Roof Top tent

Jtwo

Jtwo

New member
I have an opportunity to pick up a Tepui Autana with the lower room/annex, has only been used 7 times. He is asking 750.00 for it.

For those that have them, do you like them, Pros vs Cons?

I still have the factory rack so not sure if it'll work or not.

750.00 seems like a good deal.

Cheers
 
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Love my RTT and use it any chance I get. I've even contemplated sleeping in it out in my parking lot on hot summer nights. You can keep your bedding in the tent so if you get to where you're camping and it's pouring rain you don't have to worry about your stuff getting wet carrying it from the truck to the tent. The foam pad also makes it super comfortable.

The cons:
- it makes your truck more top heavy
- it kind of acts like an air dam so driving into a headwind is fun
- you will no longer fit into any parking garages
- if it's really windy the height of the tent can make for an interesting night
- you'll have to learn to find a level spot to park your truck
- if you're at a campground you'll have to deal with lots of people stopping by and asking about it

You might be able to get away with using the factory rack depending on how much that tent weighs, but I honestly wouldn't trust it.
 
They have an install video on their site you should check out. I don't think it would be a good idea to mount it to the factory cross bars as you are going to be way over the capacity once you crawl up there. Also if I recall the factory crossbars were bowed some which may make installation difficult. That said some Thule or Yakima bars that grab onto the existing rails may be a viable solution if you weren't looking to go the way of replacing the entire rack.
 
I have a Tepui tent, and I like it a lot. Keep in mind, all of the RTTs on the market today are made by the same manufacturer in China. The price differences come in small differences for distinction by each brand and typical brand cost.

I would say that $750 is a fair price for the tent.
 
limamike said:
Keep in mind, all of the RTTs on the market today are made by the same manufacturer in China.
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Actually, I don't think that's true. Autohome is made in Italy iirc and Eezi-Awn is made in South Africa. Might be a few more and I'm not sure where ARB tents are being made right now.
 
Intruder said:
Actually, I don't think that's true. Autohome is made in Italy iirc and Eezi-Awn is made in South Africa. Might be a few more and I'm not sure where ARB tents are being made right now.
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You're right! Sorry, I wasn't more specific: the fabric RTTs that all have a similar look (Tepui, ARB, Eezi Awn, Cascadia, etc) are all made in the same place. The companies that sell them receive them, brand them, and make slight modifications to create their own unique version of more-or-less the same tent. Where they are being shipped from and where they are being manufactured are two different things, though.
 
Thanks for all the input, think I may bite the bullet now and grab it. Have another friend that has a Thule system he wants to get rid of. That should work.

Intruder, it was your build thread that got me looking at these! Normally I sleep in my Nemo obi...it's an awesome tent but more for backpacking.

Thanks again!

If you have any pics, suggestions, better hardware.....throw em in!
 
I have this same tent. We have only camped in it about 7 days, but really like it. I have it mounted on a Gobi rack, works really well. We use the annex for a dressing room and puppy bedroom, its a nice addition.

As far as quality, it seems pretty solid. I plan to add a thin foam pad under the stock foam sleeping pad, for a little extra comfort and insulation. I will tell you, mine gets easier to pack and unpack every time I use it, especially all the zippers seem to be getting broke in. Also, the more I set it up, the faster I get at making camp, you figure out a good routine to setting one up.

One thing I was happy to figure out, after a month of rainy weather driving and being packed on top of the 4runner, I opened it up last week and found the tent and sleeping pad to be very dry. This is awesome if you plan to keep it on the roof full time. I have taken mine off for winter, to save a little fuel mileage, even with Billies front and rear I can feel a difference in the handling of the Runner with out the tent up there. Anymore specific questions, feel free to ask
 
My suggestion would be to find out how much you can sell it for before you buy it. I know a couple guys that really like their RTTs, but I know a lot more guys that bought one, used it a couple nights, then sold it at a loss.
 
Ducmonsta said:
That article is exactly why I bought one! The hardest thing to get over is your truck ends up being basecamp. But ultimately, I plan on getting a teardrop to put it over.
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I was considering getting just the RTT when I moved out here to AZ (since I had the space!), but I did a lot of consideration, and I decided that getting a trailer would be better. As an example, when we go to the FJ Summit we're in our trucks all day long, and having to pack a RTT every morning and setup camp again every day would have been a huge chore.

In the end, I decided to get the trailer for exactly that reason: mobility! The RTT itself is great, and I'm super glad I made the investment. It doesn't necessarily make things more comfortable, but it definitely makes things more efficient.
 
I've decided that I am going to go ahead and pick up the RTT. I've been kicking the idea around, planned on getting one down the road.

Intruders photos really sunk the decision....
 
Yotta said:
What facilities are around here for troll swatting? Is there a button to report them or something?
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The exclamation mark in the red circle under the user's name. It's right next to the heart button. I reported it already and I'm sure others have as well.
 
Jtwo said:
I've decided that I am going to go ahead and pick up the RTT. I've been kicking the idea around, planned on getting one down the road.

Intruders photos really sunk the decision....
Click to expand...

I got a brand-new RTT which is exactly similar to the TEPUI Autana Tent from a small seller in Vancouver BC but with almost 40% off the cost. It is made by the same manufacturer in China as with the ARB RTT. I got mine, brand new for $1000 and it came with the RTT, the Annex Room and a 6x6 awning.

You will love having a RTT.
PROS:
  • perfectly flat sleeping pad
  • you don't bring dust to your sleeping pad.
  • keeps you dry
  • very easy to setup and breakdown. Faster than most dome tents.

CONS:
In addition to what was already mentioned here:
  • ~2mpg hit, stability on side-winds
  • hassle to fold it whenever you have to go to town to buy something (although breakdown and setup is really easy and quick.

Overall, we are very happy with our RTT. I finally convinced my wife to go camping and bring our 2-yr old toddler with us.

As for the roof rack, never use the factory roof rack. The RTT alone is already 110 lbs. The 4Runner roof rack is rated at only 150lbs. I built a very sturdy roof rack that cost me less than $70. I used the plan shared to me by Evan Currid (owner of TEPUI tents). It uses uni-struts that you can buy from your local Home Depot. No welding and you can finish it in half a day. I can share you the plan if you want.

Also, I used the Thule roof hoist to store it in our garage. Putting and taking it off is so easy.

Here are some pictures on my RTT on my 4Runner and my 2-yr old toddler inside.
 

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