New expedition RTT / First Impressions

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CodyRx7 said:
Why the bow in the awning poles?

Are they fiberglass?
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They are some kind of flexible steel and they keep everything tight like a spring.

Fit into angled holes in the aluminum floor.

I guess you can close them down in the event of a really bad storm for extra protection. I have not looked at every option yet.

Those are probably the biggest hassle of the whole setup, but only takes a few extra minutes to put them in.

The whole thing is really sturdy, it howled pretty good that night over the cliff with no problem.
 
That is the same way Hannibals are setup. The flexible rods are a great design and keep window/door covers tensioned nicely. Holds up well in storms and nothing to tie down. Keeps rain out and retains air circulation and a view.

I haven't seen another method that is easy to setup and works as well.
 
I've got mine mounted on 3 bars to distribute the weight more evenly over the lid of the trailer but if your rack/roof will support the weight 2 bars are all that is required. As for mounting the hardest part is getting the tent up there. The base of the tent has two rails that house slidding nuts, just put the nuts on eather side of your roof rack bar and bolt it on. The only other thing that will need your attention is drilling the holes in the ladder to set the height for your installation. I started with 3 sets but have now added them to the full length of the ladder after spending 13 nights in the tent on varying terrain.

We used the RTT in weather from 98F/36.7C to 28F/-2.2C and had sun, rain, wind, snow and hale with out any problems. We did leave the windward fly down in heavy winds while we where away from camp or sleeping as a percaution. As for the polls we came up with a system of putting them in the base and then connecting the top that only takes a few seconds per pole. I don't know how well this would work with the tent mounted higher but even doing it the other way around after you get to know the angle and it gets easier everytime.

I spend more time getting the dust cover on and off then I do setting up our taking down the tent but have come up with a system that speeds that up too.

So far I am vary happy with the tent and can't wait to get out and use it again.:beer:
 
BC_FJC said:
The only other thing that will need your attention is drilling the holes in the ladder to set the height for your installation. I started with 3 sets but have now added them to the full length of the ladder after spending 13 nights in the tent on varying terrain.
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You have to drill into the ladder? Please dont tell me they used those pins again! :censor:
 
SOCALFJ said:
You have to drill into the ladder? Please dont tell me they used those pins again! :censor:
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I have not seen the original but there are two spring loaded pins that hold the ladder at the different lengths. I have not had any problems with it after I figured out how to lock the pins out so you can slide it without having to release the pins at every set of holes. The only other problem was caused by me drilling one set of holes out of alignment, but I fixed it by making one of the holes just a little bit bigger.
 
would be nice to see a close up pic of the ladder if available :)
 
SOCALFJ said:
Oh thank god. Ok... whew! that was close.. hehehe

Yeah close ups of the ladder and the mounting underneath the tent would be cool to see.. but i can wait till tomorrow when mine arrives:)
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Trust me, the difference between the old ladder and the new one is like putting a Yugo next to a Porsche.

I will, however, snap some pics this weekend for all interested.
 
Right on, i 'had' the new ladder.. but never picked it up from the guy that brought i back from Moab. So i haven't seen it in person yet. That same person ending up buying my old Mombasa so i told the guy to keep the new style ladder cause he'll need it!!! Score for him!
 
Ok, got mine yesterday... mounted it up.. (of course it wasn't lining up properly with my floor!) .. don't have pics of it deployed yet... cause it was getting dark..

Initial impressions...

-They did a way better job making this version. The quality of work is still lacking a bit.. but it's 100x better than the previous version.

-Lot of setup and break down compared the 2006 model. I liked not having to do anything but open the old one and toss my sleeping bags in it. We'll see if the extra 5 minutes of setup is worth it as Skillet mentioned.

-The ladder is max'd out. I may need to get the extension from my buddy that i ordered for the last one. However, the ladder is way better built and we feel much safer.

-A zipper for the cover in front? Yeah right! I didnt even try zipping that up! There's no way without a ladder i could do that! Who thought of this? Maybe someone that is mounting it on a GEO METRO.. but not our rig.. it's too hard to manage. Works fine without zipping it up by the way.

-The GF loves the grab handle they put in this model for getting out and climbing down. Very good idea!

-Way taller than the 2006 model when packed up.

-Much higher quality (almost like canvas) tent, still low quality craftsmenship(threads coming undone, straps stretching, found a tiny hole, etc)

That's about all i noticed yesterday... havent really climbed in the thing yet.. just peaked inside. Once again, for the price.. it's a great tent. Im not complaining!!!

Here are some packed up pics... matches the rig perfectly! Love the grey cover! We'll see how it lasts! I now have room for some bundles of firewood between the tent and the NATO cans.

Comparison Shot of the height of the OLD and NEW tent. It's much taller.
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Room for firewood between tent and NATO cans.
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I mounted it in the rear so i could put the cover on it easier.
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All in all.. it must look pretty good.. i got a thumbs up on the way home after installing it :cool:
We'll see how well it functions in the field. Thats what matters.
 
Hey, looking good.

It does match your rig awfully well.

All points you made are valid about fit and finish and quality.

However, I have never really inspected one of the more expensive tents up close and for the extra $1000 you pay, it better wipe your ass for you with rose pedals. :D

The zipper cover closure is kinda funky but I get it done on mine, much more weather proof than the old design but a bit more time consuming like the awnings. To my knowledge, both designs were "borrowed" from much more costly tents.

I am thinking that if I am in a rainstorm and I can keep my windows open without getting wet, it will be worth it.

You definitely need the ladder extension, mark my words. I bought it just in case and if I had not had it, this campsite below would have been impossible. JUST DO IT! Another suggestion is to carry a cordless drill with you for the first few trips to make some new adjustment holes. That is what I have been doing and it comes in mighty handy.

Looks good and I am glad you are semi-happy so far, as I was the "bad influence". :grinpimp:
Eldorado3.webp
 
Skillet said:
Hey, looking good.

Another suggestion is to carry a cordless drill with you for the first few trips to make some new adjustment holes. That is what I have been doing and it comes in mighty handy.
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I just put holes every 1 1/2" down the ladder after getting home from my first trip out with it. You never know where it will need to be set.:beer:
 
Those are looking pretty sweet. Mine's been up on top of the rack for over a month now. All's good, but I'm thinking I'm going to give opening it to the rear a go.

A quick note on drilling adjustment holes in the ladder. Less is more. The only holes I have drilled in mine are for the extension. One pair are for very little extension and the other set are for full extension. For anything in between I adjust the angle of the ladder or stack a rock or two. I drilled one set so the two rungs overlap perfectly so there's no off-sized step. I don't remember if it's the partial or full extension set though.

SoCal - I hope you got a good deal from Mel. I made a few of the local guys some pretty good deals. Get that extension back from Ray. You'll end up paying twice what you have in it if you get a new one.

:cheers:

Chad
 
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BC_FJC said:
I've been enjoying the new tent. I've spent 13 nights in it so far and my only complaint would be the amount of condensation that collects on the inside. H*ll it even survived this:grinpimp:​
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Just needed to straiten the hinge and duck tape the cover everything else was ok
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I like the wheel's up pic. :eek: Glad it survived. Were you at Moab this year? I saw one of the new style tents on a trailer on the far side of the Slick Rock camp ground. Never had a chance to see who it belonged to.

Both mine will collect condensation. The only real solution to this is to leave windows/doors slightly unzipped for cross-flow ventilation. The peak vents on the new model don't allow a lot of air to circulate.
 
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