Newbie planning to get RTT for BMW X5

[jtakau]

Hello,

New poster here and also a beginner with rooftop tents. We are planning a road trip with my wife and the idea of rooftop tent got my attention.

Our ride is BMW X5. The cargo hold will be taken by our dogs (have fitted crates taking the entire hold). So the RTT would be used as our sleeping compartment (2 adults) and I would like to add a side tent to act as changing room (and give us an option to put two of the dogs in separate crates to the side tent while two would sleep in their ordinary compartments in the cargo hold.

Couple of ideas/questions:

(i) What racks would you recommend for such a combination? In order to accommodate the rising cargo hold’s roof, the RTT may have to be placed quite close to the center of the roof. Does this affect the choice of racks (type, number, positioning)?

(ii) Since we are living in Finland, the ability to use the RTT also during winter would be a nice bonus. We could most likely do also without, since we haven’t been doing much winter camping so far, so it is not a crucial item. Is some model clearly better in this respect than others? I have gotten the impression that a hard shell tent would generally have better winter capability than a soft tent.

(iii) Any experience with a combination of a hard shell RTT and a separate walled awning for a changing room/additional space for dogs. Considering that some manufacturers produce also separate awnings, I suspect that mounting them both to a car would not be a problem. Is a walled awning any good?

(iv) Does anyone know a dealer in Finland or in Germany or Sweden? UK and US dealers seem to be easiest to find, but I suspect that cost of delivery from UK or US would be close to prohibitive.

 

[Lemsteraak]

Talk to Woick in Germany, they can help set you up

http://www.woick.de/outdoor-shop/

 

[jtakau]

After reading several reviews and getting some price quotes, I am pondering between James Baroud Explorer Evolution and Maggiolina Airlander Small.

Most reviews have poured praise to Baroud. Baroud would also give a bit more interior space (140 cm width compared to Airlander’s 130 and partial height of 145 cm) while still being lighter (by five kilos). How noticeable the difference in width and/or height is in practice when used by two adults (me being 182 cm tall and my wife some 175 cm)?

Due the dogs I am thinking about getting an awning with wall option. Would such an option be any good in practice? Do you think that it would require so much setting up on a daily basis that it would take the point out of having a RTT in the first place (the plan is to change location pretty much for every night)?

 

[XPEDITIONREADY]

What about using a RTT that has the annex built into it like an Eezi-Awn Xklusiv T-top or ARB Simpson III? With the ARB you have to buy the annex walls separately but your ladder for either will be inside the "changing room/annex" as well as give you a place to keep the dog crates. Its a nice feature to be able to come down the ladder and change standing up. Seems to be a feature that wives enjoy. Neither one has the fiberglass top that you may require, but I just thought I would give you an alternative to consider.

 

[Mike S]

After reading several reviews and getting some price quotes, I am pondering between James Baroud Explorer Evolution and Maggiolina Airlander Small.

Most reviews have poured praise to Baroud. Baroud would also give a bit more interior space (140 cm width compared to Airlander's 130 and partial height of 145 cm) while still being lighter (by five kilos). How noticeable the difference in width and/or height is in practice when used by two adults (me being 182 cm tall and my wife some 175 cm)?

Due the dogs I am thinking about getting an awning with wall option. Would such an option be any good in practice? Do you think that it would require so much setting up on a daily basis that it would take the point out of having a RTT in the first place (the plan is to change location pretty much for every night)?

Are you thinking of the side tent for the dogs? I travel with my bird dogs frequently and they stay in their kennels or on a stake-out when not released to run.

 

[jtakau]

What about using a RTT that has the annex built into it like an Eezi-Awn Xklusiv T-top or ARB Simpson III? With the ARB you have to buy the annex walls separately but your ladder for either will be inside the "changing room/annex" as well as give you a place to keep the dog crates. Its a nice feature to be able to come down the ladder and change standing up. Seems to be a feature that wives enjoy. Neither one has the fiberglass top that you may require, but I just thought I would give you an alternative to consider.

Having direct access to the “changing room/annex” from the tent does sound like a nice feature. Unfortunately my wife is really suspicious about “soft core” RTTs. This might be a mistaken belief but I have to admit that RTTs with fiberglass top do give an impression that they would be way better suited for chilly conditions, something we have to plan around here in Finland.

Are you thinking of the side tent for the dogs? I travel with my bird dogs frequently and they stay in their kennels or on a stake-out when not released to run.

We have two-part crate for dogs fitted to the cargo hold. The arrangement is quite nice for them to travel so that two dogs travel on each side of the crate, but I would prefer if I could arrange a separate sleeping box for each dog during the night. So the plan would be to have two folding crates for dogs, which could be placed inside the side tent as sleeping place for two dogs while two can remain in car.

 

[Mike S]

...We have two-part crate for dogs fitted to the cargo hold. The arrangement is quite nice for them to travel so that two dogs travel on each side of the crate, but I would prefer if I could arrange a separate sleeping box for each dog during the night. So the plan would be to have two folding crates for dogs, which could be placed inside the side tent as sleeping place for two dogs while two can remain in car.

Understand. You should look at the Air Top or Maggiolina - they have an optional changing room that attaches to the upper edge of the tent, have a full door, window, insect screens, and provide access to the and the vehicle from inside the changing room Should be enough room for two dog crates without getting too crowded.

Here is a photo…

 

[jtakau]

Understand. You should look at the Air Top or Maggiolina - they have an optional changing room that attaches to the upper edge of the tent, have a full door, window, insect screens, and provide access to the and the vehicle from inside the changing room Should be enough room for two dog crates without getting too crowded.

Would such a Maggiolina tent fit with Baroud tent? The Maggiolina changing room does look quite attractive (from practical point of view), but I have found way better deal for Baroud.

 

[Mike S]

Would such a Maggiolina tent fit with Baroud tent? The Maggiolina changing room does look quite attractive (from practical point of view), but I have found way better deal for Baroud.

I doubt that it will work with a JB tent. Sorry.