Ground Tent Suggestions?

[AndyMac204]

Our dog is too fat (155 pounds) for our roof top tent setup, i think between the 3 of us & the tent we are near roof capacity.

Any suggestions for a quality 4-6 person camping tent?
How about sleeping pads / mattress?

$500 - $1,000 range, we need weather durable big time. I've been reading alot of reviews and figured i'd ask our awesome community here as well.

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[Jmuns]

I’ve always been a huge fan of MSR gear. Their tents have never let me down. Sleeping mattresses and pads these days are everywhere, and you can get house brands that are as comfortable as the big players like Thermarest.

If you are car camping and don’t plan on backpacking ever with the gear then weight and packable size aren’t an issue. You can get some plush gear for car camping. I’d go to an REI or Bass Pro/Cabellas and try out all the mattresses there.

 

[jofer]

If you're going for full on car camping tents, I've been super happy with the Gazelle 4p. It'll just fit inside with a seat down, and straps easily to the roof, too. It's super easy to set up, is super dog friendly, you can stand up inside it, it's somehow better in the wind than it should be for what it is, and is a great choice if you have a pup and cots in the tent. There's a bigger version that might be better for 3 people and a dog, but the 4p is quite roomy for 2 people and a dog. I also have an aging pup and am not a rooftop tent fan for that and other reasons.

On the down side, it's very long and very heavy. Again, dedicated car camping tent only.

I'll second the REI-store-brand and MSR recommendations, though. If you want a lighter tent, they're great. There a ton of others that are fantastic too, like Kelty or any of the established brands. I car camp with a slightly heavy backpacking tent a lot when I don't want to pack the Gazelle. (And backpack with it, too, actually, though a 3 person is about the max you can backpack with.) I've gotten a lot of milage out of a few REI half dome tents.

I'd avoid most cabin tents, though. They are more trouble than they're worth to set up and most can't take the wind. The Gazelle is kind close to a cabin tent, honestly, but I've really impressed with it.

 

[BillC]

13/10 for the good boi. He probably would not appreciate the climb to the roof.

 

[AndyMac204]

If you're going for full on car camping tents, I've been super happy with the Gazelle 4p. It'll just fit inside with a seat down, and straps easily to the roof, too. It's super easy to set up, is super dog friendly, you can stand up inside it, it's somehow better in the wind than it should be for what it is, and is a great choice if you have a pup and cots in the tent. There's a bigger version that might be better for 3 people and a dog, but the 4p is quite roomy for 2 people and a dog. I also have an aging pup and am not a rooftop tent fan for that and other reasons.

On the down side, it's very long and very heavy. Again, dedicated car camping tent only.

I'll second the REI-store-brand and MSR recommendations, though. If you want a lighter tent, they're great. There a ton of others that are fantastic too, like Kelty or any of the established brands. I car camp with a slightly heavy backpacking tent a lot when I don't want to pack the Gazelle. (And backpack with it, too, actually, though a 3 person is about the max you can backpack with.) I've gotten a lot of milage out of a few REI half dome tents.

I'd avoid most cabin tents, though. They are more trouble than they're worth to set up and most can't take the wind. The Gazelle is kind close to a cabin tent, honestly, but I've really impressed with it.

that Gazelle Tent is pretty nice, i appreciate that!

 

[Dennis Kilbride]

I've been using the Eureka Timberline 4 person for decades. Simple A frame style. They are cheap (Amazon 259.00) but rugged, can be set up in the dark, or with poor lighting. The 4 person is perfect for 2 adults and two dogs plus lot of gear. I use two 15.00 air mattresses (Walmart) and cheap blue tarps for ground sheet. Dogs like their own blanket from home. Never had a rock poke through floor.

Never had a zipper fail in 30 years with the four I have purchased. Plenty of ventilation, good design for wind, rain, just make sure ground sheet tucked under. I silicone the fly sheet every year and bottom outside that rain will hit.

 

[Dude]

I've been using the Eureka Timberline 4 person for decades. Simple A frame style. They are cheap (Amazon 259.00) but rugged, can be set up in the dark, or with poor lighting. The 4 person is perfect for 2 adults and two dogs plus lot of gear. I use two 15.00 air mattresses (Walmart) and cheap blue tarps for ground sheet. Dogs like their own blanket from home. Never had a rock poke through floor.

Never had a zipper fail in 30 years with the four I have purchased. Plenty of ventilation, good design for wind, rain, just make sure ground sheet tucked under. I silicone the fly sheet every year and bottom outside that rain will hit.

i owned the same tent, best tent I ever had!

 

[Elegance]

We've got the Marmot Halo 4-person tent to fit myself, my boyfriend, and our dog. Pricey but worth it. Before I met him, I was a sleep on the ground and rough it kind of girl. Then he got us this fancy tent and a couple of cots with sleeping pads. The rest is history - Never looking back. We're practically glamping with how cozy we are.

 

[Meanderthal]

I have always been a fan of Big Agnes gear and the Big House series is fantastic for car camping. Here is the 6 person version.

 

[NVBadlands]

If you're going for full on car camping tents, I've been super happy with the Gazelle 4p. It'll just fit inside with a seat down, and straps easily to the roof, too. It's super easy to set up, is super dog friendly, you can stand up inside it, it's somehow better in the wind than it should be for what it is, and is a great choice if you have a pup and cots in the tent. There's a bigger version that might be better for 3 people and a dog, but the 4p is quite roomy for 2 people and a dog. I also have an aging pup and am not a rooftop tent fan for that and other reasons.

On the down side, it's very long and very heavy. Again, dedicated car camping tent only.

+1 on the gazelle, I’ve had one for a few years now and it’s survived everything you can imagine. Makes a great 4-season tent with one of those diesel heaters. I keep meaning to print a storage tube so I can put mine on my roof, I’ll have to get around to doing that soon…

 

[SBGrad]

I have always been a fan of Big Agnes gear and the Big House series is fantastic for car camping. Here is the 6 person version.

+1 for Big Agnes, we love ours.

The only piece of advice I can give about mattresses is to stay away from air only. We had a 6" air only pad that was super comfy until we went camping in the spring and a cold snap hit. Get a pad with foam so you won't freeze.

 

[TCBSport]

I like this idea. The price is too high and it’s not even available yet but I think in a couple of years this may be a great way to go.

 

[Jmuns]

I like this idea. The price is too high and it’s not even available yet but I think in a couple of years this may be a great way to go.

I saw this but just can't seem to wrap my head around what the market will be for this. The idea and looks are cool, but the price is going to fall into the overlander category for people who load their vehicles up with all their gear for people to see and drive around on a day-to-day basis with it all loaded up. This you wouldn't leave on your car all the time and that defeats the purpose of buying a Gladiator or Tacoma and putting every overpriced piece of gear on top of it to look cool while running errands around town.

However, I hope someone I know buys one so I can check it out in person.

 

[TCBSport]

Haha totally agree with the overland showboaters. My use case would be a campsite destination near a lake with our two kayaks on the roof and the hitch mounted tent. Seems a very quick setup which is more appealing to me as I get older.

 

[Meanderthal]

I like this idea. The price is too high and it’s not even available yet but I think in a couple of years this may be a great way to go.

I like this concept as well. You don't have to climb on top of the vehicle like a RTT. You can set it up and then run to town if needed. You can have the interior space for all the other gear you need. It can be installed/removed by one person without much effort. I think it checks a lot of boxes.

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