RTT Tent Comparison chart

[seannyg]

hi all,

been a lurker on here for a little while. working with a buddy on a bantam build. one of the choices is which RTT tent to go with.
it's really tough to differentiate them all and there are more choices than ever.

i put most of the major brands in an excel file. tab one has it sorted by price alone. the 2nd tab has them grouped by brand. i didn't include any of the brands that are consistently over $2,000 as it's more than I'll spend on one.

hope this helps anyone else who's in the market.

this is information captured in late November and doesn't take into account any of the holiday deals.
cheers,
SeanView attachment tents.xlsx

 

[BoarderMX]

A great resource and very comprehensive look at the models and features. I wish I had this when doing research for my RTT.

Excellent work!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

That is a neat exercise but it doesn't nothing to compare functionality and quality... both of which trump cost in my gear selection.

 

[BuffaloFunk]

both of which trump cost in my gear selection.

That's a bit of a poor blanket statement. If you only get minor improvements of functionality for a major increase in cost, that doesn't sound like a good idea.

I think this comparison is great. Yeah, price isn't everything, but it is a huge driving factor for making decisions for many people--myself included.

 

[Vince1]

Nice job! Wish I had this back when I was shopping. I ended up with the ARB SIII, but didn't know about some of the other options you researched. A lot of good info here (dimensions, accessories...), not just price.

 

[95RRC]

Well done, nice comparison. However, to truly do it justice for those considering them you should add:
1. Fabric (thickness and make)
2. Zipper YKK or other
3. Seams (sealed/not sealed)

Those will be a good determination on quality and toughness/waterproof etc

 

[mrchips]

Great job, however I did not see Eezi-Awn , they make a great tent.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

That's a bit of a poor blanket statement. If you only get minor improvements of functionality for a major increase in cost, that doesn't sound like a good idea.

I think this comparison is great. Yeah, price isn't everything, but it is a huge driving factor for making decisions for many people--myself included.

I don't think so... I didn't say functionality and quality are the only variables I consider when purchasing gear, rather that they trump (i.e. outrank) simple cost which was the overall focus of this comparison. Zero information about design, materials, warranty, parts availability, dealer network, etc... let alone actual functionality. Consider that half of those tents are copies of the same design which is the old design of others. Why the old design? Because it lacked what I consider crucial functionality and obviously the designers and users of those companies saw things the same way

 

[JKJenn]

Thanks for putting the effort into that. Perhaps you could upload it to Skydrive and make it public so that others could add what they would like to see to it and help you maintain it. i think it would be a huge help to first-time buyers. Would also be great to see a tab for states where you can buy them. They are a lot harder to find in the east.

 

[Sgt Grunt]

Pretty sure all of the tents shown in the spread sheet are made at the same factory in China.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Pretty sure all of the tents shown in the spread sheet are made at the same factory in China.

And I can assure you they are not

There are dozens and dozens of factories in China that have or have shown their are capable of making roof-top-tents. And while vendor x may be selling the old model from vendor y, that doesn't mean they came from the same place rather the same picture. This is where the manufacture or vendor comes into play, specifying materials, construction and quality control standards, spare parts availability, etc. Having seen a fair number of these first hand I can assure you there are design differences between them all and while they look the same from 10', they not the same at 1', zippers, fabric material, base construction and mattress material to name a few. Expand on those differences with quality control on assembly and you have a very wide variety of tent offerings. That said, it is true that some tents do come from the same manufactures and this will often be represented as zero changes beyond the logo, I get a couple of emails a month from Chinese RTT manufactures offering a private labeled tent... buy 5+ and you can have your name on them too

 

[jeverich]

And I can assure you they are not

There are dozens and dozens of factories in China that have or have shown their are capable of making roof-top-tents. And while vendor x may be selling the old model from vendor y, that doesn't mean they came from the same place rather the same picture. This is where the manufacture or vendor comes into play, specifying materials, construction and quality control standards, spare parts availability, etc. Having seen a fair number of these first hand I can assure you there are design differences between them all and while they look the same from 10', they not the same at 1', zippers, fabric material, base construction and mattress material to name a few. Expand on those differences with quality control on assembly and you have a very wide variety of tent offerings. That said, it is true that some tents do come from the same manufactures and this will often be represented as zero changes beyond the logo, I get a couple of emails a month from Chinese RTT manufactures offering a private labeled tent... buy 5+ and you can have your name on them too

Not looking to start a flame war; but I definitely agree with this..

Sure, my Simpson III looks pretty similar to my friend's CVT - hell, it even looks pretty similar to another friend's TJM. But, like Kurt said - seems to be a gamble with the other manufacturers as to whether or not your buying their version of "Revision 2" of a 10 year old design..

But, it's the small subtle differences like zippers, pole construction, sub floor, seams and cover materials that make the difference. Sure, ARB may have theirs made in a Chinese factory; but they have a proven track record of providing customer support, and replacement parts are a short drive away... Kind of like some of the issues people have been having with the Chinese LED bars, I have to be really skeptical about the support that some of the other importers will be offering..

 

[brian64]

Great resource, thank you! When my Camping Lab finally wears out, I'd like to upgrade to one with a covered entrance.

Brian