RTT owners, are you satisfied with..

[The Peripatetic Cajun]

RTT owners, are you satisfied with...your choice of Tent(s)?
Looking to purchase one in the next few days, have a few options and ones I’d “settle” for, but your opinions weigh in more than you could know. I’m used to hammock camping, even just a sleeping bag depending on the climate and location, but new experience, new adventure. 4K for a Hard Shell, 2K for a Soft, I know both have Pro/Con, but I want to hear it from you all. What’s your choice, and would you change anything? Thanks, all the best!!

Sponsored

 

[Mjolnir]

The question is: how many people are you planning on bringing?

I have a roofnest Falcon. It is hard top.

Reason I got this one is that it comes with crossbars to mount things on top of it, it is the smallest when closed that I could find, I can mount solar panels permanently, and it is fairly light for a hard top compared to others out there.

I would not change anything honestly. It fits perfectly on my Leitner rack, I can attach an awning to it or the rack, it is comfy as hell, and so many other things. I originally was going to go with iKamper but after seeing how tall it was while closed it became a turn off. I like hard shells specifically for the fact that it is easy to set up, and the durability aspect (like when I store it in my garage).

 

[Br4hm4]

The question is: how many people are you planning on bringing?

I have a roofnest Falcon. It is hard top.

Reason I got this one is that it comes with crossbars to mount things on top of it, it is the smallest when closed that I could find, I can mount solar panels permanently, and it is fairly light for a hard top compared to others out there.

I would not change anything honestly. It fits perfectly on my Leitner rack, I can attach an awning to it or the rack, it is comfy as hell, and so many other things. I originally was going to go with iKamper but after seeing how tall it was while closed it became a turn off. I like hard shells specifically for the fact that it is easy to set up, and the durability aspect (like when I store it in my garage).

I'm seeing this one come up more and more as far as the choice vs the iKampers. I definitely am looking at the Falcon more these days.

 

[Mjolnir]

I'm seeing this one come up more and more as far as the choice vs the iKampers. I definitely am looking at the Falcon more these days.

It is made very well. How "short" it is compared to other hard shells was a major selling point for me.

 

[Br4hm4]

It is made very well. How "short" it is compared to other hard shells was a major selling point for me.

Although looking at it...I don't think it will work out well with the ACE upper decker I just bought. It would have to sit above the cab as well as the bed. hmmm

 

[Mjolnir]

Although looking at it...I don't think it will work out well with the ACE upper decker I just bought. It would have to sit above the cab as well as the bed. hmmm

I don't believe it will unfortunately. The falcon is pretty long at 85".

I got the Leitner rack because I know how well they are made, how versatile they are, accessories, and I wanted to be able to see out my rearview mirror at all times. Because the rack is a smidge higher than the hard top, it makes it perfect for anything to overhang (like the Falcon).

 

[Br4hm4]

I think I am going to be looking for a soft top, it's a little more budget friendly and will fit on the RTT Mounts. I know a welder...I could possibly have him make me some higher RTT mounts. I am still about 8-10 months out before even thinking of buying an RTT...but research has already started lol.

 

[Etoimos]

I've used my soft shell RTT for many years now and it has worked great. However, if I was doing it again I'd buy a hard shell RTT. I'm actually thing about selling my current one at some point and getting the Roofnest Falcon. Besides faster setup and tear down, the hard shell RTT makes it possible to mount solar panels up there.

 

[JT “Charlie”]

New to the forum. I have the Tepui autana 3. My wife, 2 kids and I have a blast camping with ours. It’s well built. So far we’ve been out in a pretty good storm and it has held up really well. One of the plus’s is that you can order the annex with it that gives you an additional 90 x 90” area. Once kids get bigger they can sleep in the bottom. The only issue that you will see a lot of in all RTT reviews is the flooring. I’m not to keen on our flooring. There is a “ rugged” option that you can buy that basically gives you an aluminum diamond floor. This was concentrated on people going extreme off-roading. I opted not to spend the money but wish I probably would have just for piece of mind. However I will say our floor has held up just fine so far. All in all we are pleased. Also most all of the soft RTT are all made out of same factory just with different logo. Think about that when looking at price tags. Hope this helps

 

[scotticus]

i've used my Yakima Skyrise 3/Medium a few times and i'm very happy with it. Its small, much easier to get on and off the truck than my subaru. decently roomy inside, and i like the quick release clamps. I would like to get a sheet set and the annex for it at some point, another $350, but considering i paid $900 for it, i'd say i'm coming in a lot lower than most tent setups!

 

[The Peripatetic Cajun]

Although looking at it...I don't think it will work out well with the ACE upper decker I just bought. It would have to sit above the cab as well as the bed. hmmm

I saw that ACE Upper Decker makes a bracket for RTT’s in their website, I might be getting one, (6 weeks for wait period though) do you have any pics.links to your setup? Thought I might be able to get a comparison shot, since I’ll most likely have to forego my Tri-Fold Tonneau cover in lieu of the Ace UD.

 

[Greg75]

Haven’t purchased, yet. But, I have been thinking about the SkyLux Bantam from Toro Off-road (I think). It’s a hard-shell flip-out tent that would fit over the JT bed without overhang while opening up to be the size of a soft tent. Also seems from site info and some reviews I managed to find that it has a better, aluminum floor. Price is less than most hard-shell tents, especially since it comes with annex, awning and insulation. Just haven’t convinced myself that an RTT is the way to go.

Anyone have any input on the company or the quality of the SkyLux? If so, please PM me.

 

[Br4hm4]

I saw that ACE Upper Decker makes a bracket for RTT’s in their website, I might be getting one, (6 weeks for wait period though) do you have any pics.links to your setup? Thought I might be able to get a comparison shot, since I’ll most likely have to forego my Tri-Fold Tonneau cover in lieu of the Ace UD.

I'm waiting on delivery...I think it's been about 10 days since I ordered and at the time it was supposed to be 3 weeks shipping time.

 

[Br4hm4]

Haven’t purchased, yet. But, I have been thinking about the SkyLux Bantam from Toro Off-road (I think). It’s a hard-shell flip-out tent that would fit over the JT bed without overhang while opening up to be the size of a soft tent. Also seems from site info and some reviews I managed to find that it has a better, aluminum floor. Price is less than most hard-shell tents, especially since it comes with annex, awning and insulation. Just haven’t convinced myself that an RTT is the way to go.

Anyone have any input on the company or the quality of the SkyLux? If so, please PM me.

I did some heavy research on them when they commented on this thread. It looks like it's a new company trying to get their name out.

They have written their own "Best RTT" article https://www.benzinga.com/pressrelea...oftop-tents-of-2020-released-by-torro-offroad
They have been on a lot of the off road forums and at one point had a group buy on one of the Tacoma sites.
Seems like a good product based on the limited information I have been able to find out. They include all the bells and whistles.
It seems like other than promoting their product or defending their product I haven't seen much of a presence from them. I wanted to gamble on it but I need something that will house 4 people and their 4 person RTT would hang over the bed a fair amount so I am going to have to pass.

 

[LostWoods]

I was not with my Tepui. Don't get me wrong, it's a great tent and the quality was good, I just didn't see the benefits most see.

+ No worrying about rocks, mud, and debris when picking a site was easily the best thing
+ Wife liked being up in the air. She feels safer, we get more nights out on the trail
+ All sleeping gear packed up inside meant one less box in the truck bed

- Not any faster than my ground tent
- Not particularly comfortable and I still needed an Exped mattress to make it ok as a side sleeper
- Heavy and high... you can absolutely feel the weight up there on trail
- Expensive... like, top end 4-season tents are cheaper

We got rid of the soft tent for a ground tent for the time being. I'm sure we'll get back into the RTT game with a James Baroud tent or something at some point but the soft tents just don't offer enough benefit for the cost unless you go much lower end or used.

Sponsored