Rooftop tent

[tyjorg]

Hello, I am looking for info on a rooftop tent. I have a 2003 Yukon XL (Suburban). We have 5 kids so bigger the better. Has anyone had good luck with rooftop tents, with bigger ones? Any recommendations or websites or resources?

 

[Shahn]

Hello, I am looking for info on a rooftop tent. I have a 2003 Yukon XL (Suburban). We have 5 kids so bigger the better. Has anyone had good luck with rooftop tents, with bigger ones? Any recommendations or websites or resources?

Checkout Tuff Stuff ALPHA, I will say 5 will be tight in a RTT. The nice part is most have annex's you can purchase separate that create another area below to put a cot/sleeping pads.

 

[Bpjr07]

5 will be tight, andi would get tired if i had to get up few times a night everytime someone needs to go restroom, someone shifting and rocking the car, taking care of kids on the ladder, ect. As your kids grow it will just get smaller.

The bigger they are the harder they are to put up and put away. Keep an eye on the wheigh your roof can carry and the tents max weight.

Dont know your exact situation if you need to RTT or can get away with a tent or 2 on the floor.

An option would be 2 kids sleep in the yukon. And get a standard RTT.

 

[Ursa Major]

Much like @Bpjr07 mentioned, 5 is a tight squeeze for a RTT, even the bigger ones. Most big RTTs I've seen hold 4 people, and that would still be a squeeze if you had one kid sleep in the Yukon. Depending on the age of your kids, their own ground tent could be a great option while the adults stay in a RTT. I know my three kids like having their own tent as it gives them the impression they have their own playhouse, and my kids are 10, 8, and 6.

 

[Camguti]

Check out the Elite by TuffStuff. This tent has a cool feature where you could put up a partition to divide the tent into two rooms. You could also get an annex for extra sleeping space. It might be cold but you could easily fit one or two people annex.

Elite Rooftop Tent Includes Annex Room, 4-5 Person, Tan

The Tuff Stuff Elite 5 Person Rooftop Tent, 79" Wide, Double ladder, comes with lower annex room with floor, mattress, rainfly & universal installation kit.

tuffstuff4x4.com

 

[Billiebob]

For 5 kids, buy 2, buy them on sale, buy year end clearance, buy used. Spend like a few hundred $$$$ the kids only care if it keeps them dry.
You can easily fit 2 on a Yukon XL.

I'd turn them 90 degrees so the entries face each other,,,, communication, bonding and all that.... plus a 24"??? landing between leading to a single ladder,
No annex, keep them simple. More like the Free Spirit.... x2.... facing each other.

If the kids want privacy.... spin them 90 degrees and add a ladder.

View attachment 217083

 

[Biker Eagle]

Buy 2 regular RTT's. Put one on the Yukon and one on a small trailer. Added benefit of the trailer is you can put your camping gear in it.
View attachment 217242
View attachment 217243
Smiittybilt standard RTT running $1189 on Amazon now and the little trailer is around $500 at Lowes. Under $3000 for the whole setup. Or look for a used popup in that price range. That actually might work better than RTTs. Back in the 90's we had a Coleman popup and took it on some incredible backcountry trips in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona.
3rd thought....Smittybilt XL($1400) on the Yukon and the standard size on the trailer. Still around 3 grand.

 

[lhoffm4]

I love my Smittybilt XL! Great price point for an entry level and large rtt. We got the annex too. Your Suburban has lots of roof space, just make sure the roof rack is beefed up. You could throw two tents up there, but the annex would make that less necessary. You can spend a lot more, but you don’t need to. I paid @ $1500 for the tent and annex, so a ground tent can be much cheaper.

Are you and the family avid campers now? If not, I recommend doing some first. With young kids especially, priorities change. It’s not so much about the gear so much as the experience. A large family ground tent is a great start and safer on the ground for younger kids. JMHO.