Cheap roof top tent idea: Is it practical?

Sundowner said:
You did get it slightly wrong, but it's no big deal; you just don't know what it's like when I actually do go off on someone, so it's easy to think that to be what happened here. No biggie.

Your idea isn't stupid; it's actually very similar to how most rooftop tents and cots work. The concept is essentially sound, but it's simply not as easy as you think. Recall what @Mr. Bills said: "most abandoned them after a season or two." If I was you, I would recognize that for what it is - direct, personal experience - and I would be picking his brain to no end to understand what those guys either did wrong, or didn't like. I also think that your mock-up idea is very practical, because someone else has already paid for the experiment. Can't hurt to give it a shot; the worst you'll get is firsthand experience for what doesn't work, and all night to think about it.
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Would you post a picture of your rig?
 
A lot of well made points here. Some advice for @SafariRumbler as you remind me of myself when I was first getting into jeeping, scrolling through the quadratec catalog and perusing images to see what I thought looked “cool”. Keep this in mind....I spent 3 and 1/2 years researching suspensions before deciding what would work best for me. Tri-link rears, 4 link triangulated rears, 5links, coilovers, and everything else under the sun. Spent a few months on pirate getting my ideas crushed into the pavement by guys who build customs rigs, and at the end of all that time I finally was happy with my plan. Went out, built it and bought some of the parts, tested it, and was pissed. Pissed that it didn’t meet my expectations for greatness. Nothing. I repeat NOTHING can replace trail and error/experience. I’ve slept in rooftop tents, regular tents, hooches in the army, Bivvy sacks in a hole, and hammocks in mountains. The advice these guys are giving you is almost spot on - nothing compares to the sweet simplicity of a high quality ground tent. Investing in the important parts like a high end sleeping system, cooking gear, and water source will make your experience so much more enjoyable. Your’e a scout so you know wilderness survival as well as I do being in the Infantry - so take those skills and expand them into a solid plan for how you want to camp. I helped a buddy make a stinger out of 2” DOM tubing with tie ins and bracing, then watched it fold like paper when he tipped his rig too far forward in JV. If it’s just for looks? Go for it. Everyone has a different idea of what looks good. You want to be a badass? Invest in things that will make your rig go farther than all your buddies, long after they get stuck or broken. Nothing beats the feeling of having all the right gear and upgrades to be the only guy at the end of the trail that isn’t thousands in the hole with broken parts and can pull them all out because they chose light bars over lockers. As far as your questions? Ask away. We are very honest on here - sometimes brutally. But all of us here want you to succeed. And keep wheeling! Oh and @Sundowner always is a drivel-posting grumpifier to those who don’t see all the stuff he posts, but that’s because he tries to get people on here to THINK about their decisions and really decide their goals and ways to get there. @Chris @jjvw give great experience backed up advice, so take their insight with some weight.
 
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BuildBreakRepeat said:
A lot of well made points here. Some advice for @SafariRumbler as you remind me of myself when I was first getting into jeeping, scrolling through the quadratec catalog and perusing images to see what I thought looked “cool”. Keep this in mind....I spent 3 and 1/2 years researching suspensions before deciding what would work best for me. Tri-link rears, 4 link triangulated rears, 5links, coilovers, and everything else under the sun. Spent a few months on pirate getting my ideas crushed into the pavement by guys who build customs rigs, and at the end of all that time I finally was happy with my plan. Went out, built it and bought some of the parts, tested it, and was pissed. Pissed that it didn’t meet my expectations for greatness. Nothing. I repeat NOTHING can replace trail and error/experience. I’ve slept in rooftop tents, regular tents, hooches in the army, Bivvy sacks in a hole, and hammocks in mountains. The advice these guys are giving you is almost spot on - nothing compares to the sweet simplicity of a high quality ground tent. Investing in the important parts like a high end sleeping system, cooking gear, and water source will make your experience so much more enjoyable. Your’e a scout so you know wilderness survival as well as I do being in the Infantry - so take those skills and expand them into a solid plan for how you want to camp. I helped a buddy make a stinger out of 2” DOM tubing with tie ins and bracing, then watched it fold like paper when he tipped his rig too far forward in JV. If it’s just for looks? Go for it. Everyone has a different idea of what looks good. You want to be a badass? Invest in things that will make your rig go farther than all your buddies, long after they get stuck or broken. Nothing beats the feeling of having all the right gear and upgrades to be the only guy at the end of the trail that isn’t thousands in the hole with broken parts and can pull them all out because they chose light bars over lockers. As far as your questions? Ask away. We are very honest on here - sometimes brutally. But all of us here want you to succeed. And keep wheeling! Oh and @Sundowner always is a drivel-posting grumpifier to those who don’t see all the stuff he posts, but that’s because he tries to get people on here to THINK about their decisions and really decide their goals and ways to get there. @Chris @jjvw give great experience backed up advice, so take their insight with some weight.
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Great advice, If someone has a Jeep that can go that extra mile and pull everyone out of the mud, if anyone has a build that there truly happy with and is a strong rig, please PM me I have some questions.


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Sundowner said:
Of course she has...the question is whether or not yours has, too.

I'm kidding, there...but seriously: what about "I look great in a miniskirt" was misleading in terms of my confidence in my manhood?
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She has seen it and thought it was funny too. As far as miniskirts...I'm not sure what what to think. That's between you and your therapist. All kidding aside, let's give back this thread to the OP.
 
Brianj5600 said:
She has seen it and thought it was funny too. As far as miniskirts...I'm not sure what what to think. That's between you and your therapist. All kidding aside, let's give back this thread to the OP.
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Think of it this way: are you secure enough in your manhood and sexuality to go out in a miniskirt? If not, maybe you need to talk to a therapist; your confidence will thank you...and your partner of choice, should you have one, might thank you as well! Win-win! Great success!
 
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