are elevated in the air, which allows you to stay dry and also not sleep on the freezing cold ground.
Softshell and hardshell tents can be used all year round but I’d prefer the advantage to hardshells. If it does rain or snow, I’d rather stay in a roof tent with a hardtop that can keep me dry and take on the weight of accumulated rain or even water.
Fun factor
It’s a bit of an invisible benefit, however in my opinion it’s an advantage! Possessing an RTT is just FUN! I really do love being eight feet off the ground and having the best possible view when I am within my tent.
Your family and friends will tell you how cool it is when they get it! The first time, the people didn’t know what it was doing. After posting a number of pictures on camping adventures, people love it and have flooded me with queries.
RTT Benefits and disadvantages
If you bring your dog camping, like many of us do it can be a daunting task to bring them inside the tent. If they were smaller, wouldn’t even sweat it. However, I have a dog that weighs 60 pounds and it’s a long process to keep him inside every time.
If you’re getting older or you simply cannot lift your dog due to the fact that they are so heavy and heavy, this is something to be thinking about. There are solutions to this though. If you type “dog” using the search bar located in the top right corner of my website it will bring you to my article in which I offer a number of ways for fixing this.
However, it’s not a walk in the park as opposed to simply opening the tent door for them.
Another issue is the storage of the RTT. Because of the insufficient storage space or the inability to transport the 100- to 200-pound tent, many RTT owners simply leave the tent on their vehicle year-round.
It’s fine, but it could cause wear and tear to your vehicle , as it will reduce your car’s efficiency in terms of fuel consumption.
There are some of the disadvantages that have been a major issue for me as a keeper. I would strongly suggest reading the article where I compare RTTs to ground tents as I offer many more instances where a RTT has a distinct disadvantage.
Finalizing
With all purchases in life there’s always a little giving and taking. Even though the RTT offers a myriad of amazing and exciting features to the table However, it does have its disadvantages.
In general, I believe that WAY more people are happy when they purchase an RTT compared to those who aren’t. People who aren’t satisfied are the ones who see the most use out of them.
