looking into purchasing a iKamper roof tent. this would be my start of trying to overland and the crazy amount of gear i need to purchase. i am really keen on parking my cars in the garage and will need to remove the tent when not in use

Those with roof tents. Do you just leave them on or take them off for more daily practicality

i would imagine i would need help to remove

 

and a quick follow up question. i would need a roof rack also and looking into the front runner shorter version. mostly due to the horror stories of mounting the larger rack to the roof and the issues of stripped bolts

i am looking at one of the larger ikamper tents and afraid it will take up the whole shorter rack.

how much can i overhang the roof tent before being unsafe

 

That’s one of the reasons I’m getting a GFC Superlight so I can take it on and off with ease and hang it on some hooks on the garage wall. Most RTT are fare too heavy and bulky to be doing any of that. I’d rather just continue using my 4 pound backpacking tent than lug one of those monsters around all the time. Superlite solves the problem.

 

Wow -- that tent potentially is revolutionary for those us who don't want to keep a RTT on full-time and also don't have / want a garage roof mounted pulley system. I am skeptical it will have the longevity for the true long-term overlanders, but I could be wrong. Looks amazing as a road-trip / weekender. I love my Gazelle T4 in the meantime!

 

Yeah, it’s a game changer. I am used to super light backpacking tents and have survived many nights in the mountains in 50mph plus winds in tents that weigh less than four pounds, so I think of tents in a different way than most RTT companies with their heavy canvass and metal frames. There’s no reason something like the Superlight can’t be as durable as any good quality backpacking tent and the materials are replaceable should something rip in a big way. There are always durability risks going lightweight of course, but most RTT’s are so ridiculously overbuilt and over weight and over sized, not to mention over priced, that the benefits should far outweigh the risks.

 

If this helps at all, this is my Defender 110 with the expedition rack and the ikamper Skycamp 2.0. How it fits, how it looks and how I put it on and off especially as the vehicle is already so tall.
and

 

I have a RTT, and I haven't used it since I got my Gazelle T4. It's a fantastic tent set up takes up less space and I don't have to worry about ripping it off on a tree

 

The gazelle’s are interesting, but my god they take up a huge amount of space when packed and it looked like it would not be happy in high winds. There are so many tents out there that pack smaller and don’t look like barns that will blow over in a storm, I can’t imagine eve buying something like that.

 

thanks for the link. exactly what i was trying to figure out. Looks like it takes up all and more of the roof rack. I am looking at the same tent and trying to fit as many people or have enough room for the wifey.

 

I think I'm going to go the trailer route. I carry far too much **** when I camp, and could use the extra space above and behind, plus you just unhitch when you're done. Granted they're not cheap, but they're super comfy and great for smaller kids.

I'm looking at these two:

https://offgridtrailers.com/expedition-trailer/
or
https://taxaoutdoors.com/habitats/cricket-overland/