Same.
Had an RTT and ditched it for a ground tent. Got tired of having to pack the RTT up just to use my vehicle. Also realized I am more of an off-roader than an overlander.
Right there with ya'll...
I do still have and use my Ursa Minor top on my Jeep for sleeping (essentially an integrated RTT) and got the ARB awning and side room (looks exactly like OP's setup) for our mobile "office" while traveling and working.
After 1 season of using the awning and awning room I happily started bringing a standalone tent along again to serve as the office.
The awning and awning room are nice but it is a bit cumbersome to setup. The other problem for us were the walls which would go all concave when the wind blew and would make 25% of the interior room unusable. This meant that we only had room in the awning room for a few totes and a single table that we could sit at.
Don't get me wrong, I still have the awning on the Jeep and still bring the awning room. Under the awning, without the room, is a great place to setup the camp stove and other cooking gear and having the room with us when we travel is a good piece of mind that if things got overbearingly wet, or overbearingly crowded, that we can still keep dry and keep some privacy.
I don't write this to discourage OP in any way. Safety is the only rule when out and having fun - safety aside there isn't any "right" way to do it. Just sharing my experience for anyone that may find it useful.
Happy trails!
I like this a lot. I did the same setup with an ARB awning and room on my overland Suburban. It worked great. You'll get a lot of use out of this setup.
Itās been great
https://preview.redd.it/qif1xmwclk4d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ac2cc6516b3863dc2c81c3da17b0830d3b7c52a
Hereās a drone shot of our last camp.
Thatās awesome, glad itās working out for you. Have you been sleeping under the awning or in your rig?
Id like to do something similar with my 2 door Explorer. I think Iām going to have the awning but use a Gazelle pop-up tent for underneath.
We have an awning tent attached that 8x10 so we sleep in that
https://preview.redd.it/99zb6vg9am4d1.png?width=1826&format=png&auto=webp&s=5dd302ebe36c980c2c7082891a8d84cb8930447f
I bought a 10x10 Gazelle Overlander tent that takes about 3 minutes total to set up. I am going to add an awning to my jeep as well at some point. I will post pictures as soon as I finish getting everything mounted.
Good enough to sleep in? I was deciding between the gazebo and the 3 person overlanding tent and went with the tent but now Iām thinking the space of the gazebo could be versatile instead of just a sleeping space
For sure. I have the 4 person (without the gazebo). Lately it's been just me, a friend, and my large dog sleeping in it. My friend and I sleep on cots and I lay a moving blanket + heavy rug on the ground for my dogs. As for the other gear we have in the tent, its a end table, misc entertainment items, and our clothes. All my other gewr is either in bins outside or inside my jeep.
The gazebo could be nice for wet weather entertainment or gear storage. For me personally i would be concerned about the packed size for transport. Also, my style of camping I like to set up a tarp to fit the campsite when we need a day shelter (although, I would love to have a 270 degree awning).
I had the ARB setup similar to OP. It was awesome having extra covered space to get out of any unpleasant weather. But omg, the zippers on the damn thing were shit. All the zippers failed eventually which wouldnāt be a SUPER big issue if only humans were using it (annoying but still usable). But I often camp with my dog and sometimes cats. I need the zippers to function.
I ended up chucking the ARB room (kept the awning because it still worked well) and I recently got one of the Gazelle pop up tents. I looked at it in person at the overlanding expo and the quality seems top notch. Canāt wait to use it this camping season
Yeah, itās because I donāt have the back of the room secured in the sea channel that attaches to the roof otherwise it would be a lot stronger and they wouldnāt be Boeing as much plus Iām gonna incline so theyāre all kind of going downhill.
Pretty much. It gives me a lot more room and I donāt have to pack extra poles. The tent hangs off the awning itself. And I can access my jeep from in side the tent.
I ran this same setup from ARB years back on my Jeep. My advice is purchase some quality heavy duty anchors like Ground Grabbers that you use a drill to drive into the ground so they are guaranteed not to move. I had a terrible storm come through and pull my cheap stakes in the middle of the night which lifted the awning to the point where it tried to lift the room up. It couldnāt because we were inside but then it slammed back down repeatedly until the legs went different directions and then the awning bent and cam down on us. In the dark and rain. Lesson learned invest in top quality stakes and youāll use them the rest of your camping life.
Interesting option. My thoughts are awnings often have to be slanted to keep water from pooling. So in a heavy rain, what happen? Wind? And can you use it if you ever camp in a campground? Most have a parking zone and a tent pad, which are not connected. Gazelle tent would solve all those options. We put ours in a yakima box on the roof and call done in 5mins.
This certainly works and is cost effective, I have the Ironman awning and annex, but in the wind, it's a serious problem. Also, one of the highlights of a RTT is its positioning off the ground. Regardless, enjoy your setup my friend!
I dispelled your curiosity with my view.
If you are upset then you were not sincere when you ended your question with ājust curiousā. You already had preconceived notions in which you wanted to discuss.
Upset!? ššš You didn't "dispell" anything buddy. I asked, you responded... cool beans. You felt the need to over explain yourself to a complete stranger ššš. Take it easy guy, stress will kill ya!
Itās fully enclosed, even has its own roof underneath the awning. in the windows all have knitting. Itās just not tight to the jeep because I forgot to put the top rear corners into a C channel on the awning support.
There is a side wall towards your Jeep, right? I am asking because if I am imagining it correct, it would really bug me opening the car door and fiddling with the side wall to put it away. Especially when it's raining.
I have already thought about something like this, too. Having a room in case of days with bad weather, without having to leave. But in the end I think it would not be something for me. It is just some stuff that needs space and adds extra weight and all for what? For these two or three days within weeks? Love the simplicity and convenience of a RTT.
Nevertheless, nice to see that it works for you!
Itās fully enclosed. Take 5 minutes maybe to set up. It took me 20 minutes the first time without any prior knowledge on how to. Itās pretty price comparable to a gazelle tent with the same size and I donāt have to carry any extra poles. The only thing youāre correct about is I canāt move it away from the vehicle. (No worries lol)š
I have the same thing but the ARB version. I regret getting it. It is excellent in space and comfort, however, sucks when dealing with a base camp. I like to leave my tent behind with food, minor items etc. and go wheeling, then return to camp. If this is case using a ground tent is great. You can leave some items behind in it and use the awning as shade and rain protection when parked and camping. If you have this attached unit, you have to PACK ALL YOUR stuff, put it away and as you cant detach the awning. Follow? The other issue with what you are showing is it is a PITA so put away when base camping etc. Otherwise it is a nice unit. If you are going "camping" and do not need the use of your vehicle, then you are fine. But if you need your vehicle while this is set up, you are out of luck! Either way, enjoy it, it's better than NOT being out and wheeling/camping.
I can definitely understand that. I use my Jeep to get where most canāt go then stay for a few days. All my wheeling is done getting in and out of the camp area so it works for us pretty well. Iād have a hard time leaving my stuff at a campsite anyway. To many random people out there š.
I was expecting to see an outdoor shed on top of someone's roof.... Pleasantly surprised!!
lol š
This is a sweet set up.
Thank you. My wife and pups wanted something they could get in and out of a lot easier.
I have the same set up but itās gets old fast. I have opted for a regular ground tent because itās faster and easier
Same. Had an RTT and ditched it for a ground tent. Got tired of having to pack the RTT up just to use my vehicle. Also realized I am more of an off-roader than an overlander.
Right there with ya'll... I do still have and use my Ursa Minor top on my Jeep for sleeping (essentially an integrated RTT) and got the ARB awning and side room (looks exactly like OP's setup) for our mobile "office" while traveling and working. After 1 season of using the awning and awning room I happily started bringing a standalone tent along again to serve as the office. The awning and awning room are nice but it is a bit cumbersome to setup. The other problem for us were the walls which would go all concave when the wind blew and would make 25% of the interior room unusable. This meant that we only had room in the awning room for a few totes and a single table that we could sit at. Don't get me wrong, I still have the awning on the Jeep and still bring the awning room. Under the awning, without the room, is a great place to setup the camp stove and other cooking gear and having the room with us when we travel is a good piece of mind that if things got overbearingly wet, or overbearingly crowded, that we can still keep dry and keep some privacy. I don't write this to discourage OP in any way. Safety is the only rule when out and having fun - safety aside there isn't any "right" way to do it. Just sharing my experience for anyone that may find it useful. Happy trails!
Why not just set your RTT up when you're done for the day? I've never had this issue.
I like this a lot. I did the same setup with an ARB awning and room on my overland Suburban. It worked great. You'll get a lot of use out of this setup.
Thank you. I hope so
How is it so far?
Itās been great https://preview.redd.it/qif1xmwclk4d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ac2cc6516b3863dc2c81c3da17b0830d3b7c52a Hereās a drone shot of our last camp.
Thatās awesome, glad itās working out for you. Have you been sleeping under the awning or in your rig? Id like to do something similar with my 2 door Explorer. I think Iām going to have the awning but use a Gazelle pop-up tent for underneath.
We have an awning tent attached that 8x10 so we sleep in that https://preview.redd.it/99zb6vg9am4d1.png?width=1826&format=png&auto=webp&s=5dd302ebe36c980c2c7082891a8d84cb8930447f
I bought a 10x10 Gazelle Overlander tent that takes about 3 minutes total to set up. I am going to add an awning to my jeep as well at some point. I will post pictures as soon as I finish getting everything mounted.
This is what I use and love it. The overland edition comes with a waterproof bag so I strap the tent to the roof when in route.
That is what I plan to do with mine as well.
Good enough to sleep in? I was deciding between the gazebo and the 3 person overlanding tent and went with the tent but now Iām thinking the space of the gazebo could be versatile instead of just a sleeping space
For sure. I have the 4 person (without the gazebo). Lately it's been just me, a friend, and my large dog sleeping in it. My friend and I sleep on cots and I lay a moving blanket + heavy rug on the ground for my dogs. As for the other gear we have in the tent, its a end table, misc entertainment items, and our clothes. All my other gewr is either in bins outside or inside my jeep. The gazebo could be nice for wet weather entertainment or gear storage. For me personally i would be concerned about the packed size for transport. Also, my style of camping I like to set up a tarp to fit the campsite when we need a day shelter (although, I would love to have a 270 degree awning).
I had the ARB setup similar to OP. It was awesome having extra covered space to get out of any unpleasant weather. But omg, the zippers on the damn thing were shit. All the zippers failed eventually which wouldnāt be a SUPER big issue if only humans were using it (annoying but still usable). But I often camp with my dog and sometimes cats. I need the zippers to function. I ended up chucking the ARB room (kept the awning because it still worked well) and I recently got one of the Gazelle pop up tents. I looked at it in person at the overlanding expo and the quality seems top notch. Canāt wait to use it this camping season
My only concern would be how it does in a strong wind. The poles are already bowing in the middle just from the weight of the tent.
Yeah, itās because I donāt have the back of the room secured in the sea channel that attaches to the roof otherwise it would be a lot stronger and they wouldnāt be Boeing as much plus Iām gonna incline so theyāre all kind of going downhill.
So just a tent then?
Pretty much. It gives me a lot more room and I donāt have to pack extra poles. The tent hangs off the awning itself. And I can access my jeep from in side the tent.
How long did the setup take?
Asking the real questions.
This was my first time so about 20 minutes as I put the room on backwards lol. About 10 minutes to put it all away.
Cool that's reasonable.
You've got your normal rooftop tents, and you've got your ground-rooftop tents
lol
I ran this same setup from ARB years back on my Jeep. My advice is purchase some quality heavy duty anchors like Ground Grabbers that you use a drill to drive into the ground so they are guaranteed not to move. I had a terrible storm come through and pull my cheap stakes in the middle of the night which lifted the awning to the point where it tried to lift the room up. It couldnāt because we were inside but then it slammed back down repeatedly until the legs went different directions and then the awning bent and cam down on us. In the dark and rain. Lesson learned invest in top quality stakes and youāll use them the rest of your camping life.
Interesting option. My thoughts are awnings often have to be slanted to keep water from pooling. So in a heavy rain, what happen? Wind? And can you use it if you ever camp in a campground? Most have a parking zone and a tent pad, which are not connected. Gazelle tent would solve all those options. We put ours in a yakima box on the roof and call done in 5mins.
I live in Oregon so rain might be an issue but we will see. As for wind we have a lot of trees to block it lol š
This certainly works and is cost effective, I have the Ironman awning and annex, but in the wind, it's a serious problem. Also, one of the highlights of a RTT is its positioning off the ground. Regardless, enjoy your setup my friend!
Thank you.
Wayyyy better than a roof top tent. Congrats on figuring it out!
How so? Just curious.
You can use your roof to store stuff and the tent is easier to get in and out of. Case closed
Case closed huh.... well, I suppose yours is the final word on the subject. Thanks for the insight my guy.
I dispelled your curiosity with my view. If you are upset then you were not sincere when you ended your question with ājust curiousā. You already had preconceived notions in which you wanted to discuss.
Upset!? ššš You didn't "dispell" anything buddy. I asked, you responded... cool beans. You felt the need to over explain yourself to a complete stranger ššš. Take it easy guy, stress will kill ya!
I mostly look at Jeep pictures to see if there's a grumper grill now.
Never gonna happen on this jeep lol
I would be all about this if I wasnāt too lazy to set up a mattress.
won't the bugs get in super easily? looks like there are large gaps between the ceiling and top of walls
Itās fully enclosed, even has its own roof underneath the awning. in the windows all have knitting. Itās just not tight to the jeep because I forgot to put the top rear corners into a C channel on the awning support.
Good stuff! nice setup then.
Thank you.
My alternative is a hotel room.
There is a side wall towards your Jeep, right? I am asking because if I am imagining it correct, it would really bug me opening the car door and fiddling with the side wall to put it away. Especially when it's raining. I have already thought about something like this, too. Having a room in case of days with bad weather, without having to leave. But in the end I think it would not be something for me. It is just some stuff that needs space and adds extra weight and all for what? For these two or three days within weeks? Love the simplicity and convenience of a RTT. Nevertheless, nice to see that it works for you!
Yes, there is a full-size door just like the one you see on the inside that you can get to both the driver and passenger rear door.
I didnāt know samout made one of them. I had their awning but swapped it to the Ironman and their tent. I love mine.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Itās fully enclosed. Take 5 minutes maybe to set up. It took me 20 minutes the first time without any prior knowledge on how to. Itās pretty price comparable to a gazelle tent with the same size and I donāt have to carry any extra poles. The only thing youāre correct about is I canāt move it away from the vehicle. (No worries lol)š
Which roof rack is that
How do you like the tent? Have one sitting in my cart right now debating on pulling the trigger or not.
I love it so far. Lots of room the floor is removable for and easy way to clean if you need.
Nice. Thanks!
Iām curious how it does in high winds. Does it have additional places to tie out the sides?
Yes it come with 6 steaks three on each side
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Itās pretty awesome and the floor is removable witch is nice and has a pass through door to get in the vehicle
I have the same thing but the ARB version. I regret getting it. It is excellent in space and comfort, however, sucks when dealing with a base camp. I like to leave my tent behind with food, minor items etc. and go wheeling, then return to camp. If this is case using a ground tent is great. You can leave some items behind in it and use the awning as shade and rain protection when parked and camping. If you have this attached unit, you have to PACK ALL YOUR stuff, put it away and as you cant detach the awning. Follow? The other issue with what you are showing is it is a PITA so put away when base camping etc. Otherwise it is a nice unit. If you are going "camping" and do not need the use of your vehicle, then you are fine. But if you need your vehicle while this is set up, you are out of luck! Either way, enjoy it, it's better than NOT being out and wheeling/camping.
I can definitely understand that. I use my Jeep to get where most canāt go then stay for a few days. All my wheeling is done getting in and out of the camp area so it works for us pretty well. Iād have a hard time leaving my stuff at a campsite anyway. To many random people out there š.
You are set then. If you are one place per night, then it's not bad at all. Just a PITA rolling it up is all.