Watch this before you buy a roof top tent - what the bloggers don't show. TUFF TREK

[@jamesadams5711]

Nicely done 😊 Keep on with your productions ❤

[@Sol-Cutta]

Folds up and opens quite quick...less hassle than ground tent and can u pull ladder up once u inside??? Id feel lot safer in that than in ground tent..nice if u can.

[@Sol-Cutta]

😂😂😂 that long pole u put across the middle and bang ur head on , ok uve put it going across toward the open back window (?) Look to the left from facing that big window...see te middle pole with 2 going off at right angles like 2 triangles...the middle pole at the very top of it...clip it there and right acorss to the other side right along middle higher up at the very tip top out of way of head and providing much stronger for winds...does it fit there ?? Think thats the spot for it.

[@Sol-Cutta]

When you on ground looking at car....see the right hand side , passenger...look up tent roof and see the very top part like top of circus tent, thats where that long pole supposed to clip, so it's following the back to front of car rather than drivers to passenger across roof how u had it...????

[@sigascosailing6787]

Brilliant! Very informative and just what I was looking for. Thanks for the post 👌🏻👍🏻

[@chrisjohnson3590]

Brilliant, informative and engaging. You’re a natural and bloody brave walking about up yonder 😳

[@stovesincoves9417]

Thank you. I’m trying 🙂

[@sidneyparkin5924]

Looks fab…. Decisions… Tentbox or Tuff- Trek.. great vlog ..thank you

[@NicholasShaddick]

A folding alloy step-up (like builders use) is such a useful piece of kit in a land rover. Makes engine bay maintenance much more comfortable for one thing and has a hundred other applications.

[@stovesincoves9417]

Yes but hop us take up so much space

[@TarrelScot]

Hi, experienced Roof Tent user here. Great video, well structured and honest with the pros and cons. I have to say though, I'm struggling to understand what led you down the roof tent route in the first place. They have so many disadvantages compared to a ground tent set-up; cost, access, space, the fact you can't use the vehicle until you've broken camp. I'm also not sure they're best suited to the UK climate, especially in the far north, but I don't have personal experience of that, having used them mostly in Africa. My advice to anyone considering one, before researching the different brands out there, would be to really think hard about the circumstances in which you're planning to camp and ask whether a roof tent is the best solution for you at all. If you don't know, then rent one for a weekend and try it. There's nothing like personal experience to tell you whether it's the right camping solution for you. Remember, with camping you are always buying a "solution", never just a product. Don't get sidetracked by all the alluring "African Safari" marketing. Having said all that, I am actually thinking of one myself for quick overnight trips in Scotland where I might want to "free-camp" in a lay-by or carpark and wouldn't be able to peg down a ground tent. It would go on top of my Mini Countryman.

[@ifidontknownooneknows]

I hear what your saying ground tent is better option this country, but saying that since I got My tent box classic on my xtrail it's hard not to uses good in high winds and rain

[@stovesincoves9417]

We are planning to road trip across Europe. Our plan is to spend the days travelling / adventuring and then pitch up in the evening, cook dinner, bed down and then pack away in the morning after breakfast and then get back on the road again. For these purposes it is perfect. Much quicker pack up and pack down (especially with two people) than a ground tent and takes up less space than the truck and ground tent would combined so opens up potential camping spots. For this use it’s perfect. We also plan to do the NC500 which is the 500mile coast road around Scotland. Again this will be pitching up in the evening and then packing down again in the morning and getting back on the road. Again, perfect set up for this kind of activity. We also have a ground tent, a caravan and a converted van. They all have their uses, all have their draw backs. We find that ground Tents are great for long camping trips in the same location in sunny weather that are a bit off the beaten track where we couldn’t get the caravan down. We use the caravan to drag out the book ends of the season and use in more miserable and cold weather but it does require us staying on formal campsites which are my most preferred environment. I tend to like things more wild and rugged with less people. The van is a new addition so we’re still figuring that out but at the moment our opinion is that it’s a perfect option for a couple of single but as a family of 4 it’s very cramped as some of the set up space is taken up by safe seating for the kids whilst travelling. What we’ve learnt is that There’s no perfect set up for all camping scenarios. If you only camp one way then it’s easy to figure out what may be the best set up for you but if you’re like us and your adventures vary quite a bit and you have young kids that are going through various development stages (Co-sleeping/ sleeping independently, unable to navigate ladders/ able to be trusted to follow basic safety instructions etc) then there is never going to be a once size fits all approach that suits you perfectly. Hence why we’ve invested in ALL the toys as adventure is one of the key values of our family so weve chosen to put our money there instead of holiday, drinking, meals out or other areas that people may choose to put their money.

[@Sol-Cutta]

Whats it like for condensation??? The windows ,do they have clear zip parts that go on ?? Do you put air beds down ??? Do you have an awning that can fold out to sit under/in next to car that means u could just climb straight up ladder into from car and also have door or two on car open with heaters on (connected to fag lighter or just car heaters ) that heat the awning and up into the tent opening??? If not able buy could you get a awning and cut hole in it and affix velcro to both parts ???

[@whoknowsitiswhatitis]

please do not forget his policy regarding the security of the boarder. Great show thank you for all your hard work.

[@stovesincoves9417]

I’m completely lost with this comment

[@whoknowsitiswhatitis]

@@stovesincoves9417 how so, like what part do you not comprehend?

[@stovesincoves9417]

@@whoknowsitiswhatitiswho’s policy and security of what boarder ?

[@whoknowsitiswhatitis]

@@stovesincoves9417 well that would be Mr. Trumps policy regarding the boarders of the USA.

[@whoknowsitiswhatitis]

@@stovesincoves9417 dang ok i get why your lost now something happened i was watching a different show and for what ever reason the comment that was for that show showed up on your channel i am so sorry i will delete my post in 24 hrs just know i understand your confusion im so sorry i feel so bad right now lol.

[@timlowe3081]

Great video, that is the reality of it, just think about this at night, rain amd wind

[@technretro7115]

Really well covered. I personally did forsee the issues you highlighted but my wife didn't so its was good to see those details explained via your experience, great video. On another note where was the beautiful location that the videos was filmed in?

[@Land_Rover_Pete]

Great video, I love Tuff Trek products and have a TT02 ruggedised 1.4m and their 1.4m awning off the back of my Defender. You said you would do a video on your 270 awning but I couldn’t see it. Is it a Tuff Trek Speedwing?

[@stovesincoves9417]

Yes it is a tUFF trek speedwing. I haven’t created the video yet but this is the nudge I needed. I’ll get one up in the next couple of weeks

[@Motoscotty]

Great video, thank you! What size is this? We are looking at the 2.2m, is this the size beneath it? It’s for 2 adults and 2 kids!

[@stovesincoves9417]

Yeah that was the 1.8

[@RoyBooth]

Which tent have you got. I've got the TT-02 Rugedised and it has two straps on the end opposite the hinge which you didn't show undoing before you folded out the tent. I also have 6 window poles not four, there are two for the window opposite the door. I'm also baffled by the extendable pole, I thought it was to go from the end hoop by the door, to the removable door hoop, but you cant put it on with the door or mess closed. You might have it right but I could guarantee hitting my head on that when getting up in the middle of the night. Interesting that you sleep sideways in the tent, I sleep with my feet towards the door. We've only got the normal size tent so open it's 1.4 x 2.4m. You do realised the two black straps inside are to hold onto as you go down the ladder til you get hold of the top rung. It's a bit easier with a Freelander as it's not as high and there's no room to climb on the roof rack as the tent fills it. Great video.

[@stovesincoves9417]

Hi Roy, we have the TT-02 1.8 ours doesn’t have the two straps you mention on the hinge side. Must be a variation between models. Yes I’m aware of the inner straps to help you get inside but don’t really feel like we need them. They’re a nice to have though. I’ve since learnt that the long pole is to go above the door. Although I’ve still to figure out where and how exactly. I think I will just do away with it. Thanks for your comment. Stay tuned for more camping adventures 🏕🗺

[@ravenragnar]

The main problem with them I have found is that once you are set up... You are not packing it back up if you need to go back to the store. I'll stick with a reg tent and still have access to my vehicle.

[@frankdux5693]

Aye see that. A hassle. I suppose the tentbox ones that are rectangular with hard plastic shell look a lot easier to put up and down. I fancy getting one but fancy getting a ford wildtrak with cabin on the back. So will only put it up at the end of the day.

[@JB-cb8fx]

Packing that away in the rain must be horrendous, plus it it’s put away wet does all the bedding get wet?

[@stovesincoves9417]

Packing away a ground tent in the rain is horrendous. Camping in the rain is horrendous. Welcome to English camping. And no. You zip up the window and door before you close and it’s all completely dry sealed. No moisture gets inside.

[@fraserpitkethly2265]

I like how you say at the end that you dont need to fill up your boot with a normal tent

[@stovesincoves9417]

American?

[@philipmillward7901]

That looks a lovely spot , where is it ?

[@AstroBoater]

I’ve only just come across this channel but was wondering about the location you are at in this video?

[@stovesincoves9417]

Bedruthan steps just outside newquay

[@AstroBoater]

@@stovesincoves9417 Thankyou very much. Looks a great spot for a weekend away to do some nighttime photography 👍

[@markvbickley]

So what's it like packing away in the rain when the canvas is soaking wet? Particularly when you're moving along to set up somewhere else. Does the bedding get soaking wet?

[@stovesincoves9417]

Hi, so packing away anything in the rain is not the most enjoyable but nothing gets wet inside. You just need to zip up the windows and doors which will likely already be zipped up if it’s raining and that makes it a sealed and dry unit. When you open it back up the outside cover will be wet obviously but the inside is stone dry. On the odd occasion that we have had to pack away in the rain we have made sure we’ve opened it back up again when it’s sunny to dry off the outside cover.

[@ryanheath3929]

Bethruden steps campsite is amazing 😎

[@stovesincoves9417]

My fave

[@EssexLadOutdoors]

Great video. Thanks. What camp site is this? Looks great

[@stovesincoves9417]

This was a campsite in newquay that was a pop up last summer. Not sure if they’re doing it again next year sadly

[@deanbratley8804]

Hey great honest review of your experience with an rtt well done. I don’t know tuftrek at all but that extendable pole you used to force the internal tent to stay rigid, a lot of tents that is actually to hold the canopy over the ladder taught so it doesn’t flap and collapse in high wind. Have you tried it from the hoop pole holding the extension to the first tent pole ? Just a thought ?

[@stovesincoves9417]

Thanks for your comment. A few people have messaged to suggest this. I’m still a bit baffled by how this would attach. I’m presuming that one end attaches to the arm that extends that canopy (the bit I said that I had problems with previously) but I can’t see where the other end attaches. The obvious pole would be the one over the door but that is placed inside the tent so would only be able to be fixed when the door is open. The other options I saw would all be over the top of tent canvas which doesn’t seem right either. Still baffled by this 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@martenlau513]

have you heard about TentBox company? Which one would be better?

[@stovesincoves9417]

Tent box and TuffTrek are both great names in the business. Tent box didn’t do a family sized one when we purchase this so our only option was to go with TuffTrek as they were the only people who built a text of this size that we were willing to buy from.

[@Ben-fr4pi]

Hi, off topic sorry but what light bar do you have? And is it any good? Thanks

[@stovesincoves9417]

I couldn’t tell you what bar it was but it wasn’t as expensive as many on the market. It’s like looking into the sun when it’s on 🤣🫣

[@kevinhayes1656]

And she asked, is it from inside of the vehicle, which is nice

[@Connellski1986]

Thank you, I’ve just bought one

[@stovesincoves9417]

Ah great. Enjoy. Can’t wait to get out in ours pretty soon. Just waiting for this weather to warm up. Do you have any trips planned?

[@Connellski1986]

@@stovesincoves9417 just did a night in the lakes with it. I’ve a shallow roof rack and on a transporter which didn’t really work. The window poles aint the best and I found it difficult to set them up. At the minute I’m open minded about if I like it or not

[@stovesincoves9417]

If it’s any help. I reckon the first 3 times we used it we hated it. I too couldn’t work out the window poles, we found set up frustrating, packing away was an absolute mission and we argued with each other about it all weekend. Then suddenly things started to click into place. I still deffo see it as having its role. I wouldn’t take it on a week long camping trip when we needed to move the vehicle during the day for example but for 1 nighters or trips where you’re travelling lots and just pitching up at night and sleeping then heading back on the road again in the morning (think cross Europe trips of NC500 in Scotland) I think it’s perfect. It has its place in our camp artillery but one thing I can say for 100% sure is that it deffo gets easier and less frustrating with time. You suddenly figure it all out and then it becomes very easy.

[@Connellski1986]

@@stovesincoves9417 yeah I agree thank you. The technique u shown with the porch pole worked perfect by the way 💪🏻

[@williamamorim9897]

a hug from Brazil beautiful car my dream

[@stovesincoves9417]

Hello Brazil. Would love to venture your way at some point

[@kevinhayes1656]

I follow a KZbin channel called roaming reckless, it’s a girl with a dog that travels all over the United States and her Land Rover defender and she has a rooftop pop-up dwelling that looks almost perfect to me. She just pops it up and is totally on top of her Roof

[@stovesincoves9417]

Yes they are great but only work for solo travellers or couples. You can’t fit a whole family up there. Plus they are about 12-15k

[@kevinhayes1656]

Access is it not asks it

[@stovesincoves9417]

Yeah but they are 12k plus and this is under 2k

[@stovesincoves9417]

And they’re not big enough to sleep a whole family. Only 1-2 people

[@beatsbyjc]

The tent looks nice but I don’t like how big the logo is on the cover. It could stand to be much smaller

[@stovesincoves9417]

Got to admit I kinda agree with you. I’m personally not a fan of huge logos on anything really. I believe things look a lot more premium with discreet branding.,

[@brianhoskins1979]

I have the OX Overland tent which has a very similar setup. The door entry pole setup that you had initially struggled with came quite easily to me, but then I struggled with other things that you found easy. For example, you glossed over the guy rope setup with an in-video comment that it was "self explanatory", but for me I found this _totally_ confusing! Of course, I figured it out eventually and when I did, I realised it was very simple indeed. It's just one of those things where we each have different experiences and something that is hard for one person can be simple for another. I don't have that extra pole that you erected inside on mine. But I would guess that this would only be used in high wind conditions, as there's no chance that the tent will fold up during normal use. So if I were you I'd keep it on the Landy but don't bother with it normally. My biggest criticism of roof tents, and especially the ones that fold out like we've got, is that in general you're only going to be able to use them on real camp sites. You're not going to get away with the likes of the van life movement, where they park up somewhere for an evening. Because a Land Rover Defender with a roof tent attracts _way_ too much attention. But of course, if your plan is to only use it on camp sites then this is not an issue. I guess another criticism is that the tent is pretty much impossible to take off the rack when it's not going to be used for a while (e.g. Winter). I mean, not _literally_ impossible but difficult enough that you're basically going to leave it on there all the time. Which is OK, it doesn't cause a huge issue, but it's a big heavy weight that you're carrying around on the roof basically all of the time. I think car and small van owners suffer this less, as they can just do a two-man lift to get the tent off. Where as for us, with our tall Defenders, it's much more difficult.

[@stovesincoves9417]

You’re absolutely right. Taking it off the roof and putting it back on is a monumental pain in the backside. Ours has been on the roof all winter as a result.

[@paulwheeldon7194]

​@stovesincoves9417 it looks like you have a front runner rack, can i suggest the quick release mounts if you do, they make removal much easier

[@simonweaver9310]

Where have you gone…. Miss your videos

[@stovesincoves9417]

A big update coming soon

[@stovesincoves9417]

Also very kind of you to say. Thought it was only my parents that watched 😂

[@simonweaver9310]

Brilliant can’t wait been to Henry’s campsite 5 times LOVE IT 😃

[@stovesincoves9417]

Bloody love that place. Looking forward to going back this spring. If they answer their phone 😂

[@simonweaver9310]

We book our pitches by using google earth and send a red dot where we want to be , got a 5m bell tent will be be back in the autumn

[@jasonbarnes5605]

Hard shell rtts only take 30 seconds to set up but I guess they my not have enough room for you guys. How the hell do you get the dog up and down the ladder lol

[@stovesincoves9417]

Yes they are a lot quicker but they’re often not big enough for families. We couldn’t find one that fit 4 people. They’re perfect for couples though and if it had just been me and the husband then we would have deffo gone down that route. Hard shells are often a lot more expensive too. Luckily the dogo is only a cocker spaniel. A tubby cocker but a cocker nonetheless. We carry him up fireman style and he launches himself in. Pees in the middle of the night are…….interesting 🤣

[@edwinalexander1170]

Your tent is very nice, it has a sufficient space inside

[@supercrazysane]

Appreciate this was last year now but just to add to the comments. Indeed no one solution is perfect, all depends on your camping style/needs. Just to point out the obvious on RTTs, a hard shell RTT is quicker to setup and LOT quicker to pack away but usually comes at a premium and slightly heavier. Some great options out there. I went for the iKamper Mini 3.0 as it served my needs, keeps the weight down and left space on the rack for more storage. Enjoy the research and really think about what a typical holiday day/trip would look like to help make an informed decision. Some great air framed tent options out there now 🤓👍

[@stovesincoves9417]

Thanks for the comment. We already have an air tent and agree they are great but still a much longer set up than roof tent. There was no family sized hard shells available on the market when I looked. The hard shell market is deffo catered towards couples or lone travellers

[@supercrazysane]

@@stovesincoves9417 good point on the family size hard shells, the full fat iKamper Skycamp 3.0 is probably one of the closest.

[@jimmyjohnstone5878]

How do you stop a child falling out of the openings ? You can't leave them in without an adult.

[@stovesincoves9417]

Once the door and windows are zipped shut they can’t get out without unzipping them which our 3 year old and 13 month old are incapable of doing. But to be honest they aren’t up there without us. We did let the 3 year old play up there last summer with her older friend but I pretty much hovered around the bottom of the ladder the whole time and kept an eye on them. There isn’t a need for the kids to be up there on their own unless they’re asleep in which case they are zipped in and secure.

[@landroverscyprus7930]

insanely complicated for a roof top tent!

[@OryanMcLean]

Only problem i have is the annex aint waterproof, otherwise they are perfect for camping use

[@stovesincoves9417]

The annex is 100% waterproof. Tried and tested many times. Where have you got this info from?

[@OryanMcLean]

@@stovesincoves9417 I own one and tried and tested it many times

[@stovesincoves9417]

@@OryanMcLean I would complain to tUFF trek as this shouldn’t be the case. I’ve used mine when it’s been lashing it down and had no problems what so ever. I didn’t think tUFF trek shipped to New Zealand? Do they have a franchise out there

[@raiden00711]

Where were you born ,in a roof top tent.

[@stovesincoves9417]

Can you imagine the clean up 🤯

[@kevinhayes1656]

I wouldn’t be comfortable being in that tent hanging the car like that

[@805gregg]

Top Heavy Tents are a fad, soon to be over, who wants to camp next to your vehicle everytime, and having to pack up the tent to move you vehicle, bad idea

[@stovesincoves9417]

I guess it depends what kind of camping you do. When we go camping for a few days we take the ground tent. But when we’re travelling around and moving on each day then the roof top tent wins hands down. One thing I’ve learnt over the years is that no camping set up is perfect. We’ve had static caravans, touring caravans, campers, vans, tents and now a roof top tent. They all have their pros and cons and all have their uses for different moments.

[@TarrelScot]

@@stovesincoves9417 Agree 100%. No set-up is perfect. In Africa we enjoyed the convenience of quick set-up and (relatively) quick break-down. The biggest down-side though was the inability to head out for a dawn game-drive and then come back for breakfast and a leisurely break-down and departure. Being up high in unfenced camp grounds was reassuring though!

[@simonevans343]

You talk a lot

[@stovesincoves9417]

I see you don’t produce any videos of your own Simon. Shame. I’d love to criticise your efforts.

[@Kate_Short-For-Bob]

How else is she supposed to explain things ? Via the medium of mime ? (Gawd there's some total morons allowed on the tinterweb). Good video. Very helpful for us 👍

[@AC1131-i8d]

You write too much!