RTTs are 3 to 4 x more expensive? I can get a ground tent for 100 or so bucks can't I? No way can I get a RTT for 3 or 4 hundred.
But, RTT because
But, RTT because
Rtt's pricing compared to ground tents?
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Having backpacked around here and spent good time in a ground tent, here is why I bought an RTT.
- Looks, let's be real, looks is definitely a driver of certain upgrades
- Get up off the ground. This is good for the crazy dust and dirty desert places here. No fire ants to worry about or snakes
- No need to worry about clearing a space for a tentotal. Lots of areas around here aren't tent friendly and would be a pain(literally)
- All season camping in comfort. Rainy coast camping, snowy winter camping. All made easy cause your off the ground.
- Comfort, beats bringing a cot or air mattress for a larger tent.
Moving to a RRT came as a sticker shock to my project, but after all is said and done I'm happy that I went with a RRT. My current reason for a RRT is that I live the Pacific Northwest with travels to Southwest desert and next year to the Alaskan Yukon. When I'm out exploring I'm out for weeks at a time. It's really important to get a good nights sleep when driving 10 hours or more a day and I can't afford to pay for a hotel room each night. Weather, landscape and night creatures are issue I've had to deal with in the past but not anymore. I can't tell you how many time I've had to sleep in my Jeep because I could setup a tent or find a spot to sleep because of camp grounds being full. If I have to I can deploy a RRT in a parking lot for a few hours of sleep. I like to camp all year also, winter camping is my favorite time of year and again simple deployment when the ground has several feet of snow on it. Have you ever sleep on snow covered ground? As far as gas mileage, never really did see a difference in my Jeep when adding a RRT. I guess the biggest thing here is what type of Rig are building, if you camp for a day or two I would say buy tent and you'll be just fine but if your out for weeks at a time or camp a lot a RRT will more then pay for it's self.
So, the interesting point here. I never noticed this till I moved out west. Back east, you're almost always in a developed campsite. And as we've done more dispersed camping, I've noticed more places I could camp, but maybe all I could do was fit my truck.
I found a great spot a couple weeks ago up near Cascade, a great little offshoot with an amazing view. Established site, but I could maybe back my truck in. Set up some chairs, but the site was too small for our family ground tent. But with a RTT, there is plenty of room. Becuase the tent only occupies the space my vehicle does to some extent. Which means that I can pull into even tighter dispersed locations when I find them and leave a smaller footprint.
We practice leave no trace and tread lightly, so I don't want to go clearing or enlarging established sites just to fit my family.
A ground tent, by default, is going to always enlarge your "spread"
Comfort was the key for me...and bed space. I really came close to the OZ tent after seing one set up in the wind while I struggled to set up my Coleman cabin tent. But what was I going to sleep on? air mattresses are not reliable and back pack pads don't help in the comfort department. I could get cots but 3-4 cots take up a lot of storage room. I do have a old memory foam mattress topper, but that rolls up huge.
Next issue was that the Oz tent and the crazy "mission to mars" looking tent at expo all pack into huge bags. Not to mention both are in the 900-1400 range.
I ended up jumping on CVT tents clearance sale and bought the My Rainier pioneer version. Out the door was $1500. It has a fantastic pad to sleep on and the bedding packs inside so I don't have to work about it getting wet or dusty in the back of the truck. The only negative is that it is on top of a tall truck so it is not as easy to open or close as it could be if it was a foot lower.
Next issue was that the Oz tent and the crazy "mission to mars" looking tent at expo all pack into huge bags. Not to mention both are in the 900-1400 range.
I ended up jumping on CVT tents clearance sale and bought the My Rainier pioneer version. Out the door was $1500. It has a fantastic pad to sleep on and the bedding packs inside so I don't have to work about it getting wet or dusty in the back of the truck. The only negative is that it is on top of a tall truck so it is not as easy to open or close as it could be if it was a foot lower.
There are so many dispersed places here that are full of lava rock or tufts of grass, like mentioned before,all you have space for is a truck.
Another RTT pro is usually it helps the wife or girlfriend feel more at ease if you live somewhere with animals. Me and the GF had a scare with a cougar on a backpacking trip in the middle of the night and since then my ability to sleep soundly in the woods is completely gone in a ground tent. At least in an RTT I feel safer.
Another RTT pro is usually it helps the wife or girlfriend feel more at ease if you live somewhere with animals. Me and the GF had a scare with a cougar on a backpacking trip in the middle of the night and since then my ability to sleep soundly in the woods is completely gone in a ground tent. At least in an RTT I feel safer.
I liked your post just so I could unlike it.Just know, snakes can climb too:
LOL. Im not going to go where there are tent ladder climbing snakes.
![[DO]Ron](/forums/data/avatars/m/5/5154.jpg?1711577950){kind=avatar}
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I always wanted a RTT, I like the idea of sleeping high, with the extra tent attached the room is still more then enough. But my GF isn't really warming up to the idea. And it will cost a lot as well. an good RTT with tent and roof rack will set me back 2500/3000 euro's while a tent is just 10% of that. Also if you want to do day trips you have to pack everything in while you can leave a ground tent on the spot @ a camp site. An RTT on a trailer will solve that as well but the costs of a trailer + RTT is like 15 times that of a good ground tent xD and will have to rent someplace to park the trailer as well when I don't use it because I got no private ground to park it on so that idea isn't going to work.
Camping rules here in europe are way diffrent then in the US as well. I don't really worry about snakes or bears running into camp @ a campsite.
I guess we'll end up getting a good roomy ground tent and see how we like it, might still change to an real trailer tent or caravan in 5/10 years but cost wise that won't fly right now.
Camping rules here in europe are way diffrent then in the US as well. I don't really worry about snakes or bears running into camp @ a campsite.
I guess we'll end up getting a good roomy ground tent and see how we like it, might still change to an real trailer tent or caravan in 5/10 years but cost wise that won't fly right now.
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