Sure-Fire Ways to Improve Your Roof Top Tent

[articulate]

If you're a roof top tent owner, I'm sure you've run into more than a few things that you wanted to improve.

My main complaint was that it felt so odd having this nice tent that cost me nearly $2k and I had to illuminate it with a flashlight or headlamp. Know what I mean?

So I installed some LED light strips (external link to my site).

What are some other things you've done to improve your tent? Or other ways you installed lights inside?

:smiley_drive:

 

[dirty Bakers]

I don't own a roof top tent but you are my hero. I can definently use this. I love your website. I will be free on saturday for an interveiw with my family.

 

[dwh]

Nice. One thing though...

A lot of LEDs will have short life if subjected to much over 12v, so the ones designed for automotive use (13v up to 14.4v) will usually have a resistor to limit current.

If you have problems with short life on LEDs, you might want to try a voltage regulator mod like this:

http://www.modmyrv.com/2009/05/10/mod-81-12-volt-fluorescent-lighting-on-the-cheap

(don't forget the heat sink)

 

[HenryJ]

LED strip light:

MaxVent:

No more condensation under the mattress.

Heater enclosure:

Keeps the heater safely away from the sleeping bag.

 

[CSG]

Or you could use one of the myriad AA battery powered LED lighting units and save the wire cutting, hooking up to your battery, etc. Something like the Sylvania Dot-It lights.

http://www.google.com/search?q=sylv...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

 

[jeeper92]

heater?

you have a heater? id like to see how thats hooked up

 

[HenryJ]

you have a heater? id like to see how thats hooked up

Its not really "hooked up". I use a Coleman Blackcat Catalytic Heater:

It sits on the lid of the trailer inside that enclosure. Zip the window and screen open, light it and it warms things up pretty quick. I usually wake up early and light it so its toasty warm when the wife and son wake up.

I should take a picture of the shoe bag that I installed. One of the cargo nets for a SUV across the base behind the ladder. Works great. Folds up right along with the base perfectly. I installed it in the channel.
Another great thing is the commercial rubber/carpet floor mat I picked up to place under the ladder. That has worked very well too.

 

[articulate]

Henry -- loving the heater enclosure! Nice one.

And I'm really hoping someone has something clever and smart and awesome for their shoes. Anyone?

 

[Corey]

Make a rack setup to work, I did earlier in the year.
This works great with my type, you can probably rig something up.

I like to keep my shoes inside as I had a bad experience many years ago when my boys were small and the X wife was along in our first tent trailer.

It was not mouse proof, and I was awakened one night by a noise, and I aimed my flashlight at the floor in the tent trailer and a mouse was field stripping my only pair of shoes of its laces.

They were totally gone, the mouse had stolen them for a nest.

Mice can not get into my roof top tent, but I am pretty sure if I set them outside underneath the tent and the roof of my rig, that might happen again.
Once was enough for me to learn my lesson that they like lases to build nests with.

Your LED light setup is pretty cool.

 

[articulate]

Nice. One thing though...

If you have problems with short life on LEDs, you might want to try a voltage regulator mod like this:

http://www.modmyrv.com/2009/05/10/mod-81-12-volt-fluorescent-lighting-on-the-cheap

(don't forget the heat sink)

Thanks for that input! I wondered if there was a consequence here. Good tips.

 

[Token]

MaxVent:

No more condensation under the mattress.

That stuff looked familiar to me for some reason.. Was thinking heavy duty prefilter on a large air handler unit for a while.. Finally found that stuff, but it was to dense..

Finally found it.. It's the matting that is put behind masonry walls to give an air space for moisture to evap.. You should be able to get two 4ft wide strips long enough to cover the bottom under a matress for about $15. Should be able to find it at most masonary supply houses..

 

[FlyNdrive]

I added a Bunk Outlet (electric guitar style 12 volt outlet) and ran it to a clipsal polarized plug inside the vehicle. I use a Fleetwood bunk light with a fan that clips onto the tent pole on front of the window.

It works wonders.

Bunk outlet

Clipsal Polarized plug.

-Ben

 

[007]

12 Volt Electric heating pad pinned to the mattress. It can flatten a battery in one or two nights but its better than the soggy condensation from a propane heater.

The interior LED lighting should come standard!!

 

[teotwaki]

great thread! And Happy Birthday to Articulate! :victory:

 

[ETAV8R]

As Teotwaki stated, great thread. I don't have a RTT perse but it is close. Are these heaters safe inside? Where does the toxic gas go? How long is the burn time? On two recent trips some sort of heater inside would have been nice.

Its not really "hooked up". I use a Coleman Blackcat Catalytic Heater:

It sits on the lid of the trailer inside that enclosure. Zip the window and screen open, light it and it warms things up pretty quick. I usually wake up early and light it so its toasty warm when the wife and son wake up.

I should take a picture of the shoe bag that I installed. One of the cargo nets for a SUV across the base behind the ladder. Works great. Folds up right along with the base perfectly. I installed it in the channel.
Another great thing is the commercial rubber/carpet floor mat I picked up to place under the ladder. That has worked very well too.

I also need some help, cough cough Jim, getting my lights hooked up. I have the same Ikea set up but the color changing ones. Definitely need to get them installed.