Care and Maintenance of a Tepui RTT

[grogie]

So just after returning from a two week, 3500 mile camping trip out west, and other then attending the upcoming Overland Expo East this coming October, this is wrapping up the third summer with my Tepui Ayer RTT that I have mounted on my trailer.

I wanted to get some advice on care and maintenance, including some issues that I've had.

Overall I love this RTT for its bang for the buck! I could see having a larger RTT, however my trailer is not large, plus the RTT is mounted directly on an opening lid, and being towed by a Jeep TJ, weight is always an issue. I have to also say that I've never slept so well camping then now with this RTT! I have improved the padding with some thin air mattresses, but again an RTT has been an awesome improvement to tent camping.

With that being said...

1) The straps over the cover have always seemed a little loose and the velcro sort of holds the straps in place, but in my opinion they do little with actually holding down the cover like actual ratchet straps would do as the velcro just gives and the straps where they bend are wearing thin. Well along this last trip, I noticed that the front strap was a little loose. On a stop I thought I tightened it back up, but on the next stop I found that the strap had completely come loose and must have gotten under a tire and was ripped off. (Ouch!)

So should I bother replacing it? Again, I don't think that the original straps with just velcro have really done much to hold down the cover? I'll note that I do keep a few things inside the RTT so the cover as is fits well over the RTT when closed up.

2) Last summer I had an issue that I wasn't carefully enough and I let the zipper catch the bottom skirt of the tent as I zipped up the cover. It was bad enough that I had to cut the skirt to free the zipper. My one complaint about this RTT is that the skirt, along with stray treads, wants to easily catch in the zipper and I have to run a finger between the zipper and the skirt to keep the two from catching.

Well along this last trip, I had an issue that the zipper separated further ahead while I was unzipping the cover, which took some help to resolve, and as well when I was unzipping the cover this morning to clean out the tent, I found that the zipper had separated on the back corner. Could my zipper issues be a result of the cover straps being loose (or now that the front strap is not even on)? Should I replace the base zipper of the tent, and as well the cover to get new zippers? How long should I expect the zippers to last from use? With the zippers separating I did find dust all along the base of the tent.

3) Also this morning I took a sponge and lightly wiped off the tent, and the lightly sprayed the sides off, partly to get the dust off the tent from the zipper separating. Should I go ahead and treat the tent fabric? I have not had any issues with rain or moisture getting through the tent fabric even after some heavy rains that I've experienced. The RTT has remained dry inside.

And yes, that is a buffalo in the background!

 

[Ugwpn]

Subscribed.

My RTT is relatively new, but will be faced with maintenance issues soon enough. The Velcro closures used to secure the cover straps seem like a particular weak link, but folks have addressed the fix (replacement) in the Sure Fire Ways to Improve Your RTT thread.

Hopefully, Box Rocket will weigh in shortly.

 

[diluted]

Tag for more info

 

[Outside somewhere]

With the ways it's been raining in Nc and our first time taking our RTT out coming up soon I am sub'd for any tips/tricks on after trip care as well as storing over the winter months.

 

[SnoViking]

I replaced my cover straps with Anchra cinch straps. They're much easier to get tight. I also use those straps to hold my solar panel in it's storage spot. Plus I usually store our 4 folding camp chairs on top of the folded up tent under the gray cover. The strap also holds them down.

I noticed I had trouble with the zippers on the corners and realized that the tent had shifted in the track; Once I repositioned the tent back to center the corners zipped much easier. Make sure you use a bit of wax or other dry lub on the zippers.

 

[mmaattppoo]

Sub'd...I've recently had the zipper separating and skirt caught in the zipper issues. Curious as to what people are doing to remedy these issues.

I'm running a 3 year old Kukenam that has been flawless in all other ways.

I recently treated the exterior of the tent (excluding the fly) with some 3M scotch guard for outdoor fabric. We'll see how well the water beads up next time it rains. The fly is very water repellant even without any treatment.

Sent from my SM-N920W8 using Tapatalk

 

[grogie]

I replaced my cover straps with Anchra cinch straps. They're much easier to get tight. I also use those straps to hold my solar panel in it's storage spot. Plus I usually store our 4 folding camp chairs on top of the folded up tent under the gray cover. The strap also holds them down.

I noticed I had trouble with the zippers on the corners and realized that the tent had shifted in the track; Once I repositioned the tent back to center the corners zipped much easier. Make sure you use a bit of wax or other dry lub on the zippers.

This is a great idea... I think I'm just going to remove the original straps and do the same. The lid of my trailer (that has the RTT bolted to) has tie down loops actually so I think I'll get these similar straps for it. In thinking further about it, I can see that keeping the cover tight will help keep the zippers together. The original remaining rear strap was a bit loose most of the trip as I could see if flapping some in my rear view mirror.

But I may eventually just replace the bottom zipper and the cover to start new. As I said I love my Tepui. It's like getting to sleep in a tree house.

 

[Box Rocket]

Good stuff, and thanks for posting the feedback and questions. Here's my input, first with the cover straps. The cover straps aren't designed to tightly hold the cover down, nor are they meant to. Their purpose is more about limiting the amount of "billowing" that happens with the cover while traveling, so they are designed to be a bit loose. Tighter straps can be....well....tighter but they can also create potentially worse wear points in the cover. Even with very tight straps there is still some movement of the cover below the straps and the tighter the pressure there the more quickly wear points can occur. I completely understand the desire for a snug fitting cover, but there is some reason behind the design. Additionally with the straps, soft materials like the strap webbing and the Velcro will break down over time, especially with long term exposure to weather and sun. The sun is the biggest culprit in the deterioration of soft materials. As you probably know, Tepui sells replacement cover straps as well as spare parts for most other parts of the tents. There is regular discussion about how to improve things about the tents, and that includes the idea of using some kind of buckles on straps. There are a few things higher on the priority list, if I'm being honest, but it does get discussed. For the time being the straps will continue to use the Velcro.
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If you are not having any issues with moisture making it's way into the tent (from rain) then there should be no need to do any additional treatment of the tent canopy. If you feel like you need to do something, then something like Scotch Guard, or another quality waterproofing spray designed for use on cotton type materials would be ok.
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I understand the question regarding the skirt and the zipper. The skirt is an important aspect of the tent because it keeps rain from collecting at the track edge where the tent canopy attaches to the base. Without the skirt, water can get caught there and wick into the bottom of the tent and the mattress. It does take a little bit of care to not zip the skirt into the cover zipper. The recommended approach is to mimic the way the tent came to you. When the tent is stowed, and you've tucked any extra material in around the doors/windows, the skirts should be folded up from the bottom and down from the top to cover the sides of the folded tent. This will keep them out of the way of the zipper for the most part. But still use care when zipping the cover.
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A dry lube or wax works really well on the zippers to keep them working smoothly. Personally I use a bit of WD40 sprayed lightly into the zipper teeth because WD40 displaces moisture so I figure it can help a bit in keeping some moisture from sneaking through the zipper.
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In your photo showing the separated zipper, it doesn't look like there are any damaged teeth or tearing of the zipper itself so I'd suspect that a few teeth didn't mesh correctly when it was zipped and allowed the separation. I'd suggest examining the zipper for any damage that might have caused it, and Tepui sells replacement zippers if one is needed. Otherwise, if you don't see any damage it will probably zip better with the next use. As was mentioned by someone else, small adjustments to the position of the cover in the track, as well as the position of the zipper base in the track to make sure the zippers are aligned well at the zipper starting point will help it to work smoothly also.
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Feel free to post any additional questions and I'll do my best to help.

 

[grogie]

Box Rocket... first thank you for the reply!

1) Good to know about the straps not being meant for a tight hold down. I do see what you mean about tight spots, as I see a little wear on the cover over a couple of the spots that the ladder tightly rubs against. My one issue with the velcro is that it did come lose, and on a trailer as you see that meeting a 32" tire that it ripped it off. (I realize that's a unique situation.)

2) No moisture issues at all. I have experienced rain, rain and rain, and its always been dry and warm inside. I tend not to get any inside moisture either as I usually always leave the side windows half way open for good air flow. My question was more about long term care.

3) I understand about the skirt and yes I do make sure that everything is tucked in on each of the three sides. Honestly how the skirt got caught in the zipper is that as usual, out here in the midwest, RTTs are NOT common and a guy was asking me questions about it while I was closing it up as it does attract attention as the days of ground tents are over. Normally I do put a finger in behind the zipper to make sure nothing gets in its way.

4) Great idea about the zipper care, and over all long term zipper health.

Additionally, I realize that Tepui is a small, new business, but as a customer the information that you just shared is golden and I'd encourage Tepui to add more detailed information to their website FAQ and mentioned as such in shipped tents as a reference. In fact the installation video was very informative and I personally watched it several times before I bought the tent to learn more. As I said, my Tepui Ayer is great and in fact I can see being a repeat customer. :ylsmoke:

 

[dman93]

I've only had my Kukenam for a few months but have used it 20 times. It's holding up well. A few observations:
- it's really tempting to leave too much bedding in the tent when folding it up. I have the anti-condensation mat which adds about 2" total thickness when folded, so that may add to the problem, but even one sleeping bag and pillow makes a noticeable difference in how compactly it folds down and how easy it is to get the cover on single-handedly.
- zippers, straps, Velcro are holding up well. Yes, the cover gets dirty, and the ladder mars the platform, and the folding half of the platform seems to attract dents (gravel denting it through the cover when folded? Falling pine cones? I can't figure it out).
- a lot of people seem to have problems zipping on the cover, and I did too at first. 1. As mentioned above, don't overstuff the tent with bedding. 2. Take your time and run your finger along the inside of the zipper as you pull it to avoid catching any fabric. 3. I didn't find any advantage to stuffing the excess tent or fly fabric into the folded tent. I found there was always plenty of space to tuck the excess up behind the vinyl cover as a I zipped it up. The cover did stretch and conform more easily when heated by August Moab sunshine 4. Take your time, I always snagged the zipper when I rushed.
- even if you're setting up late at night and just want to crawl in and go to sleep,always use the rods to tension the fly ends over the entrance and the opposite side (at least on the Kukenam). I skipped this step a few times and the fly will rustle noisily even if it otherwise seems there's no wind, as the retention toggles don't put any tension on the fabric. If you're a light sleeper like me, better to take an extra 90 seconds before crawling in your sleeping bag, than crawling out sleepily an hour later.

 

[Box Rocket]

good observations/feedback dman. Remember occasional lubing of the zipper is also a good idea. Tepui suggests bees wax. I use a bit of WD40 sprayed through a straw attachment to keep it more precise. Both work well.