Anyone ever build/fab a rooftop tent

[any4x]

Go to http://www.cabelas.com and take a look at the two person tent cot. Looks like it would be pretty easy to remove the legs and adapt it to mount on a roof rack. I’m going to order one and try it. Should be about the right size for my XJ roof.

Dave

[OlBlueCJ7]

Maybe I'm missing something, but was does a rooftop tent do for you that a ground level tent doesn't?

[mr.frenchy]

Originally Posted by OlBlueCJ7

Maybe I'm missing something, but was does a rooftop tent do for you that a ground level tent doesn't?

It get's you off the ground.

[Elwenil]

And it doesn't have nasty rocks and roots that poke you in the back, lol...

[acousticrawk]

anyone ever build a platform that there tent can just sit on? maybe even be able to stake to it?

[85blue4runner]

i thought about making one that would fit in my 4runner under or on top of all the gear, maybe small pieces of plywood a couple feet square each, that could bound together somehow to make a platform. throw some short 2x4s or 4x4s under it for support legs. gets you off the ground, lets water go under your tent, etc. easy to take apart and throw in the back of the truck when you are done.. a hook or eyebolt could be used to anchor the tent.

[MilspecXJ]

Originally Posted by OlBlueCJ7

Maybe I'm missing something, but was does a rooftop tent do for you that a ground level tent doesn't?

For me personally...

I have a bad back and setup/teardown of ground tents can be painful for me.

No more looking for high ground or water pooling under the tent with potential leaks.

Up above some of the creepy crawlies.

In most cases you'll get more breeze sitting up higher which helps in the warmer months.

My RTT is equal in size to a king size mattress.

I dont have to load and unload the tent with bags, mattress etc.. i just leave it in and fold it up. Try that with a ground tent.

[Scout Dude]

Originally Posted by any4x

Go to http://www.cabelas.com and take a look at the two person tent cot. Looks like it would be pretty easy to remove the legs and adapt it to mount on a roof rack. I’m going to order one and try it. Should be about the right size for my XJ roof.

Dave

I have a single person tentcot. It works great for what it is, but there is no way I'd use it to make a vehicle mounted tent. The top of the tent will turn into a swimming pool in a storm. I usually cover mine with an additional tarp.

[acousticrawk]

maybe you could build a multi piece platform and folds up like one of those privacy blinds peole get dressed behind, and use to metal channels to run some square stock through to make it rigid, then just throw it up on the roof and attach it to the roof rack? proally not a real great idea, but maybe if we get some brains storming going on, we can come up with a good portable platform to throw our tents on.

[Zuk Rider]

i am in the process of my own version. i just finished the roof rack on my samurai. next week i will get all the material to make the platform.

here is the rack.


the platform will be 5/8 or 3/4 exterior plywood. i am thinking about coating the ply in a white roll on bed liner, or roof coating to aid in weather proofing and fight heat absorption to lessen warpage. it will be 2 pieces making a total of 88x52". it will sit long ways across the back of my samurai, hanging over on each side. i plan to attach them with a piano hinge, and locking it to the rack with barrel bolts. quick and simple. also, it will fold up and store under the rack, which is why it is so tall. ill post up when the rest gets built!

oh, its made for a rei half dome 2

http://www.rei.com/product/794294. super quick and easy to setup.

[mntbkrguy]

what about purchasing a small tent to meet your needs and then making a platform that can be disassembled into several large pieces (4-8 square feet each) and stored on a traditional roof rack or in the bed of the truck. When you want to setup you can snap, screw, tape, glue, velcro, whatever the panels together and set your tent up onto it. maybe with some anchor bolt or similar since you wont have tent stakes. Nida Core panels would be good for this but they arent cheap. Plywood is cheap, but heavy, several expandable aluminum canopy poles should do the trick for supporting an overhang. If you are willing to tow a small trailer of some kind, the same thing would apply and your truck would be free for other things without breaking your tent platform down. The platform could be setup onto a roof rack or over the bed of the truck, leaving the bed free for relatively weatherproof under platform/bed storage.

I have been planning out this exact set up to go above a trailer. unfortunately the standard size for the larger tents always seems to be 9'x9' which is bigger than I originally planned. My thoughts are to basically make a 3 piece fold. The center section only about a foot wide making it possible to fold it up with just a basic 9'x9' tent already attached to the platform and keep my queen size air mattress inside. If this works I can pull up to camp unfold it, attach the polls and up goes the tent, then attach the airpump and I have the "Palace" my fiance requires to go camping.

Heres one built on top of an XJ.

Can you post some pics here none of them come up on the other thread if you're not a member.

[BLAZED]

Originally Posted by MilspecXJ

Illinoise river diamondhead resort, thats tiger mountain in the background???
Do I win the free kegstand!!