GTFO / Field Notes
Oztent RX-5 Deluxe: Less setup. More outside.
- Gear tested
- Oztent RX-5 Deluxe
- Version tested
- Oztent RX-5 Deluxe with Living Room
- Report date
- 2026-09-04
- Time in the field
- September 4–7, 2026 · three nights
- Test conditions
- Lake Roosevelt, Arizona, on a sandy beach during a late-season heat wave. Daytime temperatures reached 105°F; nights stayed in the upper 70s. Two people slept on an inflatable queen mattress. A battery-powered swamp cooler helped make sleeping more comfortable. No rain or condensation was experienced; rain, cold and wind performance were not evaluated on this trip.
Earned its place
Thirty seconds? They’re not kidding. The main tent went up in about 30 seconds, and adding the Living Room took roughly five minutes. One person could comfortably handle setup and takedown.
I prefer ground tents to rooftop tents, but not the time they can take to pitch and pack. The quick setup and takedown were the biggest win for me.
The Living Room accommodated a table, chair and gear. At six feet tall, I could easily stand inside it. After sunset, mosquitoes and gnats descended like locusts. Five people could hang out in the Living Room without spending the evening swatting bugs.
Reality check
The Living Room instructions could be clearer. Once I’d assembled it once, the process was easy to understand.
A queen inflatable mattress made the bedroom feel a little tight. Packed away, the tent’s bag was roughly seven feet long, making a truck or suitable roof rack important for transport.
Sleeping comfort in the heat benefited from a battery-powered swamp cooler; it should not be attributed to the tent alone.
Pack it if
Campers who prefer a ground tent and want comfort, easy solo setup and a quick getaway. It offers a useful balance of living space and straightforward setup and takedown.
Leave it if
If your priority is maximum space for a longer stay in one location, a larger inflatable tent may be a better fit. Also check that you can transport the roughly seven-foot packed bag.
The campfire verdict
A solid thumbs-up. This tent combines the setup convenience I like about rooftop camping with the ground-level access I prefer. The Living Room adds useful space and, on this trip, a welcome escape from the bugs. It packs away easily and can be handled by one person.
It earns its space by making camp easy to set up, comfortable to enjoy and quick to pack away.
