Strange RTT issue

[R Stowe]

So I mounted up my CVT Mt. Cayley back in late October. Since this it's been on an 16 hour round trip interestate drive, 5-6 times checking out trails and forest roads, 1 particularly rough trail (more on that later), and it's my daily driver.

In the last two weeks I noticed the front of the rack seems to be higher off of the camper shell than the back. I know the camper is sloped front to back and side to side, but it's seems like the difference between the ends has become a lot more noticeable. I've checked the bolts inside and their all tight. I've tried to pull the rack down in the front and it doesn't move anymore than it ever has.

Here's the breakdown of equipment.

The shell is an A.R.E. with the reinforced section in the top. I don't know what material is in the thicker part, but it's there. I mounted Yakima tracks to it with the maximum number of bolts (5-6?) on each track. Then the Prinsu Designs Top Rac is mounted to those tracks. My Prinsu doesn't have the mounting points attached to the side rails. Instead, Zach sent me a new type of mount that fits into the tracks and then to the bottom of the cross bars. They are essentially a slight u-shaped piece of the aluminium he uses for the sides. On top of all of that is the CVT Mt. Cayley mounted in the normal way.

So I've included some photos below in chronological order from the last few months. The last one is just a few days old and shows the leaning of the tent.

Some are cropped so please forgive the blurr.

Early December

Mid. December

This weekend

So am I crazy? It is leaning towards the back now. Right?

If you agree with that any ideas of what it could be. There's nothing loose or bent that I can see as it is.

This weekend I plan to take the CVT off the rack and maybe even the rack off the cab so I can inspect everything.

Thanks.

 

[QuadsBC]

It does look like it is leaning towards the rear. Have you checked the paint around the rear mounts for signs of cracking? Even though the cap has reinforcements, doesn't mean it was designed for tent weight and occupant weight or long term roof loads.

 

[R Stowe]

It does look like it is leaning towards the rear. Have you checked the paint around the rear mounts for signs of cracking? Even though the cap has reinforcements, doesn't mean it was designed for tent weight and occupant weight or long term roof loads.

Yeah, I checked there and it doesn't have any cracking. I've also kept an eye on flex and it doesn't seem to have any, or at least anymore than it ever had. My friend Jason from MSO hypothesized that the pieces that mount to the tracks have slid backwards. That would make it appear to lean more, even if it just slid an inch. This weekend I hope I have time to take the tent off and check for movement on those mounts.

Thanks for the input though. Camper shell failure was my first thought. I really hope that isn't the issue.

 

[WillBeck]

Hard to tell, would be easier if all the photos were from the same angle and distance.

Nice phone case btw. I have the same one, and have literally thrown my iPhone 6 to the ground (unintentionally) and it's protected my phone 100%. No dents, bends, cracks, or shattered glass. I probably drop or kick my phone twice a month. I'm a butterfingers.

 

[WillBeck]

Yeah, I checked there and it doesn't have any cracking. I've also kept an eye on flex and it doesn't seem to have any, or at least anymore than it ever had. My friend Jason from MSO hypothesized that the pieces that mount to the tracks have slid backwards. That would make it appear to lean more, even if it just slid an inch. This weekend I hope I have time to take the tent off and check for movement on those mounts.

Thanks for the input though. Camper shell failure was my first thought. I really hope that isn't the issue.

I would recommend marking and measuring at one point in by the front and the rear of the rack. Do your normal thing, then measure again in say a month. If the dimensions change, sometching is up.

 

[R Stowe]

Hard to tell, would be easier if all the photos were from the same angle and distance.

Nice phone case btw. I have the same one, and have literally thrown my iPhone 6 to the ground (unintentionally) and it's protected my phone 100%. No dents, bends, cracks, or shattered glass. I probably drop or kick my phone twice a month. I'm a butterfingers.

Yeah I wish I had some more from the straight side angle, but I can't find any. Yeah those cases are super tough especially considering the cost. I dropped that one while on my road bike, and it slid a good 6 feet. It barely scuffed the back of the case.

I would recommend marking and measuring at one point in by the front and the rear of the rack. Do your normal thing, then measure again in say a month. If the dimensions change, sometching is up.

That's a good idea. When I check to see if the rack to track pieces slid I'll mark the camper shell and then check it again. Thanks for the idea.

 

[Andy@AAV]

Measure the width at the rear bottom of the shell as well (at the the tailgate). Could be that the roof load is causing the bedsides to bow out at the rear where they are unsupported at the tailgate, thus allowing the back of the shell to drop slightly.

 

[R Stowe]

Measure the width at the rear bottom of the shell as well (at the the tailgate). Could be that the roof load is causing the bedsides to bow out at the rear where they are unsupported at the tailgate, thus allowing the back of the shell to drop slightly.

I hadn't even thought of that. I'll add that to the list.