Cynicalriders "J0hnny5 is ALIVE!" 01 build thread.

Wind noise can be mitigated. I was being lazy - didn’t want to get up to fix it.
The thing about the RTT is that for lengthy trips the setup & breakdown gets old. Weekends are no big deal though.
For me the ideal setup would be something like the wildernest, flippac, or Tacoma habitat setup.
It’s only money right?

 

I'd argue the setup is just as frustrating with a ground tent. I have a very easy to setup tent and spend 15 minutes to setup but break down and pack up is closer to 20-30 mins. I don't really know many trips I'd be on where I would stay in one spot all week anyway. Most trips are spent exploring with the truck so always at a new camp site. I have seen how much faster a wildernest can be considering @Reh5108 had one. It was pretty cool seeing the different setups on the trip. @Squeaky Penguin packed up fastest since he just slept in his bed. @Reh5108 was second fastest with the wildernest. @jubei was the third fastest with the RTT, and me last with the ground tent. Again most of my inefficiencies was not due to a ground tent itself but taking everything in and out of the tent and needing to put it all back in the truck in a certain order.

 

Exactly. My point being that there are many well executed setups, it’s a matter of personal preference which one works best for you.
For me the comfort of the RTT and relative ease of setup is great. That said I see the advantages of my aforementioned options and will likely go that direction in the future.

 

I'm sure Ryan could setup faster than me if he tried. Problem with my setup is moving everything around every night. Works good when I don't have too much stuff, huge PITA when you're doing a 10 day trip.

I'm really intrigued by this.

https://www.gofastcampers.com/

Lighter than a RTT with a bedrack too.

 

I’m still a fan of my RTT, especially since I moved it down 8” by chopping my bed rack.

I love how comfy my setup is. I’m running an extra 1” memory foam mattress and I have a mammoth 0deg queen size bag that is ridiculously warm and cozy. I have had the tent in driving rain and have stayed dry and warm with no problems at all.

But like everyone else has said, the takedown with a softshell RTT can be brutal. My worst experience so far was on the way back from Moab last month. I went to bed while it was windy and woke up to frozen rain. Getting that tent stowed with my sleeping gear under normal conditions is somewhat challenging and can be a nuisance, but that morning, with stiff canvas and frozen rain stuck to everything, was hell on earth. It took a half hour for my hands to stop throbbing. But that said, I slept like a baby that night and didn’t even need my propane heater.

In the future, I’ll most likely keep an eye on the hard shell RTT market and move on to one of those. I think they mitigate most of the deployment and stowing issues that I’ve run into with my shell. I love the idea of a Nest, Flippac, Habitat, etc., but they’re too rich or rare for me.

 

There will always be positives and negatives with everything. Just figuring out what you like and dislike, helps

 

Damn. Those look very well thought out.

Both my truck and myself need to lose some weight, and down the road it would be great to do some of that via upgrading the sleeping setup. Shit, the improvement in takedown time alone has got my attention. Very cool.

Glad you posted that, Brett.

 

That honestly looks like the best setup I've seen. Way lighter than a flippac, you can actually buy one, quicker setup/takedown times, etc.

I'll be saving my pennies.

 

Intriguing...

I’m with you on them being cost prohibitive. I’d love to make one for myself though... take a CVT and convert it to a wildernest style cap.

Did not see pricing on there.

 

$5k. Damn. I do love the idea of it though.

 

Moving things around the bed so I can get in to set it up is most of the battle. I doubt I could be quicker than you but we can try sometime.

That thing looks pretty cool. I think the Wildernest is 250lbs so it's 50lbs less but sits up a scosh higher. I'm curious to how dry it can keep the bed. I like the frame, should make customization easy.

 

I don't think 5k is too bad. Still cheaper than a flippac /Habitat and has more utility than a rtt.

 

There has to be a less expensive way to make a setup like that. 5K is mad expensive.

 

Limited production runs and premium materials are not conducive to low prices. Plus the alternatives are more expensive so they price accordingly. I could make something similar for around $2k in parts and materials. And a few hundred hours of labor.

 

Replaced these pieces of OEM junk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcjgJ1IiqQg

Went and checked out a stripped heli and tank with my pup and wife thanks to @nj636

IMG_0701 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0696 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0688 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0687 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0680 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0679 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0702 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0704 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0705 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0706 by Michael Halat, on Flickr
IMG_0708 by Michael Halat, on Flickr

And made two videos for the trip report so far:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA_nUxcd0WA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTym2EXMTgQ

 

hm. Looks interesting.

But still too tall.

That is the biggest problem with any camping setup. Its too high up. That thing is still 200lbs of love and its over the cab. I don't care who you are, you can't haul ass through the desert or forest service roads with something like that that high up.

Which sucks.

Hoping the wildernest will be the best compromise for it all. But really. The super low mounted RTT is still my fav setup done so far. Just doesn't keep the gear dry enough.

Not really if you think about it. Its a bed rack/topper and a versatile camper. Price seems right in line. Considering a dumbass habitat is 8k starting. Its a deal haha

 

I disagree. Way better than a wildernest, those things are over 300lbs.

I honestly don't think it would cause any problems for anything I do. Hell, my fiberglass topper is like 120lbs. You're saying 80lbs more and a few inches higher is going prevent me from reaching the limits of my suspension? I don't buy it.

I do agree on this however. People are paying half that or more for their fancy/big/hardshell/whatever RTT. Then you need a way to mount it, and none of your stuff stays dry.

 

I do say that. Because I've experienced it. It makes a big difference. Not in how the suspension handles per say, but how the truck feels in the corners. The lean of it. Every inch you go up, it changes that. Hell i noticed a difference going form flush to the bed, to 4'' above the bed with Frankenstein. It wasn't one that made me slow down in that case, but you can feel it.

I can guarantee you wouldn't take corners as fast with that thing as you do now. No way.

Also a wildernest is 250lbs The full size bed ones are over 300. Still is heavy though. Im also worried it won't be able to withstand my driving as its so old and fiberglass...and heavy.

Not even sure im gonna use it yet. Haven't mounted to see if it fits with the swing out for one(still) and the bed is smaller so not sure I'll like sleeping in it..with the lady.

The GFC is intriguing though. It is cool to see people trying to do something different and improved and light. Be nice if they used Aluminum for the bed rack instead, probably save 50-80lbs there. But price would be way expensive. My other grip is one of its best features too. I like the floor and how its moveable and all that. but I don't see how its suppose to work well with 2 people. Seems the two bigger chunks by themselves aren't big enough for two people to sleep on so you'd have to have the whole floor laid out. Which makes getting in and out a bit of a pain as you'd have to remove the other two smaller panels every time and set them somewhere.

For one person, like yourself, seems like it would work great. Just don't roll off the bed

Buy one so we can all see it

 

Ideally for my personal uses anyway, is a low RTT, at least below the roof line, with a rack made of aluminum, and canvas sides, front, back. I love how light my truck is, but would love an RTT to clear some cab space and to get up off the ground. It won't be as good as a hard shell cap, or even soft top for that matter but would at least keep mud out.

 

yeah Bob's current setup is pretty sweet.