Roof Tent. How easy to get in and out?

[bigsallysmom]

I don't have the young knees I used to have.  Then there's the thought of crawling up into a tent and then remembering I'm four feet off the ground every time I have to go to the toilet -- which is often.

Okay you other mature folks.  Have you crawled in and out of one and how was it?

 

[highdesertranger]

well I don't have one and have never slept in one but, I can tell you they are more than 4ft off the ground. you have to climb in and out of them on a ladder. then when you need to go into town you must take them down and pack up everything. at least with a ground tent you can leave it in place and run to town without having to break camp. highdesertranger

 

[anewbiewannabe]

^^^what he said. I think they are cool---for kids. If I wrote your second sentence I would have convinced myself they aren't for me, though the last part could be worked around with a pee jug or something. Might I ask why you would be considering them? If it's the bears I think being on the ground would be as safe if not safer---that's a long jump!

 

[drysailor]

I don't have the young knees I used to have.  Then there's the thought of crawling up into a tent and then remembering I'm four feet off the ground every time I have to go to the toilet -- which is often.

Okay you other mature folks.  Have you crawled in and out of one and how was it?

I crawled into and out of, too many tents on the ground, until my knees told me it was time to stop. NO ladders if you're over 45. And get something with an inside toilet.

 

[rvpopeye]

Not a roof tent but........
I used the cab over bunk in my class C for a few weeks before I decided it sucked and it needed to be my clothes closet and now I sleep on the dinette bed.....NO LADDER needed !

 

[ArtW]

Roof tent?
NO
That is all
heck, I'm not even that old and I hate the very notion

 

[Almost There]

I don't have the young knees I used to have.  Then there's the thought of crawling up into a tent and then remembering I'm four feet off the ground every time I have to go to the toilet -- which is often.

Okay you other mature folks.  Have you crawled in and out of one and how was it?

No and not a chance!!

I use a step stool to get in and out of the van because climbing up in to it is a problem! A roof top tent is meant for at least 2 people who are young, strong, agile and especially tall! As a short senior with fairly good knees for my age, I can not even begin to wrap my brain around the difficulties of setting up one of those things, let alone crawling in and out of them even once per night let alone several times a night!!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Of course, there's no law that says you have to put a "rooftop" tent on the roof of your car.

You could mount it on a very small trailer and it would be small enough and light enough to pull with almost anything. 

To my mind, this would beat the hell out of trying to sleep in a small car.

 

[SoulRaven]

Gosh, we looked at them a few years ago and the one we liked was almost $2,000. At 62, climbing that ladder up and down would not be something I would try to do and I would be concerned of falling from the ladder. Maybe there is a better answer than the rooftop tent. I have looked at endless options so know what is out there and might have an idea if I knew better the needs/wants.

 

[ArtW]

2K?
Add 500 to that and get a Runaway camper
Or for a bit more a cargo trailer

 

[wagoneer]

I notice it works for the under 30 euro tourist crowd, but for me not so much, ground tent is your way to go.at 68 I noticed an small voice telling me to stop and desist any and all precarious behavior.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I've always liked the idea of them. I used to rock climb with a gentleman in his late 60's and he used one at the trailhead every weekend. I've actually climbed with quite a few older people, including an former instructor in his 70's that could still out climb most people half his age!, myself included. Guess it all depends on your condition on whether or not you could comfortably get in and out. I'm only 35 and with the Lyme it would be a bit more difficult than it should, but I have no doubt I could.

I am surprised you don't see more families use them. A van and a roof top tent for the kids seems like an ideal combo. I like the hardtop ones that just crank up, takes all of a minute to set it up, but they command a hefty price. Throwing one on a trailer as optimistic mentioned sounds like a good idea and I agree, seems a lot better than sleeping in a small car.

They are just another option full of pros and cons like everything else. For some they are the perfect fit and others their worst nightmare and somewhere in between for everybody else.