My Yakima Skyrise RTT has been falling apart

[Jim Oaks]

I have the Yakima rack and Skyrise tent on a 2019 Ford Ranger FX4.

I took the Ranger to Overland Expo this year, and had problems with the tent coming out of the track on my first trip with it.

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The tent comes out of the track on the two outer corners on the side that folds out. I managed to get them back in the tracks once, but they came out again. When their out like this, it not only creates a gap in those spots, but in the center of the tent where it folds because it doesn't meet.

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Then while I was traveling the Trans America Trail, I stopped at a KOA campground in West Wendover Nevada, and when I tried to open the tent, the whole thing acted like it was going to flop over and fall apart.

One of the hinge bolts had came out on one side, and the nut on the remaining bolt was loose. Both nuts were missing on the other side. For the life of me, I don't understand how lock nuts come loose and fall off.

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I contacted Yakima, and they told me I needed to:

You will want to make sure that you are checking the bolts, making sure that they are tight, on a regular basis. Especially since you seem to be "off roading" a lot.

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I stopped at a hardware store on my trip to get some replacement hardware. They didn't have any metric sizes, but I was able to replace the hardware with 1/4-inch.

I also told Yakima that the ladder pushed through the rubber feet on the bottom of the ladder.

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When I arrived home from my trip, I opened the tent and discovered that the whole thing was loose. The nuts on the passenger side of the mounting rack were gone.

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I had to take off one of the tracks and remove one of the bolts from inside the tent, and go to a hardware store to find a nut to fit the bolt, and make sure it would slide in the track. Then there was the pain in getting it all lined back up and bolted together.

I spent more nights sleeping in the cab of my truck doing the TAT, then sleeping in this tent. It has been a royal PITA.

Yakima was suppose to send me a replacement ladder (the feet are riveted to the ladder) and a new hinge kit with hardware. I sent them my address on June 13th. I haven't received anything yet.

If you have a RTT, please check all of your hardware, and make sure they're tight.

And in case you're wondering, I'm not the one who installed it. It was installed by a company in Texas that's suppose to be a Yakima installer.

 

[jacobconroy]

That sucks. How long have you been using it? How many nights have you slept in it?

Be sure to use a second nut to lock the nuts together (if there is enough room) and “medium” locktite. It’s worth the extra trouble.

 

[Jim Oaks]

The tent came out of its track on the first weekend. I was able to get it back in after I got home, but it came out the next time I used it.

The next time I used it was on the TAT, and the bolts were missing and loose on the 3rd night of using it.

 

[Ovrlnd Rd]

If you’re in the market I have a slightly used Gordigear with annex and an awning in the Classifieds. It’s just north of San Antonio so we could meet up for delivery.

 

[Lionix1]

Sucks to hear. Thought Yakima would be a little better quality.

I had a smittybilt tent to try out the RTT living, love it but the smitty one was worse than the issues you have. Sent it back and got a barely used Tepui. No issues since.

Hopefully they get things taken care of.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Halligan]

I'm sorry to see your having problems with the Yakima Skyrise. I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger on a RTT myself and I had narrowed it down to Tepui or Yakima. I like the ruggedized version Tepui offers because of the anti-condensation mat they put under the mattress. However, I liked the Yakima because of the mounting system. I intend to install the tent on Yakima Overhaul HD racks and as you know the Yakima tent is designed to fit right on them.

As a side note is your tent the newer HD version Yakima just began offering? If it isn't I wonder if Yakima would reimburse you for your tent and then you could purchase the HD version and give it a try.

Best of luck getting it resolved.

 

[Mykh]

Jim, this whole fiasco sounds like a nightmare. I'm surprised Yakima is handling the situation so poorly too... hope you get things sorted out and come out ahead! We've beaten the hell out of our Tepui Ruggedized for over 3 years now, including a full month of camping in Alaska and cross-Canada (all the way up to the Arctic). Never experienced/heard of anything like this happening with us or other users.

What about the company that did the install, have you tried reaching out to them? Perhaps they didn't do well on the tightening (or destroyed the lock nuts somehow)?

I'm sorry to see your having problems with the Yakima Skyrise. I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger on a RTT myself and I had narrowed it down to Tepui or Yakima. I like the ruggedized version Tepui offers because of the anti-condensation mat they put under the mattress. However, I liked the Yakima because of the mounting system. I intend to install the tent on Yakima Overhaul HD racks and as you know the Yakima tent is designed to fit right on them.

As a side note is your tent the newer HD version Yakima just began offering? If it isn't I wonder if Yakima would reimburse you for your tent and then you could purchase the HD version and give it a try.

Best of luck getting it resolved.

Halligan, Tepui also sells the Anti Condensation Mat separately, you don't need to go Ruggedized if that's the only additional benefit you need, there are a bunch of other benefits, but that's a separate call you have to make. Regardless of the tent make, I highly recommend an ACM, unless of course you're in Arizona or somewhere super dry.

I think going for another Yakima is the last thing Jim is looking for after how they've treated him.

 

[Utah KJ]

So the rack maker isn't good at suddenly tents? Funny that.

 

[Kerensky97]

I'm sorry to see your having problems with the Yakima Skyrise. I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger on a RTT myself and I had narrowed it down to Tepui or Yakima. I like the ruggedized version Tepui offers because of the anti-condensation mat they put under the mattress. However, I liked the Yakima because of the mounting system. I intend to install the tent on Yakima Overhaul HD racks and as you know the Yakima tent is designed to fit right on them.

Keep an eye out in the classifieds. I'm thinking of selling my Tepui soon. I've heard other RTT owners thinking the same.
After owning one for a few years you realize a lot of the negatives bring the pros.cons of an RTT close to 50/50. And the price is the final straw to make them a bad deal.

I think cheap, worn RTT's will be showing up for sale more in the next year or two.

 

[quickfarms]

Lock nuts are not for multiple uses. Each time you remove them they loose some of there locking ability.

Is it possible the installer disassembled it and did not replace the nuts and or tighten them?

 

[NatersXJ6]

The lock nuts used on my Tepui barely qualified as hardware. I can only imagine what happens when you cut the price point in half. Get some real cap screws with real nyloc nuts and compare. The lock plastic is taller and thicker with more thread engagement in the metal and the plastic. Only hand tool tighten, never impact or power tools (heat generation), and check occasionally. I’m guessing you have a significant amount of rattling or high frequency vibration in that rig or the nuts wouldn’t be loosening. I tighten my Tepui about every 18 months or so, and it lives on my DD wrangler.