Question about RTT's, ladders and load...

[JCruse]

In the last two trips out with the tent while climbing up the ladder it slid back on the platform I use with it in the sand, away from the tent, and with my ample weight that side of the tent base sagged down quite badly. They say not to use the ladder for support, but I guess that's what I've been doing without realizing it. So without the ladder for at least partial support the outward side of the floor will be at an alarming angle. It doesn't feel safe to climb up like that and isn't comfortable to sit or lay down with the floor bent in the middle like that. So my question I guess is, how do the rest of you cope with this situation? Teach me about this infernal contraption. Any advice is welcome.

 

[e9999]

as I said before, I think that the overall design approach for those tents supportwise, is sadly lacking overall, and I am of the opinion that you want the ladder as close to vertical as is practical for better support, as least with the less strong ladders out there. I have rigged a system with adjustable poles at the corners for my RTT to help with that. I really did not want my hinges to go south.

I have no idea what "not to use the ladder for support" means. And that does not sound right at all. All the tents I have seen seem to be unable to contend very well with even half body weights on a purely cantilevered half.
I would put as much support under there as I can.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

No ladder should be vertical for safety reasons alone! If your RTT manufacture recommends it toss it in the garbage and get a telescoping ladder as a replacement.

I do a lot of beach camping and carry a board. I first recess it in the sand a bit to keep it from moving and set my needed height then set up the ladder. Never had a problem sinking or moving and my ladder is at ~15° for safe climbing and pissing off of in the middle of the night.

 

[cruiserpilot]

I just got my tent. Haven't used it yet. But the idea of a support base under the ladder just makes the most common
sense I've read all day. Thanks Phil, I will be now having one more thing to do before I go on my trip!

 

[MicahMan]

I've never needed a board or anything of that nature. I've been in desert sand and sand dune type stuff but not beach so that could be a difference. I have a slight angle on the ladder when set up and I'm what you would call husky no issues. I do have a newer Tepui that has a nice telescoping ladder that is stout as can be! Here it is on a couple of my trucks.

 

[JCruse]

Second pic is right about the angle I use, and always with a board as e9999 said. It's about a 28"x12"x1" that I used to test shoot some bed liner on.
I guess I'll just stay with judging the ladder angle by the angle of the foot step area on the rungs, and let the ladder take some of the weight - until I hear differently.


@Phil - How do you go about keeping sand out of your tent? I didn't mind a little when kept at the foot of the bed, but of course when you close these things it gets dumped all over the head of the bed and pillow etc. I'm trying to avoid always having to vacuum after each trip.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

@Phil - How do you go about keeping sand out of your tent? I didn't mind a little when kept at the foot of the bed, but of course when you close these things it gets dumped all over the head of the bed and pillow etc. I'm trying to avoid always having to vacuum after each trip.

I take my day shoes off before I go to bed and go up the ladder with flops. Sit at the edge of my tent and put them in a grocery bag and hang the bag out the door.

 

[Enigma]

I recently noticed that with my RTT ( a very old, 3rd owner, unbranded Chinese "knock off") when folded out that the joints along the hinge seam do not fit that well, hardly at all actually, together anymore. The saving grace on my setup seems to be that the 2 extruded aluminum channels that the tent bolts to and then down onto my trailer lid extend past the hinge point and thus take all the load. The ladder adds really no support at all.