What are your plans with the Grenadier?

Tazzieman said:

It's been blowing a howling gale the past 9 hours here. My wife says "how would it be in a RTT?"
I said "it's going to be windy!"
Luckily the front seats in the Grenadier are comfortable , should we need to add some weight downstairs to stop the vehicle flipping over

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Earthwatcher said:

I too belong to the old codger/footloose owner section and yes I've been considering the roof tent etc while not having worked out yet where to go. I'm thinking south to the Sahara or North to the arctic circle, probably the latter. It's a while, however since I've camped and I'm wondering just how comfortable you can make a roof tent or internal bed. I doubt if the latter would work with all the other gear we'll need. I'm not sure, however, what advantage a roof tent would have over a conventional tent. The hardest bit is the "why?" given we're well enough off to pay for a hotel room. It didn't matter so much when we were first married and managed to sleep in our Triumph Spitfire - once. Ever tried sleeping in a Triumph Spitfire? I reckon we'll just throw a two-man tent in the back with the hiking boots, ruck sacks, sleeping bags, little stove, a few cooking utensils. There's no need to take the kitchen sink.

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grenadierboy said:

I am very much a "tent on the ground" person; for many reasons, including those below, but also because I tend to stay in only one or two locations on each trip and use that as a "base camp" from which to go out each day, then the main advantage of a RTT is not an advantage for me . Even so, packing up a modern tent is quick & easy.

Modern tents, (at a medium to high price point) are:
Easy & quick for one person to erect & put away
Made of excellent waterproof materials
Lightweight
Modern design - strong & stable
Easy to attach annexes and other sections if required

If it's just you & wife/partner - then spend GBP 500-600 and buy a quality 4/5 person tent with annex, XL single air mattresses, XL 3 season sleeping bags. You will have plenty of room.

However, if your mode of adventure is a new place every single night - a RTT rises in value

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Earthwatcher said:

I too belong to the old codger/footloose owner section and yes I've been considering the roof tent etc while not having worked out yet where to go. I'm thinking south to the Sahara or North to the arctic circle, probably the latter. It's a while, however since I've camped and I'm wondering just how comfortable you can make a roof tent or internal bed. I doubt if the latter would work with all the other gear we'll need. I'm not sure, however, what advantage a roof tent would have over a conventional tent. The hardest bit is the "why?" given we're well enough off to pay for a hotel room. It didn't matter so much when we were first married and managed to sleep in our Triumph Spitfire - once. Ever tried sleeping in a Triumph Spitfire? I reckon we'll just throw a two-man tent in the back with the hiking boots, ruck sacks, sleeping bags, little stove, a few cooking utensils. There's no need to take the kitchen sink.

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DaveB said:

I suppose getting older takes it's toll.

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Tazzieman said:

1. "Old age is not for wimps" - said my old man
2. When people say "He had a fall" instead of "he fell over" , you know he's approaching sundown

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Max said:

When you are young, falling is usually jumping and missing...when you are older, falling usually means something is missing...ok a handrail

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DaveB said:

I notice after years of playing squash, karate, Aikido and jiu jitsu (Japanese) that my body is well and truly feeling it.
However I am still fairly flexible and agile.
Not to mention fairly ambidextrous
Both my knees are now titanium, polymer & stainless steel however.

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Earthwatcher said:

I too belong to the old codger/footloose owner section and yes I've been considering the roof tent etc while not having worked out yet where to go. I'm thinking south to the Sahara or North to the arctic circle, probably the latter. It's a while, however since I've camped and I'm wondering just how comfortable you can make a roof tent or internal bed. I doubt if the latter would work with all the other gear we'll need. I'm not sure, however, what advantage a roof tent would have over a conventional tent. The hardest bit is the "why?" given we're well enough off to pay for a hotel room. It didn't matter so much when we were first married and managed to sleep in our Triumph Spitfire - once. Ever tried sleeping in a Triumph Spitfire? I reckon we'll just throw a two-man tent in the back with the hiking boots, ruck sacks, sleeping bags, little stove, a few cooking utensils. There's no need to take the kitchen sink.

Click to expand...

DaveB said:

I notice after years of playing squash, karate, Aikido and jiu jitsu (Japanese) that my body is well and truly feeling it.
However I am still fairly flexible and agile.
Not to mention fairly ambidextrous
Both my knees are now titanium, polymer & stainless steel however.

Click to expand...

DaveB said:

I notice after years of playing squash, karate, Aikido and jiu jitsu (Japanese) that my body is well and truly feeling it.
However I am still fairly flexible and agile.
Not to mention fairly ambidextrous
Both my knees are now titanium, polymer & stainless steel however.

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Cheshire cat said:

Your mention of sleeping in a Triumph Spitfire brought me all the way back to 1979 when three of us slept in my Triumph TR6 so we could spend our military subsistence allowance on beer. The guy who slept in the back was on a parcel shelf. Not even a rear seat in that vehicle.
As for camping in the Grenadier. Not sure if I am past that, but definitely keen on some form of expedition driving, preferably in a group as I would be new to that type of holiday.

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MrMike said:

Everything to do with camping (overlanding)is a compromise, but I can say that RTTing is not for the middle aged. There are better options IMO. Personally I use a swag and stretcher, I've even used a diesel heater to keep it warm. And insulation properties of both are about the same plus you have more flexibility with a swag as you don't have to find a level.place to park every night.

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Tazzieman said:

Best of both worlds is RTT or swag - just choose the time and location to suit.
Our RTT has an annexe plus a self inflating mattress - more comfortable than the one supplied.
We are not people to stay parked up for more than a night or two.
Obviously when we exit middle age the van will allow more comfortable options .
We both plan to stay middle aged!

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grenadierboy said:

My wife is 57, represented Australia at gymnastics, into yoga big time (currently in Thiruvananthapura doing it) but, will not sleep in a RTT - apparantly doesn't like the whole ladder thing

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grenadierboy said:

My wife is 57, represented Australia at gymnastics, into yoga big time (currently in Thiruvananthapura doing it) but, will not sleep in a RTT - apparantly doesn't like the whole ladder thing

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ECrider said:

maybe given her athletic ability she is after more of a challenge, try half a ladder

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emax said:

I'm still (a bit) undecided.

I've seen some interesting alternatives on YouTube and in this forum. When I tour with my wife we will mostly stay in B&Bs, hotels and the like so no RTT is required. But if you find a nice spot (you know, like in all those overlanding videos, where you hear the gentle sound of the sea at night and a friendly, light breeze caresses the tent, and your partner wakes you up at the most beautiful sunrise with hot Coffee ... ), it would be a shame not to have had such a great experience because you ended up in the breakfast room of a B&B.

But if you have to carry around an RTT for 20,000 kilometers to experience this unique, wonderful moment once in your life, then it's like playing the lottery for 50 years to win $100 at the end.

I am convinced that in such a tent you can relax wonderfully in the shade of a tree and the beach is only 100 meters away. But at the latest when you have to get rid of the daily morning shit, the romance is over.

Another disadvantage is the noise when driving - and the additional fuel consumption, not to mention the raised center of gravity.

If I/we were overlanders traveling to a continent lacking infrastructure and thus planning options, an RTT would certainly be of great help. But I'm afraid I've seen too many YT videos like this: Such equipment is almost never necessary when traveling through Europe, at least not if there are only two of you.

As a compromise and in case you simply have no other choice or just want to reminisce about past adventures or immerse yourself in nature as much as possible, a sleeping place inside the car seems to be the right choice.

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