Overland tent (suggestions and general info)

I have seen the overland tents on vehicles before and always thought they were cool. I suddenly have the bug for one and am looking for some adventure This summer with my 2 boys. We have a bass boat adding the tent to the truck will allow us to explore some lakes a little further away on the weekends with no worries of hotel fees or anything like that!

This thread is just to get me started with general info or advice from anyone who has an overlander setup with a tent and everything.

Not looking to spend a ton of money on a fancy setup but from my initial search I'm leaning towards the OVS nomadic 4 with one of there bed rack systems. Would a cheaper bedrack off Amazon suffice? Also any suggestions for or against the OVS system ? I like that it comes with a 3 inch mattress pad in it already... I feel like I had a lot more questions and I'm sure they will come to me as this thread grows.

Thanks in advance Im looking for years to some overlanding adventures with my boys this summer and can't wait to get started!

Also I have a 2014 double cab long bed.

 

For me the first question is - are you sure you're ready to commit to a RTT? These work well for many people but they just don't fit all people's needs.

When the tent is deployed you lose the use of your vehicle as a mode of transportation. If you're doing true "overlanding" where you drive during the day, camp at night, then pack up camp and continue on your way covering lots of ground then RTT's are great. But, if you drive to your destination and plan to stick around there for a while it may not be your best option. I prefer a ground tent so that I can setup camp then hop in the truck to go explore. I usually camp in the same spot for a few days then drive to various fishing holes, hit some trails, go explore... and if I had a RTT then I'd be breaking it down and setting it up every day.

There are pros and cons to the RTT setup so just make sure it's the right choice for how you plan to camp.

 

I had a similar question, but @clenkeit has me thinking now... Also if I fasten a roof-mounted tent to my truck am I loosing my rack space for the kayak or SUP. I may just go buy a nice ground tent and cot instead and leave the truck set up for carrying other equipment.

 

Well stated!

 

Big one against for my wife was the potty trips in the middle of the night. May be young now, but you won't be forever and climbing a ladder in the middle of the night isn't always easy.

 

While this is definitely a valid point, I feel like people make this out to be a bigger deal than it is.

Packing away a rooftop tent takes all of 5-10 minutes depending how slow you're moving. if you're fine leaving all your other camp stuff there...it's really not a huge hassle.

I think the bigger thing to worry about is how much you're actually gonna use it, where you're gonna store it, and how you're gonna get it on/off the truck

 

Very valid point that I did not consider. I will think on this but still currently lean towards RTT (roof top tent I assume? ) I think I'm going to be more explore and do stuff all day then setup camp for overnight. I think the tent will be more of a place to sleep/hangout at night then pack it up in morning and head out... If I have the tent out and setup my idea of exploring would be more towards just hiking around my camping area and not getting to far away...

 

Happened to see this thread searching for something else and figured I might offer 2c...
We used our RTT for about 2 years and loved it. The packing up while a little bit of a hastle wasn't too bad. late last year we went the camper route (GFC) for 3 main reasons:
1) dry storage (with a dog in the back seat and a kid on the way, our cab space is gone)
2) storage volume (can stack bins/cooler/etc. up in the camper/bed and not worry about things falling out, getting stolen, etc. - again, our cab space is gone...)
3) ability to stand up/ change/ hang out in the dry

That being said we loved our RTT and bed rack set up, esp. for bringing bikes. I do have mine for sale if this catches anyone's eye (Virginia/Maryland/DC area - east coast). Treeline tent (fantastic) and Rago bed rack (also fantastic). I won't paste my sale links or anything since that's not the point here, but I can say I've enjoyed both setups for various reasons.
Hope this helps someone out there

 

Depends on your goals during the camping trip. I like to get there, setup and hang out, hike, relax. Wanted Roof Top Tents to be off the ground. However, wanted to leave the vehicle free in case I need to use it. Ended up getting a trailer which has RTT’s bolted to it.
Everybody has their own thing.

 

just get a ground tent

 

Probably going to be some who talk you out of it, but if youre set on getting one, here is a good read...

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-rtt-owners-thread-with-bs.312269/

 

I went with the RTT on a trailer route as well. Setup camp and have the truck for exploring.

My only dilemma is that metal detecting, fishing gear and kayaks are about the only items I can take with me as hobbies. No ATVs, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, jet skis, power boats, etc.

Which is fine, I'm kind of over that stuff at this point in life anyways.

Now the desert calls me.





The screen room is good for shade, wind or rain protection and added privacy.




Bottom line here is to get out and enjoy nature with your friends, family or just a good ol pet.

 

I have used and love my RTT for 2 years! I know I have saved myself the money in hotels probably 3x over but I ain’t gonna lie we are selling it this summer and already bought a Gazzel tent T4+. For the 3 of us it was getting pretty tight in the RTT. Midnight bathroom breaks are a inconvenience and having a queen size air mattress in the gazelle is a plus. I think the nail in the coffin was this summer we went to put the tent away and the zipper broke in the middle of Alaska. Trying to find a YKK zipper is damn near impossible so my recommendation is buy a repair zipper for the cover. We eventually found one on day 12 of 22 but even the the zipper would rip off and you would have to start over. Plus sides are its off the ground so you stay dry. Find one with a overhang on the ladder so if it rains you can get in dry. Lastly get the mesh under the foam mattress otherwise it will mold.