*THE RTT Owners Thread (With BS)*

just curious, what setup would you be looking to move to?

GLWS, if you decide to.

 

I absolutely love the rtt and the look i have now, but i also have 2 small dogs and its a pain in the ass to get them up there, keep them warm during winter, take them down a ladder mid night to pee, and all that. I also had one jump out a few weeks ago because she got scared from a noise and bolted through a small opening in the screen. 15 minutes searching through the desert at 1am and 32° outside in my boxers and socks was not fun at all and could have been prevented with the ground tent i have. I also do very little camping that involves setting up camp and chilling for a few days. I am also on the go and setting up and breaking down the tent when its full of blankets, sleeping bags, dog food, headlamps, etc is quite annoying every morning and night. For what i do, ill be getting a bed cap instead and switching back to a ground tent where i can run a heater with proper ventilation, and have much more room for the dogs and a better place to set up permanent base camp and store supplies. Its just better for my type of camping.

 

I'm looking into an RTT and I'd like to get some first-hand opinions on something...

I'm looking at the CVT Mt. Shasta or Tepui Kukenam -- comparable in all specs -- with an annex. I can't decide if it's worth it to pay extra for the over hang that puts the ladder INSIDE the annex, or if it wouldn't make that much of a difference. I can see having the ladder inside being great for days with bad weather. I don't do a ton of camping when the weather's bad, but that's because I'm in a ground tent and I'm hoping an RTT will make me less shy of less than perfect weather.

If you have the over hang and ladder inside, is it worth the extra $$$? If you don't have the over hang and your ladder goes outside the annex, do you wish you had gotten the overhang?

 

I have the Mt Shasta without the overhang. It's worked fine for me so far and I can't complain to much. But if I could do it again I would have got the one with the overhang. The last two times I have went out it has been bad weather, rain or snow. The overhang would have been nice for taking my boots off with my feet over the side and not getting snowed on. But when the weather is nice don't think it would make a difference to me. Just my two cents.

 

I actually ditched my old RTT to get one with the overhang. My buddy had one and it is so much nicer if the weather turns bad.

 

I have a vestibule and annex, and I'm glad that I do. Especially after a rainy, muddy night over Thanksgiving. Being able to take off boots and change clothes out of the weather before getting in the tent is awesome.

 

FWIW, I have the standard Shasta without the overhang. it came with an annex and I never use it. too much of a pain in the ass to setup/take down, plus my tent is mounted lower, so I wouldn't be able to stand under it

I'm perfectly happy with climbing up my tent and sitting on the ledge to take my boots off

 

I'm in the same boat.

 

i dont have a built in annex on mine but the door has enough of a roof that it's convenient to sit at the top of the ladder and remove my shoes and put them in the shoe holders that hang next to the ladder.

Having never used an annex, i think it looks like it'd be useful in really rainy/snowy times.

 

I dont have an annex. I would rather spend more time camping and less time setting up. I live in the snow and wouldnt use it. Shoes go under the tent or in it. Im not sure what other use I would have for one.

 

If I'm out with SWMBO, then the annex provides her needed privacy. I don't care to camp in inclement weather - probably an age thing. I do look fondly at the RTT's with an overhang as mine does not have one. Bought mine in 2009 and wasn't an option with the (now defunct) importer.

 

I don't really feel the overhang is necessary. My better half loves it though! She climbs down and uses annex as a change room in the morning. When it's just me the annex doesn't get set up

 

All great points regarding the annex!

Price-wise, both tents I'm looking at are the same with the ladder-outside annex. I think it's a nice to have, and will definitely get the annex, but it sounds like getting the extended to put the ladder inside isn't a huge necessity.

I like to think having an RTT will make me camp in inclement weather, but realistically I probably won't plan on it and do it on purpose. There's also no snow here, so total time using the tent in snow will end up being a small percentage and I'lol just deal with it.

Thanks, guys!

 

Being in the sunny southwestern desert does skew some opinions like mine versus those in other areas.

I went without the extended fly and won't ever use the annex on mine.

If the forecast is that bad around a weekend trip, I'm willing to wait until next weekend most of the time. Week long vacations, I'm probably looking at alternatives from the getgo based on season averages.

Plus setup time, loss of annex room with full size truck fender, and single guy = I don't want it.

 

I have an old Mt. Bachelor/current Mt. Shasta standard without the overhang. I can survive without that overhang, but if I were to do it again I would totally get the overhang. That extra privacy is nice too for changing and practicing the process of making babies and whatnot. I'd get it...probably worth the money.

 

I see you are in Austin, care for a used one? There is a decent Mombasa in San Antonio for 600 bucks.

It has the overhang, not sure if the annex is included/

 

Thanks! Never heard of that one, but I'll look into it.

 

Anyone using any tap or puck style lights stuck to the bottom of the RTT to light the bed? I'm planning on getting LED strips under the rails of the bed hard wired eventually, but looking for something I can stick to the "roof" in the meantime.

 

I will and always be an advocate for simplicity, i'd just get a 10$ head lamp and call it good bud. No need to get terribly complicated with lighting setups, especially camping with RTTs.