Roof top tent

[Florida boondocker]

I am in the market for a roof top tent for a 2004 Hummer H2

Looking at a Smittybilt Overlander
https://www.4wheelparts.com/Outdoor...565&t_pt=9576&t_pn=S/B2783#overview_Container 

anyone have 1 ?    Pro / cons of rooftop tent ?

My Hummer has a lift and roof top sits at 7'2 high , 
i have a 6x12 cargo built out and want to start exploring Ocala National Forest
and don't want to drag a trailer along

any info will be greatly appreciated

 

[TrainChaser]

WHY??? Why would you want to pay $900 for a little (~8x4.5-ft) tent just because it can sit on the roof of a car and has a ladder?

 

[waldenbound]

I think those rooftop tents are senseless. Heavy, leaky, all the poles take up room inside. Too expensive.

 

[John61CT]

For those who travel where scorpions are a real problem

 

[KathyC]

I am in the market for a roof top tent for a 2004 Hummer H2

Awesome.  I can understand the appeal for offroading/overlanding.  

While I can't recommend a specific tent, I did see dozens of amazing tents at Overland Expo back in May.  This is a huge/growing area.  My best reco would be to spend time on the Hummer enthusiast forums (if you aren't already) and Youtube reviews.  One that caught my eye at Overland Expo was:

http://www.jamesbaroudusa.com/

You might look at the sponsor list and check our others who were at Overland Expo:  

https://www.overlandexpo.com/exhibitors-2017-west/



From what i can gather, the number one thing to think about is soft or hard roof and ease of putting up and (maybe more importantly) taking down.

Good luck; please let us know what you decice!

 

[BigT]

I see those roof top tents a lot around here. Mostly mounted to Subaru's and Jeeps. It's an interesting idea, but kind of heavy and way too expensive.

If I wanted to sleep on the roof of my car, I'd just mount a piece of plywood to my roof rack (hinge it if you like, to save space) and plop a lightweight free-standing tent on it. You'll get the same result but at a fraction of the weight and cost.

It is an interesting idea, though. Gets you up off the ground and away from the critters that can't climb.

 

[Almost There]

It is an interesting idea, though.  Gets you up off the ground and away from the critters that can't climb.

Which is virtually none of them. Bears climb trees, spiders climb anything as do mice.

It's kind of like those people who think that if they camp on an island they will be safe from the wildlife.....  

Guess what - they all swim too!!

You asked for the pros' and cons'.

Personally I wouldn't want to ever use one but one of the cons' is getting up and down, particularly at 3 AM when you just have to find a tree!

To me, it's like being stuck on the top bunk when you're way too old for bunks at all!

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

My friend had a similar one and used it for a 6 months on an all around the country road trip a few years back. He had his mounted on an F350 over the capper top. He liked it, but said if he were to ever do it again (and he plans on it) is he'd spend three times more and go with a hard top model that sets up in about 30 seconds.

He said it was fine for the days he spent more than a few days in one spot, but it became a chore on the days you were just using it for a night. I did a little research into them last year and his sentiments seemed to echo a lot of what I was reading on them.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I had thought about one for my van, in lieu of a hightop.

The one I seriously considered is the Bigfoot, but they are not cheap. The overlanders I use to work with swore by the Baroud models. You see them alot on 4x4 rigs.

I too would want a hardtop style, that sets up in a minute or so.

On pleasant nights, sleeping in a tent is wonderful for the natural breezes, and this leaves the interior of the vehicle available for a week (or a month) of provisions.

 

[TrainChaser]

Scorpions can climb, and even walk across ceilings.