Roof Top Tent

Joined
May 8, 2017
Messages
674
The term overlanding makes me want to throwup. The wife and I are about to sell a 4runner and likely purchase a Tundra. We have a 3 year old and a 5 year old. My wife hunts as well. Recently I came across a guy at a trailhead with a Go Fast Camper (GFC) and upon taking a look at it, it was pretty sweet. Something that my family would use the crap out of and would make getting out pretty darn easy without having to tow anything. We live on the coast in CA and spend a ton of time in the Sierras as well as hunt throughout the west all year long (from spring bear to AZ OTC). My question is, have any of you guys had experience with a GFC or Vagabond style roof top tent? I looked at them online and was blown away by the wait time (a year +) and cost for essentially a shell with a sleeping pad. It did catch my eye though. And like I said, part of me is torn because they seem pretty bombproof, but I get tired of seeing all the toyotas with snorkels, gas cans, shovels etc that never leave a paved road. Anyone have any thoughts or experience with these? Im afraid if I do buy one it will be bad hunting karma and I wont harvest an animal for the next decade.
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
953
Location
Colorado
Snorkels lol!
Right!

No personal experience with RTT’s...
I went though the process of deciding if one was right for me, and it just didn’t feel like the correct decision.

Check out Tacoma World for endless info and ideas about RTT usage.
 

Dvidos

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 22, 2019
Messages
266
Snorkels lol!
Right!

No personal experience with RTT’s...
I went though the process of deciding if one was right for me, and it just didn’t feel like the correct decision.

Check out Tacoma World for endless info and ideas about RTT usage.
+1
g.png
 
Joined
Dec 22, 2017
Messages
538
Location
Maryland
RTT's look cool. Most that I see (here on the East Coast) are for sale.

That said, they do have their purpose. They got me thinking about what I wanted in a 'mobile' camper. I started looking at them, then looked at pop-up slide in's and finally decided I wanted a full, hard side slide in (which is what I got, and love it).

I'm sure you'll get a lot of positive responses on them, but for me they look like a pain in the ass, with little advantage over a conventional tent and a lot more cost. Plus you gotta climb up in and out every time. Most people seem to have them because they don't have a vehicle that has any payload capacity, and don't want to change vehicles.
 

Rafttohunt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
168
I don't have any immediate feedback, but I am on the wait list for a GFC. I have a Ford F-150 and am planning on adding a Decked storage system along with a 270 degree awning and a shower system once we pick up our camper, hopefully next spring. It seems like it will fit our needs perfectly without having a camper or van that spends most of its life sitting.
 
Joined
Jan 2, 2013
Messages
1,777
Location
Colorado
I’ve had my RTT for 3 years now and have had it all over the place and have had elk and moose antlers strapped to it after hunts. I’ve used it in all sorts of weather from May to late October. I solo backcountry hunt but this has been great for the kids and for trips where I can just park anywhere and sleep. I also used it in a few places where Ive day hunted in. Here are a few picks from different areas. Its paid for itself many times over in terms of not using hotel rooms on random family trips. And it’s just been great for getting kids of the beaten patch. They love the ground based tents too but the RTT is really fun for them.

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Joined
Nov 1, 2019
Messages
321
I have an alu cab rtt that I am running on a long bed F-150. I've had it about 2 years and I have taken it all over the West.

I had a real hard time dropping the amount of money that I spent on it but it has been worth every penny. It is held up to 70 mile per hour wind storms without issues and has been driven in low clearance areas with trees without any damage issues and I'm pretty rough on vehicles. I have over 50 nights in it so far.

I can usually be set up and running in less than 2 minutes and teardown is pretty similar. This allows me to stay extremely mobile, my pack is always ready to go there's no setting up or tearing down camp. I have the truck configured with a stove and cutting board on the tailgate plus a small freezer and an awning for when I'm out in Arizona. All that and 2 150 qt coolers and you have a very mobile elk Basecamp.

It really shines when you want to hit the trail early. Met some friends to do a multiday trip into Grand Canyon few years back and they were going to set up camp for the night before we left. I told them to stop, threw 2 upstairs and me plus another one in the bed of the truck. We get up in the morning and on the trail really early. Just super efficient.

When my boys come hunt I throw them in the rtt and I sleep on a rack I built in the topper. They are teenagers so they're too big for the three of us to sleep up there together. I have taken it down to -4 degrees with them in Montana over Thanksgiving. They have been through both wall tent setups and this and from an effort perspective they prefer this as a basecamp so we can move around easier.
 
Joined
Sep 8, 2014
Messages
1,737
Location
Front Range, Colorado
I'm going to build one myself, I'm convinced I'd love the setup but no way I'm paying what they want for one.
My current 98 Tacoma had a really nice Leer shell, but that doesn't work out with 8 hounds and a dog box. My plan is to have a dog box with a bed rack above it, and the RTT above that. Yeah, I'm going to put stuck boards, shovels, and a hi lift on the rack. I'll look like a yuppie but I use the stuff almost every time out lion hunting.
I'm going to build the RTT with components from 8020.net. It will have a top rectangular frame, and hard shell with sealed edges. The bottom will mirror it, and will secure to the bed rack. I'll use a pivot joint in front. The back end will have a way to prop up the tent. I'll probably make the tent out of the heaviest material my machine will sew. Covered windows on each side, and probably a horseshoe zipper door. The bottom will have a cut to fit memory foam bottom. It should weigh less than half of what most RTT weigh, and will cost $500 at most.

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krohboy

WKR
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
517
Location
South Dakota
I have an Ikamper on my truck. I love it for my purposes. The fast set up and tear down is what led me to this one particularly.

They are not cheap but they are less expensive then most camping trailers and still allows me to pull a trailer with my ATV or my boat as well.

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ODB

WKR
Joined
Mar 24, 2016
Messages
3,734
Location
N.F.D.
A good friend just had a custom mount fabricated for his Tundra for an icamper 2.0. It’s going to get a workout this bird season.
 

Titan_Bow

WKR
Joined
Dec 10, 2015
Messages
1,116
Location
Colorado
I look at the wedge style campers like GFC, or Vagabond or AT Summit differently than a standard RTT. The fact you can stand up inside your truck and dress in the mornings would be huge. Having all the space of the back of the truck plus the tent is a lot different than having a 3 person tent sitting on top of your truck bed.
I’m giving my current rig to my son next year and buying a new truck. I’ve been on the lookout for one of these campers. I actually like the new AT Habitat the best, which is similar to the old Wildernest campers.
One thing I am always hesitant about these things is wind. I’ve been camping up in Wyoming and in places here in CO, and had legitimately 40mph or more. Having a fabric tent 6 feet up in the air seems like a bad decision. Anyone have any experience in one in real wind?


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Joined
Nov 1, 2019
Messages
321
You can feel the truck rocking for sure but I've had no issues so far I have put it through multiple Texas thunderstorms and I normally park into the wind if I know one's coming. I've used it up in the bridger-teton, The Medicine Bow, rattlesnake Hills and over in Pinedale without any issues so far. The worst wind so far has been over in Kemmerer when you're out the hills on the BLM. The wind socks in Wyoming all have a bag of tire chains in them so they don't get ripped off and they're still at 45 degrees most of the time!
 
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