RTT cover keep rain out completely?

[cshontz]

It has been raining cats and dogs since I installed the ARB RTT a week ago. I just set the tent up and found some parts of it to be a little damp. Its nothing that won't dry out completely in a couple of hours, but it raises the question - how well should such an RTT cover seal out the elements?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Do you think it is coming through the tent cover or under it? I've had mine through a couple of rainstorms, and slept in it the same night... no water I've found. I did have a little bit of dampness on the "open" side of the cover, but driving in the rain at 65mph is going to push moisture into places.

 

[spressomon]

That has been one of my nits with mine. And one of the reasons I am considering a Maggiolina (jury's still out...need to see/lay/sit in one). There still is room for better designs on these RTT's...I hope the manufacturers start addressing these issues soon!

Maybe the more loud voices on this the more they might be apt to listen and do something about it!

 

[cshontz]

The seal is actually pretty good, although I don't know how it compares to other tents. One side is a slide-in seam, and one continuous zipper connects the remaining 3/4 of the cover to the bottom platform.

However, there is not a perfect seal where the zippered ends meet the slide-in seam on two corners. Don't get me wrong - it is a good imperfect seal (you might be able to jam a pencil in the gap), but like Kurt said, when you're cruising along at 65 in the rain, you're bound to push in some water.

My concern is that it was slightly more damp than I expected - a small corner of the mattress and a couple of walls. For all intents and purposes, the rest of the tent was dry and completely usable. It just makes me wonder how other RTT's fare.

 

[Nuclear Redneck]

The RTT which came with the Horizon AT I rented was a Serengeti from south Africa. It had acover which completely covered the tent when folded it survived a rainstorm on our trip to New Mexico with absolutely no issues of water getting inside. Here is a short video clip to demonstrate how hard it rained.

It rained this way for about an hour. The reason we're parked on the side of the road is because I pulled over after the second trout passed me.

 

[Martyn]

A cover with a zipper should keep the tent dry. The things to look at are how much material overlaps the zipper sheltering it from direct water, and do the teeth on the zipper provide an effective seal.

Which model ARB tent do you have? Simpson II ?

Would you mind taking pictures of the material covering the zipper both over the zipper and lifted up to expose the zipper, and a close up of the zipper itself.

Post or PM the pictures please.

 

[cshontz]

Post or PM the pictures please.

You bet, Martyn. I'm heading out camping for a long weekend, but I'll post those pictures next week for sure.

 

[viatierra]

When I used my brother's EasyAwn for my Mexico trip last month, there was one night where it DUMPED all night. By morning I had a significant amount of water leak in on both sides. There was stitching in the rain-fly at the aluminum hoops that allowed water to seep in. I think the seam can be sealed with waterproof tape, but I was suprised that it hadn't been done at the factory.

 

[Martyn]

When I used my brother's EasyAwn for my Mexico trip last month, there was one night where it DUMPED all night. By morning I had a significant amount of water leak in on both sides. There was stitching in the rain-fly at the aluminum hoops that allowed water to seep in. I think the seam can be sealed with waterproof tape, but I was suprised that it hadn't been done at the factory.

The stitching on the rain fly can be sealed with a liquid seam seal product easily. The stitching on the tent material can be sealed using a block of natural Bee's wax. All you have to do is rub it on. It's a great low tech solution that works very well.

 

[cshontz]

Here ya go, Martyn. Its a really beefy zipper, and the cover material is also very thick and obscures the zipper completely when flipped down.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

This is the side I referred to as "open". While it covers the zipper pretty good, water could easily blow under the flap at highway speeds. A few drops of rain goes along way in making something feel or look wet.

 

[SethG33]

Hey Guys,

I spent two nights in what could be called "Heavy" rain in one of our tents and had no issues either night. I was in the middle of a 2000 mile road trip from Seattle to Sacramento, did the Rubicon and then came home. I had no issues.

If you do have an issue and would like to speak with us about it directly, please don't hesitate to call and ask for some assistance. It's what we're here for. ARB is out in Seattle and we're open 7-5 PT.
425-264-1391
Feel free to ask for me....

 

[Moody]

Off topic:
I just put the ARB RTT on my lifted 80 series. How did your Jeep feel while off-roading with the tent on top? I am concerned about it making it too top heavy...

 

[SethG33]

My truck is so different from anything you're using, it's tough to judge. With the super flexy coil overs, my truck sways without ANYTHING on the roof. With the tent on it, I could feeli it most off camber and inclined. But by keeping the Anti Rocks stiffer than usual, I got through the whole trial without a scratch and I didn't use any go-arounds out there.

So to be blunt, you can feel it, but I doubt you'll notice it all that much on an 80 series that isn't lifted to the sky.

 

[cshontz]

I notice it very little on my lightly configured Cherokee. Off-cambers a little, but not so much to cause inconvenience.