Rtt newb needs help

[rickc]

The RTT discussions are always a little controversial. Some basic stuff to consider; all RTTs except the South African ones are made in one of three Chinese factories. Tepui, or their fans tells us that the difference is that their Chinese factory is the only one with a dedicated Tepui quality assurance person; this is not true as ARB have stated the same many times including in person to me when I asked about this. I am sure that CVT make the same claim. Tepui make really good RTTs; no question. They have also done a really good job in the USA with regards to developing and promoting an owner's club base; the other RTT companies could learn a lot from this. I think CVT are going the same route; it's really good for business and forces the companies to develop great customer relationships and support.

You can also buy direct from China; either picking a model from Alibaba or calling the company directly and specifying exactly what you want (same with electric guitars by the way). Of note, it's really clear that the North American and Australian "suppliers" (they are not manufacturers) of RTTs make their money as specifiers and distributors; going directly to the factory, making highly specific demands and arranging your own brokerage arrangements can result in a high end tent at a fraction of the cost. Knowing this, I still went with a local supplier and got an ARB Simpson III with annex for CAN$2100 plus taxes; I got the tent within a week and was camping the following weekend.

The biggest question to ask is how many times are you going to use the thing and in what conditions? Hardcore 6 months in Africa? Maybe it's worth the extra cash to go with Eezi-Awn; little differences can go a long way. One small example of superior Eezi-Awn design is stainless steel inserts in the aluminum frame for the spring rods to slot into instead of simple holes drilled in the aluminum. This may not sound like much but popping the spring rods in an out of the rougher ally hole solution isn't always smooth, especially when pulling out.

Compare this to the "upgrades" offered by some of the North American companies; an LED light strip; a USB port. Yippedy-do! Super-easy stuff to do by anyone; hardly an upgrade. Also beware the term "ruggedized"; this generally means thicker fabrics, metal bases and subsequently a lot of extra weight; is your roof-rack rated for 180 to 200lbs (sometimes more) dynamic, off-road?

In the OP's situation, putting an RTT on a trailer, the height of the trailer and the load rating come into play; too low and an annex is useless for example. Lots to think about.

 

[gseim]

I hear great things about the Smitty for the price and I think they have an updated version now. Seems like a great value.

I just went with a Tepui because they were touted as better and had more options and I like the color and easily replaceable canopies, . Overall it's nice the the build quality is weak and the floor is already denting up as I mentioned in my other thread. Fanboys of any product love to blame the user, but if like me you want something sturdy for a good price, just know what you're getting. Not sure about the floors in the Smitty, I would not be surprised if they are the same as the others, but it's also a LOT cheaper.

Sounds like the Tepui ruggedized is nice and sturdy, but it's heavier and at least double what a Smitty costs. Having just paid $1400 for a Tepui that is now covered in dents after one use, I find myself wishing they had just been straight with me and told me to get the rugged version. If I was doing it again right now I would prob to for the budget Smitty or pay the extra $$ and get a rugged that has diamond plate floors and more durable build.

 

[Midnightsun]

My top shelf Treeline rtt wasn't made in China or South Africia. There lot of BS on here. ...lol

 

[E.J.]

My top shelf Treeline rtt wasn't made in China or South Africia. There lot of BS on here. ...lol

Designed by us, and built according to our specifications,

You sure about that? Designed =/= made.

 

[E.J.]

Just asked Treeline on their FB where they are made and was told "Our tents are manufactured overseas in an ethical and fair paying facility." They do look like pretty high quality tents though, some amazingly nice stuff gets made "overseas" these days.

 

[Kyle Kelso]

My top shelf Treeline rtt wasn't made in China or South Africia. There lot of BS on here. ...lol

Yes it was...
They are not far from my place here in Alberta and I was speaking directly to one of their employees about buying one from them, not through a retailer. They are great tents. I would argue that Treeline are probably the best of the bunch coming from China. It was a tough call for me as I like to buy local and they were willing to make a deal for me but I ended up spending less than half on a Smittybilt XL.
I have a lot of money saved to invest in a badly needed new mattress for the Smitty now

 

[rickc]

I didn't mean to upset and sorry to burst midnightsun's bubble; almost every tent you can buy, RTT or ground, is made in China. The North American "manufacturers" will state that their products are designed in the USA or Canada but they will rarely state that the products are made in China; go check the websites and you will not see a reference to manufacturing location. Instead you will read "we are based out of...", or no reference to manufacturing location at all allowing buyers to infer that the products are made in the USA/Canada

As indicated in my earlier post, it's the detailed specifications and quality control that make the difference.

 

[Ghost65]

To the OP...

If your intended use is 10-30 nights a year, definitely do a little research (which is why you posted in the first place, right?) here and on other overland forums.

Opinions in online forums are a dime a dozen...consistent themes in forum threads might be worth a fact check.

With that said, my wife and I have been investigating RTT's for about two years now. We have been committed ground tent loyalists, for all the reasons stated here and in the universe. Until recently, that was where we saw ourselves, firmly planted on the ground, now and in the future. But then we visited the REI flagship store in Denver, and actually had a chance to climb inside and play with a Yakima Skyrise 3.

I should also note that we camp with a group of friends that has slowly made the transition from ground tents to RTT's, with all of their brand loyalty falling squarely on the shoulders of CVT.

Back to the Skyrise...I was pretty impressed with the initial specs of the mounting system, as seeing the installed CVT's my buddies had made me wonder...is there a better way? Yakima's clamp style mount system is pretty cool. And, during our climb around in Denver I had to admit the tent quality was pretty cool, and with storage pockets and nice skylights included, the $1,350 price point was appealing.

We purchased a Skyrise 3 at a recent used gear sale at REI, for about 50% off retail. Keep in mind that REI offers its members quarterly 20% off coupons, and these apply to both Yakima and Tepui RTT's...and insider tip, REI now stocks ARB fridges online where you can scoop that 20% off too. Yeah, I work at REI as a bike tech/rack installer, but my bias is clearly meant to help you, the end user save some dough and support the co-op.

Bottom line...you should check out the Skyrise and all it has to offer, and in the process might score a good deal on a quality product.

 

[rickc]

I also like the Yakima mounting system; strong agreement that there "has to be a better way". It takes me about 15-20 minutes to remove or install my RTT to my truck; only 8 nuts to turn. The hardest part is lifting 150+lbs up and down by myself; I usually grab a neighbour for this job but I can do it myself. I'm pretty sure the Yakima set-up requires two people to lift the tent.

Please correct me if I am wrong but the Skyrise 3 looks like it is made from lightweight tent materials; not a bad thing for a summer RTT, but I am interested to know what it's like when the weather is a little cooler. One thing I like about my ARB Simpson 3 is how opaque the tent material is; it's quite dark inside even in full sunlight which, in summer, means sleeping just a little longer. I've only experienced one cold night so far in my tent (3deg C) and it was pretty cozy.

 

[Midnightsun]

I didn't mean to upset and sorry to burst midnightsun's bubble; almost every tent you can buy, RTT or ground, is made in China. The North American "manufacturers" will state that their products are designed in the USA or Canada but they will rarely state that the products are made in China; go check the websites and you will not see a reference to manufacturing location. Instead you will read "we are based out of...", or no reference to manufacturing location at all allowing buyers to infer that the products are made in the USA/Canada

As indicated in my earlier post, it's the detailed specifications and quality control that make the difference.

Naw I'm not upset but my bubble made a noise. Lol. I did quite abit of research so I thought? I saw a lot of quality in treeline tents And took it for granite it was Canadian made. But wouldn't trade my tent

 

[rickc]

Midnightsun: I'm glad you like your RTT; that's really all that counts. Happy camping!

 

[Ghost65]

I also like the Yakima mounting system; strong agreement that there "has to be a better way". It takes me about 15-20 minutes to remove or install my RTT to my truck; only 8 nuts to turn. The hardest part is lifting 150+lbs up and down by myself; I usually grab a neighbour for this job but I can do it myself. I'm pretty sure the Yakima set-up requires two people to lift the tent.

Please correct me if I am wrong but the Skyrise 3 looks like it is made from lightweight tent materials; not a bad thing for a summer RTT, but I am interested to know what it's like when the weather is a little cooler. One thing I like about my ARB Simpson 3 is how opaque the tent material is; it's quite dark inside even in full sunlight which, in summer, means sleeping just a little longer. I've only experienced one cold night so far in my tent (3deg C) and it was pretty cozy.

I agree...potentially the Skyrise is a serious 3 season tent...my other concern frankly is...wind. We do a LOT of desert camping, and have a trip planned to Death Valley later this year. I know both the temps and wind and go very low & high, respectively.

Having watched the Tepui promo video of their Death Valley experience in the wind is a serious testimonial regarding their products. As my wife and I explore and camp in different environments, I will for sure post up the results.