RTT for daily driving

Haha there is definitely some truth behind that though. Lots of people but it for the looks or glamorous living which you can't blame them for wanting.

 

RTTs are a pretty polarizing topic

 

Even after spending several nights in different CVTs I can say that the Smittybilt is a fantastic tent. I live close to CVT and could easily get a more expensive tent, but you really don't gain much over the Smittybilt (if you're comparing similar-sized tents).

I have now spent about 100 nights (counting trips with the Jeep I traded for the Taco) in my Smittybilt and here's some things you may want to do:

1. Add a condensation mat. This is standard on CVTs I think and is necessary. Get the cheapest one you can find, or this stuff called sea-deck. Tepui sells a cheap-ish one that fits the Smittybilt footprint.
2. Go through their "seasoning" protocol, which means wetting your tent and then letting it dry in hot sun before using it the first time - this helps close-up some of the pores in the fabric
3. Check your ladder height before going on your trip. Drill holes to custom-fit the ladder to your truck height.
4. Scotchgard the whole outside before you go on your first trip. Do this once every 6 months or so. Trust me!
5. Find a discreet location on your truck to mount a small bubble level and purchase some cheap leveling blocks from Amazon. I mounted my level to my roof rack.
6. You can get one of those cheap USB power banks from Amazon to power the LED strip in the tent so you don't need to run the thing to the cigarette lighter in your cab
7. Never store it wet
8. Get some comfortable bedding to dedicate to the tent so you don't have to open it up and put shit in there before each trip

If you do all of the above your tent will function just like, if not better than, a lot of the really expensive tents. You'll love it. Your cover's velcro will probably be the first thing to wear-out before the cover gets murdered by UV and rain. I wouldn't hesitate to leave it on, but obviously it's best to take it off and store it inside if you want it to last 10+ years.

 

I daily drove my 3rd Gen for over a year with my Tepui RTT and didn’t notice a huge mileage hit. MPG is worse now with sliders and E rated KO2’s than it was with the OEM Goodyear’s, no sliders, and shell + RTT sticking way up.

 

No kidding. Not sure why some people have such a beef with them

 

I not only got an RTT, I also bought an annex. We have setup a table for cooking, two chairs and even a port a potty. As close to a Hilton you can get in the boonies!

 

thats pretty sick ngl

 

Does having a GFC count?

 

Is that shape comfortable?

 

Very. Wind shouldn’t be an issue but expect a lot of bugs.

 

Yup, the annex even came with a floor and back wall which you can use or not depending on the weather.

 

How does your truck bed hold up if you were you place RTT for an extended period of time? Do all that have RTTs up on truck bed all the time have bed stiffner installed?

 

Chemical Guys Moto Armor. Works like a charm for revitalizing travel covers.

 

What about airing it out after a rain? How long can I go before I risk growing mold or ruining the material?

 

I'm thinking about fabricating my own stiffener so I can continue to use my bed extender.

 

Does anyone have the smittybilt overland tent?

 

Most people do. I got some 'blemished' ones from Rago Fab for a very good deal. Keep your eyes open for stuff like that

Ive been about a week before. Dont recommend it, but not having a garage and working all day means ya gotta do it sometimes haha

 

I keep mine on a month or two at a time. I lose about 1.5 mpgs with it on my RCI rack. I bought a ceiling hoist to take it in and off by myself, so it’s not a huge deal to change it up fairly often.

 

I made a simple cart out of two furniture dollies separated about 3’ apart with a board and two uprights to hold mine on edge- it’s very easy to cart around in the garage that way.

 

Nice setup. Looks very familiar! lol