Awesome rooftop tent you got there. We will pick up at the store on our next trip to Seattle. Love to shop in Oregon. No sales tax. Cannot beat that. Thank you so much for sharing the video.
Thanks! The owners of the company are Bobby (husband) and Jamie (wife). They are super cool people too. You can always feel free to call them if you have any questions or want to visit about the different models. If you do make it to Oregon they will install it for you while you wait. It's pretty cool to do that and just hang out in the shop and visit with them while they do it. Thanks for watching!
Did you mount the RTT straight to the factory crossbars or the parallel support bars? I have a 2004 Xterra and am debating whether I need to buy new crossbars to support a RTT. Thanks!
Cool to watch the older videos! Your new FSR RTT is very similar in design to this CVT. 7-8 minutes for breaking down your tent/bedding is pretty darn fast!
It is similar in that it’s also a clam shell opening style. But the design is actually quite a bit different. That CVT design has been around for a long time but I like some of the newer evolutions of the design of rooftop tents. But that old one served me well for a couple years.
It's pretty cool for sure. I'm looking forward to having it this winter. Be nice not to be setting up a tent in the snow. One would look pretty good on top of that Scout...
I just did another trip with it last weekend. I really like it. It makes setting up camp really easy. Now that I've done it a few times I can deploy it in less than 5 minutes. And it seems to be really well made!
Did you use the factory rails and crossbars from your Xterra for this RTT or did you replace them? I have an Xterra and definitely want a rtt at some point.
Love the video and walk through. I saw your other video of the added vestibule and I am definitely getting this for my SUV. Thanks for posting :) Cheers
+Martin Blair It's an awesome set up. It has seriously been a game changer for me. Totally simplified my whole car camping set up and made it so much easier. I literally can pull over, unzip the cover, fold open the tent, toss my sleeping bag up there, and my shelter/sleeping set up is done. Typically about 5-7 minutes and I'm done and can spend the rest of my time enjoying myself.
Last weekend I used it in a TORRENTIAL storm. I was a little worried about it but it stayed dry. It was literally sideways blowing rain and hail pretty steady for several hours. Then it just rained steady for almost 2 days but not a drop got inside that thing. It's a great car camping shelter. I use it a lot.
+Coyote Works would you feel comfortable traveling the U.S. With it? Considering getting an xterra or something similar, and a roof top tent and that being my only source of shelter. I've always wanted to travel the U.S. And keep things minimalist. I always stay at nice hotels, and fly in and out of places, finally need to make this happen this coming summer!
+Mallan530 That Xterra has been a rock solid rig for me out there. And the roof top tent has just made car camping a whole lot simpler for me. I think they are a great way to go.
Want one for my Surburban. Been thinking about it for years, but haven't gotten around to make it happen. Cascadia in Bend, Ore.,,,will check it out. Thanx.
Bobby and Jamie are the owners. They are really cool to work with, answer any questions, or just bs about it. You could even fit one of their larger models on a Suburban. So far I'm really impressed. I'll do another video on it after I've used it a few more times.
Just found your channel and subbed. I haven't seen many other channels on desert camping and survival. Its sucks watching all the videos on bushcraft and looking around myself and seeing no trees hahaha.
I know the feeling! Lol. I see so many videos of stuff you can do in these lush forests full of streams, nuts, fish, and squirrels. I don't have any of that stuff in most of the country I hang out in! Glad you found my channel and thanks for subbing!
Good call Roy. I"ll see if I can do that in the next week or two. It's kind of been on my list but I know I need to get that video done. Basically it's my same pack that i use for all my other trips, plus a load out bag with some extra stuff. And usually I also throw in a folding chair and an ice chest full of whatever food and drinks I may want. Thanks for watching!
Is this a 3 season tent ? Or a 4 season ? What kind of wind mph. can this stand up too ? I have some experience living on the road and in the mountains ....skiing , fly fishing , exploring about so always nice to see what new options are available for the nomads at heart thanks and love your videos !!
Sup Daniel? Glad you found it. You a high desert dweller as well? Actually a lot of the reason I even started a UA-cam channel was just because I couldn't find much stuff on the high desert...
Hello Casey. I just found this older video of your, and I know with your newer Jeep you got the GoFSR Adventure series tent for it. I was just wondering how do you still feel about the CVT tents verses the FSR series? I'm going to bite the bullet very soon on one or the other and was just interested in any feedback; which is better, quality, ease of setup, etc Thanks for any info!
What about if it rains and you have to put it away wet? With a regular tent or a tarp I set it up in the garage to dry out. Just wondering... of course I'm on the wet side :)
I'm thinking I would just open it up when I got home and let it dry out. It usually doesn't rain for more than a day or so at a time here so that should usually work pretty well. I hope ;-) I'll let you guys know if that happens and I have any issues with it though.
Id wish you show what it looks like when youre laying in it from head to toe to get an idea of how much room you have, instead i see where your head is very close to the edge there, is the tent too short for you? how tall are you? im not sure this tent is right for me seeing that it might not be long enough.
Thanks for the video! I really like this setup, I was wondering how would this hold up against high wind in the desert? and since its been a long time since you have it if you faced any issues with it?
3boodPhotography No issues so far. I have had it in a few pretty intense desert thunderstorms and it doesn't seem like it will have any issues. The fabric is a fairly heavy ripstop type material. It's more like the thickness of ripstop military pants or something similar. It's much more heavy duty than your typical backpackers tent type fabric. I'll keep you all posted if I have any issues but it really seems like a pretty well made piece of kit.
very nice; have looked at some online for my toyota pickup but never got any further. I assume it feels solid on the floor but still was wondering how firm it was?
It does feel really solid. Between the way it mounts to the rack, and the way the ladder supports the weight of the overhang it feels very solid and stable. I've looked at a few other roof tents over the years that seemed a lot more flimsy. This one seems like it's solidly built out of good materials. The cover is really thick vinyl, the tent material is a fairly heavy ripstop fabric...everything just feels really solid and well built. Which is how I like my gear ;-) The cool thing is they are in Bend. You can go by their shop and they have most of the different models set up. You can check them out in person and get a feel for the different sizes, etc.
It's definitely a pretty cool set up. It's starting to get cold here...Like below freezing at night so I'm looking forward to seeing how it does in the colder temps.
great set up here. i am very much going to get a roof tent for my car an go traveling in it. do you use a heater and electic. also all the roof tents out now which would you say besides your own is best. im thinking of useing a small solar system for my electic use.
+Joe Doyle I haven't run any electric up into the tent but I do use a propane Buddy Heater in it all the time when I want to be really comfortable in the winter. It's an awesome car camping set up for sure. It's about 5 minutes set up and just a little bit longer to tear it down and button up the cover on it.
Mine's a 2004. I really like it. Thing is a little mountain goat. Very sure footed. I travel a lot of really remote, and sometimes rough roads and it handles them really well. It's old enough that I can work on it a bit, but new enough to have some of the more modern features. All around, I really like it for a back country rig.
How hard is it to put it on the roof and take off? What do you think about just leaving it on all the time when not camping? Is there a way to get my Labrador (yes my Labrador dog) up there to sleep with me?
Karen Bray Hi Karen. It's not too difficult to take on and off. You just have to un bolt 8 bolts, then it lifts right off. It is difficult for me to do by myself though. I can do it, but it's MUCH easier with two people. However, I just leave mine on all the time. Even when I'm not camping. It just stays on my car. It's not much different than having an enclosed roof rack. There is no issue with just leaving it installed. As far as your labrador...lol.. What kind of vehicle are you thinking of putting it on? My car is pretty tall so I would definitely have to give a dog some help to get him up the ladder. But I'm thinking on a lower car it wouldn't be too much of a problem. Hope that helps ;-)
Coyote, these vehicle tents are quite intriguing, and I find them very cool. But like many things I like, I am however finding it more difficult to justify rationally. I wonder if you find them limiting given you can't drive you vehicle without breaking camp, plus it takes up so much space on the roof. A portable standalone tent seems to me to have so much more versatility. What am I missing? What do you think some of the overriding benefits are of the vehicle tent concept?
+Letting the bear out Great questions and I love the way you are thinking about it. For me the roof top tent brings 2 main advantages. The first one being that now my shelter, and bedding are stored on top of my vehicle so those items (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow) are not taking up room inside my vehicle. I like a small SUV for my back country rig. But space is at a premium so to me this is a big win. The second one is the ease of set up and tear down. There are some quick set up ground tents out there. But for the caliber of shelter the roof top tent is, it definitely takes quite a bit longer for me to pitch a tent on the ground, drive stakes in to anchor it, inflate a sleeping pad, etc. Not to mention it's not always easy in our rocky country to find a flat spot that you can drive tent stakes into the ground. Those are the two main practical reasons for me. But there are a few other things I really like about it as well. I really enjoy sleeping elevated in the rooftop tent. I like the views, the air flow in the summer, and I suppose just being off the ground and above the snakes and scorpions. The mattress in the rooftop tent is also much more comfortable than the average ground pad. Now I just leave my sleeping bag and pillow up in the RTT. So I know my shelter is always with me and ready to go. I don't have to worry about packing or unpacking it. If I decide I want to take off and go camping on a Friday after work, I'm already good to go. Having said all that, sometimes I do still car camp with a ground tent. I just put up a few videos of ground tent camping out of my Jeep. Sometime I just enjoy switching it up a bit. I camp a lot so I enjoy mixing things up and keeping it interesting. You also asked about not being able to move the vehicle after it's set up. But I do that all the time. I set up my camp table, chairs, etc. But in the day if I want to drive away from camp it literally takes me about 5 minutes to fold down the tent and drive off. Most of the time I move every day. I rarely ever camp two nights in the same spot anyway so it works for my style. Cheers my friend. Thanks for the questions and comments!
Am considering one but had a quick question.... How do you deal with dew on the tent if you need to head out early in the morning? Would this cause mildew if closed up and bagged before drying?
I've done that a few times. When I get home I just open it up and let it air out in my driveway, or in the garage if it's too cold or wet outside. So far that seems to work pretty well. But I also live in a fairly dry climate. I think as long as you had a place you could open it up and let it dry out within a day or so it would be fine.
+Nigel Naughton I did quite a bit of research and talked to each of the companies that were making them at the time. They all seemed really similar in quality, and I just really liked the people at Cascadia Vehicle Tents. And the happened to be close enough that I could drive there to get my tend directly from them. I've heard the Tepui' tents are good too though. And since I purchased mine there have been a few new companies pop up making them. You can't go wrong with a CVT for sure. But I suspect some of the others will be pretty decent as well. Cheers!
As an aside, I see you changed vehicles from the Nissan to the Rubicon at some point. How have you found those vehicles for the car camping, adventuring you typically do? Always good to get input from someone who has owned more than one type of off-road vehicle.
+Letting the bear out Yeah for sure. They are both really similar in size, interior capacity, and capability. I also had a full size Nissan Armada SUV that I used in the same way for quite a few years. I like the smaller SUV like the Xterra, 4Runner, or 4 door Jeep Wrangler the best. For me they are a good balance of having enough room for the gear I need, good off road capability, and small enough to get into tight spots and maneuver around well in the back country. Also the fuel economy and range tends to be better off road with the smaller SUVs. The Jeep JKU Rubicon I have definitely is a more capable off road vehicle with the locking differentials, etc. I've always liked the Jeep Wranglers. I've had two different 2 door jeeps and I love them. But they were just too small to be practical for the kind of camping and exploring I do. For me the 4 door Jeep JKU is about the perfect back country rig for my style. I put a lot of miles on rough roads, and sometimes have to do some fairly extreme 4x4 to get into the places I want. And I go all year round so I deal with snow, mud, etc. as well. I need a solid rig that I can depend on to get me back out. Cheers!
Hey. Love the videos. Quick question, how do you like your xtera? How many miles does it have? I've been looking at them and was wondering how well they age.
+christian seely I love mine. I've put about 50k miles on it. Total miles now are 148k and it runs great, and doesn't have any issues. Lately I've been thinking about getting something else just for a change, but my Xterra works so well I can't seem to let it go...lol. It's great off road, and it's a good size to still be pretty maneuverable in the bush, carry all the gear I need, and be comfortable to camp and travel out of. I've been really impressed with it. I had Jeeps for years but just finally got sick of having so little room for gear, and having the hell beat out of me bouncing around on the back roads. I put a serious amount of miles in on bad roads. Last weekend I drove over 220 miles on my trip. over 140 of them on dirt roads.
Very cool. Thanks for the info. I've always loved jeeps but they have pretty much no room for cargo, and horrible security for gear. They are so much fun but too many drawbacks. Great vids keep it up.
I also have an Xterra, have you noticed any issues with the RTT, mounting it to the stock rack, after all this time? I read in an earlier comment that you mounted it to the crossbars, how much harder would it be to mount it to the other bars (the ones that run front to back)?
Really enjoyed your video on this tent. I was wondering if you mounted it on the OEM roof racks on your Xterra? My 2001 Xterra looks like it has the same roof racks that are on yours.
I have had it in sustained high winds. So far no issues. Like any tent it does make more noise in the hight winds but no issues with it holding up. If you park it so the vehicle and tent is broadside to the wind you can get a little rocking of the vehicle though. Cheers!
Hi, did you mount it straight to the stock roof rack that the Nissan Xterra comes with. I am thinking of buying one. But wonder if me and my wife could sleep in it, without the stock roof rack breaking. How does it in the cold do you know..? Great video BTW.
HI Tor. Yes I mounted it straight to the factory roof rack. It's very solid. I don't think you would have any issue at all with you and your wife sleeping in it. The roof rack is large aluminum tubing and is very rigid. It actually works very well for mounting the tent to. I've used it in below 0 degree fahrenheit temps without any issues. it has an attached rainfly which basically makes if perform like a double walled tent. Plus it has good venting options so I didn't have any issues with condensation. I also have used a small portable propane heater in it and a butane stove to warm it up in the evening as I get into my sleeping bag, and in the morning to take the edge of when I'm getting out of my sleeping bag and getting dressed.
Coyote Works Thanks for the super quick response. Did you remove the cross bar that was there when you mounted it, or did you leave that? Also, any last suggestions of what to do, not to do?
My Xterra has two crossbars and I actually mounted my rooftop tent to the cross bars. You could also mount it to the other rails that run lengthwise but I mounted it to the crossbars. I did it that way mainly just in case the mounting brackets caused any damage to the bars I figured I could replace the cross bars easier than I could the main bars. But it hasn't caused any damage to the bars so I think it would be fine either way. Everything works really well. The only tip I would give is to carry some kind of small squirt bottle of water to clean the teeth on the zipper that attaches the cover. This may not be an issue for most folks. But for me, I put so many miles on dusty roads that dust tends to build up in the zipper and makes the zipper of the cover a bit hard to operate. But again, I put a LOT of miles in on really dusty desert roads. That may not be an issue for you. I think you will really like it. It's made car camping a whole new level of simple and easy for me.
I ordered one of these to mount on my Xterra this morning. Then I found your video. I wonder if a big heater buddy in the annex will heat up to the tent this winter? I sold a canvas tent I had to get this one, but kept the heater.
I have done exactly that! I used a Little Buddy heater in the annex and left the door open in the upper level. The heat rises nicely into the rooftop portion. I set it up solo so that I had my chair and table downstairs in the annex and would sleep upstairs. I'll do a video on that set up this winter. But usually I don't even set up the annex. Just use the Little Buddy heater in the rooftop tent for a few minutes in the evening and in the morning to take the chill off :-)
+Coyote Works I got mine and just mounted it yesterday. I can't wait to go out and use it. I did have to get longer bolts - 1" longer than what they come with - for mounting it to the roof rack, since the Xterra uses a thicker pipe than most. Also, I mounted the rails crossways across the rack instead of to the crossbars. That meant I needed to cut off about 3" on each end of the rail, but everything fit up nice and tight. I set mine up to come off the passenger side of the vehicle, as well. I will say that the instructions that come with the tent are a bit vague. You really have to figure out where to attach a lot of the things yourself, but it is pretty easy.
That's awesome. I'm sure you will love it. There is just something cool about sleeping elevated like that, and the ease of setting up camp is amazing. For sure. The instructions were a big vague. I had the advantage of pulling my rig into the shop right at the company headquarters. The owner helped me install mine ;-)
After a year of using the CVT Shasta, I am pleased with it. I've been in rain, snow, sleet, high winds, and heat and the tent always kept me protected from the elements. With my wife and I in it, we sleep quite well. Also, with the Heater Buddy, it keeps the tent toasty warm when set up in the annex below, and hooked up to a 5 gallon tank. As for weight on the top, I don't notice it being too top heavy. This fall, I drove the Black Bear Pass and the Alpine Loop in SW Colorado without tipping over, or even feeling like I was going to. I do take it off part of the year - mainly because I don't want it getting damaged by the sun and elements and road debris, needlessly. I also worry about thieves, even though I put the puzzle lock nuts on my mounting bolts.
It is really sturdy and stable. I'm sure it's fine for just about any size human. It's build like an extension ladder you would buy at Home Depot or something. Very rigid and solid. And the ladder supports that side of the tent. I don't think there would be any issues with the tent holding up to the weight of a very large person. It's actually designed for two people.
What's the weight limit on the roof rack of the Xterra? I have a Jeep Liberty, and I've seen pictures of Liberties with roof top tents, but my manual says the roof rack has a 150 lb weight limit. Seems like an average person with gear might exceed that weight.
+Logan N Yeah. I read that too. But I weigh about 200 and have slept up there many times with probably as much as another 75 lbs of gear. I think those weight ratings have to be really conservative. At first I checked my rack out really closely after each time I used it because I was worried about it developing stress cracks. But I've spent over 30 nights in it now with no issues. I think it's going to handle the weight just fine. Thanks for watching!
+Logan N I've read and been told that the 150 weight limit is while in motion, not while in one place. I've asked more than one RTT manufacturer that question, and I also asked a service guy at a Dodge dealership. I have a Journey and want a RTT.
+Logan N weight limits are set for vehicle in motion. Laura is correct. My Fj has somewhere around 600lb capacity when parked I believe, but couldn't do that while moving.
+RobertMOdell In my opinion when it comes to car camping the roof top tent is the way to go. There are only really two instances in my mind where the ground tent has an advantage. 1) if I want to go with someone else in their vehicle. Then I don't have the option of having my roof top tent so I will need to bring a ground tent if I want to sleep in a tent. 2) When you are using a ground tent you are free to come and go from your camp in your vehicle without setting up and tearing down the tent. When using a roof top tent (obviously) you do have to stow the tent away in order to use your vehicle. That's my two cents on it anyway ;-)
I do use a small propane buddy heater in it sometimes. I usually just turn the heater on for a few minutes as I'm crawling into my sleeping bag, and then for a few minutes again when I'm waking up and getting dressed and geared up in the morning. I've also used a small stove in it, and even my small cooks stove heats it up nicely.
That's an awesome tent. I was just looking at CVT's stuff (I'm an oregon guy also) was there any difficulty mounting it to the factory xterra rails because they're so broad? (I have an 07)
Dj Smith No. The brackets come with two sets of bolts and the longer set works perfect for the broader rails. The only thing I noticed was about a month after mounting it one of the brackets had started to loosen up a bit. I tightened it down. Now about 4 months later its all still tight. I'm not sure why that one loosened up but I think I may not have had it aligned exactly right when I installed it. It's all been good since then and I have over 30 nights in it now.
I really didn't. But my Xterra has a bit of a wind ramp on the front of the factory rack. I'm thinking that helps direct the wind over the top of the roof tent. So far I can't really even tell it's up there. Haven't really noticed any difference driving. I'm wondering if it will effect my gas mileage at all.
My Nissan was getting wore out ;-). I’ve always liked Jeeps. This is the third one I’ve had. The Xterra was an awesome rig but I don’t like the newer ones as much and I wanted something newer. I run my rigs for an average of about 7 years so I like to start out with something fairly new. Cheers!
+Tyler Snider I haven't tried storing them up there yet. But I was thinking about it. In the winter out here the mattress isn't quite firm enough to insulate me from the metal ground pan, so I do have a thin foam sleeping pad that I leave up in the tent. It seems like a sleeping bag should store up there too. Interesting. I'll have to play around with that and see if I can come up with a way to make it work. I think I've heard of other people leaving their sleeping bags up there.
+Coyote Works Just wondering about the wind and cold from the tin roof if you velcro a emergency blanket on the mattress would that keep you warm or warmer ?
+Matt Thompson This one is the Mt. Shasta Pioneer Series. Great tent. Recently I"ve switched to the Adventure Series from Freespirit Recreation. I've been running it for a few months now. I have some videos up on it on my channel. You might check out the Freespirit tents as well. Cheers!
+KevinDufflev So far it has done fine in the wind for me. It's built pretty well so I expect it will continue to hold up pretty well. In more serious wind, you can collapse the window over hangs and attach them all down securely. With all the overhangs collapse it seems to tolerate the wind quite well.
+Motai's On my rig it is just the factory rack that comes on the Exterra. But I know a lot of the lighter aftermarket racks work great as well. You could shoot an email to CVT Tents. They are usually very helpful.
+Croaker For sure. It works great for me but it isn't perfect for everyone. I don't feel like I am stuck at the site because it's so quick to set up and take down. If I want to go somewhere I can always fold it up and just leave the rest of my camp set up. But you do give up the roof rack space for sure.
+goofy fuh The tent and rack system on my Xterra allow about a 300 pound capacity in the roof top tent. That is the "rating". But it feels pretty solid. I would suspect that it would be fine sleeping about 400 pounds worth of people. There shouldn't be any issue with putting one on your Rogue. It will just be a matter of choosing a rack system that you like to mount the tent to. Or checking the weight rating of your factory's roof rack to make sure it will hold the weight you want to have in your tent. Cheers!!
+IMP Leno This one was $1,495 when I bought it. I think they are running about $1600 now. But there are other models. They range from about $995 to upwards of $3000 depending on how big and what model you get. Cheers!
+walt barrand it's fairly permanently mounted but it only takes about 5 minutes to set up and take down so it's pretty easy to fold it up and go when I want to move. Cheers, Casey
Coyote Works I'm worried about the plastic ends on the factory crossbars breaking. Tent I just ordered weights 148lbs. Yours haven't shown any cracking or wear?
No cracking or issues on mine at all yet. I’ve been running it for over two years and have a lot of nights in it in every weather condition imaginable and so far so good. It seems really solid.
I have a question(s) for you on CVT tents. These type of tents are intriguing, but I am not sure as I have not looked into this much. How did you settle on this CVT versus say, just a regular ground-type tent (Kelty, North Face, Marmot, etc.)? These regular tents are minimalist, and lightweight, too. Are there any concerns about how much weight your car roof can handle? Have you ever thought about a Four Wheel Camper Pop-Up type camper (www.fourwh.com/) as a quick get-away solution? I would like to read any thoughts you have of the advantages of the CVT for camping over the other methods, I mentioned. Thanks.
Coyote Works no but a fellow youtuber whos name is iamjake lives near bend, go check him out, he lives in his jeep and is doing a 50 state road trip very soon Thanks
Hi Jeff. The one I have cost $1445. But they have a model that's the same size and construction without the downstairs annex room that mine has and it's closer to $1000. That's the model I'd get if I bought another one. For me, I just don't use the annex room.
+Clay Sensiba Not much. I only notice a slight bit of wind noise at higher speeds. But I think the design of the ramp front on the roof rack of the Xterra may help quite a bit.
+TheAmerind I'm not 100% sure but my guess is well over 300 lbs. It's fairly sturdy the way it's mounted and supported. I think the main limiting factor would more be the rack it's mounted on. I can't see the weight of two people being an issue at all for it.
The model I have is about $1600 retail. But they have another model that is the same roof top tent as mine, but doesn't come with the downstairs annex for about $1200. Worth every penny to me! ;-)
This is the fifth roof top tent model that looks identical to those offered by other companies. Are all these being made in one place and each retailer is adding their own branding? I am looking for the best of the best yet as I shop I see differences in the price and name only. Has anyone located something different in America? Maybe American made? Thanks
+G Henrickson I think a lot of them are produced in the very same factories. But there are differences in the ones made by different companies. Often they are small, but important details too like jus the spec of the material. Or one company will make small changes to theirs. So while it's true that many of the tents from different companies are basically the same. There can be some differences that do make a difference in how they perform. I haven't found an american made rooftop tent. Maybe someone else has?
Great video! I just recently bought myself a rooftop tent (Adventure Sole RT M-Series Tent; www.adventuresolert.com) and love it too! You can't ask for a better piece of gear. They're a lot of fun!
Id wish you show what it looks like when youre laying in it from head to toe to get an idea of how much room you have, instead i see where your head is very close to the edge there, is the tent too short for you? how tall are you? im not sure this tent is right for me seeing that it might not be long enough.
Yeah its tough to get a good shot inside the tent that gives a good idea of the length. I'm 6 foot 2 inches tall and it's plenty long enough for me. when I lay completely stretched out on my back I still have about 6 inches of space left at my head, and at my feet. It's enough room that I don't have issues with either my head or feet ever pushing up against the tent walls. Hope that helps. Cheers, Casey
I also have an Xterra, have you noticed any issues with the RTT, mounting it to the stock rack, after all this time? I read in an earlier comment that you mounted it to the crossbars, how much harder would it be to mount it to the other bars (the ones that run front to back)?
+Chong Xiong I've had no issues with it. It's solid and the rack is plenty solid enough to be a good platform for the RTT. I don't think it would be an issue at all to mount the RTT to the bars that run from front to back. Those bars are even a bit larger bulkier than the cross bars. I have many, many nights in this thing in every weather condition you can imagine and it works really well for me. Cheers my friend!
Very cool...
Like the easy setup, have to check it out!!!
Thank you for the informative review! I have been debating one of these for some time, your video has sold me on the Cascadia tents.
+b w Yeah I debated for a couple years before I ended up getting one. But I haven't been sorry yet!
Awesome rooftop tent you got there. We will pick up at the store on our next trip to Seattle. Love to shop in Oregon. No sales tax. Cannot beat that. Thank you so much for sharing the video.
Thanks! The owners of the company are Bobby (husband) and Jamie (wife). They are super cool people too. You can always feel free to call them if you have any questions or want to visit about the different models. If you do make it to Oregon they will install it for you while you wait. It's pretty cool to do that and just hang out in the shop and visit with them while they do it.
Thanks for watching!
Got to love the Central Oregon High Desert,
+Scott Foster For sure. Beautiful wide open country. I love it!
freakin awesome bugout survivor car set up :)
I'm really liking it!
Did you mount the RTT straight to the factory crossbars or the parallel support bars? I have a 2004 Xterra and am debating whether I need to buy new crossbars to support a RTT. Thanks!
Cool to watch the older videos! Your new FSR RTT is very similar in design to this CVT. 7-8 minutes for breaking down your tent/bedding is pretty darn fast!
It is similar in that it’s also a clam shell opening style. But the design is actually quite a bit different. That CVT design has been around for a long time but I like some of the newer evolutions of the design of rooftop tents. But that old one served me well for a couple years.
How has the factory cross bars held up? Want to mount a rtt to my factory rack but have heard mixed reviews on wether or not it can take it
Im definitely jealous, congrats
It's pretty cool for sure. I'm looking forward to having it this winter. Be nice not to be setting up a tent in the snow.
One would look pretty good on top of that Scout...
Awesome
You have me looking for a roof top tent for my SUV. Great idea.
I just did another trip with it last weekend. I really like it. It makes setting up camp really easy. Now that I've done it a few times I can deploy it in less than 5 minutes. And it seems to be really well made!
Nice set up ,thanks for sharing.
Very kewl tent!
Didn’t know you had an Xterra. Must be the pre-jeep days. I have the exact X shown here. She is a great vehicle.
Yeah that was a great rig. I put a lot of off road miles on her too! Cheers.
Did you use the factory rails and crossbars from your Xterra for this RTT or did you replace them? I have an Xterra and definitely want a rtt at some point.
Love the video and walk through. I saw your other video of the added vestibule and I am definitely getting this for my SUV. Thanks for posting :) Cheers
+Martin Blair It's an awesome set up. It has seriously been a game changer for me. Totally simplified my whole car camping set up and made it so much easier. I literally can pull over, unzip the cover, fold open the tent, toss my sleeping bag up there, and my shelter/sleeping set up is done. Typically about 5-7 minutes and I'm done and can spend the rest of my time enjoying myself.
that's is awesome..love set up time..great video....thanks bud
+bill g It has literally been a game changer for my car camping. So simple and convenient!
Cheers
Nicely done Sir.
+Dustin Morrison Thank You!
I would have to agree with Beast I am totally jealous!
Lol! Finally I have the cool kids toy! Thanks for watching.
Wow, This looks really great and you made a great video of this Roof Tent. It looks pretty storm proof too!
Bob Ayrsman
Last weekend I used it in a TORRENTIAL storm. I was a little worried about it but it stayed dry. It was literally sideways blowing rain and hail pretty steady for several hours. Then it just rained steady for almost 2 days but not a drop got inside that thing. It's a great car camping shelter. I use it a lot.
+Coyote Works would you feel comfortable traveling the U.S. With it? Considering getting an xterra or something similar, and a roof top tent and that being my only source of shelter. I've always wanted to travel the U.S. And keep things minimalist. I always stay at nice hotels, and fly in and out of places, finally need to make this happen this coming summer!
yes, it is cool we have some well known companies like that around here. Just like the teepee manufacturer between bend and sisters.
I didn't know about the Teepee company? What is the name of their company? I'll have to check them out.
Interesting concept. Since I have a pickup, a topper is what I use.
That works. That's what I had for years. I think this is going to be a pretty good setup for me though.
Very nice. Want one.
Nice setup. I seriously need to look into getting one of these. I also have an Xterra as my main rig, they are solid vehicles.
+Mallan530 That Xterra has been a rock solid rig for me out there. And the roof top tent has just made car camping a whole lot simpler for me. I think they are a great way to go.
Want one for my Surburban. Been thinking about it for years, but haven't gotten around to make it happen. Cascadia in Bend, Ore.,,,will check it out. Thanx.
Bobby and Jamie are the owners. They are really cool to work with, answer any questions, or just bs about it. You could even fit one of their larger models on a Suburban.
So far I'm really impressed. I'll do another video on it after I've used it a few more times.
Just found your channel and subbed. I haven't seen many other channels on desert camping and survival. Its sucks watching all the videos on bushcraft and looking around myself and seeing no trees hahaha.
I know the feeling! Lol. I see so many videos of stuff you can do in these lush forests full of streams, nuts, fish, and squirrels. I don't have any of that stuff in most of the country I hang out in!
Glad you found my channel and thanks for subbing!
Very nice! I'm going to see if they have a mount for a Ford F-150 SCREW. Thanks and nice rifle!
It would be interesting to see your vehicle load out that goes along with this.
Good call Roy. I"ll see if I can do that in the next week or two. It's kind of been on my list but I know I need to get that video done. Basically it's my same pack that i use for all my other trips, plus a load out bag with some extra stuff. And usually I also throw in a folding chair and an ice chest full of whatever food and drinks I may want.
Thanks for watching!
That is pretty sweet setup I like it. Are you missing a red chair?
Jason
Yes... as a matter of fact. I thought I had two of them but I can only seem to find one!
Coyote Works Maybe because its sitting on the floor of my pickup.
I wondered wtf happened to it. Well did you get some use out of it?
Coyote Works Nope it just been taking up space in my truck, lol. One of these days we have to get out again together and you can get it back.
Awesome set up! Are you using the stock crossbars/rack on the xterra or did you have to use different bars for the weight? Thanks 👍🏼
Very nice thanks for sharing your video
+walt barrand for sure my friend. Thanks for watching!
great idea ive got to get something set up for my pickup
+Jerry Hogkiller It's an awesome set up and works great for me!
I want one on my Xterra...
Beautiful RTT.
Is this a 3 season tent ? Or a 4 season ? What kind of wind mph. can this stand up too ? I have some experience living on the road and in the mountains ....skiing , fly fishing , exploring about so always nice to see what new options are available for the nomads at heart thanks and love your videos !!
finally found someone who practices high desert survival....cool
Sup Daniel? Glad you found it. You a high desert dweller as well?
Actually a lot of the reason I even started a UA-cam channel was just because I couldn't find much stuff on the high desert...
Hello Casey. I just found this older video of your, and I know with your newer Jeep you got the GoFSR Adventure series tent for it. I was just wondering how do you still feel about the CVT tents verses the FSR series?
I'm going to bite the bullet very soon on one or the other and was just interested in any feedback; which is better, quality, ease of setup, etc
Thanks for any info!
What about if it rains and you have to put it away wet? With a regular tent or a tarp I set it up in the garage to dry out. Just wondering... of course I'm on the wet side :)
I'm thinking I would just open it up when I got home and let it dry out. It usually doesn't rain for more than a day or so at a time here so that should usually work pretty well. I hope ;-) I'll let you guys know if that happens and I have any issues with it though.
Id wish you show what it looks like when youre laying in it from head to toe to get an idea of how much room you have, instead i see where your head is very close to the edge there, is the tent too short for you? how tall are you? im not sure this tent is right for me seeing that it might not be long enough.
Thanks for the video! I really like this setup, I was wondering how would this hold up against high wind in the desert? and since its been a long time since you have it if you faced any issues with it?
3boodPhotography No issues so far. I have had it in a few pretty intense desert thunderstorms and it doesn't seem like it will have any issues. The fabric is a fairly heavy ripstop type material. It's more like the thickness of ripstop military pants or something similar. It's much more heavy duty than your typical backpackers tent type fabric. I'll keep you all posted if I have any issues but it really seems like a pretty well made piece of kit.
very nice; have looked at some online for my toyota pickup but never got any further. I assume it feels solid on the floor but still was wondering how firm it was?
It does feel really solid. Between the way it mounts to the rack, and the way the ladder supports the weight of the overhang it feels very solid and stable. I've looked at a few other roof tents over the years that seemed a lot more flimsy. This one seems like it's solidly built out of good materials. The cover is really thick vinyl, the tent material is a fairly heavy ripstop fabric...everything just feels really solid and well built. Which is how I like my gear ;-)
The cool thing is they are in Bend. You can go by their shop and they have most of the different models set up. You can check them out in person and get a feel for the different sizes, etc.
Super cool
It's definitely a pretty cool set up. It's starting to get cold here...Like below freezing at night so I'm looking forward to seeing how it does in the colder temps.
great set up here. i am very much going to get a roof tent for my car an go traveling in it. do you use a heater and electic. also all the roof tents out now which would you say besides your own is best. im thinking of useing a small solar system for my electic use.
+Joe Doyle I haven't run any electric up into the tent but I do use a propane Buddy Heater in it all the time when I want to be really comfortable in the winter.
It's an awesome car camping set up for sure. It's about 5 minutes set up and just a little bit longer to tear it down and button up the cover on it.
Thanks for making this video :)
+thismaineliving For sure. Thank you!
Totally cool. what year Xterra I am liking mine so far
Mine's a 2004. I really like it. Thing is a little mountain goat. Very sure footed. I travel a lot of really remote, and sometimes rough roads and it handles them really well. It's old enough that I can work on it a bit, but new enough to have some of the more modern features. All around, I really like it for a back country rig.
Very nice
How hard is it to put it on the roof and take off? What do you think about just leaving it on all the time when not camping? Is there a way to get my Labrador (yes my Labrador dog) up there to sleep with me?
Karen Bray Hi Karen. It's not too difficult to take on and off. You just have to un bolt 8 bolts, then it lifts right off. It is difficult for me to do by myself though. I can do it, but it's MUCH easier with two people.
However, I just leave mine on all the time. Even when I'm not camping. It just stays on my car. It's not much different than having an enclosed roof rack. There is no issue with just leaving it installed.
As far as your labrador...lol.. What kind of vehicle are you thinking of putting it on? My car is pretty tall so I would definitely have to give a dog some help to get him up the ladder. But I'm thinking on a lower car it wouldn't be too much of a problem.
Hope that helps ;-)
Coyote, these vehicle tents are quite intriguing, and I find them very cool. But like many things I like, I am however finding it more difficult to justify rationally. I wonder if you find them limiting given you can't drive you vehicle without breaking camp, plus it takes up so much space on the roof. A portable standalone tent seems to me to have so much more versatility. What am I missing? What do you think some of the overriding benefits are of the vehicle tent concept?
+Letting the bear out Great questions and I love the way you are thinking about it. For me the roof top tent brings 2 main advantages.
The first one being that now my shelter, and bedding are stored on top of my vehicle so those items (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow) are not taking up room inside my vehicle. I like a small SUV for my back country rig. But space is at a premium so to me this is a big win.
The second one is the ease of set up and tear down. There are some quick set up ground tents out there. But for the caliber of shelter the roof top tent is, it definitely takes quite a bit longer for me to pitch a tent on the ground, drive stakes in to anchor it, inflate a sleeping pad, etc. Not to mention it's not always easy in our rocky country to find a flat spot that you can drive tent stakes into the ground.
Those are the two main practical reasons for me. But there are a few other things I really like about it as well. I really enjoy sleeping elevated in the rooftop tent. I like the views, the air flow in the summer, and I suppose just being off the ground and above the snakes and scorpions. The mattress in the rooftop tent is also much more comfortable than the average ground pad.
Now I just leave my sleeping bag and pillow up in the RTT. So I know my shelter is always with me and ready to go. I don't have to worry about packing or unpacking it. If I decide I want to take off and go camping on a Friday after work, I'm already good to go.
Having said all that, sometimes I do still car camp with a ground tent. I just put up a few videos of ground tent camping out of my Jeep. Sometime I just enjoy switching it up a bit. I camp a lot so I enjoy mixing things up and keeping it interesting.
You also asked about not being able to move the vehicle after it's set up. But I do that all the time. I set up my camp table, chairs, etc. But in the day if I want to drive away from camp it literally takes me about 5 minutes to fold down the tent and drive off. Most of the time I move every day. I rarely ever camp two nights in the same spot anyway so it works for my style.
Cheers my friend. Thanks for the questions and comments!
Thanks. All the best.
Am considering one but had a quick question.... How do you deal with dew on the tent if you need to head out early in the morning? Would this cause mildew if closed up and bagged before drying?
I've done that a few times. When I get home I just open it up and let it air out in my driveway, or in the garage if it's too cold or wet outside. So far that seems to work pretty well. But I also live in a fairly dry climate. I think as long as you had a place you could open it up and let it dry out within a day or so it would be fine.
Nice vid...did you look at any other tents while shopping for this one? Like the Tepui or others? If so why did you choose this one?
+Nigel Naughton I did quite a bit of research and talked to each of the companies that were making them at the time. They all seemed really similar in quality, and I just really liked the people at Cascadia Vehicle Tents. And the happened to be close enough that I could drive there to get my tend directly from them. I've heard the Tepui' tents are good too though. And since I purchased mine there have been a few new companies pop up making them.
You can't go wrong with a CVT for sure. But I suspect some of the others will be pretty decent as well.
Cheers!
As an aside, I see you changed vehicles from the Nissan to the Rubicon at some point. How have you found those vehicles for the car camping, adventuring you typically do? Always good to get input from someone who has owned more than one type of off-road vehicle.
+Letting the bear out Yeah for sure. They are both really similar in size, interior capacity, and capability. I also had a full size Nissan Armada SUV that I used in the same way for quite a few years. I like the smaller SUV like the Xterra, 4Runner, or 4 door Jeep Wrangler the best. For me they are a good balance of having enough room for the gear I need, good off road capability, and small enough to get into tight spots and maneuver around well in the back country. Also the fuel economy and range tends to be better off road with the smaller SUVs.
The Jeep JKU Rubicon I have definitely is a more capable off road vehicle with the locking differentials, etc. I've always liked the Jeep Wranglers. I've had two different 2 door jeeps and I love them. But they were just too small to be practical for the kind of camping and exploring I do. For me the 4 door Jeep JKU is about the perfect back country rig for my style. I put a lot of miles on rough roads, and sometimes have to do some fairly extreme 4x4 to get into the places I want. And I go all year round so I deal with snow, mud, etc. as well. I need a solid rig that I can depend on to get me back out.
Cheers!
Thank you for he share. ✌🏻✌🏻✌🏻
For sure my friend!
That’s awesome .
Hey. Love the videos. Quick question, how do you like your xtera? How many miles does it have? I've been looking at them and was wondering how well they age.
+christian seely I love mine. I've put about 50k miles on it. Total miles now are 148k and it runs great, and doesn't have any issues. Lately I've been thinking about getting something else just for a change, but my Xterra works so well I can't seem to let it go...lol. It's great off road, and it's a good size to still be pretty maneuverable in the bush, carry all the gear I need, and be comfortable to camp and travel out of. I've been really impressed with it. I had Jeeps for years but just finally got sick of having so little room for gear, and having the hell beat out of me bouncing around on the back roads. I put a serious amount of miles in on bad roads. Last weekend I drove over 220 miles on my trip. over 140 of them on dirt roads.
Very cool. Thanks for the info. I've always loved jeeps but they have pretty much no room for cargo, and horrible security for gear. They are so much fun but too many drawbacks. Great vids keep it up.
I also have an Xterra, have you noticed any issues with the RTT, mounting it to the stock rack, after all this time? I read in an earlier comment that you mounted it to the crossbars, how much harder would it be to mount it to the other bars (the ones that run front to back)?
Really enjoyed your video on this tent. I was wondering if you mounted it on the OEM roof racks on your Xterra? My 2001 Xterra looks like it has the same roof racks that are on yours.
+Cynthia M Yes I mounted it directly to the factory roof rack. The bracketed mount to the crossbars and it's worked out perfectly.
Cheers!
Have you had this in high wind? I beach camp and will normally see a 15-25 mph wind. Do you think this would hold up?
I have had it in sustained high winds. So far no issues. Like any tent it does make more noise in the hight winds but no issues with it holding up. If you park it so the vehicle and tent is broadside to the wind you can get a little rocking of the vehicle though.
Cheers!
Hi, did you mount it straight to the stock roof rack that the Nissan Xterra comes with.
I am thinking of buying one. But wonder if me and my wife could sleep in it, without the stock roof rack breaking. How does it in the cold do you know..?
Great video BTW.
HI Tor. Yes I mounted it straight to the factory roof rack. It's very solid. I don't think you would have any issue at all with you and your wife sleeping in it. The roof rack is large aluminum tubing and is very rigid. It actually works very well for mounting the tent to.
I've used it in below 0 degree fahrenheit temps without any issues. it has an attached rainfly which basically makes if perform like a double walled tent. Plus it has good venting options so I didn't have any issues with condensation. I also have used a small portable propane heater in it and a butane stove to warm it up in the evening as I get into my sleeping bag, and in the morning to take the edge of when I'm getting out of my sleeping bag and getting dressed.
Coyote Works Thanks for the super quick response. Did you remove the cross bar that was there when you mounted it, or did you leave that? Also, any last suggestions of what to do, not to do?
My Xterra has two crossbars and I actually mounted my rooftop tent to the cross bars. You could also mount it to the other rails that run lengthwise but I mounted it to the crossbars. I did it that way mainly just in case the mounting brackets caused any damage to the bars I figured I could replace the cross bars easier than I could the main bars. But it hasn't caused any damage to the bars so I think it would be fine either way.
Everything works really well. The only tip I would give is to carry some kind of small squirt bottle of water to clean the teeth on the zipper that attaches the cover. This may not be an issue for most folks. But for me, I put so many miles on dusty roads that dust tends to build up in the zipper and makes the zipper of the cover a bit hard to operate. But again, I put a LOT of miles in on really dusty desert roads. That may not be an issue for you.
I think you will really like it. It's made car camping a whole new level of simple and easy for me.
Coyote Works Thanks man. I will give this a go! I am bringing a water bottle, as desert riding will be a part of this eventually!
I ordered one of these to mount on my Xterra this morning. Then I found your video. I wonder if a big heater buddy in the annex will heat up to the tent this winter? I sold a canvas tent I had to get this one, but kept the heater.
I have done exactly that! I used a Little Buddy heater in the annex and left the door open in the upper level. The heat rises nicely into the rooftop portion. I set it up solo so that I had my chair and table downstairs in the annex and would sleep upstairs. I'll do a video on that set up this winter.
But usually I don't even set up the annex. Just use the Little Buddy heater in the rooftop tent for a few minutes in the evening and in the morning to take the chill off :-)
+Coyote Works I got mine and just mounted it yesterday. I can't wait to go out and use it.
I did have to get longer bolts - 1" longer than what they come with - for mounting it to the roof rack, since the Xterra uses a thicker pipe than most. Also, I mounted the rails crossways across the rack instead of to the crossbars. That meant I needed to cut off about 3" on each end of the rail, but everything fit up nice and tight.
I set mine up to come off the passenger side of the vehicle, as well. I will say that the instructions that come with the tent are a bit vague. You really have to figure out where to attach a lot of the things yourself, but it is pretty easy.
That's awesome. I'm sure you will love it. There is just something cool about sleeping elevated like that, and the ease of setting up camp is amazing.
For sure. The instructions were a big vague. I had the advantage of pulling my rig into the shop right at the company headquarters. The owner helped me install mine ;-)
+Coyote Works What does the actual rooftop tent weigh?
After a year of using the CVT Shasta, I am pleased with it. I've been in rain, snow, sleet, high winds, and heat and the tent always kept me protected from the elements.
With my wife and I in it, we sleep quite well. Also, with the Heater Buddy, it keeps the tent toasty warm when set up in the annex below, and hooked up to a 5 gallon tank.
As for weight on the top, I don't notice it being too top heavy. This fall, I drove the Black Bear Pass and the Alpine Loop in SW Colorado without tipping over, or even feeling like I was going to.
I do take it off part of the year - mainly because I don't want it getting damaged by the sun and elements and road debris, needlessly. I also worry about thieves, even though I put the puzzle lock nuts on my mounting bolts.
What's the gross weight of the tent when mounted to your roof rack? 😊👍🏻
+GuyLivingOffGrid Yeah. What he said. He knows quite a bit about therm ;-). 125 lbs for the model I have.
How good is the ladder? How much weight can it hold going up into there?
It is really sturdy and stable. I'm sure it's fine for just about any size human. It's build like an extension ladder you would buy at Home Depot or something. Very rigid and solid.
And the ladder supports that side of the tent. I don't think there would be any issues with the tent holding up to the weight of a very large person. It's actually designed for two people.
Very Cool
+mark rigsby Thank you!
What's the weight limit on the roof rack of the Xterra? I have a Jeep Liberty, and I've seen pictures of Liberties with roof top tents, but my manual says the roof rack has a 150 lb weight limit. Seems like an average person with gear might exceed that weight.
+Logan N Yeah. I read that too. But I weigh about 200 and have slept up there many times with probably as much as another 75 lbs of gear. I think those weight ratings have to be really conservative. At first I checked my rack out really closely after each time I used it because I was worried about it developing stress cracks. But I've spent over 30 nights in it now with no issues.
I think it's going to handle the weight just fine.
Thanks for watching!
+Logan N I've read and been told that the 150 weight limit is while in motion, not while in one place. I've asked more than one RTT manufacturer that question, and I also asked a service guy at a Dodge dealership. I have a Journey and want a RTT.
+Logan N weight limits are set for vehicle in motion. Laura is correct. My Fj has somewhere around 600lb capacity when parked I believe, but couldn't do that while moving.
When is a ground tent the better option? It seems these are hard to beat.
+RobertMOdell In my opinion when it comes to car camping the roof top tent is the way to go. There are only really two instances in my mind where the ground tent has an advantage. 1) if I want to go with someone else in their vehicle. Then I don't have the option of having my roof top tent so I will need to bring a ground tent if I want to sleep in a tent. 2) When you are using a ground tent you are free to come and go from your camp in your vehicle without setting up and tearing down the tent. When using a roof top tent (obviously) you do have to stow the tent away in order to use your vehicle.
That's my two cents on it anyway ;-)
I need one of these for the P701 Adventure Astro!! Great vid and great piece of gear for sure! Have your tried heating heating it yet?
I do use a small propane buddy heater in it sometimes. I usually just turn the heater on for a few minutes as I'm crawling into my sleeping bag, and then for a few minutes again when I'm waking up and getting dressed and geared up in the morning. I've also used a small stove in it, and even my small cooks stove heats it up nicely.
Fantastic ... this is defiantly happening in the next month. I have a safari rack being built the this tent!! Thanks for your response.
For sure. Enjoy the new tent. Let me know how you like it after you get to use it a few times.
I'll post a video for sure
That's an awesome tent. I was just looking at CVT's stuff (I'm an oregon guy also) was there any difficulty mounting it to the factory xterra rails because they're so broad? (I have an 07)
Dj Smith No. The brackets come with two sets of bolts and the longer set works perfect for the broader rails. The only thing I noticed was about a month after mounting it one of the brackets had started to loosen up a bit. I tightened it down. Now about 4 months later its all still tight. I'm not sure why that one loosened up but I think I may not have had it aligned exactly right when I installed it. It's all been good since then and I have over 30 nights in it now.
Thanks! Hoping to have enough saved to pick one up soon now that the weather has turned so beautiful. Really appreciate your response!
For sure. I really like mine. Makes it so easy to camp anywhere!
Excellent
Cool, looks nice! Do you get any highway wind noise?
I really didn't. But my Xterra has a bit of a wind ramp on the front of the factory rack. I'm thinking that helps direct the wind over the top of the roof tent. So far I can't really even tell it's up there. Haven't really noticed any difference driving. I'm wondering if it will effect my gas mileage at all.
I have a question: Do you have now a Jeep Isn’t it. Why did you change the Nissan?
My Nissan was getting wore out ;-). I’ve always liked Jeeps. This is the third one I’ve had. The Xterra was an awesome rig but I don’t like the newer ones as much and I wanted something newer. I run my rigs for an average of about 7 years so I like to start out with something fairly new.
Cheers!
are you storing your sleeping bag and pillows in yours? I cant seem to get mine to fold flat.
+Tyler Snider I haven't tried storing them up there yet. But I was thinking about it. In the winter out here the mattress isn't quite firm enough to insulate me from the metal ground pan, so I do have a thin foam sleeping pad that I leave up in the tent. It seems like a sleeping bag should store up there too. Interesting. I'll have to play around with that and see if I can come up with a way to make it work. I think I've heard of other people leaving their sleeping bags up there.
+Coyote Works Just wondering about the wind and cold from the tin roof if you velcro a emergency blanket on the mattress would that keep you warm or warmer ?
Hey great vid. Is it the pioneer or summit series ?
+Matt Thompson This one is the Mt. Shasta Pioneer Series. Great tent. Recently I"ve switched to the Adventure Series from Freespirit Recreation. I've been running it for a few months now. I have some videos up on it on my channel. You might check out the Freespirit tents as well.
Cheers!
Hey Casey, what did you do with your CVT when you upgraded?
Wondering how well this tent handles wind.
+KevinDufflev So far it has done fine in the wind for me. It's built pretty well so I expect it will continue to hold up pretty well. In more serious wind, you can collapse the window over hangs and attach them all down securely. With all the overhangs collapse it seems to tolerate the wind quite well.
can u tell me what kind of under rack u purchased to support the tent and what the weight rating is??
Reply
+Motai's On my rig it is just the factory rack that comes on the Exterra. But I know a lot of the lighter aftermarket racks work great as well. You could shoot an email to CVT Tents. They are usually very helpful.
I like the idea but then you are stuck on at the site unless you pack up and can't bring the yak's or roof box either.
+Croaker For sure. It works great for me but it isn't perfect for everyone. I don't feel like I am stuck at the site because it's so quick to set up and take down. If I want to go somewhere I can always fold it up and just leave the rest of my camp set up. But you do give up the roof rack space for sure.
how much weight can u have inside the tent and is it limited to what vehicle it can be mounted to i have a 2014 nissan rogue
+goofy fuh The tent and rack system on my Xterra allow about a 300 pound capacity in the roof top tent. That is the "rating". But it feels pretty solid. I would suspect that it would be fine sleeping about 400 pounds worth of people.
There shouldn't be any issue with putting one on your Rogue. It will just be a matter of choosing a rack system that you like to mount the tent to. Or checking the weight rating of your factory's roof rack to make sure it will hold the weight you want to have in your tent.
Cheers!!
I probably missed it, but how much was payed for this particular tent?
+IMP Leno This one was $1,495 when I bought it. I think they are running about $1600 now. But there are other models. They range from about $995 to upwards of $3000 depending on how big and what model you get.
Cheers!
Coyote Works
Thank you 👍🏼
How long does it take to monitor your vehicle is it a permanent or can you disconnect and move around
+walt barrand it's fairly permanently mounted but it only takes about 5 minutes to set up and take down so it's pretty easy to fold it up and go when I want to move.
Cheers,
Casey
How did you mount the tent, is it mounted to the factory cross bars?
Yes. It’s mounted right to the factory crossbars with the mounting hardware that comes standard with the tent.
Coyote Works I'm worried about the plastic ends on the factory crossbars breaking. Tent I just ordered weights 148lbs. Yours haven't shown any cracking or wear?
No cracking or issues on mine at all yet. I’ve been running it for over two years and have a lot of nights in it in every weather condition imaginable and so far so good. It seems really solid.
Thanks for the info man, it really helps.
Bryan Pietras For sure. Not a problem. I love my roof top tents. It’s the way to go for car camping in my opinion.
What year is your xterra?
I have a question(s) for you on CVT tents. These type of tents are intriguing, but I am not sure as I have not looked into this much.
How did you settle on this CVT versus say, just a regular ground-type tent (Kelty, North Face, Marmot, etc.)? These regular tents are minimalist, and lightweight, too. Are there any concerns about how much weight your car roof can handle? Have you ever thought about a Four Wheel Camper Pop-Up type camper (www.fourwh.com/) as a quick get-away solution? I would like to read any thoughts you have of the advantages of the CVT for camping over the other methods, I mentioned. Thanks.
Did you say you are from bend oregon?
+will rogne Yeah I live pretty close to Bend. Are you also from around there?
Coyote Works no but a fellow youtuber whos name is iamjake lives near bend, go check him out, he lives in his jeep and is doing a 50 state road trip very soon
Thanks
How much does this one cost?
Hi Jeff. The one I have cost $1445. But they have a model that's the same size and construction without the downstairs annex room that mine has and it's closer to $1000. That's the model I'd get if I bought another one. For me, I just don't use the annex room.
is it noisy on the highway?
+Clay Sensiba Not much. I only notice a slight bit of wind noise at higher speeds. But I think the design of the ramp front on the roof rack of the Xterra may help quite a bit.
Great
Thanks for watching!
Found kermit the frog.
Great video though!
+Luke Clement Thanks. I think... ;-)
Luke Clement i
what's the weight limit
+TheAmerind I'm not 100% sure but my guess is well over 300 lbs. It's fairly sturdy the way it's mounted and supported. I think the main limiting factor would more be the rack it's mounted on. I can't see the weight of two people being an issue at all for it.
Cost of tent?
The model I have is about $1600 retail. But they have another model that is the same roof top tent as mine, but doesn't come with the downstairs annex for about $1200. Worth every penny to me! ;-)
+Coyote Works Thank you. Looks like a solid product.
Vicky Mc Allister
Hmmm I don't know. I've been spoiled with the truck. 😢
Cause nothing says "minimalist" like a $3000 tent on a $35,000 vehicle.
last comment nice car i have the same car
+Hamzah Al Hinai It's a great rig out in the back country for sure!
Coyote Works and I don't live where you live I live in the middle esat oman
C00L Tent🎪👍😉
needs an ac unit.
This is the fifth roof top tent model that looks identical to those offered by other companies. Are all these being made in one place and each retailer is adding their own branding? I am looking for the best of the best yet as I shop I see differences in the price and name only. Has anyone located something different in America? Maybe American made? Thanks
+G Henrickson I think a lot of them are produced in the very same factories. But there are differences in the ones made by different companies. Often they are small, but important details too like jus the spec of the material. Or one company will make small changes to theirs. So while it's true that many of the tents from different companies are basically the same. There can be some differences that do make a difference in how they perform.
I haven't found an american made rooftop tent. Maybe someone else has?
Great video! I just recently bought myself a rooftop tent (Adventure Sole RT M-Series Tent; www.adventuresolert.com) and love it too! You can't ask for a better piece of gear. They're a lot of fun!
+Grayson Penn, Thanks for the comment and the plug. We appreciate it.
I like the setup.... Price is the Killer 👎
"minimalist" haha
+Bob Preis I travel light ;-)
Nice tent, thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Id wish you show what it looks like when youre laying in it from head to toe to get an idea of how much room you have, instead i see where your head is very close to the edge there, is the tent too short for you? how tall are you? im not sure this tent is right for me seeing that it might not be long enough.
Yeah its tough to get a good shot inside the tent that gives a good idea of the length. I'm 6 foot 2 inches tall and it's plenty long enough for me. when I lay completely stretched out on my back I still have about 6 inches of space left at my head, and at my feet. It's enough room that I don't have issues with either my head or feet ever pushing up against the tent walls.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Casey
I also have an Xterra, have you noticed any issues with the RTT, mounting it to the stock rack, after all this time? I read in an earlier comment that you mounted it to the crossbars, how much harder would it be to mount it to the other bars (the ones that run front to back)?
+Chong Xiong I've had no issues with it. It's solid and the rack is plenty solid enough to be a good platform for the RTT. I don't think it would be an issue at all to mount the RTT to the bars that run from front to back. Those bars are even a bit larger bulkier than the cross bars. I have many, many nights in this thing in every weather condition you can imagine and it works really well for me.
Cheers my friend!