[JLU_Jeff]

Hey All,

I am intrigued at the idea of roof top tents. However, it looks like I would need to shell out $1200 to $1500 for a Rhino Rack backbone, then another $2000 to $4000 for the actual RTT.

Although that’s a huge drop in price from when they first came out for like $10k to $15k, it’s a bit steep for my budget.

Sleeping in a tent on the ground makes me feel like Bear food, wrapped in an easy to open tent. I feel more like prey than predator. At least sleeping elevated on top of my Jeep would give me a small feeling of security.

Is there a less expensive way to accomplish this? What are other frugal Jeep owners doing? I feel like I’m missing something obvious here

i have a 2018 JLUR

Thanks for any guidance,
Jeff S.

 

[Mrprez]

A Rhino Rack is nice but not necessary for a rooftop tent. If your hardtop has rain gutters you can find a set of crossbars for less than $400 that will do the job. As for the tent, Amazon sells a 3 person tent for $949, look for TMBK 3 person rooftop tent.

Just to clarify my position on this topic. I don’t recommend putting a RTT on a Jeep hardtop mounted to the rain gutters. I recommend and stand by my recommendation that a roof rack fully supported by the tub and not the hardtop be used. The OP wanted a cheap way to do it and I showed him how. What he does is up to him.

 

[JLU_Jeff]

A Rhino Rack is nice but not necessary for a rooftop tent. If your hardtop has rain gutters you can find a set of crossbars for less than $400 that will do the job. As for the tent, Amazon sells a 3 person tent for $949, look for TMBK 3 person rooftop tent.

Wow! Thank you!! I’ll check that out

 

[wcjeep]

Look online for a used rooftop tent. Plenty of people buy rooftop or conventional tents then realize it's not their thing.

 

[JLU_Jeff]

Look online for a used rooftop tent. Plenty of people buy rooftop or conventional tents then realize it's not their thing.

Great point!

 

[Fantus33]

If a single person….sleep in your Jeep. Lay down or remove the rear seat, choose small mattress & you are all set. 2 people could fit if very well acquainted

 

[AustyPosty]

A Rhino Rack is nice but not necessary for a rooftop tent. If your hardtop has rain gutters you can find a set of crossbars for less than $400 that will do the job. As for the tent, Amazon sells a 3 person tent for $949, look for TMBK 3 person rooftop tent.

The rain gutters will crack and eventually break off if you do this, I’ve seen that happen on this forum. They were never meant to be load bearing…

As for feeling like bear food, are you in grizzly bear territory? If so then yes you are bear food, and they can easily jump on top of a Jeep if they really want to lol. A rooftop tent can be a good investment if you use it a lot and enjoy sleeping off the ground. Just look into the cons of sleeping 6 feet off the ground too.

 

[Mrprez]

The rain gutters will crack and eventually break off if you do this, I’ve seen that happen on this forum. They were never meant to be load bearing…

As for feeling like bear food, are you in grizzly bear territory? If so then yes you are bear food, and they can easily jump on top of a Jeep if they really want to lol. A rooftop tent can be a good investment if you use it a lot and enjoy sleeping off the ground. Just look into the cons of sleeping 6 feet off the ground too.

Got some links to threads of actual experience where the gutters cracked? Not opinions but actual experience? I did a search and only found one and that person ran into their garage door. That doesn’t count.

Now, some common sense should be used here. I wouldn’t mount a RTT on the rain gutters and then go off and run the Rubicon Trail. If you are going to be doing that kind of traveling, a more robust system like the Rhino Rack and Backbone system should be used. I had that on my 2016 JK AEV Jeep. Worked great and was rock solid.

 

[vanhalo]

Pioneer Platform Rhino Racks are not well suited for RTT oddly enough. They are great for hauling a variety of other things though.

 

[Mrprez]

Pioneer Platform Rhino Racks are not well suited for RTT oddly enough. They are great for hauling a variety of other things though.
View attachment 4587668

Not true. Lots of people use them for RTT, including me. It just takes a bit of creativity.

 

[vanhalo]

Not true. Lots of people use them for RTT, including me. It just takes a bit of creativity.

“Not well suited”

sure you can make them work if you want to drill into the planks and be forced to run the high profile version.

 

[jeepers29]

The teraflex nebo rack is considerably less expensive and will hold a RTT.

 

[Mrprez]

“Not well suited”

sure you can make them work if you want to drill into the planks and be forced to run the high profile version.

I never drilled into my planks. I used these minus the springs.

Superstrut 3/8 in. Strut Channel Spring Nut (5-Pack) (ZA1003/8EG-10) ZA1003/8EG-10 - The Home Depot

Get the Superstrut 3/8 in. Channel Spring Nuts (5-Pack) ZA100 3/8EG-10, 12-gauge these nuts offer a silver electroplated finish and are designed for use with A and C series channels and inserts from The

www.homedepot.com

 

[vanhalo]

I never drilled into my planks. I used these minus the springs.

Superstrut 3/8 in. Strut Channel Spring Nut (5-Pack) (ZA1003/8EG-10) ZA1003/8EG-10 - The Home Depot

Get the Superstrut 3/8 in. Channel Spring Nuts (5-Pack) ZA100 3/8EG-10, 12-gauge these nuts offer a silver electroplated finish and are designed for use with A and C series channels and inserts from The

www.homedepot.com

i use those for adapting brackets to the rack too. I am assuming you are drilling or modifying the RTT to accommodate these.

 

[Mrprez]

i use those for adapting brackets to the rack too. I am assuming you are drilling or modifying the RTT to accommodate these.

Yes. It does require a bit of careful measuring, but it is rock solid.

 

[AustyPosty]

Got some links to threads of actual experience where the gutters cracked? Not opinions but actual experience? I did a search and only found one and that person ran into their garage door. That doesn’t count.

Now, some common sense should be used here. I wouldn’t mount a RTT on the rain gutters and then go off and run the Rubicon Trail. If you are going to be doing that kind of traveling, a more robust system like the Rhino Rack and Backbone system should be used. I had that on my 2016 JK AEV Jeep. Worked great and was rock solid.

88 pounds is all a gutter mounted rack can carry while in motion. As per the Rhino rack description. A backbone system would be much more suited. Most roof top tents exceed 100 pounds, you’d be hard pressed or damn near impossible to find a roof top tent under 88 pounds. I would never trust thin fiber glass rails to hold a roof top tent. If that thing flies off while your driving that could be a disaster for you, and the person driving behind you.

 

[Ranger2/75th]

I did the Smittybuilt RTT and was probably the cheapest option, although now I have a offroad squaredrop. I have a 2 door wrangler, and spent around 2 years doing the RTT. Pretty easy to set up and tear down, but I do like just dropping the trailer and going off on the trails. DO NOT attach any rack system to your gutter rails if you plan on running a RTT!!! It's best to spend the money and get the Rhino Rack system. It was easy enough to install, although it may be a bit on the expensive side trust me you get what you pay for! The support steel they use is hardened steel! I broke 2 drill bits trying to drill holes in it for my fire extinguisher mount. It is well worth the money!

 

[Doc222]

reality is the bears are less an issue then you think. We run Rubicon every year and Dusy Ershem( this jk has ran it 9 times and Dusy will be a ninth time< open maybe next month and waiting here for it too. Here in Az and Utah its not an issue bears, rare as hens teeth anymore.

many years ago many.. i packed in the mountains in Yosemite and climbed all over Cali. You see bears there a lot. I can tell stories all day about bears in a camp, on the trail back packing climbing. Jeeping not one yet. when you run Dusy the first "camp" Voyager has bear boxs for you to store your supplies. In the past 10 years i have never seen a bear and i have camped here two or three days each time i go. not a bear seen dont mean there aint one. Maybe its having a dog in camp.....Ask a cave man.
Bear box at Voyager Dusy Ershem, none at Rubicon.

Tent best is just a good back packing tent. It can be packed, if needed. weighs like 10lbs all in or less. If you really fear the bears carry something to deal with it. This is not Alaska or Canada where bear like Grizzly are a issue and even a RTT would not comfort me at all. Ever see what a bear can do to vehicle. That tends to have supplies in it? I want to sleep on the food? On the trail where the jeep parks tends to not be where i want to make camp. getting in and out at night. My dog would not approve.

 

[ivan_2001ve]

to be honest roof top tents are not for everyone. The best thing is to have them on a rack over the bed of pick truck as they will be flushed with the cabin roof line and also not to high that will make pack them a pain in the back. Also its hard to find leveled ground sometimes.

Give it a shot to the Gazelle tents they are not back packing tents and have some weight but they can be set up in 5 min and taken down in 5 min or less.

If you are afraid of bears, just follow the directions leave food on the lockers or you locked jeep, but bear proof containers, carry bear spray and just in case a good 10mm or 44 mag freedom seeds if things go south. I have been camping in black bear territory and I have yet to see one. I will be more worried about a mountain lion or some other large cat as they will sneak on you.

 

[AustyPosty]

to be honest roof top tents are not for everyone. The best thing is to have them on a rack over the bed of pick truck as they will be flushed with the cabin roof line and also not to high that will make pack them a pain in the back. Also its hard to find leveled ground sometimes.

Give it a shot to the Gazelle tents they are not back packing tents and have some weight but they can be set up in 5 min and taken down in 5 min or less.

If you are afraid of bears, just follow the directions leave food on the lockers or you locked jeep, but bear proof containers, carry bear spray and just in case a good 10mm or 44 mag freedom seeds if things go south. I have been camping in black bear territory and I have yet to see one. I will be more worried about a mountain lion or some other large cat as they will sneak on you.

I was going to suggest a Gazelle tent as well. They set up faster than a soft shell roof top tent and with less fuss.

I just don’t think “on the cheap” can be applied to roof top tent.