Hard vs Soft Shell: Read World Efficiency

[OregonLC]

I've been running a CVT Rainier for the last five or so years. Happy with the quality of the product but the setup/takedown process is not very efficient. Part of the problem is the height on the vehicle (lifted 100 with 35s). I seem to forever to be going side to side to remove straps, unzip, remove cover, etc. And then a longer process in reverse to put it away. Seems like I'm always the last one packed up and often all dirty when I'm done after wrestling with the dusty cover, not to mention the cover blocking access from one side of the vehicle when hanging (yes, I could slide it out, but this requires assistance and takes additional time).

Most of my adventures are all day vehicle exploring trips with a new location everyday so setup and tear down is daily.

I've been eyeing a hard shell tent with the thought of a more expedient process, however the videos I've seen still involve several passes back and forth trying to get the sides tucked in and latched down.

So my question for the group is: in the real world are the hard shells that much more efficient? How about clam shell vs flat top? Advantages to either?

My CVT will be moving to the CDN M101 for family duty, so I'm trying so sort out the best solution for solo travel. OZ Tent is also in the running. Thoughts?

 

[coledudley]

I went from a Tepui Autana to a James Baroud Discovery Extreme. The lifted height of our vehicle along with tires made the Tepui very difficult for my wife and I to pack up. From a setup/take-down perspective, it's hard to imagine it getting much easier than the JB Discovery. There are only two latches. It takes less than 30 seconds to set up and only requires ones of us. Taking it down is probably more like 1-2 minutes just to make sure the fabric is tucked in.

If I were in the market again, I'd take a look at the Eezi-Awn Stealth and also would think hard about an OZ Tent. We live in a condo so the JB stays on top of the Cruiser all the time.

 

[OregonLC]

What made you choose a clam shell vs a flat top?

Not sure I appreciate the value of the stealth yet, though haven't seen one in person. The shape is odd and not sure that aluminum is an improvement. Make it in HDPE (won't crack) and I'd be interested.

 

[MANUCHAO]

I went from a Eezy awn 1800 to a Columbus Variant Small.
The reason was ease of set up....
On our lifted rig it was a challenge to do this specially when wet or snowy.
The trade off was giving up real state up there.
However, being able to leave the sleeping stuff up there is great as this frees up space in the rig.
Set up is one thousand times easier, and faster.
Weight is also much less and so is wind noise.
This worked great for the two of us, but now we are three.
So, we looking at either going back to a soft shell, but not as big, or heavy, as the EA 1800......

 

[coledudley]

What made you choose a clam shell vs a flat top?

Not sure I appreciate the value of the stealth yet, though haven't seen one in person. The shape is odd and not sure that aluminum is an improvement. Make it in HDPE (won't crack) and I'd be interested.

I'm just a fan of Eezi-Awn stuff... I have the Series 2000 awning and love it. I also like the look of the Stealth and the fact that the lift hardware is on the outside; however, I don't like that it's heavier and that there's no storage option on top (like the JB Extreme).

I went with the clamshell version because I wanted the absolute easiest/fastest option to set up and take down. There are only 2 latches instead of 4. I also like how tall it is on the back side when open.

 

[Dozer Dan]

I came across a large group of overlanders in the Pyrenees. Between them they had pretty much every model of rtt on the market in Europe. I didn't get a chance to see them set up but I was keeping my eyes peeled as they were packing up in the morning.
The guys with soft tents were struggling to say the least. They were running around the trucks, up and down tucking in fabric, trying to click the cover over etc. It was taking them ages and their clothes were destroyed.
The hard shell tents just packed down in a minute or 2. It was just that quick and simple. And no mess!

I saw little advantage of the soft rtts over my ground tent.

So when it came time for me to buy a tent I bought a James Baroud Evasion. Up is something like 30 sec - 1 min. You just undo 4 latches, put the ladder up & nudge the 2 legs into place and you're ready to sleep.
There is a knack to taking it down and I found it very difficult the first couple of times until I figured out how to do it. Now I can close the shell in a minute and a half. No mess!

One thing really worth getting when you've a rtt is tree sliders and rear corner protectors. These serve as perfect steps so you don't have to stand in doors to reach the tent.

 

[spressomon]

^ as above: Given its just two of us without children and having owned several different RTTs including fold-over and hard shells two things were a deal breaker for me with the fold-over RTT: Dealing with the cover, even atop our then AT Horizon, was a PITA; and not being able to store all the bedding in the unit. Fabric wind flap was also a factor but not necessarily a "deal breaker".

But everyone's unique needs and application will trump even the biggest negatives of each style. Hopefully someday in the not too distant future, with increased competition and new designs entering the marketplace, we may have an even better selection of RTT platforms that shorten the "con" side list of the current crop of RTTs; both fold-over and hard-shell.

 

[The Raven]

My first tent was a Tepui Kukk... I got it for the price, and I loved the camo pattern. I had it on my Jeep Rubicon. I used it about 10-20 times, and in the short period I noticed a lot of wear on the cover due to UV, the zippers were getting tired, the ladder was wearing holes where it was coming in contact with the bottom when closed. The buckles were also getting tired with a buckle breaking. The company advertised that you could store bedding inside, but when I tried this, it would get all jumbled when the tent flipped closed. It would also take forever to put together in the morning with a bunch of tucking, zipping, unlatching, etc. It was also VERY uncomfortable. I preferred my ground tent to the RTT.

I then moved up to an Autohome Maggiolina Extreme. No regrets and a great tent. Warm, rugged, and no wear so far after a few months of constant use. It goes up in 30 seconds, down in 1-2 minutes. Even pouring rain is no match. Things stay dry.

 

[OregonLC]

^ as above: Given its just two of us without children and having owned several different RTTs including fold-over and hard shells two things were a deal breaker for me with the fold-over RTT: Dealing with the cover, even atop our then AT Horizon, was a PITA; and not being able to store all the bedding in the unit. Fabric wind flap was also a factor but not necessarily a "deal breaker".

Thanks for the reply. What tent did you have that didn't let you store bedding? I leave a full old school huge rectangular bag and two full size pillows that I keep in mine all the time.

 

[Basil.]

I used to have a CVT tent, loved the space you got especially the covered entry with annex.

A friend of mine got a James Baroud tent and watching him setup and take it down once sold me.

I used my JB tent for over 100 nights and loved every second of it, super easy setup and takedown. One thing most people forget is that you can keep your bed made in a hard shell tent, in my JB I was able to keep 2 sleeping bags, a blanket, 2 pillows, and our pajamas in it for the whole trip.

I recently sold my JB tent and got the ultimate high speed setup, a Alu-Cab Expedition II with a shadow awning. I'm mounting it up Thursday and am really looking forward to testing it out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OregonLC]

What is preferred, a clamshell hard top (like a Discovery) or a flat top (like a Grand Raid)? I've heard that the clam shell gives more headroom at the open end and is faster to open/close but that the exposed fabric is less desirable in weather (rain)? Similarly, the soft top (at least those with overhang) allow you to come down in the dry.

For those of you with hard shell tents, how do you mitigate the lack of roof rack space? The footprint of a hard shell is significant and consumes sometimes more than all of the available rack space. When travelling sans trailer, I keep fuel, maxtraxx, fire wood, etc up there behind the tent.

Last week I was completely convinced that I was ready to switch but after vetting out the details I'm not so sure. Wondering if there are ways to engineer a better setup/tear down experience on the soft top. For example, could one have velcro stitched into the cover replacing the zippers? Could elastic bands be added to removed the need to tuck the fabric when collapsing? Could there be quick release pins added to the ladder to remove it when collapsed reducing the height and wear points?

 

[Basil.]

The new Alu Cab tent I'm getting has load bars, I'll keep my maxtrax, surfboards, and other goodies up on the roof. The tents made of aluminum so it's pretty strong.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[The Raven]

Replied within the quotes..

What is preferred, a clamshell hard top (like a Discovery) or a flat top (like a Grand Raid)? I've heard that the clam shell gives more headroom at the open end and is faster to open/close but that the exposed fabric is less desirable in weather (rain)? Similarly, the soft top (at least those with overhang) allow you to come down in the dry.

1. The flat top is warmer and gives more interior room overall. The Wind does not effect it, and it stays dry in the rain. I would think the clam would catch the wind and rain but be cooler in the summer.

For those of you with hard shell tents, how do you mitigate the lack of roof rack space? The footprint of a hard shell is significant and consumes sometimes more than all of the available rack space. When travelling sans trailer, I keep fuel, maxtraxx, fire wood, etc up there behind the tent.

2. My Maggi has a small roof rack on top. It does take a ton of room, but the benefit outweighs the downside. You can mount a rack to the Grand-Raid. A hitch carrier would be used is I found the need called for it. A side benefit is the tent shades the roof of the cruiser keeping it cooler.

Last week I was completely convinced that I was ready to switch but after vetting out the details I'm not so sure. Wondering if there are ways to engineer a better setup/tear down experience on the soft top. For example, could one have velcro stitched into the cover replacing the zippers? Could elastic bands be added to removed the need to tuck the fabric when collapsing? Could there be quick release pins added to the ladder to remove it when collapsed reducing the height and wear points?

3. No....I tried it's not worth the trouble. The cover gets killed by UV, Velcro wears out, elastic bands are already used on the cover and don;t work, Quick release pins are an option...but then you have to store the ladder. Did i mention the ladder stores INSIDE the autohome?

 

[OregonLC]

I recently sold my JB tent and got the ultimate high speed setup, a Alu-Cab Expedition II with a shadow awning. I'm mounting it up Thursday and am really looking forward to testing it out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I do like the ruggedness and looks of the Alu Cab. Seems a bit heavy, but not so much as to be a deal killer. At 51" internal I wonder how well it would sleep with my wife in it.

 

[Basil.]

I do like the ruggedness and looks of the Alu Cab. Seems a bit heavy, but not so much as to be a deal killer. At 51" internal I wonder how well it would sleep with my wife in it.

A bit heavy yes, but it's pretty much my roof rack. It's going to be mounted on a pair of bars that run front to back. I won't need any other rack below it.

I think 51" is plenty for my girlfriend and I but it depends on how much you like your wife hah!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk