*THE RTT Owners Thread (With BS)*

Kubota can help !

 

some good ideas of unloading/loading in this video, even though it doesnt involve a RTT..

https://youtu.be/gIJVta2EQqg?t=91

 

Put on bike helmet
Loosen bolts holding tent to roof
Slide tent out so its resting on your helmeted noggin
Have assistant stand under side resting on roof
Shoulder press that beeatch off your nugget and then gently set on grass/ground
Try not to get in a relationship-ending fight

 

That's basically what I did but no forethought to use a helmet! She took it pretty well as I MF'ed everything under the sun.

 

My wife flatly refuses to help me with it anymore so I have to do it solo. Talk about cussing...

 

Attempted the unhelmeted head hold technique with @ovrlndkull I dont recommend it.

 

Question for the hard shell RTT folks - what has been your experience with year-round installation/use on your vehicle?

I picked up a new hard shell last year and don't have anywhere to store the thing in the event it will be unused for an extended length of time. For me this length of time was the entire wet NorCal winter we experienced (roughly Dec-Mar). As such it sat up there for several months through a shitload of rain and a few snow storms without being opened, but I just assumed it would be weather tight and good to go.

Embarrassingly, I finally got around to popping it up for the first time since December just this past weekend and was greeted with a pretty gnarly scene - apparently water was able to freely penetrate throughout winter and the entire inside was soaked and pretty musty and visibly moldy. The fabric tent body was wet, the mattress was soaked and when pulled out water pooled on the bare floor of the shell, and the "carpeting" on the ceiling was soaked too. The mold/mildew was likely exacerbated after sitting through the sun and warmer temps since winter ended so I'm bummed I didn't pop it up earlier. Oh well...damage done.

The tent was broken down and latched properly (i.e. no tent fabric was obstructing the seal), so the weather stripping around the shell perimeter should have been good to go. There are roof racks and an exhaust vent on the top so there may be some possible entry points there. The ladder attachment points on the side seem less likely due to A) their orientation and B) the sheer amount of water that had entered doesn't seem in line with that entry route.

Did I blow it? Am I crazy for expecting this tent to be weather tight?? Any suggestions on a path forward? I entertained the idea of just cleaning it but figured since it's still pretty much a brand new product I should at least hit up the vendor to see what they say?

 

I keep all of my tents on year round. Snow/rain/hot/cold. I don't know much about leaks, but you should expect 0 leaks.

 

Good feedback, thanks! I'll refrain from using the vendor's name since they have been so great to work with in the past and I'm hopeful that trend will be consistent. It's just good to get other folks' input before I reach out to them since the hard shell is pretty new to me.

That said, if you're really interested, it wouldn't be hard to find out which tent I've got if you search around a bit on here

 

That shit sucked! We had a somewhat easy move of yours too. They are heavy and awkward. Recommend forklift or set up a pulley system in the garage. Work smarter not harder with these things.

 

Sadly, I dont own a forklift and my garage is only 8 feet tall

 

Did you watch the video I posted? I like their creativity.

 

No

 

Its basically that. Except they're winching aluminum boats. But still same/good ideas

 

Hey fellas & felletes- I finally bit the bullet and purchased a RTT! I found a heck of a deal on a used Tepui Explorer Series 3 Kukenam that quite frankly looks hardly used. My question for you is what rack height should I purchase? I like the mid height racks (11"-12") but I'm concerned about the lack of visibility that I'll have out of my rear window. I'm assuming (but WTF do I know) that the lower I have the RTT the less my MPG's will take a hit.

I also like the way cab high racks look. I think it would be nice to be higher off of the ground to avoid larger animals and have easier access to the truck bed. This would take care of my concern with having rear visibility but would I take a bigger hit on MPG's? Would I have a better chance of rolling my rig due to having less center of gravity? I'm all ears. why did you go with the rack you have? What are some pros and cons of different height racks?

 

All of your points are great! In the end, id say it's personal preference. I know that doesn't help. Ive had both setups, and if i had the style tent you have, id go low rack again.

I have almost cab height because i like the streamlined look, and i kinda need to because my tent is longer than the bed. I have a swingout with a tire, and i need the tent to be above that. I could lower the tire, but lose departure angle.

Pics for attention. 2nd picture is current.

 

What's everyone using to bold their RTT to their BAMF bed racks? Muffler clamp saddles and stainless bolts?

 

I did that. Was helpful. I believe @JLee uses 1.75" tubing

 

Summer in the Pacific Northwest is hard to beat. So, I wouldn't blame you for wondering why - with a week of sun and 75°F in store before Memorial Day - we were headed for the inclimate weather of the Oregon-Idaho border and Hells Canyon.

So let's start there.

Read the first part of the story and see all the photos - Cold Day in Hell('s Canyon)

see the whole trip report: [part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4]




.​

 

How do we feel about

$12 TOTALFLOW Natural Finish 1.75" TF-U175 304 Stainless Steel Saddle U-Bolt Exhaust Muffler Clamp-1.75"

these <~ ?

and did anyone do anything extra like a rubber shim or part of an old bicycle tube to help and slight chance of sliding around on the saddle side?