Tepui Tent RTT

cruiseroutfit

Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
...It looks like the ARB units but a bit cheaper in price.

Correction, it looks like the old ARB Simpson II, which was replaced by the Simpson III a couple of years. The Simpson II design was 'ok' but had some real usability issues that were addressed for the most part with the Simpson III and IIIB. For ~$100 cheaper price (versus the new ARB Simpson III pricing) I don't consider it a viable deal at all. Their other model is similar as the Mombasa or Camping Labs, both of which have great reputations for customer service and handling warranty issues. So your paying the same price for what could be a similar product from an unknown company.

I first saw these tent on Ih8mud a awhile back but had not browsed their site before. Whats with the photo-chopping their logo on a bunch of tents they don't even offer? Tells me they found some stock photos of RTT's and built themselves a website as they didn't actually have any photos of their RTT's in use ;)
 

INSAYN

Adventurer
Wow, I didn't even notice the logo chop. Good eye cruiseroutfit!

Now that I see it, it really does look goofy and odd.
The poles they use for the window awnings are also different between the Youtube video and the pictures on their site.

I think I'll pass this brand up and look on.
 

Martyn

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Interesting that they state that a RTT is more efficient fuel wise than towing a trailer. Our tests show that having a RTT on top of a vehicle reduces the mpg by 15% - 20%, where as a typical Overland Trailer that is within the vehicles slipstream only reduces it 10% -12%.

At 200g/sq.m the fabric is fairly light weight, the higher end tents are running 380g - 420g/sq.m. The fabric is poly-cotton which should be a good sign, but then the protective components are applied as a coating rather than impregnated. See the article on tent fabrics for a complete understanding on the differences.

I'm not seeing anything new with these tents, seem to be typical Chinese manufactured imports, did I miss something?
 
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bunduguy

Supporting Sponsor
Just another bad Chinese copy of already established good-quality tents. Their touring version is yet another copy of the original Howling Moon design.

This is a simple issue; you get what you pay for. But a couple of points; look how it flaps in the wind once he's done setting it up in the video; AND, look at how thin the cover is.
Oh, well. Another one on the market....
 

bunduguy

Supporting Sponsor

If he's making them in CA, then I tip my hat, and offer a formal apology for having spoken in haste. But as far as I can see, they look just the the tents on offer that I get several times a week in my inbox from various Chinese factories.
Again, if I'm wrong, I humbly apologize and retract my statement. And, I'm certainly not trying to dissuade anyone from buying it. Quite the contrary; if the price is right, and that's what you're looking for, go for it!
 

18seeds

Explorer
From my understanding ARB, camping lab and mombassa all manufacture in china. Maybe all in the same factory. I dunno

Did the guy in the usa copy the design and just have it manufactured in china?

From my experience these so called "chinese copies" start by somebody in the US sending a product to china and asking them to copy it. Quality goes bad because the person in the US never did anything for quality control.
 

bunduguy

Supporting Sponsor
From my understanding ARB, camping lab and mombassa all manufacture in china. Maybe all in the same factory. I dunno

Did the guy in the usa copy the design and just have it manufactured in china?

From my experience these so called "chinese copies" start by somebody in the US sending a product to china and asking them to copy it. Quality goes bad because the person in the US never did anything for quality control.

What initially happened with the Howling Moon tent is that some dude in Australia sent our tents to China for them to replicate. Unfortunately for him they were crap so he closed business with so many come-backs.
You can actually do a google search and be amazed at how many RTT makers in china will come up. You don't even have to send them a sample copy. You can find pictures of similar styles on every site of every RTT maker in China. They often actually use the same pictures from maker to maker!. Most of them are crap; i will not say which ones. Several of the current vendors/brands in the US come out of the same factory in China. We could very easily commission one of these makers in China to just put our Bundu Gear logo on. Problem is, there is very little you can do with quality control. Unless there is somebody local (a broker) who is constantly going into the factory and checking up, you're taking a lot of risk. Once your container lands and you have 20 ****ty tents, what are you going to do?

It's an interesting business, which is why we chose to distribute for one of the most reputable companies in the business. There is a reason almost every 4x4 rental company in southern Africa issues their vehicles mounted with Howling Moon RTT.

I'm not going to issue a blanket statement and say that all Chinese origin tents are bad; they're not. MANY people on this forum have bought and are thoroughly enjoying their Asian made tents and love them. All I will say is that there is good stuff and bad stuff. Depends on how much you can justify spending, how much you use it etc. But not all are created equal.
 

18seeds

Explorer
... there is very little you can do with quality control. Unless there is somebody local (a broker) who is constantly going into the factory and checking up, you're taking a lot of risk......

Correct the American or Ausi copycat won't go to this length. I have manufactured plenty of products in China and NONE have ever shown up on globalsources, made-in-china or any other similar website. I've spent weeks at the factory making sure that the product/material used in the prototype is the same (or better) that is used in production. Only brokers I deal with are the exporters.

Anyway these tents don't seem to be that much cheaper than the "name brand" tents. My RTT is made by springbar, the quality of material really stands out. It's easy for me to pay a little more.

In the end i think you and I are saying the same thing.
 

bunduguy

Supporting Sponsor
Correct the American or Ausi copycat won't go to this length. I have manufactured plenty of products in China and NONE have ever shown up on globalsources, made-in-china or any other similar website. I've spent weeks at the factory making sure that the product/material used in the prototype is the same (or better) that is used in production. Only brokers I deal with are the exporters.

Anyway these tents don't seem to be that much cheaper than the "name brand" tents. My RTT is made by springbar, the quality of material really stands out. It's easy for me to pay a little more.

In the end i think you and I are saying the same thing.

Excellent...
 

compactcamping

Explorer
Just so there is no confusion. The MOAB is not a Springbar / Kirkhams product. It's a Compact Camping Concepts product were Kirkhams is the contract manufacturer for sewing the tents.
 

UK4X4

Expedition Leader
here's a quick link to a selction of chinese tents.........take your pick !
60 per page and 2 pages long

basicly 99% are photo shoped and logo changed

Guarentee..........your checks in the post.:sombrero:


If you search hard enough you'l even find a trailer you might recognise ! complete with chinese logo
 

Martyn

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
here's a quick link to a selction of chinese tents.........take your pick !
60 per page and 2 pages long

basicly 99% are photo shoped and logo changed

Guarentee..........your checks in the post.:sombrero:


If you search hard enough you'l even find a trailer you might recognise ! complete with chinese logo

Didn't see your link Paul, but we have found AT featured on some of these sites. When we ask them to remove the pictures they very courteously offer to sell us tents and trailers, often of our own design :)
 

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