I love my Air Top tent. I hated the ladder.
My wife loves our Air Top. She REALLY hated the ladder. Middle of the night descents to respond to nature's calls were not pleasant experiences because of the ladder's instability made worse by the fact that it was not attached to the tent. On top of our lifted Tundra it was nearly 7 feet off the ground at 82". The ladder supplied by Autohome, though probably versatile and adaptable to a wide range of uses, sucked at this height. Its whimsy over-the-lip bracket did not inspire confidence. If I was to continue off road adventure with my wife, a solution was required.
My wife and I spent nearly 25 years as sailors on trips ranging from Tahiti to Hawaii, Alaska, The coast of Chile and 2 months in Antarctica. We tested and broke a lot of gear. What we learned from these aquatic wanderings have served us well in our over landing adventures. My solution to the ladder issue was found in my spare parts bin from our sailing days.
Below are photos of the fix (taken with the tent on our Adventure trailer....the tent goes back and forth depending on the trip). First I replaced the Autohome ladder with one from Paul at Equipt (the Eezi Awn ladder I have found to be much more stable and has the ability to add an extra section).
Second, I drilled out the top of the ladder and put in a small steel sleeves. I then filled the end of the ladder with epoxy (in this case, JB weld) to add strength where I had drilled the hole and to secure the sleeves in place. I next added two stainless brackets to the side of the tent bottom where the ladder "attaches". These brackets are used in the marine industry to attach dodgers and awnings on boats. They are incredibly strong and can take torquing and side loads well. I through bolted these brackets and put backing plates on the inside and used acorn nuts to avoid tearing the mattress. The diameter of the holes in the brackets come in specific sizes to match spring loaded quick pins which go through the holes and remain in place by way of a internal spring and small bearing. From the photos you can see that I simply remove the pins, put the ladder in place and replace the pins. I have added a stainless wire to hold the pins to avoid losing them.
It takes about 10 seconds now to attach the ladder. Care has to be taken with tent placement on the roof and the length of the ladder to avoid hitting the side of the truck but this is necessary in any event. I now have a ladder that stays in place and a wife who is completely game for adventuring. The parts can be found at any marine store. Fisheries Supply in Seattle is my source of better quality marine stuff.
My wife loves our Air Top. She REALLY hated the ladder. Middle of the night descents to respond to nature's calls were not pleasant experiences because of the ladder's instability made worse by the fact that it was not attached to the tent. On top of our lifted Tundra it was nearly 7 feet off the ground at 82". The ladder supplied by Autohome, though probably versatile and adaptable to a wide range of uses, sucked at this height. Its whimsy over-the-lip bracket did not inspire confidence. If I was to continue off road adventure with my wife, a solution was required.
My wife and I spent nearly 25 years as sailors on trips ranging from Tahiti to Hawaii, Alaska, The coast of Chile and 2 months in Antarctica. We tested and broke a lot of gear. What we learned from these aquatic wanderings have served us well in our over landing adventures. My solution to the ladder issue was found in my spare parts bin from our sailing days.
Below are photos of the fix (taken with the tent on our Adventure trailer....the tent goes back and forth depending on the trip). First I replaced the Autohome ladder with one from Paul at Equipt (the Eezi Awn ladder I have found to be much more stable and has the ability to add an extra section).
Second, I drilled out the top of the ladder and put in a small steel sleeves. I then filled the end of the ladder with epoxy (in this case, JB weld) to add strength where I had drilled the hole and to secure the sleeves in place. I next added two stainless brackets to the side of the tent bottom where the ladder "attaches". These brackets are used in the marine industry to attach dodgers and awnings on boats. They are incredibly strong and can take torquing and side loads well. I through bolted these brackets and put backing plates on the inside and used acorn nuts to avoid tearing the mattress. The diameter of the holes in the brackets come in specific sizes to match spring loaded quick pins which go through the holes and remain in place by way of a internal spring and small bearing. From the photos you can see that I simply remove the pins, put the ladder in place and replace the pins. I have added a stainless wire to hold the pins to avoid losing them.
It takes about 10 seconds now to attach the ladder. Care has to be taken with tent placement on the roof and the length of the ladder to avoid hitting the side of the truck but this is necessary in any event. I now have a ladder that stays in place and a wife who is completely game for adventuring. The parts can be found at any marine store. Fisheries Supply in Seattle is my source of better quality marine stuff.
