**Tepui RTTs and Accessories**

[Kade.Tang]

the iKamper is definitely not was I would call a "lightweight". I was able to see the prototype first hand during the Outdoor Retailer show. Some interesting ideas and I will give them credit for exploring unique design rather than just playing copycat like so many other brand tents. There were still some quirky issues that were in the model I saw. I haven't seen the final production version in person yet to know if they've addressed any of those issues or not.
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As was mentioned, sleeping comfort is very subjective and different for everyone. I've never really had a complaint about the foam mattress in my Tepui tents and I've always been quite comfortable. But.....I did just receive my new Tepui Luxury Mattress last night! Very excited to try it out. It's clearly better than the standard mattress.

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The issue with any air mattress is failure and leaks. It's always a risk regardless of the quality. Personally, I'm in favor of a quality foam mattress in a RTT over an air mattress for that reason. There is nothing about a foam mattress that can fail when you're out in the middle of nowhere for several days.
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As for low profile, the upcoming Tepui White Lightning, hardshell is only 8" thick! That is by far, the lowest profile roof tent on the market. Plus the integrated roof bars make it rack ready so that bikes, kayaks, boards or whatever you want can be carried on top of it. I was able to see the first one off the production line last week while I was at Tepui HQ and it's an exciting tent for anyone looking at hardshells.

almost jumped on that kickstarter but was really looking to add a RTT to my vehicle for the fall. It looks amazing and I can't wait to see some reviews/the final product.

 

[lotuseater]

Brand new to EP, I have a Kukenam Ruggedized Sky on order, now I'm trying to figure a rack system out to go over the bed of my '15 Tundra Crewmax. I have the Yakima Bedrock that mounts directly on top of the bed, but I don't like that the bars protrude or that I can't open the forward facing window of a RTT because it smacks into the cab. Can anyone comment whether it will fit on the Front Runner Slimline II Load Bed Rack Kit, which appears to be just a few inches too narrow (53.5" vs the 56" width of the Kukenam), and whether the towers provide enough clearance for the forward window to clear the back of my truck cab? Thanks in advance.

 

[ttengineer]

Brand new to EP, I have a Kukenam Ruggedized Sky on order, now I'm trying to figure a rack system out to go over the bed of my '15 Tundra Crewmax. I have the Yakima Bedrock that mounts directly on top of the bed, but I don't like that the bars protrude or that I can't open the forward facing window of a RTT because it smacks into the cab. Can anyone comment whether it will fit on the Front Runner Slimline II Load Bed Rack Kit, which appears to be just a few inches too narrow (53.5" vs the 56" width of the Kukenam), and whether the towers provide enough clearance for the forward window to clear the back of my truck cab? Thanks in advance.

Is go with this one if you are looking for an expedition ready rack.

http://www.bayareametalfab.com/2014-to-2017-Tundra-CrewMax-Bed-rack_p_73.html

Although I love the frontrunner as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lotuseater]

Many thanks ttengineer. That looks so bad-***. My dilemma with any of the options I've seen is they don't allow me to secure the cargo area. I currently use a Retrax tonneau cover, and I'd really like to keep it - or something like it - in place. The Front Runner rack appeals because it covers so much of the bed. I'm about to take the Retrax off my truck to see what gap exists between the tracks and the truck bed walls. I'm really curious whether I could install that on top of the BAMF rack without too many modifications.

 

[Cletus26]

Here's a custom mount I made. 3" flat bar over the bed rails with 2"x 1" C channel into the stake pockets. 1.75" .120" wall dom for the rest. Custom 2" clamps to make the cross bars removable.

 

[sned]

Cletus26, are you able to use the Annex with the tent being so low?

Reason I ask is I'm 5'9" and have a Subaru Outback that's ~5.5" tall from ground to top of roof racks and I'm trying to decide between Kukenam Sky 3 and the Autana Sky and wondering if my Subaru is to low to utilize the annex.

 

[Cletus26]

Cletus26, are you able to use the Annex with the tent being so low?

Reason I ask is I'm 5'9" and have a Subaru Outback that's ~5.5" tall from ground to top of roof racks and I'm trying to decide between Kukenam Sky 3 and the Autana Sky and wondering if my Subaru is to low to utilize the annex.

Honestly I haven't tried setting up the annex. It looks to add quite a bit of time to setup and takedown. I originally wanted the annex to have my 85# lab sleep in there but the wife likes him sleeping up top with us for warmth. I'll still use the annex this summer but I'm in the process of building a rack for my 02' tundra that will allow it to be higher. As for using it lower it all depends on what you want to use it for. You can add a queen mattress between the ladder and vehicle for guests or kids. As for using it for changing even if you're taller than the base if you stand where the ladder goes in there's the extra height there. Hope this helps

 

[nnnnnate]

Has anyone gotten out with that new mattress yet? Spill the details....

 

[ian408]

Has anyone gotten out with that new mattress yet? Spill the details....

Couple of people have said it's pretty plush.

 

[lotuseater]

Nice job, Cletus26. I'm leaning toward keeping my RTT lower not just to help keep the contents of my bed more secure, but also for aerodynamics and ability to pull into my garage.

 

[Cletus26]

Nice job, Cletus26. I'm leaning toward keeping my RTT lower not just to help keep the contents of my bed more secure, but also for aerodynamics and ability to pull into my garage.

Thanks. That's what my motivation was for building my rack. If you had something like this built you'd be able to keep your retrax

 

[ducktapeguy]

Cletus26, are you able to use the Annex with the tent being so low?

Reason I ask is I'm 5'9" and have a Subaru Outback that's ~5.5" tall from ground to top of roof racks and I'm trying to decide between Kukenam Sky 3 and the Autana Sky and wondering if my Subaru is to low to utilize the annex.

I've had my Autana sky on top of my Forester, which is about the same height as your Outback. The annex can still work with the lower height but you'll have excess material hanging around the bottom. If it's windy I imaging the annex would be flapping around uncontrollably unless you add some anchor points higher up on the walls. I've setup the annex a couple of times at home to try it out, but I've never used it camping because of the extra time to setup and I don't really need the extra space right now.

Between the kukenum and Autana, I chose the Autana because I like the covered entrance. The advantage is I can leave the main door open for ventilation while still having some privacy and protection from the elements, and I if i do setup the annex I can go from the tent to the annex without having to go out side the tent (ladder is inside the annex vs outside on the kukenum). So it's more like 1 large tent vs 2 smaller separate tents. The autana annex is much larger, so when I do need the extra space when the kids grow bigger it's usable as another tent or common area. While I've never seen the Kukenum annex in person, in picutures it only looks useful as a changing room. The Autana does take an extra 30 seconds to setup and the overhang does get a little dark because of the lack of windows, but other than that I love it.

 

[lotuseater]

I spoke with Rocky Mounts, who are based in my town. They don't make cargo racks or anything heavy duty enough to hold the weight of a RTT. They didn't want the liability. Looks like a custom fabrication job is necessary if I want to keep the Retrax in place. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

[rgoldey]

Mattress-Enhancer

We, like others, have not been completely happy with the standard Tepui mattress in our Autana, experiencing bottoming-out. I'm also not sold on memory-foam, it doesn't really provide much support. We have an old 3/8" Ensolite backpacking pad that has withstood the test of time. Probably 30 years old and I still use it when I crawl under the truck. I found a web site that sells 58" X 96" X 1-1/8" Ensolite sheets for $68.00 plus shipping. The shipping cost is high due to the size, but they're not that far away and willing to let me order over the phone and pick it up at their warehouse to avoid the shipping. Has anyone had any experience with Ensolite as a mattress-enhancer? Just curious, I'll probably get one in any event.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Sorry I can't see any reason for use of ANY FOAM--unless, of course---you're in a hurry-

This mattress is the best I've found in years-

Whatever

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO