Ontario BS Thread

I'd be in for that if you needed one more!

 

I am already in the group, but I will post here for the next winter for sure. The Shell car wash is available in many places, you can download the app and use it without needing to keep the card. I've been doing it for the past 3 years and $50 per season sounds like a steal, especially when I don't have to get out of my truck and get wet from spraying water.

 

Just a reminder that today is the TNTT Woodstock meet & greet at 7.30PM for those who are on the west!
http://tnortt.ca/forums/topic/woodstock-bullht-sessions/

Also:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/teq-navigational-rally-caledon-on.587292/#post-19593117 - discuss

 

I've used the Petro touchless a few times.
There hasn't been any harm, but I don't like the idea of the brushes smacking against my soft topper at regular car washes.

 

Yeah, that's why I go with Shell, their touch-less is pretty good and in my location undercarriage wash is pretty strong to wash all the dirt/salt.

 

Figured I'd post up a couple replies to all these tire carrier hinge posts to share some of the info I've found while researching the topic extensively...
Like most topics, there's no "right" answer here, but proper design considerations and material selection goes a long way.

This is a big problem for the spindle type "single shear" hinges, but proper design and a quality hinge can combat this easily enough.
The trick here is the latching system (and material used to build the swingarm). If the latch is a secure latch that allows no movement/rattle, the stress on the hinge is drastically reduced. Most hinge failures are due to latches that allow some play which gets transferred directly to the hinge.
Also, how the hinge is mounted is a big part that is often overlooked (addressed in the next section).

The weak part of these hinges is the weld at the bumper - the heat weakens the hinge pin and that provides the weak point where it will shear if given the opportunity (a 35" without a perfect latching system will definitely bring this on sooner than later - I don't know what latch he used, so maybe that's not the main culprit)

The ideal mounting for these hinges is with a sleeve - there is at least one company that recommends it this way on their product page but I don't remember which one. Essentially, if you use a 1-1/4" spindle, you would buy a piece of DOM tubing that's 1-1/4" inner diameter. You setup the sleeve in the bumper, slide in the spindle to the correct position, and then weld the SLEEVE to the bumper. The heat causes distortion in the sleeve which provides a "press fit" around the spindle. You then tack weld the BOTTOM of the spindle to the inner of the sleeve.
No extreme heat has been introduced to the spindle, so that weak point is never introduced - IF you ever have a problem/failure, you'll be able to grind the tack welds and press the damaged hinge out no problem.

100% agree with the serviceability - but it requires more frequent servicing, and sometimes the top mounted spindle style suits the bumper better.
A good quality GREASABLE spindle hinge mounted in single or double shear does a great job if designed properly.
My next bumper build will use TMR's Chromoly hinge mounted in a sleeve - https://www.tmrcustoms.com/ca/roll-cage-chassis/bumper-builder-parts/tire-carrier-hinge-pivot
It's greasable and is made from Chromoly steel which is significantly stronger.


All that being said - if you're planning to run 37"+ tires, you should definitely mount a double shear hinge - whether that be the bronze bushing style, or a double shear spindle type hinge.

Tagging @Zulupapa as I believe you started this whole conversation with that awesome looking bumper from Expedition One.

 

Way ahead of ya

 

sounds like peter
@tacoma16 have you even cleaned it since swisha yet?

 

I clean mine few times a year or after each trip (most of the time-try to atleast).

I always wash it prior to getting it sprayed.

 

Great info! Thanks for the heads up!

 

RTT or nicer ground tent? The lady and I are discussing and not sure what route to go. I’d have to custom build a rack for my stepside if we got a RTT

 

Okay....really need to determine how you are camping. The weight you want to carry and things like that.

Rtt pro’s compared to a tent
-easy to setup (relatively compared to a ground tent....mattress and blankets are in there. Open the tent and go to bed. In terms of setup and take down. Some tents are better than others, however in general it’s faster (compared to setting up my 3 man tent, with a tarp, air mattress and Fly).
-can store blankets/bags in the tent (more room to store other shit in the truck)
-don’t have to worry about mud/terrain/water slope. Can level the vehicle and go to bed. Your always going to be dry.
-seting up in severe weather (wind/rain) doesn’t affect the setup time (this is what I found)
-good for different camp sites every night.

Rtt cons
-weight—>not like a tent in a bag that can go from car to car.
-unable to have a base camp and drive around. You’ll need to pack it up and move and then come back and re set up.
-depending on how you set it up it can affect your mileage (more cost for fuel)
-price (shits pricey)
-pain to install on and off. (I generally keep mine on all summer and take it off for the winter-with a bed rack it would be a different story since a couple bolts in the bed rack and you can hoist it off)
-they aren’t 4 seasons. Winter camping is tuff
-in colder weather getting the covers on can sometimes be a pain. In the fal/ winter you can’t keep blankets and stuff in the tent as it won’t close up as easily)


All in all. There is no perfect solution. I started off in the bed of the truck. Hated moving all the gear in and out and it getting soaked when it rained. Did the ground tent, but with my setup (lots of bags) it took up a significant amount of room. Additional if I wanted to get to my kitchen stuff I had to move a bunch of shit out. Easily solved with a drawer setup but couldn’t afford a metal/plastic one. Didn’t want to do wood. Keep in mind I always camped with my girlfriend. So a bit more gear.
With the rtt now it’s a bit more organized. Easy to get to bed. Hate the weight and the drag though. On a bed rack the drag won’t be an issue as it can be made below the roofline.

That’s some things I can think of off the top of my head. I’ll try to add some.

And pictures.

 

Wow that’s a helluva response.

The type of camping we’re gonna do isn’t really overlanding per se, but we want to be able to pull up somewhere and I want to have space for everything and be able to keep food and shit inside the truck so animals don’t get at it. I also don’t have a full size bed so camping in the bed is out of the question. I think we’ve just been spoiled from my old Napier truck tent so we don’t want to go back to sleeping on the ground lol.

The ease of use and setup time has turned me on to a RTT but also breaking down camp every time you want to go somewhere seems a bit annoying. Cost doesn’t matter to me as I’m gonna be using a grant I’m getting from school towards it.

At a bit of a crossroads it seems.

 

I have gone out east and do road trips (call it overlanding, call it road trips. Whatever)

The roof top tent for me has helped organize stuff and make things easier to access. I hate taking 3 things out to get one thing. Yes drawers would have helped, but I do like using the truck as a truck (this was before I turned it into a full time traveling rig.....I have a trailer now).

Now @Norilsk just did a month over the US out of a single person tent, with limited gear. I personal over pack (fridge, cooking gear (from the dollar store), recovery bins etc etc).

I don’t know your camping experience but I would just go out with the cheapest gear (smallest investment). If your in it. Then invest and invest around the setup you feel you need.

Hell even this style tent wouldn’t be too bad. Lighter and smaller as well Camping hub Tent- 90 Second Set-Up Orange

$280 Gazelle T4 Waterproof 4 Person Portable Polyester Outdoor Pop Up Camping or Beach Tent with Removable Floor, Mesh Screens, and Rain Fly, Orange

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01C6CS7P4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_b5-oCbZGF7A59

Easy to setup. Can stand up.

One thing with the rtt I forgot to mention is you can’t really hang out In it. Your laying down. You can can get a room/annex but it’s not much space.

 

What model is that? I’ve been looking at tepuis and this Canadian brand called Overland Recreation that has a really well priced one called the Upper Hutt

 

Yeah I saw a north face one that was similar to that at Sail for around that price.

I think we’ll have to talk about it more but at this point actually I’m kinda realizing I’d like the versatility of a ground tent more than the RTT. Then that gives us more ability to say bring the canoe, or load the back of the truck to the tits without worrying about stuffing everything under the RTT.

And we are definitely going to want room to hang out in it so that’s a huge one too, could even get an awning if we wanted

 

Invest money to make money, don't spend on something stupid like RTT, an advice from somebody who went full retard into "overland" at your age.
Sure it's nice and you will get plenty insta likes, but your fuel will suck, you are more likely to exceed payload, higher centre of gravity, brings unnecessary attention and you need to get the right RTT for the right job (i.e. climate, different climate requires different RTT). Mine (FrontRunner) was shit on space, means you can't fold it with sleeping stuff inside, so it all had to go in the truck. The zipper also broke and they declined to warranty it etc. Sold it after using couple of times to some guy with first gen taco, so I wonder what he thinks about this RTT, maybe somebody knows him, he drives mint first gen access cab tacoma in black.
Also check this out: https://www.outsideonline.com/2071176/we-designed-best-rooftop-tent-ever-sort



@tacoma16 RTT is a different story, he has quality product, but it comes at a premium price and I agree with the pros/cons he said.


I am minimizing my gear after USA trip to even smaller list, trying to treat it like backpacking that I do. Essentially all that overland crap will take precious time to setup/take down that you can spend hiking, biking, canoeing, running away from wild coyotes and fighting scorpions in the desert.... instead of trying to stay on similar house chores and being civilized. After all it's a road trip, go wild, improvise, it has to suck sometimes to make you appreciate things when you comeback home. There's been days when it was cold, rainy, muddy and I wanted just to curse at everything, now I remember those days with a smile. Just my 2 cents about broverland travel.

 

Absolutely. There are so many different setups and it’s nust a matter of what your willing to live with or tolerate. It is camping and it’s not suppose to be a house. However when your living out of your vehicle for a vacation, being able to make a quick lunch without having to remove 50 things and struggle to pack back up could be worth the investment in an item (this type of scenario makes my blood boil) whether that item be a rtt or a drawer or a really good tent. Whatever it is.

Also my tent is a arb. I am very interested to compare it to the Smittybilt that @Theicemedic is getting

 

Ground tent

Cheaper and works.
Peter mentioned the pros of RTT
And the cons.

But when it comes to speed that also depends on what gear you have and how much that possible 5 min really means to you.

I personally prefer hammock but in cooler weather it can be really cold . Until I get the proper set up which I'm in the process of.

Otherwise I go ground tent and I'm thinking of getting a cut to set up my ground tent on.

With the girlfriend I use a 3 person msr ground tent.

 

That $1000 grant won't even pay for a tent and the bed rack lol.
They're pricey.

If you get a good ground tent they're pretty easy to set up.
I can have mine fully set in 5min