Tepui drops the....mic! - Unveils the much anticipated hardshell RTT!

[RobRed]

Glad Tepui is moving in this direction. I looked at their line last year before making the move on an Autohome Columbus.

Some things I learned about hard shell tents and space:

- Get the largest unit you can practically fit on your vehicle. I have a Medium (~56" w) and it's cozy for two adults.
- 8" in the Tepui is likely not enough height to store much inside. My Columbus is almost 12" at it's highest point and it's difficult to close with 2-3 pillow and two sleeping bags.
- The more windows / doors the better. Makes the usefulness greater as you don't get claustrophobic when hanging out when not sleeping.
- Having good roof insulation is a must. Keeps the heat in at night and insulates from the sun in the day.
- a compelling reason I chose the Columbus was the almost 60" open height at the rear. Makes being in the tent to change or just hang our very manageable. 3' would be tight for me to sit up. ON the flip side I have to have some fairly open vertical space to deploy the columbus. Yet to be a problem but it was a consideration.

 

[Box Rocket]

Here are some updates, with some answers to some questions that have come up.
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These will be available on the Tepui website for pre-orders after the kickstarter campaign ends, probably mid-to-late July. The MSRP will be around $3800 but there is likely to be a pre-order discount although not as good as kickstarter. The kickstarter campaign is a great opportunity to get one of these for ~$1000 off MSRP!
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The side rails are 54" center to center.
Load Capacity: Max 150lbs, but Tepui does not recommend more than 60lbs unless suspension and vehicle/rack are adequate.
Tent Weight: 150 lbs
Tent Canopy is 70D ripstop waterproof nylon
Shipping: $300 added to kickstarter pledge amount
Shipping from Hood River, OR so local pickups will likely not be available
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After they become available on the website, there will likely be some customization options such as vinyl wraps, solar panels, and operable skylights.
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Note: Made in the USA, Lowest profile hardshell on the market, interchangeable struts, rack-ready integrated side rails.

 

[rino]

Who was it that told you this price?


It's also quite heavy at 180lbs before loading anything. Not criticizing it, just different tents with different goals. Apples to oranges really.

I agree on the Alu Cab to Tepui tent comparison, even though they share a similar objective they vary in design.

One thing we have ran into is the vehicles that can actually utilize the rack system provided on the Expedition III tent. Typically these are Rhino Rack, Front Runner, Baja Rack or GOBI equipped vehicles that are above 6 feet high before the rack and tent... and rack. Making the tent rack a bit tedious for larger items like bikes.

On more traditional vehicles like a Subaru or similar using a Thule or Yakima rack, we run into the issue of weight.

Yakima for example rates at 165lbs load capacity including the rack itself. (15-20lbs) This leaving only 145-150lbs for the tent, tent rack, accessories and toys. Making both tents, or any rack equipped tent on the market over weight for these lighter applications.

 

[danmedeiros]

I went down to the warehouse and checked out out the prototype the other day. It looks pretty awesome though I don't have any experience with hardshell tents. It's definitely not a production version through so I'm hoping/expect the product I received to be much more polished. I was a little bummed about how small it seemed compared to my Autuna, however i'm willing to make that trade to be able to carry surfboards on top of the tent.In regards to weight the owner of the company said the weight target was 130LBS. He did think they would go over that though.

Opening and closing the tent was really easy. The mattress was also super comfortable. Its supposedly an upgrade from their other tents. One concern was that it didn't seem like they planned to add additional insulation. They also weren't sure that they would include a condensation mat (works really well in my soft tent).

In regards to price it does seem pretty high compared to the other options out there. Fingers crossed that the production version is solid. I signed up for the kickstarter as it seemed like a great deal for a RTT that can carry my surfboards on trips down to Baja.

 

[Box Rocket]

One note on racks and load capacity....*Most* capacity numbers from manufacturers are for dynamic loads (vehicle in motion). It's a way they can cover rollover liability with added weight on top of a vehicle. Static loads (vehicle parked) are typically higher capacity than the dynamic rating from the manufacturer.
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Also, in regards to my last post with details regarding weight and price etc., that information was given to me directly from the owner of Tepui.

 

[rino]

One note on racks and load capacity....*Most* capacity numbers from manufacturers are for dynamic loads (vehicle in motion). It's a way they can cover rollover liability with added weight on top of a vehicle. Static loads (vehicle parked) are typically higher capacity than the dynamic rating from the manufacturer.
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Also, in regards to my last post with details regarding weight and price etc., that information was given to me directly from the owner of Tepui.

Yes, but driving is typically when the loads (bike, board, etc) will be up top

 

[mudhoneyandthenips]

How many people can fit in the tent?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Box Rocket]

It is a 2+ person tent.

 

[SamM]

So, it's a White Lightning meaning that it is only available in white? My Tepui Ayer has been a great little tent but it's little. I'll be trading up to a hardshell RTT, just because I want more room. Made in the USA is awesome but it looks cramped for a hardshell. Just saying. Was my Ayer also Made in the USA?

SamM

 

[Box Rocket]

So, it's a White Lightning meaning that it is only available in white? My Tepui Ayer has been a great little tent but it's little. I'll be trading up to a hardshell RTT, just because I want more room. Made in the USA is awesome but it looks cramped for a hardshell. Just saying. Was my Ayer also Made in the USA?

SamM

From what I've been told, it will only be available in White (to start) but that really doesn't have much to do with the name. The plan is to also have options for vinyl wrapping in other colors, and since it's gelcoat you could have it painted any color you like. Generally speaking hardshell tents aren't terribly roomy regardless of brand. Most are 2-person tents and with either a clamshell design or vertical opening they won't be much taller inside than your Ayer. Just something to think about.
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Your Ayer was made overseas.

 

[dbrinkmann]

When are we going to see this tent available?

 

[dbrinkmann]

When are we going to see this tent available?

by available I mean not listed as sold out on the website? i haven't seen any independent reviews or pictures from owners posted yet. did the kickstarter batch finally get shipped?

 

[Box Rocket]

by available I mean not listed as sold out on the website? i haven't seen any independent reviews or pictures from owners posted yet. did the kickstarter batch finally get shipped?

I've seen a couple customer photos of them. I'll see if I can find them.

 

[dbrinkmann]

So this tent must really be getting reworked before release. It’s been crickets for months now. Anyone from tepui want to fill us in on when to expect the hard shell in stock?

 

[Box Rocket]

So this tent must really be getting reworked before release. It's been crickets for months now. Anyone from tepui want to fill us in on when to expect the hard shell in stock?

As the Tepui rep for the forum, I can tell you that Tepui is and always has been focused on quality. With a few of these tents out in use in real world conditions it was clear that Tepui wanted to improve some aspects of the tent before a wide release. The hinge design is one aspect that is getting attention. A few others as well. Bottom line is making the tent live up to the quality that Tepui has for their products. Last word was roughly 2 months away from a release of the improved versions.