Kevin108
Explorer
We've had our Smitty RTT for a couple years now. Overall it has been great, but I don't leave anything alone. I've done a few minor things, like lengthen the cover straps to allow for the bedding to be closed inside as intended. The cover was plenty big enough, but the straps were a bit short. When the tent was stuffed to capacity, the loop side wouldn't reach the hook side. I also added a 4' USB-powered LED light strip. From what I've heard, the straps on the newer straps have a different design and the light is more like what I added.
The ladder weirded me out at first. I'm a carpenter by trade, and have spent thousands of days working off them. I am very comfortable on a ladder. But the stock extension ladder seemed small and flimsy, and maybe even too short. I didn't mind it being steep, but I worried about my wife being comfortable on it. I addressed these concerns with an inexpensive telescoping ladder used alongside the stock ladder. It had bigger components, a higher weight rating, and was also handy for other camp tasks, like installing the rain fly or stringing a tarp up between trees.
Wanting to find a solution, I had set things up in the back yard once to really take a look at things and see what it was about it that made me less than comfortable. At that point, and maybe a couple of beers, it gradually occurred to me that my concerns were unfounded, and maybe even completely wrong. We have since had many happy outings with only the extension ladder. It is steep, but it has proven plenty strong, and the height is basically perfect for its mounting height and our FJ's lift and tire combo.
Last week, a buddy of mine gave me a new telescoping ladder for a Tepui tent. I took a look today to see what it would take to swap it over to our Smittybilt with the extension ladder. Turns out, not much. Just move one mount over one bolt-hole and drill a new 1/4" hole. You could certainly go to the trouble of putting it perfectly in the middle, but the integrity of the material is better retained by adding one hole 1-1/2" from the old hole and having a ladder slightly off center versus adding four holes 3/4" from the old holes and having a well-perforated area in the tent base where all of your weight is placed as you enter and exit.
I will say this part weirds me out a little. I think if I cinch it down I'll feel better about it, but I'm sure it's just me being pointlessly weird about this ladder like I was about the original. We're going to test it out a while though and see how it does for us.
The ladder weirded me out at first. I'm a carpenter by trade, and have spent thousands of days working off them. I am very comfortable on a ladder. But the stock extension ladder seemed small and flimsy, and maybe even too short. I didn't mind it being steep, but I worried about my wife being comfortable on it. I addressed these concerns with an inexpensive telescoping ladder used alongside the stock ladder. It had bigger components, a higher weight rating, and was also handy for other camp tasks, like installing the rain fly or stringing a tarp up between trees.
Wanting to find a solution, I had set things up in the back yard once to really take a look at things and see what it was about it that made me less than comfortable. At that point, and maybe a couple of beers, it gradually occurred to me that my concerns were unfounded, and maybe even completely wrong. We have since had many happy outings with only the extension ladder. It is steep, but it has proven plenty strong, and the height is basically perfect for its mounting height and our FJ's lift and tire combo.
Last week, a buddy of mine gave me a new telescoping ladder for a Tepui tent. I took a look today to see what it would take to swap it over to our Smittybilt with the extension ladder. Turns out, not much. Just move one mount over one bolt-hole and drill a new 1/4" hole. You could certainly go to the trouble of putting it perfectly in the middle, but the integrity of the material is better retained by adding one hole 1-1/2" from the old hole and having a ladder slightly off center versus adding four holes 3/4" from the old holes and having a well-perforated area in the tent base where all of your weight is placed as you enter and exit.
I will say this part weirds me out a little. I think if I cinch it down I'll feel better about it, but I'm sure it's just me being pointlessly weird about this ladder like I was about the original. We're going to test it out a while though and see how it does for us.
Last edited:
