Roof Top Tent vs Ground Tent: Which is the Best Tent for Camping Travel? (Camping)[Overlanding]

Ground tent vs roof top tent? Which tent wins the battle? Which is the best tent for your camping and overlanding adventures?
We purchased our Junior Safari Bow ripstop canvas ground tent from TentCo (www.tentco.co.za/).
The roof top tent came with the Wild Dog (the Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series).
Below is a list of timestamp/chapter links to take you straight to particular aspects:
0:00 - Intro
0:24 - Setup Location
1:57 - Setup Time
3:14 - Taking Down
4:12 - Stationary but Separate
4:48 - Accessibility
5:12 - Safety
8:13 - Space When Transporting
9:48 - Interior Space
10:40 - Occupation Signifier
11:09 - Wind
11:49 - Rain
12:35 - Tent Storage at Home
13:30 - Location
15:20 - Cost
16:19 - Versatility
16:26 - Fuel Consumption
17:22 - Driving Constraints
17:46 - In Conclusion
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[@rosskramm206]

Hi TG Great review and channel. You really should have more subscribers. One other factor to consider is dirt and dust. The clam shell tt are clean and easy. The ground tent not as much. but it is a small difference. The answer, have both. tt for quick trips, wild camping or trips when you will be moving to a new site every few days. Ground tent for longer stays. I haven't yet, but will be adding stretches to the ground tent. More comfort but less packing space. P.s you should be on patreon, love your campsite reviews.

[@TravelGigolo]

Thanks for the feedback. Hadn't considered the cleaning, you're absolutely right. The GT is mich more difficult to clean, especially after camping in muddy or dusty conditions. Have considered stretchers too but we prefer the mattresses we have, especially when it's cold. Appreciate the positive feedback 👍🏾

[@warren6899]

I cannot deal with the ladder, for me, in vehicle sleeping is the answer. You cannot roadside stealth-camp with a ruddy great big bedroom on the roof. My options are ground tent and in vehicle.

[@seantowlson7051]

The Roof Top Tent is ideal for touring where you arrive at camp for a night and then move on the next day. For a longer stay, say a weekend or longer, then the ground tent will probably be more advantageous. Its the same with the overall vehicle setup and build. What are you going to use it for and where. TG, you should have way more subscribers, awesome channel.

[@TravelGigolo]

Agree, we use the RTT for exactly those situations i.e. where we have a one night stopover. We also use it for wild camping, although not always. Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!

[@24zex]

That ground tent looks great!

[@TravelGigolo]

Great tent. One of our best camping purchase. Here's the review below. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYSkgatvpqyDeaM

[@frankkusel4768]

Something one should also consider, is the weight capacity of your vehicle roof and roof rack. You may find that when you have the tent on the roof, you can't add anything else without exceeding the ratings of your vehicle roof.

[@TravelGigolo]

Very good point. Depending on your rack and RTT, adding two full jerry cans can get you over quickly. Thanks for noting that!

[@Fearl3SS84]

We have our setup like this now. Rooftop tent for the Longer trips where you travel and overnight and next day you go again. Popup for a quick weekend. Big canvas for Longer stays of 3 or more days at one place.

[@TravelGigolo]

We have a similar approach. We use the RTT for single night stays, and the canvas tent for anything more than a one night. I find that the time to take down the canvas tent is significantly longer because it involves decamping more stuff (bedding, mattresses, ground sheet, etc). So significant time is saved with the RTT partly because there is minimal 'stuff'. Thanks for your feedback 👍🏾

[@AkhonaNgquba]

I have a trailer and ground tent and I think a trailer is better (besides the costs of owning one). It is quick to setup when you have short stays (overnight) by only erecting the sleeping area but also has the longer to setup option that completely makes your camping great (with awnings, kitchen and sitting area). You should review one the day you have it.

[@TravelGigolo]

Trailer tents look good. I'm often impressed with the trailer based set-ups I see at camping sites. Also it's nice that you can un-hitch the trailer and drive around. The main drawback for us is that some places we want to go may not be possible, or very slow, with a trailer. Perhaps we will have one in the future though. I do see the many advantages.

[@annabarringer6215]

Excellent comparison!! Thanks for the valuable information 😀

[@TravelGigolo]

Thanks. Glad you found it informative!

[@mendyviola]

I thought about a roof-top, but the older I get, the more difficult it is for me to climb up and down. I found a ground tent that I can easily setup in less than 15 minutes and still stand up fully in. Where I live, elephants are not an issue (non-existent). We do have a lot of snakes, but if you keep your tent closed, they won’t get in. Never had a snake try to camp under my tent. When in scorpion country, you just have to assume they are there and approach things carefully, with gloves and boots (don’t store your boots outside, and always knock them upside down before putting your feet in them).

[@TravelGigolo]

We've often discussed the merits of getting a camping trailer, but it seems like it brings too many travel restrictions and potential complications. They're also quite costly. I think it will become inevitable at some point in our future, though.

[@pauloblack1988]

thorough unbiased assessment

[@TravelGigolo]

Glad you found it informative. Thank you for the feedback 👍🏾

[@mzwandilejanuary4222]

Great Presentation and content.

[@TravelGigolo]

Thanks, glad you found it informative.

[@janpienaar1881]

Thanks for great videos. A RTT has an additional benefit of having a built-in mattress and you can leave most of your bedding inside the RTT.

[@TravelGigolo]

True, that saves a lot space in the car. We also generally leave the bedding in during the trip except the pillows. Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated 👍🏾

[@MarcHDJ81v]

Awesome and thorough video. I would love to see a video on your full VX Limited’s setup please. Suspension, shelving, roof rack etc. I have the same model and your setup looks incredible. Thanks from Durbs

[@TravelGigolo]

Must get around to doing the vehicle soon, it's been in the list for a while. The 80 is a great vehicle for our needs! Thanks for the feedback!

[@folloczah056]

Ill go with a ground tent all the time..

[@TravelGigolo]

I generally agree, for me ground tent makes more sense in most circumstances, although RTT has its benefits. Thanks for the feedback 👍🏾

[@chrisg1234fly]

Great video, 10/10!! We are debating which to get now. Our biggest problem is being a one car family (work outside SA), the height of the RTT and getting into malls and such like. Its too tall for SWAMBO on her own, and as a non garage owner, taking it off is an issue. Do you remove yours? Can you get into a mall for those emergency supplies on the way to the bush? Every one has a different set of requirements.

[@TravelGigolo]

Very valid issues. In this vein we basically have had the following difficulties with RTT on the car: 1. Can't get into some malls due to the height restriction. Usually just a couple of cm too high. Fortunately have a smaller car for daily run around. 2. Tent has to stay on car because we don't have a suitable place/garage to suspend it. So it generally goes wherever the car goes. 3. When sending car for service, a bit concerned about possibility of damage to tent. 4. Overhanging trees in suburbs can be an issue, some small suburban roads are not trimmed by council. So yes, these are real issues and/or nuisance factors. Thanks for the feedback!

[@khutsoabigail9121]

The rooftop tent looks easy, convenient and less hustle I only think of it when I have to pitch a tent when it is raining. I'm that girl who still likes the ground tent the challenges that comes with it, lucky are those who pitch a tent in minutes. With my friends (All females) we always reserve an hour or more to pitch 🤗 I can't imagine having to deal with packing and unpacking each time we want to leave the campsite or coming back.

[@TravelGigolo]

😄 I definitely prefer the ground tent in general too. The RTT is nice to have as a backup especially if we staying for one night only. Thanks for the feedback 👍🏾