*THE RTT Owners Thread (With BS)*

All packed up w/ the 5 wall panels and footprint it’s 62” long and about 8.5” around at the compression straps...probably around 18-20 lbs...

 

What wheels are these? Sorry for the off topic question

 

KMC 535. I don't think they make them anymore.

 

Camper shell hasn’t broke yet……

I should also add that on my 12 mile drive to work, cruising 55-60 mph, I still average 19-20 mpg so far.

 

The true test will be if it can handle some 'rockin' around

 

I like how this has the one feature that I really, really wish my tent had: A small bit of overhead cover above the side doors and ladder. Just would be a nice feature for keeping windows cracked when the weather sucks.

 

Yeah that’s what sold me on this one over the one that’s $100 cheaper

 

Hi all,

I live in the Pacific NW, and I do a lot of off-roading where my group is driving to a new camp area each night.

Several years ago, I found a used Tepui Ayer mounted to CBI bed bars (these ones) for an incredible deal. It has treated me well, but there's certain parts that are getting old:

• The cover is really tight and becomes a royal pain to stretch over the tent when putting things away
• I'm constantly climbing up and down the sides of my truck when it comes to set up and tear down. I have to mess with a buckle, stuff something somewhere, yank the cover on or off...
• I've treated the tent for rain. However, if there's been an overnight rain and I have to put the tent away, things tend to become a soggy sandwich. My last weekend trip had freezing rain on the first night, and night 2 was really cold so I just slept in the cab. When I got home to air out the tent, the mattress was really wet at the head and the foot.

Considering I've had about 7 good years with this setup and I received a nice bonus from work, I'm really thinking a new RTT might be a good thing.

My two big questions:

1. Are there any RTTs that are better than others for staying dry when it comes to stowing it away?
2. Since the CBI bars are lower than cab height and I have a shortbed, should I consider a cab-height bed rack? I'm torn since my current tent size is fine and it's paid for, but a taller rack would allow for different tent sizes, better crawl space into the bed, more storage in the bed, and mounting on the outside...

Assuming I keep my bars, I have been looking at the following:

1. Ironman 4x4 Nomad II: My friend has this and likes it. His setup and teardown time is waaay faster than me. He seemed to have less problems with rain. He said the mattress might be thinner, and there's no space to store things inside when you stow the tent. He admits there's better quality units out there, but it is still a solid choice.
2. IKamper Skycamp 3 Mini
3. 23Zero Armadillo X2
4. 23Zero Armadillo A2

The Ironman is really tempting because they have a 40% off sale this week and I live less than an hour from their headquarters.
Everything else would be about double the price, but would I be getting something that is double the benefit in terms of quality or rain protection?

 

To answer your 2 questions first:

1. My opinion is not really. If you have a functioning cover, they all should stay dry. If you put it away with wet canvas, things might get wet inside.
2. This depends on what you decide on. A longer tent may require it. I actually built my own first rack as a mid-height rack since none were available at the time. CBI came out with the Overland rack that was exactly the same height as what I built, so that is what I use now. I can still fit in the garage with the tent on, mpg effect is negligible, and I don't severely limit bed access and storage.

My additional 2 cents. Worth less than a few years ago.

There will always be pros and cons about every setup, so you'll need to weigh what is most important to you personally. I've gone through this same consideration multiple times, and I'm still using the "classic" Ayer-style tent after about 10 years. My personal reasoning is that I can perfectly fit an ExPed mattress and bedding, and I don't need a full-height rack that comes with a few other cons (won't fit in the home garage, some parking garages, higher CoG, need to bring a step ladder to complete setup, etc.). Setup and breakdown time is the primary con of the classic style, but I don't find it too much of an annoyance. We take an annual 10-day trip where we move every night, and I just tend to get faster at it as the week rolls on and it doesn't bother me. So, I know if I dumped a few grand on something different I would end up with severe buyer's remorse. Every time I get a wild hair and start thinking about changing, I run through the list of pros and cons and end up right where I am at.

I don't have a problem with stuff getting wet inside, but I don't live in the PNW. You might just need a new cover, or things may have just soaked through to the mattress if you put it away wet -- that is normal and would happen with any tent.

Other things to consider: The Ayer-style tent is a proven design and holds up to weather very well. It's relatively roomy compared to wedges. Soft covers are easy and cheap to replace if damaged -- not so easy with a hard shell. Many of these other tents have detachable ladders -- so you need to have a place to stow that, and don't forget it! Weight.

Quality and support. When I got my first RTT, there was CVT and Tepui here in the US (Howling Moon and some other South African company had expensive ones). Quality and support was good despite the tents coming from China. Now everyone's cousin has a tent brand and a contact in China, and a lot more customer complaints about support.

The choices you laid out are good ones, and the same ones I have considered. If you do go that route, consider a mid-height bed rack unless you need it to hang over the cab.

 

My ikamper mini on 5" billiebars has been great.

Absolutely no issues with water getting in when its closed up either (even when I wash the truck).

Its 125lbs and gets taken off in the winter, but I would trust it on all year round.

I have considered getting higher mounting brackets for better access of the bed, but because I have a tonneau I just just haven't done it yet (I feel like I need to either ditch the tonneau and go higher or leave the tonneau and leave the height).

 

Well, I drove up to Ironman 4x4 yesterday to check things out (it’s awesome to have them local).
They said they didn’t have the Nomad II set up (there’s only one left), but they had the new model, which had the same basic shape.
I checked things out, and was won over - I now own an Ursa!


- Thicker upgraded fabric that serves to help block more light
- Thicker mattress
- LED lights for the underside of the fold-out section and for interior. Lights have different color temp selections and I think they dim
Upgraded ladder
- Shoe bags are upgraded and double as a day bag
- More organizer pockets on inside
- Cargo net on the underside of the fold-out section
- Port for a diesel heater, not that I care.
- Upgraded rubber gasket around the lid to keep moisture out when closed
- lid has upgraded buckles
- lid has cutout for solar panel upgrade


All that is standard. I ended up getting it with the quilted liner, which was the point that really hammered the sale home. Forgot how I always got cold in my old tent, so hopefully that will be a welcome addition.

 

That's a good looking tent. Love that the shoe bags are out at the edge to be usable. My one gripe about my iKamper.

How much did it set you back?

 

$2748

 

That's not bad for a quality tent. I'm assuming it is quality as I've never seen one in person to judge. Hope it serves you well!

@Calamity_taco found you a clamshell to get!

 

Lol I'm good

 

It's nice but I don't wanna spend that much haha I'm a cheap ass at times! Plus again I don't want that style lol

 

Oh, I know. I was being a dick.

 

Anybody running the xtrusion tent mounts for their RTT? I went ahead and ordered some, as the way my tent was mounted last year was just janky.. these will definitely clean up the look, I hope they handle well.

https://xtrusion-overland.com/products/xtr1-roof-top-tent-brackets

 

hmm. i wonder if these would work with my alucab bars. i guess i might be able to get some different nuts and bolts and maybe use some washers if i need to