*THE RTT Owners Thread (With BS)*

This is what I did and I love it. Cost me less then $200 to build and goes on and comes off in 3 minutes. Front Runner quick disconnect mounts are your friend. I upgraded it to put a roof on it since these pics were taken.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-rtt-owners-thread-with-bs.312269/page-1132#post-25685226

 

Driving daily with it lately I avg 16.5 with rtt, water tank and other misc stuff

 

Yeah my truck is a daily. Looks like most of the RTTs that I’ve narrowed it down to are around 130 - 140 lbs. Would I be an asshole if I asked my wife to help me take it off and on every few weekends? If it’s a two person job that is. Or would it be pretty easy for my wife and I and more of an inconvenience / annoying?

 

I make my wife help me with our Tepui Ayer 2. It's a tad lighter at ~95lbs, but it's quite manageable. I use a cheap harbor freight furniture dolly to bring it from the truck to the house then. The only lifting is to mount it.

 

They wanna vote then they gotta move the rtt

 

I am able to load my RTT on my cab height Leitner by myself using the tailgate flip method.

1. Use a furniture dolly (or whatever) to get your RTT to your lowered tailgate.
2. Lean the RTT up against the tailgate then lift the RTT so it is half on the tailgate and you are holding the half that is hanging over
3. Like an Olympic lifter, squat down and extend your arms to press the RTT onto its side so the entire RTT is resting on its side on the back of your tailgate
4. Flip it up onto your bed rack
5. Adjust and secure

Just drive with your legs or you will jack up your back. I have used the method duder shows in the video below and it works like a charm, just take your time. Unfortunately, the garages at my place are too low (garage doors actually) to allow me to get in and out with a RTT so I had to get creative.

 

this looks like an absolute pain in the ass

im gonna have to try it

 

Disclaimer: Ratchet straps aren't for lifting, YRMV. Eyebolts and a couple of ratchet straps do it for me, takes maybe 10 minutes to mount or remove the tent. I've recently installed an 800# electric hoist in the shop that I think I'll start using to raise and lower the tent in a more controlled fashion, just got to figure out the rigging first.

 

I have gone to the RIGID boxes they have taken a lot less room and hold my gear better than the old rubber made style footlockers I was using.

 

RTT Cover.....need help here. Went winter camping and the cover was very stiff and as i took it off and then on, it felt like it was going to crack...sounded like it might have too.
So 1. do the covers have a temp rating because it felt kinda cheap that the cover would stiffen up and crack. Temps were around 12.
2. is there a good way to check for cracks that have penetrated through? was thinking of taking the cover off and filling it with water.

 

I grabbed the harbor freight magnetic paper towel holder from the toolbox before the last trip.

Looks Like I will be picking up another set for the camping gear, a length of paracord and a weight ( couple 1/2" hex nuts) secured to the panel and then draped over the towel roll would help in windy conditions.






These little Luci lights fit perfectly between my RTT and the bed bars, and it worked out perfectly for pre-sunrise coffee prep...

 

I use a similar system when I take my topper off. It’s extremely basic which works for me as I very seldom remove the topper.

Only difference for my setup is 1
cam strap at each corner vs your 2 ratchets. Similar concept. I do the lifting and the straps merely hold the static load.

If I ever move to a RTT I’ll likely employ this same system. With most RTT being sub 150lbs I welcome that job vs that of the 200+lbs topper

 

Gotta tell ya. Too many options out there. Thoughts on just keeping it simple ?

 

open air, sleeping under the stars, If it starts raining just deploy the old tarp.

 

Maybe some bungee cords for good measure. Otherwise, pretty stellar.

 

Took the XOC out this weekend and decided to try out the RTT for the first time since I mounted it on the trailer. Woke up to some turkeys calling and a nice sunrise in Platte River State Park. Was a bit chilly (20 F / -7 C ) but my 0 deg (F) bag did the trick. Platte River State Park is a pretty neat place you all should check out if in the area. Brand new park, lots of playgrounds and jungle gyms for the kiddos, mountain bike only trails and quite a few hiking trails. No primitive or basic camping though, so you're paying for the full hookups whether you use them or not. They also have pull throughs so you glampers with you 30 footers can come out and play.

 

I think you're fine. The material gets to be a real bitch when it's cold. Coldest I ever slept in mine was -12*F. Totally brutal on my fingers trying to stuff everything under the stiff cover and pull the zipper, but the material didn't crack. HOWEVER, the cold did destroy the skylight panel in the roof of my CVT. Shattered like glass. I called CVT and they told me that you can't use that rain fly in temps below freezing. So I just put the standard fly on and kept it on until I sold the tent.

 

Overnight ice fishing trip