What the.....

[JDHasty]

Why wouldn't  you just sleep in the back of the truck?

Exactly!

[Jonathan_S]

I think they're pretty neat.  Also pretty expensive so I don't guess I'll ever have one.

People who have them that I know are very happy with them.  Keeps you off the ground when it's too wet, too hot, snakes, bears, etc. 

These really aren't a new thing 

[GrainfedMuley]

Here is some vintage roof top tents......

[Jonathan_S]

Those are cool pictures 

[RadSav]

Why wouldn't  you just sleep in the back of the truck?

Exactly!

Truck in the OP has about a 4' bed.  Not sure I could sleep in that diagonal. 

Wife and I sleep in the back of the truck often - good thing we are too stubborn to divorce as that pushes the limits of our relationship!

When sleeping in the truck we pull all the gear out at night.  Set it out in the rain.  Put it all back in at morning.  Next night take it out...sleep in soggy, stinky bed!

I'm not sure I would be too crazy about this setup as we camp in the rain a bit more than we do in dry weather.  Like tent trailers I see this thing being a mold factory.  But if the options are to sleep in the back of the truck for more than a night or two?  I'd welcome it over sleeping in the truck!  Though I think I could buy a small used trailer with an indoor toilet and heater for about the same price.

[JDHasty]

One of my biggest mistakes was loaning my Compact II to my nephew for ten years - until my daughter is 16.  I was going to sell it to him because I only use it when going to Montana for a week of prairie dog shooting and if I am going for short junkets and did not have the family with me, I sleep in the bed of the truck. 

I told the nephew that he could use it, but I did not want him doing anything that would make it so dolled up that I could not take it out onto the high desert in Montana once a year and getting it filthy.  Well, he did not have it for two hours before the effort to restore it to showroom condition commenced. 

He keeps trying to get me to sell it and relinquish the title, but I keep reminding him that my daughter said she wants it and I told her it is hers as soon as she gets a driver's license.  There is going to be much wailing and gnashing of teeth when that day comes. 

I had not been using it much at all, but when my daughter turned about six we started making weekend trips together and sleeping in the back of the truck is a second rate experience for her compared to having this little camper that only weighs six-hundred lbs.  Taking the big RV is not all that convenient or efficient for just myself and one or two kids.  I am going to purchase a Casita, Burro or a Scamp to replace the Compact II and this time it's not going anywhere.     

[follow maggie]

Those truck top tents are pretty popular with the expedition off road groups. They're not my thing, but it's a pretty cool idea

[jeepster]

I'm considering building one for my jeep. I love my alaknak, and my other 4 man rei tent, but when traveling I've often fantasized about towing a little gear trailer, dog kid and wife in the jeep, and tent on top, just pull over into a campsite, flip out the roof tent, grab the cooler and stove from the trailer, start the fire, and be gone before sun-up. With the advent of a gear trailer it would keep gravity lower, not having everything on the roof and whatnot, but when the jeep starts rockin don't go knockin

[follow maggie]

These guys were at the sportsmans show last week: http://www.cascadiatents.com/Welcome.htm?m=1

They have some pretty cool stuff, but they need to hire someone for their website that knows grammar past the 4th grade level.

[RadSav]

I see these on Craigslist a couple times a year.  New they are double the price in the OP, but usually about half price on Craigslist if you look for the right deal.  I know two different guys, one in Idaho and one in Utah, that use these.  They like them quite a bit when hunting ATV accessible areas.