Hey I'm a little late to this thread, but can offer some of my RTT experiences...
I have a used RTT I got off CL for $600. It's from Roof-top-tent.com and is a re-badged Mombassa. It took me close to a year to find the tent, mostly because I couldn't justify the $1,500 for a nice RTT, and I didn't want to go the super-cheap route. I got lucky since it was a demo model and the guy I bought it from had used it for all of about 10 nights.
I have an '06 H3 and an M416 I've used as a camp trailer for years. I was torn on whether to go the truck route or the trailer route. I've gone the trailer route so far, mostly because I already tow the trailer, and it has my oven, fridge, shower, gear, etc. It was no real extra work to throw the tent on the trailer, and I was pretty concerned about COG on the truck (mounting it would be easy as I have a custom rack already set up for RTT if I want).
A few other things to consider:
- On the truck, COG is obvious
- On the truck, I like to drink. A tent 7' off the ground + a day of drinking = ER visit
- On the truck, I would lose a lot of the carrying space on my roof rack. I have a Yakima Box on there now, and I'd have to move the Yakima Box to the trailer and the RTT to the truck - I used to have the Yakima on the trailer and really didn't like it much, simply because it was a little too long.
- On the truck, Trying to close up the RTT on the roof rack would be difficult, and that's putting it nicely. Setup is easy (<2 minutes), but getting the cover zipped back on takes some work, and that would be a LOT harder on a roof rack (something I would have never thought of until I actually had the RTT)
- On the trailer, I lose the changing room feature of the tent - this isn't a big deal because I already have an awning on the truck, but having that room would be nice (especially for showers, bathroom, etc)
- On the trailer, the tent folds out over the tongue of the trailer, making it harder to open my fridge to get beer. I'll likely build a slide-out for the fridge to make it easier
- On the trailer, it's MUCH easier to stabilize (just a simple stabilizer bar) - on the truck, there's more motion when you move around in the tent, and harder to stabilize that on the truck
When I got the RTT, I already pulled the trailer plenty of places offroad, so it was a no-brainer. Had I not already had the trailer, it would be a tough decision - I likely would have put it on the truck. Pulling a trailer off-road completely changes how you drive, your focus levels, how you pick a line, everything. It's more challenging and (especially solo) can get you in some real tough spots (like the time I had to back up over a mile on a FS road that dead-ended with nowhere to turn the trailer around).
Oh, and while I have no problem sleeping in a ground tent (did it just last weekend in 25 degree temps), there is absolutely no comparison - a RTT is soooo much more comfortable and convenient. It allows me the flexibility to spend more time exploring and drinking and less time messing around with a tent. It's like the difference between a cooler and a fridge, once you try it, it's very hard to go back
That said, it's not for everyone...
So if I was to offer a suggestion, I'd say borrow a RTT from someone and try it out, or go cheap to start (resale value is high, I could probably sell mine for what I paid for it). Throw it on your roof and try it out. If you have a trailer you already pull, put it on there. AT or any of the other 'camp trailers' are awesome, but they are also VERY expensive, especially if you haven't experienced pulling a trailer offroad (especially technical trails) - do you really want to spend that cash only to find out you don't like the 'burden' of managing the trailer on the trail? Did I mention it's a lot of work to pull a trailer offroad?
And for the record on gas mileage, on long trips pulling the trailer I get around 12.5-13.5 mpg highway, 6-10 offroad (worst tank was 140 miles before light came on). Without the trailer, I get 14.5-15.5 highway, 10-12 offroad. If I had the RTT on top, I'd be eating the gas mileage on a regular basis (not that I care, but some people pay attention to that stuff)...
Some pics:
Best pic of it set up on it's inagural run...pouring down rain, I was soooo glad I had the tent
With Yakima box on the trailer (before RTT), somewhere outside Redwoods, CA
Somewhere on the
WABDR last summer
