*THE RTT Owners Thread (With BS)*

#CVTFamily

 

Going to be building a new RTT rack and I'm debating between a strictly over the bed design or a over the bed design that sits over the cab as well. On the partial over cab design I would end the rack about 2 feet before the end of the bed, which would make getting things in and out of the bed of the truck easier.

The only down side to the over cab design that I can think of is the little bit of increased height / wind resistance / center of gravity change. If I went in the bed, I would keep the rack just above the back window height.

What do you guys think?

 

Can you mount a RTT on anything or do you need a bed rack system?

 

Since this is the style rack/RTT style that i run, i'll comment,

There will be some wind resistance, but it honestly aint that bad, my problem is more so with the 33" tires as far as resistance so i wouldn't worry too much about that. Far as the COG is concerned, me, @HomerTaco and others can agree on, it doesnt make a noticable difference at all. I wheel like it isnt up there and i havent found that weight up top to make a difference but thats just me.

 

If you look at the first page of this thread, you'll see alll sorts of setups that should answer this question, but a short answer is yes but there're other options.

 

Can anyone comment on how these tents handle the continual moisture of the pacific northwest?

ie. Do most people take them off and store in their garage between actual camping trips or do most just leave them on their truck 365 days a year?

 

They do just fine. Just dry them out if they get wet. But folded up with the cover on you won't ha e a problem.

 

Easy enough for me to install, so I just take it off between trips. Definitely air it out good before storing.

 

Twopui by The Adventure Continues, on Flickr

@TepuiTents

 

Great Photo!
#teamTepui

 

This is exactly the thread I was looking for. Here's my question, does anyone have concerns about mounting the Tent on top of a typical shell? Looks like there's only one pictured in the thread that is actually mounted on a shell. I'm not really finding much info from the various shell manufacturers regarding the amount of weight that the shell can support. Am I missing others who have mounted on top of a shell, and if so, how long has the tent been there and have you seen any signs of the shell having problems carrying the load?

 

Look at a Prinsu rack to put the tent on. The rack then gets put onto the shell. There's other types of racks but none I can think of

 

My first review/overview of the Smittybilt Overlander Roof Top Tent.



Ordered from AutoAnything.com on 2-29-16. Received the tent via light freight on 3-10-16. Free Shipping.





The tent was packaged well. No damage from shipping.



I had read online that you will find some aluminum shards in the tent from when they drill the holes. I did find a few but nothing a sticky tape roller couldn't pick up. This is a lack of care on the manufacturing part.





The tent opened right up and the ladder, mounting rails, and cover were inside.



All the mounting holes are pre-drilled. The mounting of the bars and ladder assembly was very easy. No problems.



Here you can see all the accessories. I really like the LED light strip and 12v extension cord. Also includes a shoe bag that hangs off the top of the ladder.



The mounting brackets for the ladder.



Looking good on the bed rack.



The cover is black and attaches via Velcro. I don't like this, but I can easily sew a zipper in and make it better.



All the window rods fit perfect.



The doors have a bar sewed into the end which make rolling them up easy.









The star gazer windows on the roof. I love this feature of the tent.



Vents on both sides.



The mattress is comfy. Similar to other brand tents.



I noticed that the ladder only had one set of holes drilled for one position. I will drill more holes so the ladder can be adjusted to different positions.

The fabric is obviously lighter than other brand tents. But the structural components all seem similar.

I paid $760 for the tent. AutoAnything has a one year price guarantee. So if 4 wheel parts has another Christmas sale and price the tent at $599 again, AutoAnything will credit me the difference.

My overall thought on the tent is - I like it and it will work for me with my budget. I am the type of person that will buy the $30 tent from academy rather than the $100 tent from REI.

I will give another review after I do some camping.

 

Great review buddy

 

thanks!

 

That second to last pic has those chords going across the tent about a foot or two off the bottom. Are you supposed to keep those in the tent while you use it? Are you supposed to do the limbo to get in there? Nice review!

 

They help tuck the fabric in when you close the tent. You remove them while in use and hook them back up before closing. Makes putting it away easier so you don't have a bunch of excess material hanging out that you have to tuck in.

 

Those cords never really helped with keeping things tucked in while closing my Tepui, I ditched them. Careful with those as well, I remember seeing/reading they may over-stress the seams and cause leaks in bad weather. Otherwise, good review and get out there!

 

It might be a tight squeeze. I'll take some internal dimensions tomorrow.