Just looking for input on RTT and rack

[LeesWagon]

After the debacle i had with OEM Audio + on their sound system, and terrible QC issues i decided my money is better spent on something i enjoy more than listening to music. Camping.

I have spent the last week looking at all sorts of tents and racks. So i am just looking for some honest opinions here.

The rack bothered me the most, because i just need a rack for the tent. any gear will be kept in the truck. So with that said. i have come down to the Alfa Foxtrot rack seen here: 5TH GEN 4RUNNER ROOF RACK – Alpha foxtrot designs. Anyone have an experience with this company and rack? looks stout enough for my needs, they also sell some tent brackets to raise the tent up some, as the rack does seem pretty low.

Now on to the tents. Not trying to beat a dead horse on this, but below are the 3 options i have come down to.
1) Camp in Overland Vehicle Systems 3 Person Nomadic 3 Roof Top Tent
2) Delta Roof Top Tent, 2 Person - Tuff Stuff 4x4 & Tuff Stuff Overland
3) Thule Tepui Explorer Ayer 2 | Thule | United States

So, Tent 1: This is the biggest tent. which isnt always a good thing. but most of our camping will be in moderate weather. Construction is 600D poly-cotton. telescoping ladder. I also like the overhang on the rainfly because if you get the annex it would cover the ladder, giving my wife a nice small room to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. lol. I havent seen much info, or many reviews on this tent/brand though.

Tent 2: this is a 2 person tent, which i dont mind. 56" width on the mattress looks big enough. construction is 280G poly-cotton. has a 2 piece ladder that i hear are terrible after a while. No over hang on the rainfly, so even if you get the annex the ladder is still "outside". has option to add anti-condensation mat.

Tent 3: Thule.. this is the smallest tent, 48" wide mattress. 260G poly-cotton construction. telescoping ladder. no overhang on the rain fly, has option for anti-condensation mat. Even though this is the most "Name brand" out of the 3. its seems the fabric construction is lesser than the other two, and have also heard these tents have gone downhill since the purchase of Tepui by thule.

Any opinions will be greatly appreciated on both rack, and tent. Tent will mostly be used in Texas, and i would say we camp maybe 50-60 nights a year total.

 

[Ascole]

I hade the original Tepui Autana 3-Person tent, which is exactly the same tent as the 1st one you listed. I’m pretty sure all the tents are made in the same factory in China and then branded and sold in the US. Based on that assumption I’d go with the 1st brand because of the ladder overhang and the bigger size. The thicker canvas is a plus but I don’t think that makes a huge difference since they aren’t that great at stopping rain.


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[LeesWagon]

I hade the original Tepui Autana 3-Person tent, which is exactly the same tent as the 1st one you listed. I’m pretty sure all the tents are made in the same factory in China and then branded and sold in the US. Based on that assumption I’d go with the 1st brand because of the ladder overhang and the bigger size. The thicker canvas is a plus but I don’t think that makes a huge difference since they aren’t that great at stopping rain.


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Those are some fair enough comments. Thank you! i thought i read somewhere that a bunch of these are made in the same factory in China.

Are these tents really that bad with water? even with a rain fly? i would plan on using some sort of spray water repellant but your last comment kind of worried me. lol.

I dont PLAN on camping in the rain, but i honestly LOVE camping in the rain. the noise seems to sooth my soul hahaha.

 

[Ascole]

I think some type of fabric water repellent would definitely help, something like Nikwax spray on or Scotchgard.
I live in the Seattle area so camping in the rain is kind of a given and I would be ok for most of a day but then water would start to seep in along the seems and eventually through the rainfly and canvas.
I’m sure if I cleaned the canvas and fly and then sprayed it down with water repellent it would have been better.


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[AggieOE]

If you only need a rack to hold the tent, why not just use your OEM rack without the crossbars?

I swapped the orientation of my Tuff Stuff Trailhead support bars and mounted them directly to the longitudinal OEM rack rails. Drove it like this from Houston to Big Bend to LA to Yosemite to Pebble Beach to Death Valley and back to Houston with no issues at all.

Note that the RTT weighs ~110-lbs and I did move the mounting holes on the tent further out. I called up Tuff Stuff and they walked me through where I could and could NOT drill. Easy 5-min process.

Here's a pic to clarify.

 

[SurfToy]

If you only need a rack to hold the tent, why not just use your OEM rack without the crossbars?

I swapped the orientation of my Tuff Stuff Trailhead support bars and mounted them directly to the longitudinal OEM rack rails. Drove it like this from Houston to Big Bend to LA to Yosemite to Pebble Beach to Death Valley and back to Houston with no issues at all.

Note that the RTT weighs ~110-lbs and I did move the mounting holes on the tent further out. I called up Tuff Stuff and they walked me through where I could and could NOT drill. Easy 5-min process.

Here's a pic to clarify.

Good to hear. I have a Smittybilt RTT in the box in my garage - good to hear this is an option. I think it weighs about the same as yours. :thumb3:

 

[seatia]

I plan on using the 4R OEM rack with aftermarket crossbars.
Not fond of a full length rack with no factory mounts at the front.
The RTT we recently bought (Roofnest Condor Overland) weighs 165 lbs and see no issues with it.
Maiden trip to Arizona, Nevada and Utah for a month in March.

 

[LeesWagon]

If you only need a rack to hold the tent, why not just use your OEM rack without the crossbars?

I swapped the orientation of my Tuff Stuff Trailhead support bars and mounted them directly to the longitudinal OEM rack rails. Drove it like this from Houston to Big Bend to LA to Yosemite to Pebble Beach to Death Valley and back to Houston with no issues at all.

Note that the RTT weighs ~110-lbs and I did move the mounting holes on the tent further out. I called up Tuff Stuff and they walked me through where I could and could NOT drill. Easy 5-min process.

Here's a pic to clarify.

Ooo no way! I always heard the factory crossbars wouldnt handle it. But I didnt think about mounting directly to the rails! So did you just use the hardware supplied with the tent to mount directly to the rails?

Edit: does your tent also open to the left or right side?

 

[LeesWagon]

I plan on using the 4R OEM rack with aftermarket crossbars.
Not fond of a full length rack with no factory mounts at the front.
The RTT we recently bought (Roofnest Condor Overland) weighs 165 lbs and see no issues with it.
Maiden trip to Arizona, Nevada and Utah for a month in March.

Hmm I might have to look at the factory rails more closely then!

Why are you not fond of the full length no drill racks? They do have little rubber bumpers on the front which you can adjust so it sits flat.

 

[seatia]

Hmm I might have to look at the factory rails more closely then!

Why are you not fond of the full length no drill racks? They do have little rubber bumpers on the front which you can adjust so it sits flat.

There really is no need for a full length rack with a tent alone.
The hard shell tent we got has allowance to mount stuff on the sides as well as the top of it too.
If you are going to carry full length canoes and such then they would be useful, but keep in mind the rubber feet will eventually damage and/or wear thru the paint from movement. Have already been that route before.
Personally, if I were going that route again, I would glue down some neoprene rubber pads to the top with some 3M double sided tape.

 

[AggieOE]

Ooo no way! I always heard the factory crossbars wouldnt handle it. But I didnt think about mounting directly to the rails! So did you just use the hardware supplied with the tent to mount directly to the rails?

Edit: does your tent also open to the left or right side?

Exactly. I used the crossbars supplied with the tent that you normally would mount to your own crossbars/roofrack. And instead rotated them 90-deg and mounted them to the OEM rails. It opens to the passenger side.

As a side note. Since the base of the tent is longer than it is wide and the crossbars were initially planned to mount the length of the tent, by flipping them 90-deg, they actually hang off a couple of inches. This side effect was actually awesome as it gave you a handle to grab when working on the tent OR a place to hang things. Another perk is it sits a couple of inches lower than other tents because of using less mounting bars.

 

[USStrongman]

Key factor. Whats your budget?

I'm not a Teupi fan, especially since the buyout. Tuff Stuff is pretty utilitarian. The OVS is pretty nice kit.

As for racks, several companies make a 7/8's or 3/4 length. Then you could go this route:

Shop | NiseRack.com

Partnered with this specific size.

https://www.tnutz.com/product/ex-1030-black/

 

[nambo]

Have you considered the Front Runner RTT?

Quality will be just about the same, has a lower profile, and it's only 90 lbs. I had it mounted to my factory rails for the longest before getting a full rack -- 0 issues.

 

[LeesWagon]

Key factor. Whats your budget?

I'm not a Teupi fan, especially since the buyout. Tuff Stuff is pretty utilitarian. The OVS is pretty nice kit.

As for racks, several companies make a 7/8's or 3/4 length. Then you could go this route:

Shop | NiseRack.com

Partnered with this specific size.

https://www.tnutz.com/product/ex-1030-black/

Budget wise i am looking around $2500 for the whole set up. The nise rack kit would be ideal. but that guys website worries me. it has said "Been on vacation" for almost a year. He dropped off the forum also i believe.

Looking at that Alfa Foxtrot roof rack, its $895 with FREE shipping. The nomadic 3 RTT i am looking at is currently on sale for $1500. FREE shipping, and they also sent me a coupon for another 5% off. so $1,425. That puts me all in at $2,320 which is nice.

 

[LeesWagon]

Have you considered the Front Runner RTT?

Quality will be just about the same, has a lower profile, and it's only 90 lbs. I had it mounted to my factory rails for the longest before getting a full rack -- 0 issues.

I did. But there are a few little features i like about the OVS tent. I like the extended rainfly over the ladder, if i should add the annex. the ladder would be completely enclosed. Which is nice for when the wife needs to potty at 2AM... She doesnt like walking into the wilderness to pee, and always makes me go with her. LOLOL.

I also dont like the sliding ladder on the Front runner tent. Versus the telescoping ladder on the OVS.

 

[LeesWagon]

To also add. One thing i like about the Alfafoxtrot rack (Aside from price) is that they sell tent brackets which is nothing special. But i would rather use their brackets as i can effectively mount the tent DIRECTLY to the roof rack cross bars. and not have to worry about using the "sandwich" method with the two bolts and metal plate.

 

[LeesWagon]

To add again. anybody every dealt with this LDF offroad company? They have a 3/4 roof rack for a REAL good price. basically $650 shipped to my door. This would free up some funds for a lot of other things.

3/4 Roof Rack - 5th Gen 4Runner – LFD Off Road

I have debated the factory rails. but someone, somewhere i believe made a statement that Toyota specify a max dynamic load of like 135lbs for the factory rails. And looking at the tent i want, its pushing 160. So kind of steering away from the factory rail idea.

 

[91foxbody]

To add again. anybody every dealt with this LDF offroad company? They have a 3/4 roof rack for a REAL good price. basically $650 shipped to my door. This would free up some funds for a lot of other things.

3/4 Roof Rack - 5th Gen 4Runner – LFD Off Road

I have debated the factory rails. but someone, somewhere i believe made a statement that Toyota specify a max dynamic load of like 135lbs for the factory rails. And looking at the tent i want, its pushing 160. So kind of steering away from the factory rail idea.

LFD is active on here (you should search, they have a thread). I run their 7/8 rack and like it quite a bit.


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[LeesWagon]

LFD is active on here (you should search, they have a thread). I run their 7/8 rack and like it quite a bit.


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I managed to find that thread right after i posted this. i think that settles it for me.

I think i will go with the LFD 3/4 length rack for the Nomadic 3 RTT from OVS. Hoping that should be a fairly straight forward, durable set up for the time being.

 

[USStrongman]

Budget wise i am looking around $2500 for the whole set up. The nise rack kit would be ideal. but that guys website worries me. it has said "Been on vacation" for almost a year. He dropped off the forum also i believe.

Looking at that Alfa Foxtrot roof rack, its $895 with FREE shipping. The nomadic 3 RTT i am looking at is currently on sale for $1500. FREE shipping, and they also sent me a coupon for another 5% off. so $1,425. That puts me all in at $2,320 which is nice.

He has a long thread over many years on here somewhere. He posted to it recently. Small company and prob doesnt have anyone with IT skills to update it. Rago Fab has something essentially the same they just released.

4Runner | Factory Rail Support System | 5th Gen – Rago Fabrication