Roof top tent over Diamondback options.

I posted this in the RTT B.S. thread but it didn't get much traction.

Hey guys I am new to the RTT scene but thinking it's going to be the way to go for us this summer as my wife and I are planning on driving from NY to AK with our dog. This will actually be my first foray into car camping as I have spent years backpacking, so I don't know what to do with all the space!!

I would like to mount a RTT over my Diamondback SE. Seems like this Max Modular rack with the tonneau cover brackets would work. Are there other racks that could allow for a RTT overtop of a Diamondback? I'm not too concerned with not being able to open the cover.

What are some suggestions as far as brands? I'd like to stay around $1000 so obviously a soft shell. I have looked at Smittybilt, Tepui, and CVT. Any other ones I should check out?

I'm thinking an annex too because there's no way I'm lifting my 95 pound oaf of a labrador retriever up the ladder and I know my wife is going to feel better if he's inside the annex where she can look down and see him rather than in the cab of the truck. Is the annex going to be a problem if the RTT is above the bed and not full height on top of the cab?

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/diamondback-modification-thread.553966/

Might find some cool stuff in there

 

Where did you get your diamondback? I am looking at doing something similar. It seems the SD is strong enough, I feel like the HD would be overkill...

 

I emailed these guys:
http://www.kbvoodoo.com/
They said all of their racks are diamondback compatible

 

Give a shout out to @eccracer104 over on this thread. He will inbox you a link to a price with a discount. That's where I got mine and am very happy with it.

 

You order and purchase a diamondback straight from the manufacturer.
Every unit is made to order. 6-8 weeks.
If you're military they offer a 10% discount
I'm extremely happy with my DB SE, it'll last as long as my truck

 

I think there are some pretty good options for mounting your tent if you don’t mind drilling into your diamondback cover. If not the you should check out kbvoodo as CJH9980 had mentioned. If you mount your tent to deploy over the side of the bed the you shouldn’t have any issues with the annex. As far as the tent itself goes I personally wouldn’t spare any expense there. You are going to rely on this thing rain or shine and cold or hot so for me personally I don’t put a price limit on it. As far as another brand goes you should check out Free spirit recreation www.gofsr.com . I think their tents are a little different than the majority or the other RTT’s. Hope this helps.

 

They have a lot of good stuff. You're right about the price limit. This trip is going to cost a lot and if we're living in the tent for six weeks it better be good. Looks like CVT has some good options as I am looking for something where the ladder is contained within the inside of the annex instead of outside of it.

 

I would just give them a call and talk to them before you exclude them if you are truly interested in their products. I know CVT is a very popular brand as well.

 

Thanks for the tag, and glad you're happy with the cover!

 

Oh and any idea if I am going to need bed stiffeners with a RTT?

 

My personal thoughts on the bed stiffeners on the Tacoma beds is that I think they should all have them. With the composite construction I think that they all could benefit from them

 

There is a guy on youtube. Do a search for "last line of defense". He has a RTT mounted to his diamondback and is very detailed on how he did this.

 

What did you end up doing? Here is what I did with mine

 

In

 

What bracket and bars are those? I am looking for some choices to strap down lumber, stand up paddle board, ocean kayak etc and the bars you have seem beefier then the others I have seen.

 

I am using a company called van tech I found on Amazon then cut down to the size I wanted since I was mounting other options on there. It might be over kill for the specs but I wanted that warm and fuzzy to ensure nothing happens.

 

Ever get worried about the SE? I am struggling between the SE and HD... I figure a tent, 2 people, dog, gear, probably upwards of 6-700 lbs. That being said, I know the 400 lbs is the dynamic load limit, not static, and the racks would shift the weight to the sides not the middle which must be stronger... Thoughts?

 

I went with a Kore4x4 rack on my dbhd.

 

Mike at LLOD has a pretty sweet setup using a FrontRunner system...

https://youtu.be/VwZ5aKyNcXA