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Roof top tent project


norseman

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On 8/22/2019 at 5:03 PM, norseman said:

...........It’s not a wall tent. But sets up super easy.

 

I'm admiring your trip pics. How long does it take you to set it up or take it down?

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On 9/1/2019 at 4:17 PM, Huntster said:

 

I'm admiring your trip pics. How long does it take you to set it up or take it down?

 

10 minutes. Its super easy. You do need to stand on the bed rail or keep a short ladder around. 

 

The cover velcros to the platform along with 4 staps. Once the cover is off, 4 corner velcro straps allows the platform to fold out. 2 pins and a strap for the ladder and you just pull the ladder towards you and the tent is up. Mine has a porch that you need to set up with a few bars. Optional rods for the window awnings if you want. Throw yer bedding in and yer done. 

 

 

 

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  • gigantor featured this topic

I noticed that your tent placement is higher than the Smittybilt YouTube video (by ~1 to 2 ft).  

Did the ladder that came with the tent also longer or did it work fine with the higher placement of the tent?

Did you elevate the tent placement to have better access to the truck's bed storage area or for some other reason?

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10 minutes ago, Explorer said:

I noticed that your tent placement is higher than the Smittybilt YouTube video (by ~1 to 2 ft).  

Did the ladder that came with the tent also longer or did it work fine with the higher placement of the tent?

Did you elevate the tent placement to have better access to the truck's bed storage area or for some other reason?

 

Yes. The ladder worked fine.

 

And I did place it higher for storage. A topper with a tube exo skeleton would even be better.

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  • 9 months later...

That is a really cool set up!  I have a 4Runner and I've seen people running the roof tents on them.  I saw one from Thule locally for sale last week and checked it out.  Unfortunately, it was too small and $1700.  I think they are a cool concept and have several advantages over my current cheapo Coleman ground tent, but size and cost are not one of them.

 

Nearly pulled the trigger on a new small RV trailer, but looking for a career change ASAP and not sure about finances.

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Thule bought Tepui tents. Beware. They raised the prices and changed some of the designs. Roof Top Tents ( RTT ) are expensive and I believe all of them have a few problems. Mine came with 2 bad quality control issues. What you don't read about is the insane condensation on the inside walls and overhead. California probably does not have major condensation problems. In the PNW,  temperature in the low 40's, high 30's, low dew point and high relative humidity / fog, rain, you are screwed. You might as well be outside under a tarp. The rain fly is not very good.  For my RTT, I changed the canopy material,  made a heater system to make it '4 season'  tent and made a huge rain fly. The extra cost and time is huge. I can't tow a trailer.

A small RV trailer with a forced hot air heater would be nice.

 

Next time you see a RTT in a parking lot, wait and ask the owner about the condensation.

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5 hours ago, Catmandoo said:

........In the PNW,  temperature in the low 40's, high 30's, low dew point and high relative humidity / fog, rain, you are screwed. You might as well be outside under a tarp.........

 

Humidity at the scale of the PNW can be a very difficult thing to deal with. It's at a level that tends to regulate my willingness to even go out at certain times of the year or upon review of weather forecasts, as much as sub-zero temps does to my plans. At a certain point, like when survival becomes a chore or fight, it just isn't any fun anymore. But as ugly as that can get, such humidity along with high temps like the tropics makes the situation even worse for me. I remember laying in my bunk and stubbing out a half smoked cigarette to go to sleep, planning to fire it back up upon awakening in the morning. I laid it on the floor. When I picked it up in the morning it was covered with a green, fuzzy mold that had grown on it overnight. Coming from arid southern California, I had simply never seen anything like that before. It took decades for me to finally kill the foot rot that threatened to eat me that I got over there.

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We get a lot less humidity over here than the coast. I do make sure to dry it out if it gets wet. Much MUCH easier to contend with than a wall tent.

 

Im looking at four wheel campers now. My only complaint with the RTT is old man bladder and the ladder to contend with a couple of times a night.

 

 

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1 hour ago, hiflier said:

LOL, who says she's going? J/K :) 


If momma ain’t happy? NOBODY is happy.....

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7 minutes ago, norseman said:

If momma ain’t happy? NOBODY is happy.....

 

Funny........around here, when Momma isn't happy, I'm the only soul who suffers.........

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1 hour ago, norseman said:


If momma ain’t happy? NOBODY is happy.....

 

Oh MAN, hear ya on that!

 

1 hour ago, Huntster said:

 

Funny........around here, when Momma isn't happy, I'm the only soul who suffers.........

 

Noticing a universal trend here. They get their way, but then we get ours too. She never says no to trail cams, thermal imagers, NV devices or other equipment or time, and I never say no to new shoes, coat, purse, art supplies, or the next social engagement. It's all about balance......uh.......I haven't told her yet about me collecting e-DNA samples yet ;) 

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