Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Your Roof Top Tent

JCS2179

Member
I am really not seeing any point to the security nuts for RTTs. The way most are mounted you could hacksaw, dremel, angle grind, or use bolt cutters in seconds and easily defeat them. The absurd amount of money some of those products cost don't seem worth it.

I know this is old, BUT, I disagree with you. While it might be easy to take a "...hacksaw, dremel, angle grind, or use bolt cutters in seconds..." to likely cut the crossbars your RTT sits upon, the truth is it takes much more than "just seconds" and it also takes somebody who is so broken than they would NOT care about getting caught?? Most thieves might not be super smart, but NONE of them ever wanna be caught. Those tools you named are all loud, specially against metal, and also accounting for the fact it would be extra quiet in the area as there would be nobody around (presumably when some ************ -or two or three!- is/are going to steal your RTT). This all accounts for one thing for sure: IF it's between stealing my RTT with security bolts/nuts VS stealing yours, I can guarantee you with 100% certainty it's yours the one they'll try for. It's the same principle of house alarms: YES, they can still "easily" get in if they really want to, but why tho, when they can just go to the house next door with no alarm?
Fast forward to April 2021, and I just received my new RTT. It has the usual Chinese-made complete crap brackets that bend upwards when you try to torque the nyloc nuts. A 17mm ratcheting wrench does "quick" work of them, but you still have 8 of them to deal with. A PITA. Anyway, I just purchased a set of custom-made for my Rhino Rack VORTEX bars CNC security brackets from Wheeleveryweekend.com for $180 shipped to me. Absurdly expensive? yes, agreed. In fact, *****k, yeah they are :rolleyes: ...but there's more and more reports nowadays of ppl trying to steal RTTs. Just my opinion.

https://www.wheeleveryweekend.com/products/rtt-security-clamps
 

JCS2179

Member
Last fall, I decided to try something to improve the ol' RTT. I finally got a couple of rolls of duct insulation. That aluminum floor does a great job of radiating cold... I'm talking about the 20ºF in the morning cold at Green River Lakes in Wyoming (8,000ft) in September.

This past September, we camped at 9,200ft on Cinnamon Pass, CO, and it was unbelievably cozy! The insulation adds R3. Just enough to really make a difference. Now we have a 3.5 season tent. Hope this answers someone's questions about doing this.View attachment 490146View attachment 490147View attachment 490146View attachment 490147


Would this help with condensation also?? or you are thinking temperature improvement only??
 

JCS2179

Member
Easy loading and unloading.....

Pictures, write-up and videos here:

www.rvbprecision.com

Awesome ingenuity....but watch your back!:eek: I'd be afraid to slip one of my lower back discs. Like you, I no longer fit into my regular 7' door garage, and my RTT is nearly 160lbs so I had to go with the modified cheap HF Franken-hoist thinghy. I added HF 6" casters, a HF boat trailer hand winch, some 2x2 steel to extend the legs about 24" each, and an extended 2x2 steel tube sleeved into the boom arm. It looks bulky, but it moves around easily, it allows for a 1-man operation (loading/unloading), and when not in use it folds up to a very small foot print in the corner.
 

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roving1

Well-known member
I
I know this is old, BUT, I disagree with you. While it might be easy to take a "...hacksaw, dremel, angle grind, or use bolt cutters in seconds..." to likely cut the crossbars your RTT sits upon, the truth is it takes much more than "just seconds" and it also takes somebody who is so broken than they would NOT care about getting caught?? Most thieves might not be super smart, but NONE of them ever wanna be caught. Those tools you named are all loud, specially against metal, and also accounting for the fact it would be extra quiet in the area as there would be nobody around (presumably when some ************ -or two or three!- is/are going to steal your RTT). This all accounts for one thing for sure: IF it's between stealing my RTT with security bolts/nuts VS stealing yours, I can guarantee you with 100% certainty it's yours the one they'll try for. It's the same principle of house alarms: YES, they can still "easily" get in if they really want to, but why tho, when they can just go to the house next door with no alarm?
Fast forward to April 2021, and I just received my new RTT. It has the usual Chinese-made complete crap brackets that bend upwards when you try to torque the nyloc nuts. A 17mm ratcheting wrench does "quick" work of them, but you still have 8 of them to deal with. A PITA. Anyway, I just purchased a set of custom-made for my Rhino Rack VORTEX bars CNC security brackets from Wheeleveryweekend.com for $180 shipped to me. Absurdly expensive? yes, agreed. In fact, *****k, yeah they are :rolleyes: ...but there's more and more reports nowadays of ppl trying to steal RTTs. Just my opinion.

https://www.wheeleveryweekend.com/products/rtt-security-clamps

I replaced a broken clamp bar and some oxidized hardware on my RTT. It literally took a minute to cut all 4 off while not trying to be fast. Could have used quiet bolt cutters in about the same time. People steal catalytic convertors all the time by cutting them out. No one cares about alarms or noise. Even if you do they are gone before your pants are on.

I remain wholly unconvinced.
 

JCS2179

Member
I


I replaced a broken clamp bar and some oxidized hardware on my RTT. It literally took a minute to cut all 4 off while not trying to be fast. Could have used quiet bolt cutters in about the same time. People steal catalytic convertors all the time by cutting them out. No one cares about alarms or noise. Even if you do they are gone before your pants are on.

I remain wholly unconvinced.
I understand. If they want it, they want it.
 
Got my planar 2d portable from expedition upfitters last week. Love it. Game changer. Especially where I live and camp. 7k-11k feet.
 

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Anyone add a little more padding to a skycamp 2.0? Blow up or foam? Every else seems to be fine except me. I wonder if I could order another mattress from them and just double it up?
 
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4868er

New member
This is my best RTT mod. I made a hard basket for shoes.

2011-03-19_09-06-28_765.jpg
I like the basket . Muddy shoes are always a problem
 

casioqv

Dr. Diesel
Anyone add a little more padding to a skycamp 2.0? Blow up or foam? Every else seems to be fine except me. I wonder if I could order another mattress from them and just double it up?

I have a Tempur-Pedic memory foam topper on my skycamp 1.0 mattress, and it's as comfortable for me now as a regular mattress. I can store it inside if I roll it up at the far back, but it takes all of the storage space, so there is no longer room for blankets, pillows, or sleeping bags.
 
I'll kick in a mod I've done.

Some nights when the breeze is still or maybe its just a bit warmer than I'd like, it would be nice to have a fan blowing.

Thanks to Amazon and $23 bucks I had in my pocket:
Amazon Link

I had previously wired my James Baroud Evasion with a USB hub, so I had power but needed to figure out how to mount it. I love my RTT but "mounting" things in it isn't really easy.

I drilled through the "trim" pieces that actually support the tent material and riveted two neodymium magnets:

49_RTTFan_01.jpeg

AT first I tried using the sticky backed metal plates on the fan back plate but it was too heavy, which I suspected it would be. So I mounted two more magnets inside the back cover of the fan (I used some chipped magnets I had because it didn't really matter inside the fan base):
49_RTTFan_02.jpeg

Et Voila! It is rock solid, removable and will be just right on those doldrum nights:
49_RTTFan_03.jpeg
 

The_Squid

Member
2 things we’ve done to really improve the RTT:
  • Had 2 thicker foam mattresses made. The iKamper comes with very thin mattresses. These are much more comfy, but need to be carried in the truck and then hoisted into the RTT when setting up. They’re light, but a bit bulky.
  • The other thing was to get the RTT off the vehicle and onto a trailer. We like to explore or travel distances from camp to go fishing. Being able to leave camp set up, but have everything locked away has been huge.
 

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