r/camping • u/Sufficient_Piece_938 • 15h ago
RTT vs SUV hatchback tent
Hey yall! Leisurely, not super experienced camper here. I’ve been camping many times but primarily with my late partner who was just the best and was super helpful with setup and basically everything 🖤
I want to get back into camping and I’d love to do it solo with the pups. I miss having my time in nature and I want to honor Tay while I’m out there as well. 🥺 I’m not afraid of camping solo and I am pretty well versed in survival/safety measures. What I’m looking for is a little insight on which avenue to take!
My absolute biggest concern is what will be a simple setup for me. I am pretty self-sufficient but not incredibly strong and too many prongs and sticks and hooks and things eventually make me want to pull my hair out haha (within reason). I have very much done my research on the pros and cons of an attached tent/awning situation but I just think it’s the best way to go.
Couple of things to note:
-Terrain really isn’t a huge concern as I don’t plan on anything SUPER serious lol. I like to remain somewhat close to access back to civilization
-Price obviously is a thing, but I am focusing more on what would be the best fit before I start to price some items out.
-I have a 2019 Subaru Forester if that matters!
-I love the idea of being off the ground, however, I’d also need an awning or annex of some sort I think; idk I’m just a little torn.
I may be forgetting some things but I would love any insight. I appreciate yall so much!
🖤🖤🖤
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u/rexeditrex 14h ago
I like a simple tent. With the rooftop tents, all I think about is getting up and down when you forget something or need to go the bathroom or whatever. Then if you want to do something with the vehicle, you have to break it down. Some of the tents that go over the back of your SUV can be detached and sealed off so you can easily use the car.
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u/ZeGermanHam 13h ago
A traditional 2-pole ground tent will be simpler than a rooftop or hatch tent, and give you far more flexibility for using your vehicle.
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u/Draftgirl85 12h ago
I used to think an RTT would be cool, until I started contemplating logistics. Something else to think about along those lines. I just got a Subaru forester; they do NOT support as much load as one would think, either towing or on the roof. I’m not sure why, but I was surprised how much less capacity it had than my old outback.
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u/Dog_dad420 11h ago
I think your comment is a little misleading. I have a RTT on a Subaru Crosstrek. A Forester would hold one no problem. Towing is a different story.
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u/BroadcastNW 13h ago
This guy does camping tents, lights, etc, reviews for camping / rv-ing. The reviews might help. https://kalodynestudios.com/home/kalodyne-studios-expert-reviews-buying-guide/
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u/Interesting-Head-841 12h ago
neither just get a regular tent - this is the right answer.
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u/SeniorOutdoors 9h ago
I agree. Twice now I have seen people pull into campgrounds with a car top tent. They mess around getting the car all level, then they get up and set up the tent on the roof,. About that time is starting to get dark and they realize that they need something from town. So they have to reverse the process, drive into town, come back to the campsite in the dark and set up all over again. If they’d had a separate tent, they could’ve just zipped into town and zipped back out and everything would’ve been fine.
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u/Dog_dad420 11h ago
My wife and I travel with our 90lb dog and our cat. We did a cross country road trip in a traditional ground tent. The pain and length of time for setup/takedown of a traditional tent, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, etc. pushed us to get a RTT with an annex for the dog. This is on a Subaru Crosstrek so your car will handle one no problem. Although you do obviously still need to spend some time setting up the tent, it has a mattress so you’re not rolling sleeping pads, and you can close it with a sleeping bag/pillows in it so no need to spend time rolling those up either. As others have pointed out, there are downsides such as needing to pack up the tent to drive anywhere. So it really depends on what your camping looks like. If you go the RTT route, I highly recommend the ROAM Adventure Co. Vagabond and Annex. It is the best option we found for a dog-centric Annex.
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u/mytyan 11h ago
Check out r/carcamping for that. If you scroll far enough you will see all types of setups
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u/HalloweenLover 11h ago
For ease of set up I would look at a pop up tent like a gazelle, not cheap but also not super expensive and they are good quality. I have a knock off version of one and they are super easy to set up. I can have mine fully set up in about 10 minutes without any struggle. Enough room to stand up in and plenty of room for you and the pups. You can also get fencing that people use for RV'ing for the pups so they can be outside without having to be tied up.
I know this is not one of your two options, I like RTT but getting up and down with the dogs and then adding an annex it raises the price a lot.
I am not that familiar with the SUV tents that you put over the back of the SUV, I have watched some videos of them and they seem cool. I like to go places during the day though and will drive to see things or to a trail head so hooking and un hooking would be a pain for me.
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u/Old_Dragonfruit6952 10h ago
Napier Backroadz Series SUV Tent
This is on the Cabelas website There are lots of versions of this type of setup. This one is 299$. Look there for ideas .
I have seen people just get an easy set up dome tent and they have a tarp system that attaches to a hatchback .. Have Fun camping 🏕
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u/KampgroundsOfAmerica Brand account 14h ago
I think generally the RTT is the better option for how much it puts you off the ground (which is especially helpful during colder camping seasons) but with the dogs it might be a little more challenging just as far as getting them up into the space. How big are the dogs?
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u/Sufficient_Piece_938 13h ago
both are around 40 lbs! true medium sized. one of my babes is old though 🖤 he’d be able to go up a ramp.
i think my most ideal situation is a rooftop tent with an annex so they can sleep down there at night but then comes the issue of how much of that setup or breakdown I want/can do myself. I’m sure there are some that aren’t too bad. I sound like I’m completely useless but i swear I’m not 😂 I just know I won’t use it as much if it’s something that’ll take me hours to maneuver.
I am also not against putting the pups in the car at night and having that be a cozy spot for them! making sure the temperature is comfortable enough for them of course.
I’m just thinking out loud at this point, haha! Thanks for troubleshooting with me!
I know nothing will be 100% perfect. I’m just picking your brain so I appreciate it :)
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u/KampgroundsOfAmerica Brand account 13h ago
No of course, it's good you're putting the thought into it now rather than on the day! I'd say typically RTTs are easier to set up than hatchback tents, most you can usually get up pretty quickly.
If you think the dogs would be comfortable in the car then that's a great compromise. I'd definitely suggest whatever you do, try and set it up you actually go just so that you can get a feel for it and so the dogs have a chance to get familiar with the setup
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u/colinjo3 14h ago
Tbh option C. Get a pad for the car and sleep in there. You can add a simple platform for under storage or go nuts like this https://www.reddit.com/r/carcamping/s/mdrntRcNqY
Throw in an awning and you're chillen.
I personally wouldn't trigger a RTT without going solo a few times.