Contemplating a RTT

[JINO]

Cheap, simple and out of the wind.
Wife and I fit just fine.

Unfortunately that won't work for me. My wife and I plus 2 dogs (40 and 60 lbs) will not fit.
If I go solo, it can work.

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[JINO]

Just so you know, the Exped is a self inflating mattress, it doesn't need to be rolled up, its self deflating and it doesn't need to be removed. On the iKamper 2.0 it doesn't even need to be deflated if you remove the bedding (pillows). I suspect that since the Exped is the same size as the iKamper mattress that comes with it the same is true for the Mini.

I already have 2 self inflating mattresses, and they are very comfortable, so I'm not looking to buy anymore bedding.

 

[JINO]

The same is true for camp kitchens and solar power. I was looking for a kitchen for the trailer I'm building, at the EXPO camp kitchens that used to cost around $900 were selling for $3500 ` $5000. Solar Power was as high as $12000. Drugs I tell you, these people are on drugs!

Here's some videos I shot of the last three years of EXPOs and Adventure Shows etc.. They just show things you can see and do at these EXPOs.

My kitchen is probably around the $150 mark.
Table, stove, and some utensils.

 

[Dusty Dude]

The same is true for camp kitchens and solar power. I was looking for a kitchen for the trailer I'm building, at the EXPO camp kitchens that used to cost around $900 were selling for $3500 ` $5000. Solar Power was as high as $12000. Drugs I tell you, these people are on drugs!

Here's some videos I shot of the last three years of EXPOs and Adventure Shows etc.. They just show things you can see and do at these EXPOs.

Your impression was spot on. I’ll be using my lowly little Coleman two burner stove for the foreseeable future at those prices. The more expensive stove isn’t going to make me a better cook! ?

 

[Whaler27]

I'm not a big fan of RTTs, as it raises center of gravity, as well as reduce mpg (range matters, as I'll spend all day/night exploring when I camp).
But I'm not getting younger and health is slowly deteriorating from medical issues.
I seem to be doing less rock crawling as well, preferring the more scenic scenes with some obstacles along the way.

I'm eyeballing the iKamper 3.0 mini. Seems perfect size for the wife and I.
Also my roofrack is 68"x56". So it has to be the fold out tents, some are too long for my rack.

Anyone have this tent and would recommend it?
Should I wait and see if they make a 4.0 mini?
I'm in no rush. Though my friends have them and swear on their life that I should get one.

I don’t have that model, but I have a couple thoughts that may help with your decision process.

1) The roof rack doesn’t have to match the footprint of the tent. If it’s rated to carry the weight, it’s probably plenty big for most or all RTTs. Each manufacturer/model specifies the support required. I initially ran mine on a three bar Rhino rack setup with about 6” of tent overhang in the back and maybe 8” of overhang in front.

2) I have a low profile Roofnest. The impact on fuel economy is negligible below 60, but it does effect performance and limit the use of 8th gear at faster highway speeds. When the tent is on the Raptor I don’t notice any significant differences. If your jeep is a diesel or a hemi you may noy notice a significant difference either.

 

[Whaler27]

Being a little bit of a jerk today big guy, eh?

I guess I was the idiot who paid $3500 for an iKamper 2.0. We have slept in our RTT almost 200 nights in the past two years and it’s worked flawlessly. So it might not have been the cheapest but it certainly has been a great value.

As an engineer how can you say that there’s little difference between the design, Aluminum, how it’s machined, assembled, QC’d etc., of many of the cheap Chinese clones and why would you accuse iKamper and other long time manufacturers of scamming us unsuspecting idiots?

Wow, you must be the only enlighten engineer on this forum.

I shopped RTTs for more than two years before finally buying one. I can’t tell you how many reviews and videos I went through. I can’t remember a single one that suggested the cheapest tents were as good as the recognized industry leaders. Not one.

Even those who reviewed the bargain options favorably also listed inferior build quality and other differences/deficits while highlighting the favorable price-point and value of the bargain tents. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, left me thinking that they’d choose the Smitty/Amazon option if they were given a coupon for a free RTT of their choosing.

I’ll add this from my own experience after seeing a lot of them in use: there are striking differences in quality, durability, convenience, travel noise, camping wind noise, warranty support, and the many other characteristics I mentioned earlier. Since we live in the northwest with frequent rain and snow, and we typically set up and break down daily, hard-shell was the only appealing option. Like yours, our tent deploys instantly. It also stows neat and tidy in about a minute, while others are still sweeping folding and pleating their wet canvas for the noisy ride to the next campsite. I never envy them, but I might see it differently if we had a couple little kids camping with us and our habit was to camp in the same location for several days at a time.

 

[JINO]

I don’t have that model, but I have a couple thoughts that may help with your decision process.

1) The roof rack doesn’t have to match the footprint of the tent. If it’s rated to carry the weight, it’s probably plenty big for most or all RTTs. Each manufacturer/model specifies the support required. I initially ran mine on a three bar Rhino rack setup with about 6” of tent overhang in the back and maybe 8” of overhang in front.

2) I have a low profile Roofnest. The impact on fuel economy is negligible below 60, but it does effect performance and limit the use of 8th gear at faster highway speeds. When the tent is on the Raptor I don’t notice any significant differences. If your jeep is a diesel or a hemi you may noy notice a significant difference either.

Ah that's good to know. I thought the tent would have to be somewhat the same footprint.
I have the ecodiesel, so MPG can drop a little and I wouldn't mind. I didn't even know it was so high when I purchased it, I was amazed at the torque during the test drive.

It's possible I may just get a trailer for the Rtt, seems to make more sense to haul the RTT only when camping, so im not getting the cons of high gravity.

 

[THAW]

A YouTuber recommends a tent that can be purchased through Amazon affiliate links? Shocking.

 

[Whaler27]

That may m

Ah that's good to know. I thought the tent would have to be somewhat the same footprint.
I have the ecodiesel, so MPG can drop a little and I wouldn't mind. I didn't even know it was so high when I purchased it, I was amazed at the torque during the test drive.

It's possible I may just get a trailer for the Rtt, seems to make more sense to haul the RTT only when camping, so im not getting the cons of high gravity.

That may make most sense, depending on your use. It’s a pain in the ass to remove and reinstall the RTTs a lot, especially by yourself, so it would be nice to have the package tucked away on a trailer until you need it. You’d also stress less about the roof rack options, as finding one rated to carry the dynamic weight of the RTT you prefer may not be easy. Finally, the Jeep won’t have that extra weight up top, which you’re right to recognize as an occasional downside.

On the other hand, it’a kinda cool to sleep up in the air with a view over other Jeeps and tents. I also think less about critter interference when I hear something prowling our campsite, though I never worry much about that. Also, it might be an illusion, but it feels like I always have a breeze up there, perhaps because other vehicles aren’t functioning as a wind-break. Then again, that height also means you’re climbing up and down at night or peeing in a bottle… at least at my age. I also appreciate the ability to park in a single parking place if I‘m passing through an urban area or running into a grocery store, and I like the fact that the tent’s inconvenient position makes it harder for vandals and thieves to mess with. Finally, trailers that will go where the jeep can go are expensive and they influence the amount/type of space you need to set up.

You can see why it took me a couple years to get this decision sorted out for myself. I can tell you that when I’m reading in the RTT at night and I hear the rain start to fall it’s a great feeling, because I know I’ll remain dry and comfortable. For this old body, that’s priceless.

 

[angrykitty]

In terms of camping, tents are just shelters for sleeping. I keep only what is absolutely needed. Also 98% of the time I solo explore so no issues with people waiting on me.

For us it's sleeping and board gaming when it's pouring and we don't bring the canopy, then whatever else happens, happens. I agree you get similar shelter with a ground tent vs a RTT but the RTT is so much less maintenance. I do too many "hold my beer" moments to go by myself. If I'm by myself, I won't do anything that could require a recovery if it doesn't go right,

Even backpacking I'm not a minimalist, I bring a freaking chair. haha I don't mind carrying the extra weight, it's even MORE exercise.

 

[Av8Chuck]

I already have 2 self inflating mattresses, and they are very comfortable, so I'm not looking to buy anymore bedding.

I think you missed the point of my reply. If the self inflating mattress that you have is the right footprint for the RTT U shouldn’t have to roll or fold your mattress. Leave it in place and just close the clamshell. Depending on how much bedding you leave on the bed you might have let some air out of the mattress.

On the 2.0 we leave two pillows near the rear of the bed and closer to the hinges and two sleeping bags spread out on the bed and it closes fine.

 

[Jeepless]

You can also just get yourself an easy set up tent, a camping cot and call it a day. Less money, easy to move around.

I have a really lightweight 2 person back packing tent that sets up in like 5 minutes and two big Agnes air mattress that are relatively comfortable. I take these backpacking or when the rig is stuffed and I need to save some room as it is about the size of a camp chair. I usually bring this when I don’t feel like putting on the RTT and am going camping with all the bells and whistles.

I also have a gazelle t4 tent that I bring when I’m going more “rock crawling.” No RTT for better center of gravity and not all my gear like full fridge, batteries, diesel heaters, food, inflatable kayaks, lava box, full kitchen, etc.. the gazelle is awesome. Super easy to set up and lots of space!

worse comes to worse and the weather is bad and I have none of the above I’ll use a big Agnes mattress and sea to summit inflatable pillow (always in the car in the cargo area) and sleep in the jeep.

you can do it multiple ways for multiple scenarios. Don’t have to be one or the other type of guy if you don’t want to be.

 

[Fonzilla85]

I have a really lightweight 2 person back packing tent that sets up in like 5 minutes and two big Agnes air mattress that are relatively comfortable. I take these backpacking or when the rig is stuffed and I need to save some room as it is about the size of a camp chair. I usually bring this when I don’t feel like putting on the RTT and am going camping with all the bells and whistles.

I also have a gazelle t4 tent that I bring when I’m going more “rock crawling.” No RTT for better center of gravity and not all my gear like full fridge, batteries, diesel heaters, food, inflatable kayaks, lava box, full kitchen, etc.. the gazelle is awesome. Super easy to set up and lots of space!

worse comes to worse and the weather is bad and I have none of the above I’ll use a big Agnes mattress and sea to summit inflatable pillow (always in the car in the cargo area) and sleep in the jeep.

you can do it multiple ways for multiple scenarios. Don’t have to be one or the other type of guy if you don’t want to be.

I like your versatility. I realize that everyone has a camping style. Mine won’t ever have a RTT, and will consist of what I believe to be essential due to my personal experiences. If anything, I’m glad so many options exist. In the end, it’s all about getting out there and seeing all the beauty this country and Baja California have to offer.

 

[Whaler27]

You guys have done a great job of highlighting the diversity of views and approaches to camping. It’s all about finding the balance that fits you in your current stage of life.

Anybody who spent time in The Corps or the Army got used to separating essential from unnecessary. The point is driven home on both sides of that equation, as carrying unnecessary crap takes a heavy toll over time, and failing to carry important equipment can be fatal. Folks in the infantry also learn to find rest and relative comfort under truly miserable conditions.

But as the years spin by, most become softer and accustomed to being more comfortable more of the time. Aging bodies also feel pain differently. (Remember “running” on your hands and knees when you were six or eight years old? Or how about stretching out and diving to catch a pass when you were 18? At that age slamming into the ground after a three foot drop is no big deal. Believe me, it’s very different in your 60s.)

Few in their 50s and 60s would choose to spend precious vacation or retirement time duplicating the minimalist aspects of military deployment in the desert or jungle. Most would prefer to enjoy the comforts they used to only dream about.

For me, it’s great being able to use the offroad screen to quickly and perfectly level my rack, even when there are intervening ledges, boulders, tree roots, or streams. And when the rain comes at night, I can enjoy the sound of the rain on the tent. Sometimes I wake up and read, but I don’t worry about water gathering on or around the ground tarp and infiltrating a seam, and I don’t think about water running off the rain fly and creating a mud hole in front of the tent. I don’t worry about stowing the wet gear either. And I’m more comfortable than I am in most hotel rooms.

I would have scoffed at all of the above when I was twenty, but I’m well past having to prove my toughness to myself or others. I’m too old to care about that. Now I’m trying to enjoy the time I have left and minimize discomfort from a lifetime of injuries. If I was rich, I’d have an advance team set up a camp with a large wall tent, pre-heated wood stove, well padded rack, and a well-stocked bar, so it was waiting for me at the end of every day.

I know, I’m a weenie.

 

[Only-In-A-Jeep]

Reading this thread was like revisiting all the voices in my head when I was trying to figure out what I wanted. I like the RTT setups but with a 2 door as my daily driver I was not crazy about an exo-rack and having to deal with taking the tent off when not in use or having to drive around with it and all the extra weight. And I like going topless in warm weather too. So I started down the trailer path. Well, that's a big rabbit hole in an of itself with all the options out there. I kept coming back to one thing though...I wanted simple. Again with a 2 door I also needed lightweight. I almost went with a RTT on a trailer, but after all the back and forth, we went with a Tentrax. It just checked the most boxes for what we wanted. At the end of the day that is the deal for everyone...the decision needs to match up best with your goal...no one else's.

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