*THE RTT Owners Thread (With BS)*

Thanks for the replies guys…When you say '…Doesn't stick up as high…' or '…Lower profile…' I assume you mean when the RTT is in the stored position for traveling, right?

 

Yup

 

Agreed. I didn't like it at first but I wasn't using it properly. I would fully extend it and then try to adjust it down from there. Once the tent is open, collapse it and extend it step by step from the bottom until it is in the right position. The other ladder required drilling holes to achieve the proper length needed. Kinda a pain when out in the woods.

 

From: A Future RTT Owner
To: Current RTT Owners

Subject: RTT Dimensions

What is the height of your RTT WITHOUT the ladder? I have a low garage frame, and I got my canopy rack installed last night and did some measuring this morning, the CVT MT Shasta that I plan to purchase is 14" with ladder on their website, but I'd like to know what it's height is without the ladder installed to see if I can SQUEEEEZE it into the garage.

I have 12" clearance from the top of truck rack to garage door frame.

Thanks,
Aaron

 

Most all tepui tents are 12" high without the ladder.

 

Front Runner RTT's are supposed to be really low profile. Like 7-9" if I remember right. I know nothing about the quality or build though.

 

Do the RTT covers hold up well if left outside all the time? Im about to get in on the CVT group buy and will likely be leaving it installed year round. I will be doing the eye bolt lock mod.

 

The Front Runner tent isn't bad and might very well be lower profile as long as you don't have the ladder attached. It uses the sliding ladder that adds another 4-6" on top of the tent. They are very lightweight and there is only one model so you're kinda limited. The lack of weight can be seen in the quality of materials. It's not aweful but just not up to the same level as other tent options IMO. We had a guy in our group during Cruiserfest that was a rep for Front Runner and had their tent so I got to check it out pretty closely. FWIW, he's planning to drop Front Runner and is trying to become a rep for Tepui.

 

I talked with this guy for about an hour at NWOR last year, great guy. We checked out his tent as well, they're lightweight for sure. We want the 3' overhang annex for some added space below.

 

Yeah his name is Ty Stavenau and his company is zbV Adventure Gear. He's a good guy. I know he'll be at Overland Expo as well as Cruise Moab too if anyone wants to check out his stuff.

 

I kind of figured that was the case. When I first saw the Frontrunner Tent's description I was tempted to sell my tepui and get one of those because of the significant size and weight reduction, not to mention price.

Then I started looking at it closer and the tent doesn't come with the ladder, or the mounting kit. Considering the high price of most of the other frontrunner items I assumed the tent must be made from pretty cheap fabric for them to offer it so low.

 

Yes I have. They are nice if you are looking for a hardshell case tent. The thing I don't like about the hardshell tents is that the closed footprint of the tent is the same sleeping area footprint so you typically can only sleep 1-2 people in a hardshell tent. A comparable Tepui tent with a similarly size closed footprint will double that size in sleeping area since it opens up like a book.

But the JB tents are nicely made tents from what I've seen. My only other complaint about them is cost. They are an expensive tent.

 

Well, I've always been fascinated with RTTs and it's also important to me to have a good knowledge of what all is out there. That way when someone asks questions I can answer with some level of accuracy regardless of brand.

I have not seen that Nomad 160 first hand. I'm somewhat skeptical of their claims of the durability of the fabric they are using. I've seen a similar fabric on some other ground tents. (one of the benefits of going to the Outdoor Retailers show every year is that I get to see most of this stuff and the materials first hand). The material used on the ground tents I saw is interesting for sure and the "aluminized" fabric is pretty high tech but from what I saw on the ground tents that used a similar fabric I did not feel like it would have the longevity of the canvas on Tepui tents. I could be wrong, and the Nomad fabric could also be different from what I saw.

the fact that the Nomad requires the extra support stand under the open end leads me to believe that the frame construction is not that strong, thus requiring the extra support. While not recommended, the Tepui tents can be used without the support of the ladder. The frame and hinges bottom out and seat together enough to support the open side of the tent without the ladder. Again, that's not recommended but I bring it up just to point out the difference in strength from what I can see with the Nomad. Also that extra support on the Nomad looks like a pain to use on uneven ground, even if you can extend the legs separately to adjust to uneven ground, you still have the crossbar that connects the legs. Hope you don't have a rock or other obstruction that might be in the way of that crossbar. Also looks like a tripping hazard.

Size-wise that tent is most similar to the Tepui Ayer which is our smallest and lightest tent. It is a 2-person tent and if you have 2 people in it there is little to no room for gear. You'd have as much room in any of the hardshell tents. It's a good tent for small cars like subarus, and I've even seen one on a Mini Cooper. My cost for a Tepui Ayer is $738 compared to the $2300 of the JB Nomad!!! Sorry but I just don't see anything about that tent that tells me its worth 3x what a Tepui Ayer is. For the same cost you could have a Tepui Ruggedized Gran Sabana that sleeps 4 with room for 4-5 more people in the annex and you'd get all the killer upgrades that come with the Ruggedized models with the HD base/frame, better canvas, Anti-condensation mat, annex included, etc.

To each their own, but IMO there is MUCH better value out there than the JB tents.

 

Also, reading their description a bit more. They say the extra support legs allow you to pull the ladder inside the tent at night for added security. Ok. I guess they plan on you sleeping solo since the ladder would take up the room for a second person. And I hope you don't have to get out to use the bathroom at night and have to re-deploy the ladder in the dark and get it set to the right height.

They also say it's the only tent with a self supported vestibule. Not true. The ARB Simpson tents do as well and the Tepui Autana is self supported although it does have guide lines to tie it down but they are not required. CVT is the same.

tested at 75mph is pretty average for most RTTs. Many of you have probably seen the video of the Tepui staff in a Death Valley windstorm with 100mph winds!

 

It's all on the website. there is a "Specifications" tab on each page for the different tents. It will have sizes and weights and material details.

As for other brands.....since I sell Tepui I'm going to recommend Tepui The fact is that there are nice features to just about any of the brands. Some work better for some people and others work better for other people. From my experience with a lot of different tents it is not a random coincidence that I chose Tepui for my personal tents and that I chose Tepui for the brand I wanted to sell. IMO, Tepui is has the most features that appeal to the most people, the quality is top tier, and they are the only brand (of all the similar ones coming from China) that has ON SITE quality control and is looking at every single tent as it comes through production and making sure everything meets our high quality standards. Other brands are doing random quality checks on random tents as they come through and the people doing it are not people who actually work for the brand of the tent so there is less "invested" to make sure it is right on every single tent. And what you get for the money you spend on a Tepui tent is the best value out there IMO.

I respect the other brands for what they are and the guys who sell them. What I can suggest is to do your homework and check out as many different tents as you can IN PERSON instead of listening to a lot of passionate brand loyal hearsay that you'll get online. Most of the time you're going to get misinformation regardless of the brand. Find the tent that has the features and materials that work best for you and your needs and go with it.

The only other thing I can say is that I try hard to give great prices. I may not be the cheapest every single time but I try to give you guys a deal as much as I can. Also, I'm confident that you won't find customer service that is better before or after the sale than you'll get with me, or the rest of the staff at the Tepui shop. Ask the people here who have bought one from me and see what they have to say. That doesn't mean that you have to buy a Tepui or you made the wrong choice. Everyone has a different "right" choice in the tent they need, but I will consistently do everything I can to take care of the customer.

 

Aaron,
I just measured my Mt. Mckinley, the tent only is 12". Does not include the ladder or the mounting rails, and I have extra bedding inside.

 

I have had my CVT mounted on top of my enclosed trailer for about 18 months now, cover seems to be holding up well. I did this winter put a tarp over it because of all the rain we have had.

 

DoorDing, what part of the country are you in?

 

I'll make the suggestion to have all the information on one page but all the information you've requested is all there already.

Yes, the rainfly is rolled back if you want to star gaze. I personally, roll the rainfly to the centerline of the roof.

All of the tents are intended to be mounted to the roof of a vehicle so it won't be pushing any sort of weight limit on you're truck. Just take care to drive cautiously with the increased weight up high if you mount it to the roof, and the center of gravity changes.

 

I took my sway bar off and mine is mounted high up, feels fine on back windy roads. I do feel a bit more sway but with a sway bar you'll be more than fine.