*THE RTT Owners Thread (With BS)*

I'll tell you from experience it's not fun. Especially when your moving camp and have to do it for two nights. Everything get's wet and if you don't have a condensation mat the center of the mattress get soaked. A day in the sun will dry it out though.

 

I feel that I get my MT. McKinley and annex packed up faster than our ground tent. Also like the fact that we are sleeping up off the ground. It's a nice peace of mind, since I have had a stranger come into my camp in the middle of the night. It was just my son ( who was about 13yrs. old) and I. Not to scary, more aggravating.

 

We are planning a trip to Baja and I'm worried about El Nino. Maybe I'll try and stay at a site more than one night. We moved camp every night in Bodie and it got old quick.

 

Yeah, I don't mind it when camp clean up and setup is quick. But I don't like spending 15min tearing down the RTT properly.

 

If driving with a trailer didn't seem like such a pain I'd consider a VMI or Cricket. Maybe the hard shell will makes sense.

 

On the topic of set up/take down... Did anybody else walk around their truck about 100 times on the first couple deployments? My neighbors must have thought I was insane (aside from the tent on top of my truck). I have it down pretty well now, but still occasionally miss a step and take an extra trip around the truck.

 

Yeah man. I'm usually juggling a beer so it is never quick.

 

It really isn't that big of a deal. It wasn't like a hardship or anything. I just like the tent to be packed nice and neat which is really a personal preference more than anything. Being that particular in inclement weather has its challenges.

 

my first time using the tent in my driveway, I must have drank a full beer and walked around the truck 20 times. After that I found a routine.

I've got it down to 5min or less open or close. Closing takes a little longer, making sure everything is tucked in. From parking on a reasonably flat area to unzip the cover and fold out, prop up the overhang, then install the window shade poles, and tie downs if I expect wind, then its kick back and relax. I got the Mt. Shasta, but with the way/height I have my tent mounted to my truck, I haven't used the annex yet.

 

I've never put much thought into this, why can't a hard shell be mounted this way?

 

With it below the cab? Well with short beds at least then you'd have to have it hang way over the back and stick out since those don't compress length wise at all.

 

Ah yes, me too. The spork of vehicles...
Makes sense, thanks northwest.

 

Looks like I'm late to the party. The first time setting up my kukenam was a chore. Once I got it though I got it, pretty sure my last trip out I had the tent set up and was sitting with a beer in hand before more people had their regular tents set up. My main reason for getting an rtt was so I didn't have to unload half the truck everything I made camp. Although now I have the dilemma of having to fold up the tent if I wanna go run a trail. I may have just found an excuse to go buy a old military trailer

 

Ive tired that. I find the zipper works fine till summer time. During the summer there is just to much dust and i find after a night or two the zipper gets stiffer to use. Stays that way till i wash it when i get home.

We use heavy duty velcro a lot at work for covers we make to cover equipment that is exposed to the weather most of the year and it holds up. Our covers could just have another 3-4 inch of "flaps" and velcro to the bottom side of the floor. Plus htis way i wouldnt have ot worry about the tent fabric getting stuck in the zipper!

 

Setup and takedown time has never bothered me, even with the annex. The first few times took a bit of time with the annex but maybe all the practice has made it into no big deal. Setup is faster but I still think I'm comfortably under 10 min to pack it up even with the annex. Doesn't seem unreasonable to me, but maybe I'm just not is as big of a hurry as some of you. I know it can get crazy when rain hits fast and you can't get stuff put away fast enough. We got caught in a fluke hail storm one morning in Idaho as we were packing up. Not pleasant but we lived.

 

I don't have one yet, but do these tents setup (unfold) with the rain fly attached? As of now I'm leaning towards the Kukenam Sky, but probably won't order until spring.

 

Yup it opens with the rain fly on

 

Yep I'll occasionally see pics of one without the rainfly on it but even when I had my Kukenam Sky I never took the rainfly off. Just rolled it back when I wanted to open it up. Way less hassle than taking the fly all the way off.

 

Oh, perfect. You liked the Sky? You think I'd have any problems sleeping two adults and a kid in one of those? I know it'd be tight, but I really want to stay with the 56" models.

 

I really liked my Kukenam Sky, it was a great tent. But I'll be honest I probably only opened up the top a few times. Some people open it up everytime they use it, I just wasn't one of those guys. As for fitting, you can fit 3 people in these for sure. I regularly slept in mine with my 2 teenage boys, and still do with my Autana that's the same size inside. It can be tight but it's definitely doable.