*THE RTT Owners Thread (With BS)*

It would fit if we removed the padded inserts, but the wifey likes having the whole space padded, not just our foam sleeping pads, so in they stay!

 

All set up first in the gate right at open time to people watch mega haulers and big rig campers pull in

 

What awning is that? Looks nice

 

Downsized from the smittybuilt XL to. Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 XL. Mich easier to set up but lost significant space.

 

How'd you mount that Plano box to those rails, @Nato1012? Just on one crossbar, or did you tie into something else on the rack?

 

The Yakima has a side rail between the towers. I bought the boxes used and already had a hole drilled through so I just used a TSlot screws and used a spin know to bolt the box to the side rail. Here's the opposite side with no box. I use this side to mount my Water port. I use the box to store seats and hammocks. No moisture since the RTT sits over the box.

 

Ah, I see. I thought that the crossbar was lower on that rack, like it is on the Outpost.

 

Yah the one I have is the Overhaul HD

 

How has the IO Carbon worked out for you?

 

Sorry been meaning to post up a review..

The tent is absolutely awesome, looks sick , I love how light and thin it rest closed, its def great quality but unfortunately I am leaning towards selling it, in exchange for a different tent or their I.O. regular (non carbon) light weight tent

For mainly 1 reason (which I know will be a non-issue to alot of folks)

The RTT is so thin when closed, that I cannot leave any bedding, ladder, and have to deflate the mattress every time before closing.- which is not the end of the world I know... but the previous I.O tent I was using had the ability to leave the bedding, ladder, and it had a foam mattress ready to go; and I must have gotten spoiled to that.

Sometimes I come into a spot at late night tired and its SUPER nice to literally unzip the tent and its ready to lay in already. Timed myself and it takes about 12-18 min to open tent, inflate mattress, set up bedding. plus having to keep the ladder outside, its just takes up extra space. (takes a bit longer to close)
My girl was also able to open and close the non-carbon tent on her own (she can't with this new carbon one, as its a bit more finicky to close , and all the air MUST be out of the mattress)

I personally think this carbon RTT might be better suited for those that just want to drive around with a RTT on their vehicle to look cool- because it certainly does- carbon is great, looks slick, looks quality built and expensive, its very lightweight and super low profile.
But its certainly not as efficient as their previous lightweight tent.
I personally want a tent that fits everything inside and is ready to go in a minute.

I am not knocking IO at all- they have an absolutely awesome customer service and I will more than likely get another I.O tent - but their normal one, that thing was fucking awesome for setting up/breaking down and doing the minimal to have a cozy place to sleep.
I plan on giving it another try before deciding to sell in exchange for a different one.

 

Anybody have this?

https://unplugoutdoorco.com/product/sl-rooftop-tent/

 

Thanks for sharing that info and your experience with it. I really liked the idea of the thin lite weight RTT, but agree that the lack of just pop open and sleep is a downside.

 

Went from Los Angeles, CA to Glacier National Park in Montana and back last month.

A stop during the road trip up to Glacier NP.

Campsite on the first day/night at Emery Bay Campground.

Group campsite for the following four days at Emery Bay Campground.

Got a nice view of the Hungryhorse Reservoir from the rtt

Thanks to a friend who helped me get the rtt leveled.

A shot with the gang by the Glacier NP sign near Lake McDonald.

A little side quest in Glacier NP…

Got to stop by Yellowstone for the first time on the way back home to Los Angeles.


Some souvenirs from Glacier NP

 

First time to this thread, and here is what my setup looks like, did a driveway camping with my son and other than the condensation, everything went well.

I know that the Xtrusion overland's XO. SKELETON camper is my ultimate goal. However, I just really need something for the meantime for multiple camping trips for the rest of the year.
So here is the Xtrusion Overland's XBRS rack, low profile, solid rack that can hold up a roof top tent.
The roof top tent is made by Novsight, budget friendly, I prefer the wedge style due to the extreme easiness to setup and close down.
I know the RTT over hangs a bit but that is something I have to deal with the nature of a wedge tent (80+ inches long).

Installation was super easy, took me around 2 hours max.


The low profile rack still keeps the truck look and I think it looks much better than I expected.



Novsight RTT installed. Got used to the long overhang look. MPG does not suffer at all.



Rigged a little threaded 2x4 to help distributing load from overhang onto the tailgate.


Now I have to extend the bike rack so it clears the low mount RTT.


Rear suspension sag is less than I expected, so far I don't see the need for any suspension works yet.

 

Not sure where you're located (or the laws regarding hauling longer items), but you might consider attaching a red safety flag on the bike when you're hauling it since its sticking out a significant amount. It might save a preventable ticket (unless its within your state law's overhang limit). Other than that, looks like you're ready for some fun adventures!

 

This is a good point. I know in Wyoming anything that extends 4 feet past the tail light has to be flagged.

 

great point, already ordered the flag and just waiting for it to be delivered.

 

Looking for input from folks that have had tents both above a cap and below roofline on a rack, and both wedge and side opening tents. I'm sure this has been asked but searching this thread is just too many results to filter through.

Little bit of context; I have a 5x8 off road camper trailer that I tow when its the mrs and I. It works well and is nice for the two of us since we usually base camp for a few days, we can unhook the trailer and explore for the day and not risk losing our spot. I am also building the truck for solo trips where I don't need to drag the trailer and kill mpgs or limit myself to trails that are trailer friendly. Our trips are usually couple weeks long few thousand mile trips, so trying to maintain as many mpgs as I can is important.

I originally wanted a GFC type camper because I could stand up inside the bed and change, get out of the rain, etc., but I also wanted the RTT removable to retain a cap while not on trips. I started a DIY build and finished the cap portion, but I haven't started the RTT yet. We recently got a 270 awning with walls for our trailer, and after using it this last trip I am now reconsidering the need to stand in the bed. The way I see it, an awning with walls on the truck would be more room and allow me to build a better drawer system that can be a little larger than I had planned. If I don't need to stand in the bed I could skip building the RTT and just purchase one that mounts to the top of the cap. Much easier, and with the cost of extruded aluminum it'll probably cost close to the same in the end anyways.

Now my dilemma, after seeing some rigs in Utah the mrs stated she wouldn't mind using the RTT for some trips that we weren't concerned about base camps. The cap was built for a 53" external width tent, or 50" internal. I'm worried this might feel cramped since she sleeps like a damn ragdoll. It seems wedge tents are either around ~47" internal, or ~57" internal with little for options for anything in-between. Anything over 53" external is going to start overhanging the cap, which is fine, but I'd prefer to keep it minimal.

I was looking at side opening tents since they can offer a little more room, but they are big bulky blocks when closed up so I'm concerned about mpg impact (it's already shit, I'd like to not make it even more shit). BUT I also don't know if I want to get rid of the cap since I put a lot of work and time into building it. Plus it's nice keeping things out of the elements.


So in ya'lls experience...

Was a wedge or side opening preferred in the long run?
Will there be much of a mpg impact difference between a top mounted wedge vs a side opening? Top mounted vs behind cap mounted?
Any feedback on ladder access in the rain? Is this even an issue to really be concerned about? Obviously you can get awning kits for some brands that cover the access, but I'll already be running a 270 to cover the side, tailgate/kitchen so I'm unsure I'd want to also run a tent awning and end up with a massive tent palace. Thats a lot to set up and break down.

 

ive had my tepui kukeman soft sided tent for like 5 years. i went from a mid/high rack where the tent was like an inch or two above the cab, to billie bars with the tent below the cab, to an alucab topper with the tent above the cab. fuel efficiency hasn't really been a big deal. i can get some graphs later if you're interested, i log every fill up and can calculate it that way.

ive considered upgrading the tent. a wedge would be tons easier to open and close, but i sacrifice a lot of interior space. the IO light weight tent is near the top of my list for these. the ikamper mini is up there too, but it would be like $4k just for easier opening and closing while losing a few inches of interior space.

i camp with my wife and dog and have plenty of space in my tent now. we can take our duffel bags in the tent with us to have all out clothes for the morning.

a 270 awning is on the list for space to hang out when the weather is crappy. maybe next year.

setup and tear down with my tent takes maybe 5 minutes. its harder on the cap than the other two setups, but still easier than a ground tent. a few camp spots i've been to had rough rocks and broken glass on the ground and its so much easier to camp in a rtt than a ground tent in the rain. i might just be bad at setting up ground tents though.

pics: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/truck-camping-photo-thread.407866/page-499#post-30015983

 

I have had and above and below roofline RTT's. When I had an above the roof line, I saw a 2-3 mpg loss and the tent came off as it was my daily. The resolution was a roof rack with the front defector. It pushed the air up over the tent and solved the problem.

Then I switched to a mid height bed rack so it wasn't a problem. I prefer the lower height for access to the tent, but at my height, the awning was a little low.

Size, go bigger in case you're future needs change. On the first tent I didn't have a dog and don't have kids. Tepui 2 man was ok-ish for me at 6'6". I now have a 55 lb dog that is 22" at the shoulder. I walked into an iKamper Xcover for the cost of repairs and now can sleep 3 easily, which is good for me and the dog.