Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Your Roof Top Tent

[RJ40]

This is my best RTT mod. I made a hard basket for shoes.

Now that is sweet and simple! Maybe find a way to attach it under the base for rain protection?

Cheers!

 

[coastie kyle]

Thanks. yea the one time it rained on us I had to put the shoes in the tent. But I did drill holes in the bottom for water draining. Also the basket is great for storeing little things on the trip up.

 

[aires35]

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/images/products/5038-850_500.jpg


Actually this particular heater is a catalytic heater. You can use these inside of tents as they give off no harmful gases. Also, the face of these don't get up to the temp that is the flash point of tent material or sleeping bag material. It will melt both if contacted but won't catch fire (I have done independent verification of this claim). We use one hooked to a 20lb propane tank with tree in Big Bend when we go in November. 80 degree days, down to 10 degree nights. Won't make tent hot, but definitely takes the chill out. Highly recommend due to the drawbacks of a standard propane heater.

 

[Fireman78]

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/images/products/5038-850_500.jpg


Actually this particular heater is a catalytic heater. You can use these inside of tents as they give off no harmful gases. Also, the face of these don't get up to the temp that is the flash point of tent material or sleeping bag material. It will melt both if contacted but won't catch fire (I have done independent verification of this claim). We use one hooked to a 20lb propane tank with tree in Big Bend when we go in November. 80 degree days, down to 10 degree nights. Won't make tent hot, but definitely takes the chill out. Highly recommend due to the drawbacks of a standard propane heater.

I am sorry but this is absolutley NOT TRUE. You MUST have some ventalation with these catlytic heaters. They do produce CO, and the WILL deplete the O2 supply in an enclosed area. You will die from hypoixa just as easy as dying from CO poisening. The US Gov. (Consumer Product Safety Commision) did a very extensive test on these heaters, and there has been at least one recorded death from these heaters. Having said that, I own one, and I use it to warm the tent up in the chilly mornings, but I absolutley will NEVER go to sleep with it on. I bet at some point they will be re-labeled or pulled from shelves. Please be careful.

 

[teotwaki]

I am sorry but this is absolutley NOT TRUE. You MUST have some ventalation with these catlytic heaters. They do produce CO, and the WILL deplete the O2 supply in an enclosed area. You will die from hypoixa just as easy as dying from CO poisening. The US Gov. (Consumer Product Safety Commision) did a very extensive test on these heaters, and there has been at least one recorded death from these heaters. Having said that, I own one, and I use it to warm the tent up in the chilly mornings, but I absolutley will NEVER go to sleep with it on. I bet at some point they will be re-labeled or pulled from shelves. Please be careful.

Maybe you can cite the actual study you are referring to??

The only CPSC study that I coould find is eight years old and they tested just one catalytic style heater. Not so extensive a test in any book. Just one recorded death is safer than a kiddy crib or swimming pool in my book. :sombrero:

http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia05/os/co03.pdf

http://www.cpsc.gov/info/co/portableheaters.html

Newer heaters have built in safety devices to help you avoid S.B.S. (suicide by stupidity). They are also CSA certified for indoor use.

http://www.csa-international.org/product_areas/

Basically, they are very safe for use in a tent with only a small amount of ventilation required and making sure that the hot surfaces don't contact anything or anyone.

 

[Fireman78]

Yup, that's the study. If you read the entire thing, you will start to understand how these heaters work. Don't think for one second that heater technology has improved so fast in 8 years that the laws of physics don't apply anymore. They DO reduce oxygen. I am not going to give a biology class, but as a paramedic, I have seen the effects of reduced Oxygen /confined space/ Carbon monoxide on humans. I understand almost every comment made on Expo is torn apart by a fine tooth comb, but please, when it comes to fire safey and things of this nature, don't insult my intelligence. The manufacturer's want you to believe they are as safe as a Nerf football, and they definately are safer then a standard propane heater, but they do have limitations. You basically agreed in a roundabout way with what I was pointing out... the comment said they have NO HARMFUL GASSES, which is simply not true, and is what I was pointing out.

Again, please be careful. Cheers :coffeedrink:

 

[teotwaki]

Yup, that's the study. If you read the entire thing, you will start to understand how these heaters work. Don't think for one second that heater technology has improved so fast in 8 years that the laws of physics don't apply anymore. They DO reduce oxygen. I am not going to give a biology class, but as a paramedic, I have seen the effects of reduced Oxygen /confined space/ Carbon monoxide on humans. I understand almost every comment made on Expo is torn apart by a fine tooth comb, but please, when it comes to fire safey and things of this nature, don't insult my intelligence. The manufacturer's want you to believe they are as safe as a Nerf football, and they definately are safer then a standard propane heater, but they do have limitations. You basically agreed in a roundabout way with what I was pointing out... the comment said they have NO HARMFUL GASSES, which is simply not true, and is what I was pointing out.

Again, please be careful. Cheers :coffeedrink:

I did read it. That is why I politely pointed out that it is NOT an extensive study (your claim) of catalytic type heaters because they only studied one heater and it is also an OLD study.

Current heaters from Mr. Heater have oxygen depletion sensors. Not perfect but there for S.B.S. avoidance. If the heater continues to run in a low oxygen state a tent occupant is also subjected to unburned propane levels that are unsafe. Also mentioned in earlier posts that propane heaters produce water vapor so venting is again important to avoid a soggy tent.

So I've never disagreed that safe operation is important. That old study is just not the best example to cite if you want to convince folks of potential dangers of indoor heaters.


ODS document http://www.irvingtongas.com/pdf/Rinnai-OxygenDepletionSensor.pdf

 

[Corey]

I received an email this morning while at work from Amazon, and it had tent accessories in it.
What caught my eye was this battery fan.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PUR90"]Coleman Free-Standing Tent Fan[/ame]

The reviews on it are very positive.
Often when I camp in the backcountry the weather can go from mild to very muggy, especially in August where temps can soar into the mid 90s or higher.
I really hate temps over 80° when camping, so this fan should help when placed on the shelving I put in the roof top tent yesteryear.
I tend to toss and turn and not sleep at all if it is to hot.

I will have a full review of it in my gear review thread and external blog once I take it out the first trip of the year.
I will get some pics and a vid of it in action when I open up my tent before to long to wash the sheets and do other stuff to it.

 

[teotwaki]

I received an email this morning while at work from Amazon, and it had tent accessories in it.
What caught my eye was this battery fan.

Coleman Free-Standing Tent Fan

The reviews on it are very positive.
Often when I camp in the backcountry the weather can go from mild to very muggy, especially in August where temps can soar into the mid 90s or higher.
I really hate temps over 80° when camping, so this fan should help when placed on the shelving I put in the roof top tent yesteryear.
I tend to toss and turn and not sleep at all if it is to hot.

I will have a full review of it in my gear review thread and external blog once I take it out the first trip of the year.
I will get some pics and a vid of it in action when I open up my tent before to long to wash the sheets and do other stuff to it.

For the same goal I used a small portable car jumper pack and an in-car fan with a cig lighter plug and a spring loaded clamp. The rechargeble sealed battery lets it run all night long.

 

[Corey]

For the same goal I used a small portable car jumper pack and an in-car fan with a cig lighter plug and a spring loaded clamp. The rechargeble sealed battery lets it run all night long.

For the money, I could not pass on this.
Plus it has safety blades too

 

[Fireman78]

I have the Coleman version of this fan. I think it saved my life last summer near Roswell, NM. (which can be hotter then the surface of the sun at times)

 

[teotwaki]

I have the Coleman version of this fan. I think it saved my life last summer near Roswell, NM. (which can be hotter then the surface of the sun at times)

It is neat how just a little bit of air movement makes all the difference!

I've used mine below decks on a houseboat at Lake Powell, in July. They really are a lifesaver.

 

[Lemsteraak]

Hot weather is really where a RTT excels, imagine camping on the ground, it never cools off. Up high at least the air can cool off. I used to have a Hella turbo fan wired in. They are excellent, it drew something like two tenths of an amp, so you could run it as long as you wanted.

You guys are right, it doesn't take much of a breeze, and a fan can make quite a difference.

 

[Corey]

Rich, is this the one you had?
Looks pretty nice.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Hella-003361002-Black-2-Speed-Turbo/dp/B00144D28I"]Amazon.com: Hella 003361002 12V Black 2-Speed Turbo Fan: Automotive[/ame]

Did you wire it in separately, or did you tap into the same wire for the 12v light?

 

[Mike S]

U sed a Caframo folding 12V sailboat fan in my Extreme for a couple years. Just wired it into the 12V feed for the light.

http://www.westmarine.com/1/1/21793...5a-high-draw-0-20a-medium-0-1a-low-white.html