*THE RTT Owners Thread (With BS)*

Damn! I have the same rack and am about to use it next weekend. This has me worried about its reliability....

 

So, ignoring all the KB product fails, I will say this. None of these 'modular racks will have the strength of a tube rack. It's basic engineering. Pound for pound, I tube (round or boxed) will always have the greater strength and by a healthy amount.

 

Yeah, sorry about that last post. I realize with your question that I basically left everyone else hanging, hahahahaha.

I'll try to describe the right way to pack up an Exped - but shout if you have questions...

A few points worth noting as part of this process:

1. An Exped, at ~80" long is about 18" shorter than the length of the unfolded tent.
2. The problem point is a very small one - it's right at the "joint" between the two halves of the tent - where the hinge pivots/scissors together as it opens and closes.
3. The solution requires either 2 people or a bit of coordination and strength, as it entails moving the mattress during the fold/unfold process.

OK, so those things said, let's talk about closing first, since that will be the first operation you do with an Exped, and because it's easier.

As you push up half the tent using the ladder, slow down (but continue to support the ladder with one hand) when you're between 90 and 75 degrees to the other half. At this point, you have plenty of access to the center fold of the mattress. Take advantage of the fact that the mattress is 18" shorter than the tent, and push/slide it "forward" (away from the hinge) with your other hand so that you can see the entire hinge, and the ends of the mattress (and your bedding) will be pushed away from the middle and into the corners of the tent. At this point, you'll have plenty of room to store your tent poles on the hinge side, and the hinges won't be pinching the Exped.

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...and opening...

Essentially the reverse of closing, as you open the tent, support the half that's folding out using the ladder in one hand. Then, with the other, as the seam/hinge is starting to close, push the mattress up from the bottom so that it is "above" (or at least next to) the hinge. The way the hinge works, it scissors closed as the tent opens, and so ensuring that the matress is out of that scissoring area is your goal here.

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Brilliant, thanks for that! I never even thought of storing my poles up there, makes more sense than putting them under the rear seat that is not easily accessible.

 

Bad ass, thanks for taking the time to make the drawings. I will give this a try. Wish I could like this post more than once.

Are you using the anticondensation mat with the exped?

 

Hope it helps.

I do have the anti-condensation mat, which is a bit of a holdover from pre-Exped. I think the air and better insulation in the Exped mean that you don't really need the mat anymore, but I figured it couldn't hurt to keep it.

 

My floor has at least four bolt heads sticking up a bit. The bolts are to attach the mounting rails below the floor for the bed rack to attach to. Without the anti-condensation mat, those bolt heads rub the fabric of the exped. While they are not sharp and only protrude a little above the floor, they are another potential wear spot.

 

Interesting point - and a difference between our setups. I wonder if some duct tape (or similar) over those bolts would be enough to keep sharp edges away from the mat. Or, a layer or two of old t-shirt fabric under some duct tape...

 

Maybe. Couldn't hurt.

 

Pretty sure it's around 30"

 

I’ve got the Hi-Vis Overland Crag 4+ and the condensation mat keeps bunching up and not folding up correctly when we open and close the tent. Any suggestions on keeping it flat or not making it move so it folds correctly?

 

Finally joined the RTT club and took it for a spin at Windrock park this past weekend. So much better than a ground tent!

 

How congested was Trail 22 with all the overlanders this weekend?

 

Not too bad actually! We met a few people that had broke a CV on the trail but we were able to pass. Then @HrBrad8 blew a bead on his so they ended up catching back up to us. Aside from that, just a couple of dirt bikes and SXS's

 

I know you have more pics

 

Haha, but of course I do

 

Where you there for ATR?

 

Thank you.

 

Kind of lol, all my buddies were but I didn’t get to register in time so I went through Windrock. Wasn’t actually in the event area though. I just camped in the campground and wheeled with them through the day

 

Still trying to find a solution.. any problems with the safety pin?