It has been close to a decade, I think, the last time I ran this. One of the 80s had a RTT on 2.5"/33"s. I can't recall if we had to do the ballast thing but I'm on 35s/3" with a craptastic amount of weight on the roof.
Guess I'll find out!
Terrapod RTT
- Thread starter Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
- Start date
It has been close to a decade, I think, the last time I ran this. One of the 80s had a RTT on 2.5"/33"s. I can't recall if we had to do the ballast thing but I'm on 35s/3" with a craptastic amount of weight on the roof.
Guess I'll find out!
JackW
Explorer
There are two hard safety struts that snap into place and tighten everything up plus there is a small awning that slides into a groove in the extrusion around the lid. My Solo model weighs around 85 lbs - the full width Terrapod is around 115 lbs and they stand about 5-1/2 inches tall.
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
Continue to be impressed by Terrapod RTT. The wind picked up a bit last light. This tent canvas is so tight very minimal to no flapping. The internal struts that that come up and pin in the front roof corners make this the most solid tent that i have ever seen.
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
The Terrapod is significantly lighter the Alucab. Lower profile
XJLI
Adventurer
I'm looking at these and comparing against a James Baroud or Autohome. Had a bad storm or some sort of microburst blow through camp last week and my Smittybuilt (that I planned on upgrading out of eventually anyway) did not fair well. How waterproof is the tent fabric? Do you need the rainfly in bad weather? I like that I you can just zip the windows up on the JB or Autohomes and you're fully sealed in.
The biggest advantage of the Terrapod IMO is the low profile. I'm also debating the GOFSR Evo V2 on the low end. I think one thing holding me up a bit is if this guy will still be around making tents 6 or 7 years. Won't have that issue with the larger brands.
The biggest advantage of the Terrapod IMO is the low profile. I'm also debating the GOFSR Evo V2 on the low end. I think one thing holding me up a bit is if this guy will still be around making tents 6 or 7 years. Won't have that issue with the larger brands.
Lemsteraak
Adventurer
I wouldn't worry too much if the manufacturer is going to be around in 6-7 years. It is a cottage industry and expedition tents should be designed to be repaired anywhere. It is nice to have the support of an established manufacturer, sometimes they come up with accessories that can enhance your tent.
I feel your pain in the rain. I have a fabric folding tent that I really like but this weekend it was supposed to be very warm and clear. We got clouds and humidity instead, then raindrops in the middle of the night. My tent really opens up with bit skylights and big doors so I zipped them all closed. Fortunately the tent is water resistant enough to handle the rain well and not feel too stuffy inside. It is a fine line between breathability and water resistance. Rainflys are great, they should be totally waterproof but ... who wants to put them on? My rainfly is very thoughtful, one side is quite reflective, good for open areas and it rides a good one inch above the tent so we get lots of ventilation.
Hard shelled tents are a different animal. They usually have a real mattress inside so you can set them up with sheets and blankets ahead of time. My wife is sort of a girly girl and will either stay in a roof tent with sheets or a four star hotel, nothing else. So, the low profile works against this benefit. On a long journey a higher profile may be useful and if well engineered, they don't develop more aerodynamic drag.
I feel your pain in the rain. I have a fabric folding tent that I really like but this weekend it was supposed to be very warm and clear. We got clouds and humidity instead, then raindrops in the middle of the night. My tent really opens up with bit skylights and big doors so I zipped them all closed. Fortunately the tent is water resistant enough to handle the rain well and not feel too stuffy inside. It is a fine line between breathability and water resistance. Rainflys are great, they should be totally waterproof but ... who wants to put them on? My rainfly is very thoughtful, one side is quite reflective, good for open areas and it rides a good one inch above the tent so we get lots of ventilation.
Hard shelled tents are a different animal. They usually have a real mattress inside so you can set them up with sheets and blankets ahead of time. My wife is sort of a girly girl and will either stay in a roof tent with sheets or a four star hotel, nothing else. So, the low profile works against this benefit. On a long journey a higher profile may be useful and if well engineered, they don't develop more aerodynamic drag.
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
Just got home from a trip to Driggs, ID. First experience in heavy rain and fairly heavy wind. I set up the tent in the dark and got lazy on the rain fly. Woke up in the morning and it was raining hard with 25 mph winds. Then it rained all day. No water in tent what so ever. When you set up the Terrapod there is one extra step that takes maybe one minute. A second set of struts attach to the clam shell opening that stretches the canvas a sturdies up the structure like not other RTT that I know of. The tent is so light and low profile my guess is over a ten year period it will save a considerable amount of $ over a beast like James B or Alucab. I will take a few extra minutes to blow up an exped and pull pillows out of my trailer for the savings. You can fit sleeping bag and ladder when folded down.
No company is guaranteed to be in business for 8-10 years. It's all speculation
No company is guaranteed to be in business for 8-10 years. It's all speculation
JackW
Explorer
That's my truck and I didn't have the locking struts deployed for that photo. They fold up from the bottom and snap into place on the lid to keep everything taut. They take only a few seconds each to attach.
There is less slack when its all set up right - maybe not as drum taut as my old Maggiolina was but it doesn't flap in strong winds. I know Chad did a lot of research on the materials he builds his tents out of with the emphasis on quality.
The Terrapod is the product of years of research and experimentation and it shows - especially when you do a side by side comparison with other tents.
Obsessed2findARuggedHybid
Well-known member
I have not really used mine in cold weather. Maybe you could contact Chad at Terrapod and ask him this question?
Same here. Please let us know if you find a solution.
