jangoforhire
New member
That could be something to look into...I'll start keeping my eye out. Thanks for the help! I have several months before this trip (I won't be leaving until early/mid June) so I have time to try and get something together.
RTT Debate
- Thread starter jangoforhire
- Start date
That could be something to look into...I'll start keeping my eye out. Thanks for the help! I have several months before this trip (I won't be leaving until early/mid June) so I have time to try and get something together.
hamburglar210
New member
I don't have any RTT advice but is your cross country trip along the Trans America Trail? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AObw4sFMdQ
Lots of solid posts above. We have an ARB RTT on our Manley trailer. It's fun- kinda like sleeping in treehouse. The kid in me loves it. Trailer works well for us since we can basecamp it and take the adventure rig with kayaks fishing or to explore.
I know the trailer topped tent is a different beast than a vehicle mounted one but I'll speak on generalities. Our ARB has been good- I wouldn't say amazing but functional & enjoyable. The price difference between a Chinese tent & South African is somewhat substantial and worth evaluating based on your usage, etc. Our trailer came with an ARB so we roll with it. A buddy just ordered an Eezi Awn so we'll reevaluate when we work our way through this one. Note - check out Expo Portal or Overland Journal for more specific RTT reviews.
I'd reaffirm they're very comfortable & deploy quickly. I don't miss being on the ground - especially on the east coast where weather is an issue. Rainy & ground is flooding? No worries we're out of the flood plain. Secondarily it provides a bit of security against critters. We were in the Adirondacks last summer remote camping and had coyotes come through camp. Girlfriend (& myself) were glad to have some tactical elevation. It's comfy inside and almost as fast as our OZ Tent. If you decide against an RTT for a more traditional basecamp tent I'd suggest looking at OZ Tents.
I know the trailer topped tent is a different beast than a vehicle mounted one but I'll speak on generalities. Our ARB has been good- I wouldn't say amazing but functional & enjoyable. The price difference between a Chinese tent & South African is somewhat substantial and worth evaluating based on your usage, etc. Our trailer came with an ARB so we roll with it. A buddy just ordered an Eezi Awn so we'll reevaluate when we work our way through this one. Note - check out Expo Portal or Overland Journal for more specific RTT reviews.
I'd reaffirm they're very comfortable & deploy quickly. I don't miss being on the ground - especially on the east coast where weather is an issue. Rainy & ground is flooding? No worries we're out of the flood plain. Secondarily it provides a bit of security against critters. We were in the Adirondacks last summer remote camping and had coyotes come through camp. Girlfriend (& myself) were glad to have some tactical elevation. It's comfy inside and almost as fast as our OZ Tent. If you decide against an RTT for a more traditional basecamp tent I'd suggest looking at OZ Tents.
Limbwalker
New member
I just finished my 1 year review of the Tepui Kukenam For ForgeOverland. .. if anyone is looking to upgrade to an rtt, I think you'll find this useful and entertaining 
https://forgeoverland.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/house-of-the-gods/
https://forgeoverland.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/house-of-the-gods/
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JSparky
New member
A few thoughts. SF can be a nightmare for parking. In my experience even a stock 4Runner would have trouble in some garages (I know I did). Most modern garages are tall enough for delivery vans though, and I can fit in those with rtt mounted.
Regarding being tied to your vehicle. How I see it is, if I'm going to be doing backpacking, I'll be bringing a full backpacking kit including an ultra lite 3 season tent. I tend to leave the house with my pack fully loaded so room for my backpack (including tent) is assumed into the overall vehicle-packing equation.. That is, it's not a big deal for me to bring a backpacking tent while having an rtt mounted. Roof top tents provide such an elevated luxury it's worth it to me, even if I'm only using it one night out of a 3 night trip. Hope that helps.
Regarding being tied to your vehicle. How I see it is, if I'm going to be doing backpacking, I'll be bringing a full backpacking kit including an ultra lite 3 season tent. I tend to leave the house with my pack fully loaded so room for my backpack (including tent) is assumed into the overall vehicle-packing equation.. That is, it's not a big deal for me to bring a backpacking tent while having an rtt mounted. Roof top tents provide such an elevated luxury it's worth it to me, even if I'm only using it one night out of a 3 night trip. Hope that helps.
eddie333
New member
For what it's worth- I couldn't justify spending the money on one for my use. I love the portability of a normal tent. I also have an air mattress that fits perfectly in the back of my 4Runner when my wife and I camp in it. We keep all our gear on the roof and sleep in the back. It's great when it's pouring, cold, bears running around, whatever....
Hellamatic
New member
I'm debating building a trailer with a RTT. I'd much prefer to just run the RTT, but i need to squeeze my kayak up there too.
Anyone ever run a RTT with a kayak? I've seen a few setups online of guys running a 'yak and a RTT side by side on Discos, but I feel like that would restrict you to a smaller tent. Any thought on getting the 'yak on top of the tent? It would be a tremendous PITA, but maybe the only solution?
Anyone ever run a RTT with a kayak? I've seen a few setups online of guys running a 'yak and a RTT side by side on Discos, but I feel like that would restrict you to a smaller tent. Any thought on getting the 'yak on top of the tent? It would be a tremendous PITA, but maybe the only solution?
KidVermicious
New member
Set up the tent to open off the side of the truck, and run load bars slightly higher than the packed tent in front and behind.
So when those who actually have an RTT talk about them being better for base camps, does that mean a place like Ouray wouldn't be very ideal? When I went last year, it seems that everything there is leaving one small town, going up and over a mountain pass, and then dropping into another small town for the night...so no base camp.
Last year my wife and I slept in the back of the 4R, which was a pain moving stuff out every night and repacking in the morning. A trailer like those shown in this thread wouldn't be any fun on the trails. And it seems like an RTT is easier to setup/take down than a ground tent, but is that the case? And how annoying is the weight up when on the more technical trails? Just trying to find the best scenario for trips like that where you don't really use a base camp...ultimately I'd still rather camp than get hotels in all the little towns from one night to the next. Thanks!
Last year my wife and I slept in the back of the 4R, which was a pain moving stuff out every night and repacking in the morning. A trailer like those shown in this thread wouldn't be any fun on the trails. And it seems like an RTT is easier to setup/take down than a ground tent, but is that the case? And how annoying is the weight up when on the more technical trails? Just trying to find the best scenario for trips like that where you don't really use a base camp...ultimately I'd still rather camp than get hotels in all the little towns from one night to the next. Thanks!
Intruder
New member
I don't know anything about Ouray, but it's the other way around - ground tent that you can leave behind is better for a base camp and an RTT is better if you're going to camp in a different place each night.
Depends on the tent, but once you've done it a few times the RTT is very fast to set up and stow.
I don't really notice the weight much, but my RTT is mounted on a BajaRack flat utility rack which is quite low. The higher you mount the tent - like on Yakima bars or a basket style rack - the more you're likely to feel the added weight, or more accurately the higher centre of gravity. I've done plenty of technical trails with my setup.
Jhalko
New member
I was just in moab and slept in my truck, normally I'm a tent camper but weather sucked. After this trip I totally see the value in a RTT. Was in a different spot each night, got to camp in the dark, rain, an RTT seemed like the ideal situation. I think just depends on how you travel.
Thanks [MENTION=66300]Intruder[/MENTION] and [MENTION=119516]jicko[/MENTION], I appreciate the quick responses. I'm actually looking into a Gobi rack now (wish I could have made the group buy), but to your point I don't think it would sit more than a couple inches higher on that compared to a flat rack.
Glad to hear that the technical trails aren't much of a bother with the RTT on, that's been my biggest concern. From what I've heard, they're probably easier to pack up each morning before hitting the trails than it is to deflate the air mattress and get everything loaded back into the truck or tearing down a ground tent so it might be an ideal solution for a place like Ouray where you don't sleep in the same spot from one night to the next?
Does anyone have much experience with the larger sizes? Looking for something that has enough room not only for myself, wife and 5 year old daughter but also when kid #2 comes along...
Glad to hear that the technical trails aren't much of a bother with the RTT on, that's been my biggest concern. From what I've heard, they're probably easier to pack up each morning before hitting the trails than it is to deflate the air mattress and get everything loaded back into the truck or tearing down a ground tent so it might be an ideal solution for a place like Ouray where you don't sleep in the same spot from one night to the next?
Does anyone have much experience with the larger sizes? Looking for something that has enough room not only for myself, wife and 5 year old daughter but also when kid #2 comes along...
Cool - looks good on the truck, but wondering what people think of it from an actual space inside/functionality perspective with 2 adults and 2 kids. I may just need to find some measurements and lay it out on the ground, but hard to beat personal experiences!
jrob
New member
Looks like this got really well covered but Ill pitch 2c anyway.
I have an ARB simpson III on a Gobi.
Tent is Awesome for road trips. I can be crawling in mine to sleep in under 5 minutes. Packing up still takes about 15 but That due to some self inflicted positioning issues. Comfy, quick, girlfriend likes it even more than I do.
Just a heads up, since I got some misinformation on here.
If you get the simpson or similar dimension Tepui you do NOT need any crossbars to mount it. It easily spans the edge rails and mounts perfectly, keeping your CG that much lower if you care about that sort of thing.
I have an ARB simpson III on a Gobi.
Tent is Awesome for road trips. I can be crawling in mine to sleep in under 5 minutes. Packing up still takes about 15 but That due to some self inflicted positioning issues. Comfy, quick, girlfriend likes it even more than I do.
Just a heads up, since I got some misinformation on here.
If you get the simpson or similar dimension Tepui you do NOT need any crossbars to mount it. It easily spans the edge rails and mounts perfectly, keeping your CG that much lower if you care about that sort of thing.
Intruder
New member
It's really going to vary based on how much personal space everyone needs and how long you're going to be out. I think four people in an RTT for a week would lead to some family counselling, but that's just me. Keep in mind that with most of these tents you cannot stand up inside them unless you're about 3' tall, so getting dressed with four people in there would be a challenge. Getting a tent with a vestibule would make things easier. If it were me, I'd get a small ground tent for the kids or forget the RTT altogether and just go with one large ground tent. To me the RTT is good for 1-2 adults plus one toddler and 1-2 dogs depending on size.
