More RTT options

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Wow! $3k?

I guess it does sleep up to 3 people:

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I think I picked up my camping lab for sale for about $750 a couple years ago.

The roost looks like a nice tent, but Im not sure if Id say $2250 nicer. I also prefer to have more space on the top with a folding RTT.

Regardless, thanks for posting the link, its good to know all the options!
 
Enigma said:
i was going to add thos to an older thread, but they are all locked. Anyhooo....here is another option for RTT ideas.


Car Tent Roof Top Cargo Carriers Specifications - Roost Tents
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Thanks, Jeff, for the link! Being in the market for a RTT lately, I find great interest in this thread. In my research, I've looked at ARB, Maggiolina, Hannibal and CVT. I want a fiberglass shell, for durability and it will just be for me and maybe one more. ARB, although available, was off the chart for price and couldn't find what I was looking for. Maggiolina, well built and good choice for sizes, but again ex$pensive and didn't like the set up and open headroom. Loved the Hannibal Impi. Well built and rea$onable, but they never responded to my request for info, soooo........ got to looking some more and found CVT, Cascadia Vehicle Tents. (The link will bring you to what model I'm buying. There's others available.) In comparison to the Hannibal it has a similar price, double the warranty and built, serviced and sold locally (Bend, OR), which is extremely attractive. But comparing with Roost RTTs, I have to say I would not have been tempted. $1000 more for Roost and the "perks" such as thicker mattress, washable mattress cover and longer ladder come standard with the CVT Mt. Baker model - you don't have to pay extra! Also the tent fabric coating on the Roost is only rated as "water resistant" whereas on the CVT it's waterproof. I'm glad I kept my Yakima bars for my roof rack. I got a 3rd one for extra support and to spread out the load. I should be picking mine up in the next couple of weeks. I'll post some pix after I get it.
 
Wow...the Cascadia 'Mt St Helens' model looks very similar to my Maggiolina Airtop, both open and closed.
The webpage doesn't say if those RTTs are manufactured in Oregon, or somewhere else.

Cheers,
Gord
 
motorcoach123 said:
Wow...the Cascadia 'Mt St Helens' model looks very similar to my Maggiolina Airtop, both open and closed.
The webpage doesn't say if those RTTs are manufactured in Oregon, or somewhere else.

Cheers,
Gord
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You're absolutely correct. The business is just starting up. Bobby Culpepper, the owner is having an expo in August. The first units are being shipped in, but I believe plans are to eventually, at least, assemble them locally. Not much info on the site. Hopefully, I'll be picking mine up next week and I'll have more details to share.
 
RobRed said:
Keep in mind the more head room the colder the tent - if that matters to you.
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I'm not concerned in the slightest. A tent this size, all I'll be doing in it is sleeping and maybe changing clothes (which is where I'll appreciate the headroom). IMHO, if you have a good sleeping bag, as long as the tent keeps you dry and the wind off you, that's what's important. That's the main purpose of a tent, IMHO. In the reviews that I've read of the Hannibal Impi and CVT Mt. Baker, identical in design and similar to the Roost which is the link posted by the OP, they hold up very well in the wind. The fiberglass lid makes up more than 50% of the roof surface when open so they should hold up well in the moisture, also, provided the tent material is of good quality. When I compared that, both Hannibal and CVT tent materials were excellent. The Hannibal fabric was thicker and their waterproof process was unique, but I have still not heard back from the Hannibal USA contact, near Reno, NV, I believe. It's been 2 months and if you try and visit their site now you get virus warnings. It's possible they've tried to contact me and their messages get quarantined.
 
I get your point about headroom, I'm 6'4", have a great bag but also have an SO thats terminally cold so 5 or 8 degrees matters in my world.

Looks like Hannibal are using wordpress in some way - perhaps they have a rogue plugin. I proceeded anyway. the Impi is 2k so along the lines of CVT.

Is a manufacturer white labeling these things? They look similar.
 
Got to try out my RTT last weekend. It is nice! The setup is extremely quick and easy, as expected. It is so convenient to be able to leave the sleeping bag in the tent, so no fuss there. The take down is easy - just have to make sure you tuck in all material before latching up and leave the doors at least partially open or it will be like folding up an air mattress (don't ask me how I know this:rolleyes:).

Been PMing 'themorb' about his RTT. He originally had a Mt. St. Helens model which is the crank up style. Due to some mechanical problems with the mechanism he's been able to exchange it for a Mt. Baker tent. Says he likes it better. Kudos to Bobby at CVT for accomodating him!

Only negative thing I can think of about my tent is the mattress - it's too thin. The CVT website posted a 3.5" mattress originally. Mine came with a 1"-1.5" mattress. When I complained to Bobby, he admitted that the tents shipped with the wrong mattress and the correct ones should be shipped. He promised to send me one when they come in. The website now sports 2.75" for the Mt. Baker:rolleyes:
 
Update for my CVT tent. The upper air strut mount on the DS came loose back around the end of August. Just separated from the fiberglass. But I was still able to use it, even through CTW here in the great PNW. It was 3 nights in the woods and 2 days of excellent wheelin'! :hillbilly: Being that CVT is local, Bobby Culpepper CVT's owner/operator:rolleyes: was made aware and volunteered to replace it - even drove the new one over to me from Bend (3 hour trip, 1 way). I was able to keep my old mattress to use on top of new, so combined thickness is now 3" - should be adequate. We had a good chat about CVT business and direction it's going. These first units were built in China and imported. They are well built with good materials, but Bobby knows he can improve on that. He is planning on building them completely here in Oregon. He's ram-ping up his facility and planning on hiring to do this. Even molding the fiberglass shells on the hard-shells and sewing and assembling the tent fabric on all his tents. He has even started a line of camping/utility type trailers. If you're interested call him or visit their website. Good stuff --and -- built local!!! He will treat you well as a customer, I can attest to that. :cheers:
 
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So, if I understand this correctly, CVT is knocking off (duplicating) their Chinese manufacturer, who knocked off the originator of this category - maggiolina? Global competition takes strange turns. Glad to hear that an entrepreneur in Bend will get his turn. I will check these out the next time I go through Bend.
 
While Maggiolina makes excellent tents they are not the "originator" of the RTT. If you research it, the information, at least on the web, shows that similar setups have been used on all kinds of rigs in Europe, Africa and the Americas as far back as the late 1940s. And I would not be surprised to learn earlier than that. I have also read that the version of RTT that is popular on expo SUVs today is the result of a design that offers superior protection and confidence for sleeping quarters in big game environments such as Africa.

I don't know if any patents are in existence, and how enforceable laws could be in a global market, but as far as "knock offs" in design of RTTs, IMHO quality of materials and workmanship stand out above similarity. The designs of most manufacturers are similar enough to conclude that finding unique features are not very common and appeal differently, depending on tastes. It is the quality of the tent that will help it to be successful, combined of course, with the management of the manufacturer.
 
I've got 'no dog in this fight' as the saying goes, but having owned a Maggiolina RTT, I see several differences in design.

Kudo's to any US small business owner willing to invest in the infrastructure and human capital to make the RTT niche market their target, and I wish whomever it is all success.

I also hope they'll post up as a vendor, so that Mudders other than 80t0ylc might comment on their version of RTT.
 
sirenmoses said:
I've got 'no dog in this fight' as the saying goes, .........I also hope they'll post up as a vendor, so that Mudders other than 80t0ylc might comment on their version of RTT.
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I also don't have any affiliation with any vendors. So I've bowed out and started my own thread. I apologize to anyone who feels I've hijacked this thread.
 
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