Need ideas to make a RTT happen

[HMR]

Now I am thinking a trailer will solve most all of my problems.

LOL! I need to show this post to my wife so she knows I'm not the only one who wrestles with these decisions. We were discussing a trailer purchase for weeks before we put the RTT on top of the truck.


How do you like the ride with the 886's and the Dakars? Do you think the Dakars would stand up to the weight of a heavy duty rack plus the RTT? I'm looking for a suspension upgrade as my stock leafs are about 1" from the bumpstops when I'm loaded for camping.

How about the 235/85/16 BFG's? Good size for the Taco?

 

[Schattenjager]

Analysis paralysis is a normal condition for me. Glad I am not alone.

I can't say enough good about the Old Man Emu suspensions. I have had them on past Rovers and they perform just a wonderfully on the Tacoma. I can load up the bed with my 100 pound dog, his 30 pound memory foam mattress, two scepter fuel tanks, and a pelican case with about 80 pounds of gear and you could not tell by looking that it had anything in it. The ride is a little stiff empty, but a dream with the topper, gear, the pup and full tank of petrol.

Check out http://www.bajaoverland.com/ for great prices and service. I got all my gear through them, they even arranged for a screwy delivery address and time frame to accommodate my plans at the time. Solid Outfit and a forum sponsor to boot!

 

[ntsqd]

Thinking further on how to mount the RTT lower I wonder about using Uni-Strut? Basically I'm thinking of 2 longitudinal rails btwn the RTT & the shell. Depending on how the RTT itself bolt/clamps to the bars would determine whether channel up or channel down. Just a question of which bolts to it first. I think either way would want a strip of 1/8" strap placed over the open side to spread the load. Composites, as a general rule, do not like point loads. Spreading the load out over a large area & using multiple fasteners works far better than a few contact points & a couple bolts.

My only concern with using the Uni-Strut is corrosion. If powder coating them could be in the budget, then even that concern goes away.

 

[Schattenjager]

Just saw the tire query... I really like the 235/85/16's I wish I could have 35's but that is just not going to happen. If I use the BFG Mud Terrains 255/85/16 I can gain .80 inches in ground clearance but add considerable weight to each wheel. I might get a set of rims to mount these to and keep the 235's for daily stuff and mile trail runs. An interesting read can be found here: http://www.expeditionswest.com/research/white_papers/tire_selection_rev1.html

It is a much covered article here at ExPo and has real world data for your amusement.

 

[HMR]

Well... after calling around and researching every different rack configuration possible, I decided to fab something in my garage.

Again, here's my original setup on 2 Yakima towers with the Yakima channels on top of my shell:

Worked fine but looked weird, didn't fit in my garage and the height seemed like it would cause unnecessary side load on the shell when offroad.

The solution:
I bought 4, 58" Thule load bars and did the following:
-Used 1/8" X 1" aluminum to shim the bars to the bare minimum height to clear the shell.

-Cut the aluminum a few inches longer than a Yakima Landing Pad to spread out the load a little more on the shell (could've run the aluminum the whole length of the shell but still wanted to retain use of the Yakima Landing Pads/Channels).

-Drilled holes through the channels and shell and bolted 2 load bars, front and rear, with some improvised "clamps".

-Bolted the other 2 load bars to the bottom of the RTT using the Maggiolina mounting hardware.

-Using my homemade RTT hoist (BTW-this thing is working out GREAT!) I lowered the RTT to 1/2" off the shell, adjusted the load bars to match properly and tightened all the hardware. I then lowered the RTT the rest of the way and connected the top and bottom bars with more "clamps".

Here are some pics:
Clamp#1- Notice I left the Yakima landing pad so I can remove the RTT and still use my Yakima setup for kayaks, etc.

Shims- The load bar rests about 1/16" off the top of the shell. I put a rubber spacer in the middle to keep the bar from slapping the shell. It ended up creating a 3rd contact point and spreading out the load:

Inside- You can see the aluminum plate and the two hex bolts that go up through the roof. The plastic nut is the hardware installed by the dealer when mounting the Yakima channels:

I'm happy with the finished product:

It fits in my garage without a problem, passed the 80mph freeway test and the "neighborhood 4x4 obstacle challenge". Next stop is Anza Borrego for some more R&D.

 

[Martinjmpr]

Hmmm...I would worry very much about putting that much weight on a fiberglass shell, especially if the vehicle traveled over rough roads. I have an older Leer shell that I bought used. Granted, it's older, well used and was cheap ($150 + $200 to replace the rear glass) but it's already got some cracking near the back. I'm sure a new one would be better, but all that means is that it probably wouldn't start cracking right away.

I think Schattenjaeger's idea of the exterior rack makes more sense, but it comes with its own problems: Weight, cost, wind resistance, and it would make it difficult to seal the space between the shell and the bed, making it more likely you'd get air and water leaks there.

Here's another idea: I know you can't get a Wildernest for an '05-up Taco but what about a Flip-Pac? IIRC they are around $3000 - $3500 depending on how they are equipped. Much lower profile than a RTT, flip-over front section for sleeping leaves you room in the bed for the puppy, and a much less complicated set up than the rack/RTT combination. Only drawback would be if you wanted to mount something on the roof. Now, IMO Flip-pacs are just butt-ugly, but if it's function you want, I'd say at least give it some consideration. I'm sure you'd pay at least $3000 for a decent trailer, and it would also be more cumbersome to drive with.

You might even be able to sell your current shell on Craigslist for $500-$800 and apply the money towards the flip-pac.

 

[HMR]

FWIW- My RTT weighs less than 3 sit-on-top kayaks. I routinely see 3-4 kayaks plus gear loaded on the top of fiberglass shells. It's also common to see the same Thule or Yakima rack systems carrying similar weight from bicycles and gear baskets. How about the guys carrying spare tires, Hi-Lifts, Jerry cans, etc. on the tops of shells?

I wouldn't take my RTT on the Rubicon but I wouldn't take my truck there either. As I've said before, my style of wheeling is mellow compared to other Expo members. I use 4wd mainly to get to/from camping spots. Fortunately, due to my work schedule, I get to spend a LOT of time doing it.

 

[Martinjmpr]

FWIW- My RTT weighs less than 3 sit-on-top kayaks. I routinely see 3-4 kayaks plus gear loaded on the top of fiberglass shells. It's also common to see the same Thule or Yakima rack systems carrying similar weight from bicycles and gear baskets.

With two people sleeping in it I'll bet it weighs 300-400lb more. True, the vehicle's not moving, but it's still putting stress on the fiberglass.

 

[kcowyo]

Looks like it works fine to me so far.

Nice detail on your reconfiguration HMR. And if fits in the garage, even better. It looks better to the eye, being mounted lower.

Nice job - :beer:

 

[HMR]

Update

We've put another ~5K miles on the rig with the RTT mounted to the shell. I inspect the shell during/after every trip. No sagging or cracks, yet.

The only issues I've had are:
1- After a day of driving in heavy rain/winds, 1 of the 8 holes I drilled in the shell leaked. I took everything apart and resealed all the holes with a better sealant and haven't had a problem since.

2- After 20+ miles on one of the worst stretches of washboard I've ever seen, the load bars shifted approx. 1/4". We had done a lot of washboard and bumpy trails without a problem but there was something in the frequency of the vibration on this particular road. FWIW- My Hella lights and a few other items also came loose. The RTT was able to move because of this gap around each load bar:

I filled the gaps with a piece of stainless steel and it fixed the problem.

 

[madizell]

I would air dam the gap to destroy lift if that is a concern, but as it appears that the bottom of the tent base and the roof top are parallel, I doubt there is much positive pressure under the tent to start with. Probably there is so much turbulence around the tent that lift is unlikely.