Rooftop Tents vs. Ground Tents for Overland Trips

Sleep system choice affects your project in ways most people don't anticipate. Weight, center of gravity, mileage penalty, and setup time all shift with the choice.

Rooftop tent trade-offs

• Fast setup, off the ground, no scouting flat sites
• 100-180 lbs of constant roof load — affects MPG and handling
• Roof rack and crossbar capacity has to match
• Hard-shells cost more but pack faster and are quieter at highway speed

Ground tent trade-offs

• Zero impact on the project when not in use
• Site selection takes longer, especially in Florida wet ground
• Lower cost, more flexibility on family sizing