RTT camping with dogs

[nb84]

Just got my R1t recently, and we're looking to put a RTT over the bed, to help cut down setup time, and the amount of stuff we need to pack when we want to go camping. While I have no doubt that my wife and I could easily fit in any of the offerings that will fit over the bed, like the iKamper mini, 4x4 Colorado Alto mini, etc, we have 2 velcro pitties (65lbs, and 50lbs), and they're both very sheltered and needy dogs, with no concept of "personal space" (ie. Not the kind of dogs that would just sleep on the ground out in the woods).

Eventually, I may get a bed rack to raise things up to roof level, and give us some more space, but the currently available options are a bit out of our price range, in addition to the RTT itself, so we're limited to what can fit on the cargo bars over the bed of the truck. Since the only RTT's that will fit over the bed of the R1T are built for 2 people, what do you do with your dogs at night? Ground tent? Some sort of setup in the bed of the truck? Back seat and hope for the best? I need some experiences from folks in a similar situation.

;TLDR: Looking for sleeping options for my boujie dogs while camping.

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[RivianRunner]

Just got my R1t recently, and we're looking to put a RTT over the bed, to help cut down setup time, and the amount of stuff we need to pack when we want to go camping. While I have no doubt that my wife and I could easily fit in any of the offerings that will fit over the bed, like the iKamper mini, 4x4 Colorado Alto mini, etc, we have 2 velcro pitties (65lbs, and 50lbs), and they're both very sheltered and needy dogs, with no concept of "personal space" (ie. Not the kind of dogs that would just sleep on the ground out in the woods).

Eventually, I may get a bed rack to raise things up to roof level, and give us some more space, but the currently available options are a bit out of our price range, in addition to the RTT itself, so we're limited to what can fit on the cargo bars over the bed of the truck. Since the only RTT's that will fit over the bed of the R1T are built for 2 people, what do you do with your dogs at night? Ground tent? Some sort of setup in the bed of the truck? Back seat and hope for the best? I need some experiences from folks in a similar situation.

;TLDR: Looking for sleeping options for my boujie dogs while camping.

Just get a ground tent. Roof-top tents are over-rated and have numerous disadvantages that people don't think about until they actually start using them. The biggest one for me is that when you are camping at primitive campsites in the backcountry, your tent can't be used to reserve your camp when you go out on a day adventure in your truck. You have to pack up camp, just to leave for the day (unless you leave on foot).

There are lots of traditional ground tents with plenty of room for two big dogs.

 

[KBabione]

Why a RTT? I think they're really cool and am amazed at the offering out there, but they're not for me. At 60 nature calls me multiple times each evening and the thought of needing a ladder to answer that call makes a RTT a big no.

Define your requirements and then pick the best shelter that meets them. From what you've described, I think a standalone tent may be a better choice for you and your "boujie" friends. I bet they could climb the ladder to a RTT with a little training, but going down could be a different problem. What I did to take my daughter's mini-pitty camping was to cut a piece of indoor/outdoor carpeting from HD to fit the inside of the tent so that Baci's nails don't go through the tent floor. It works well and is nicer for humans too.

Buy a family tent from Costco (if you don't have one already) and try it. The money you save doing that versus a RTT will allow you to outfit a really nice camp kitchen...

 

[Laserboy1054]

Only you know what would work for your dogs, but in the cab of the vehicle (with seats covered to protect from claws) seems perfect--that's just what "Pet Comfort Mode" is for. I've never had a problem taking my dogs (or my cat, for that matter) camping and just leaving them in the vehicle at night--and this was before I got a Rivian. If you're nervous about them being "unsupervised," set up a nannie cam or a Furbo on the dash so you can keep an eye on them.

One potential issue (again, you know your dogs): one of my dogs would absolutely freak out if he could hear my voice but not see me. So if I were in a tent next to a vehicle and he was inside the vehicle, things would have gotten very ugly very fast. Separation anxiety takes many forms.

 

[C.R. Rivian]

Why a RTT? I think they're really cool and am amazed at the offering out there, but they're not for me. At 60 nature calls me multiple times each evening and the thought of needing a ladder to answer that call makes a RTT a big no.

Define your requirements and then pick the best shelter that meets them. From what you've described, I think a standalone tent may be a better choice for you and your "boujie" friends. I bet they could climb the ladder to a RTT with a little training, but going down could be a different problem. What I did to take my daughter's mini-pitty camping was to cut a piece of indoor/outdoor carpeting from HD to fit the inside of the tent so that Baci's nails don't go through the tent floor. It works well and is nicer for humans too.

Buy a family tent from Costco (if you don't have one already) and try it. The money you save doing that versus a RTT will allow you to outfit a really nice camp kitchen...

This is what we have used 6 Person Rapid Tent Setup (youtube.com) with two big dogs (Akita and Sapsalli). Really glamped it...two cots with gel pads, table, chairs, dometic fridge, and (highly recommended) a Laveo™ Dry Flush Electric Toilet | The Waterless Toilet (dry-flush.com). Everything transported in the R1T (between the frunk, gear tunnel and bed). Bonus: camp sites with electricity in WA are $10/night....hookup and recharge.

 

[Mcscoots]

With a camper shell like a GFC, Super Pacific, Tune, Oru, or many others, sleeping on the top bed with the dogs in the truck bed is pretty effective. The dogs can also sleep in the proper bed with you depending on how cozy you want to get.

Also, you can put a cassette toilet in the bed of the truck to prevent the 2 AM nature calls from being super inconvenient.

Note, these solutions aren't cheap but may satisfy your use case.

 

[messinator]

The IKamper mini is about the size of a full mattress inside. So, it depends on how much you can tolerate having your legs squished

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