Question about RTTs

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Lugboot

Lugboot

Joined
Oct 19, 2006
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Pennsyltucky
Not sure if I should post this here or in the camping section, but I'm guessing there's more long-term RTT use in this section to tap for opinions.

My question has to do with RTTs and rain. I live in the Northeast and am interested in getting an RTT. However, it seems I see most of the RTTs in use out in the deserts and other areas that don't get much rain.

How are they to deal with in rainy conditions?

How are they to setup and tear down in the rain? Does the bedding inside get wet?

What happens when you have to pack away a wet RTT in the rain? Does the mattress and bedding get soaked?

Would a Maggiolina (hardshell RTT) be a better bet for these kind of conditions?

I like the bigger canvas tents, especially with the covered entrances and changing room type attachments, but if after one wet night, the bedding is soaked for the rest of the trip, I would have to rethink it.

Any experiences or opinions to share?

Thanks!
 
FWIW, I've had an issue with condensation more than rain. I think it was October in MN, so about 35-40 at night and warm during the day. With it set up, the underside of the mattress was wet in the morning and it hadn't rained at all. Not a huge issue, but I only noticed it because I slid my hand under the mattress looking for the kids' flashlight in the morning. (No, the kids didn't wet the bed:)

If I would have packed up and left with it all closed up, I could see a mold/mildew issue. I made sure to leave it up long enough when I got home with the mattress out to dry. I think it was just the right combination of temperatures and humidity that night? I wouldn't let it deter me from using the RTT. Just watch for it. Good luck.
 
Good point on the condensation. That's another valid consideration out here in the humid East.

Thanks!
 
I used my RTT and had some days of rain in Alaska and in Montana.
Setting up under the rain sucked but it was not bad.. same with having to put it away...
On the rainy days (24hrs +) it kept us dry and we had no leaks or any other problem with heavy down pours.

After 3 days or rain it did however started to show condensation on the inside..but it all went away by leaving open to air on the 4th day under sunny skies....

We have the ezeeawn tent..
 
Does leaving the windows open and having some ventilation solve this problem? With the window awning out and one or two
windows open would that solve the condensation problem? I don't have an RTT but I'm looking into getting one when I sort my
roof rack out.

Cheers.
 
Here is what my experiance has been with my RTT from cartoptent.com. The first time I took it out to GSMTR it rained almost every night. Never had any issues with water getting into the tent or bedding. Had to put it up wet for the 6 hour trip home. Got home and opened it back up to let it dry out. The bedding never did get wet even folded up. Have had it out in several rain storms with no issues with getting wet. Took it to cruiser crawl last year and it rained there also. No issues with getting wet from the rain, but it was cooler and we closed up all the windows and doors and did get some condinsation. Took it to Coal Miner Classic last month and we had about 3 inches of rain in 1 hour. I forgot to close the doors on the tent and the first foot on both the head and the foot of the bedding got wet. If I had closed the doors there would not have been an issue. Put the tent up wet that night and did not put it back up to dry out until late the next day. No problems with mildew and it dried out very quickly. I have been very pleased with the tent and stayed dry when others in the group had issues with water getting in their ground tents.:cheers:
 
That's really helpful--thanks!
 
FWIW any basic input I'd have is pretty much summed up above. That being said, here's some more valuable lesson knowledge I have garnered..

I've had the opportunity to test out both types of maggiolina and an outland and both were, in my opinion, well better off than a standard tent when it came time to deal with the moisture/rain issues. I will say the outland, with the split, inverted-v style roof did show more moisture than the solid topped maggiolinas, and out of the maggiolinas, the tilt up (clamshell) fared better than the square up (standard), with only the loss of available/usable space my issue.

Honestly consider what you'd have to go through with a v-top or standard tent versus a tilt up (clamshell) or square top (standard)..It's whether or not you want to have to reset a tent type to dry out or in my case, pull it off the rack, leave the rig outside the garage, and open it up for a few days to vent and dry out then clean it..which, FWIW is actually part of maintaining your investment. If you're gonna risk camping in snow, well, the clamshell IMHO will allow most build-up to slide off while the v-top and square top's will get weighted down.

*For the stains from what little mold did occur, and for the dirt, I used, in this order..
~Light soap/water (woolite) and a toothbrush.
~Spot Shot Cleaner (*Best cleaning product I have ever used for fabrics/carpet and made by the folks at WD-40).
~Scotchbrite Water Repellant.
*Although IIRC there might be an advisory about certain cleaners and sealants, I have seen no issues occur after two years and have actually re-tested at home and traveling and know it's all still good. :clap:

Invest wisely and ask around if there's anyone's you can see if no dealer's near you. Autohome's a pretty big distributor and can refer you to customers or other distributors close by. It all comes down to need vs. want as far as the function and space. In our case, one I can easily remove and either put down on the ground alone or with the rack system was a big plus, as it lets us clear the roof for side trips and trail travel around camp.

If you really want the investment to last, don't go leaving it on top to be overly exposed to the elements. A little work goes a long way and in our case, a simple pulley rig system in the garage lifts it right off for storage.

**Get a good ladder replacement if you're around or over 150lbs (IMHO) the foldouts still need refinement. Same for whatever mounting setup you use, as some aftermarket rack systems can dimple the roof line or gutter with the weight of two adults or just wear and tear from travel and muont and dismounting the system.
:cheers:
 
Last edited:
Lugboot said:
Not sure if I should post this here or in the camping section, but I'm guessing there's more long-term RTT use in this section to tap for opinions.

My question has to do with RTTs and rain. I live in the Northeast and am interested in getting an RTT. However, it seems I see most of the RTTs in use out in the deserts and other areas that don't get much rain.

How are they to deal with in rainy conditions?

How are they to setup and tear down in the rain? Does the bedding inside get wet?

What happens when you have to pack away a wet RTT in the rain? Does the mattress and bedding get soaked?

Would a Maggiolina (hardshell RTT) be a better bet for these kind of conditions?

I like the bigger canvas tents, especially with the covered entrances and changing room type attachments, but if after one wet night, the bedding is soaked for the rest of the trip, I would have to rethink it.

Any experiences or opinions to share?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have the columbus RTT and it feberglass (or kevlar if you think you need it) and it is specifically made to restand heavy wind and rain and I have used it in those conditions and it is excellent. Check out my expeidition troopy post or Tundra post both have the columbus in the photos that I have.

Cheers,

Michael
 
I had a Campinglab RTT and currently own a South African MyWay (sold by CampingLab as well). I have camped in rain and gale force winds... no problems (loud in the wind). Folding a wet tent is a bit of a PITA, and you must make sure to air it when you get home. I have not experienced condensation issues, but I tend to leave all windows open and we sometimes use a 12volt fan to keep the air moving. I must say I add seam sealer to all seams, I do this with my backpacking tents as well and use spray waterproofing once a year.

The bed in the Campinglab was much more comfortable than the MyWay, but they are both quite nice.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:
Thank you, everyone, for the input so far. I'm still paying attention to this thread.

The fact that I don't have a garage, and therefore, an easy place to remove an RTT with a pulley system when it's not in use, is making me consider a couple other things...

If the tent stays on the truck for the camping season, it's probably better to get a hardshell RTT. Part of this whole deal is to make packing and going easier. Lugging a 150 pound RTT in and out of the basement isn't going to be easier.

However, I think I like the canvas RTTs better--more size, more options--but it's less likely to be able to leave the canvas RTT on the truck from spring until fall. It seems a trailer setup with this would be ideal--unhook the trailer and cover it when not in use. But if we're towing a trailer, maybe we should just stick with the little pop-up camper we have for right now. Of course, the pop-up can't really go all the places a little military trailer could...

Gotta keep thinking, I guess.
 
boogie74 said:
Does leaving the windows open and having some ventilation solve this problem? With the window awning out and one or two
windows open would that solve the condensation problem? I don't have an RTT but I'm looking into getting one when I sort my
roof rack out.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Yes ,having some ventilation will dry the interior out,but its best if you can stop it starting in the 1st place.
Ive heard Ironman have got one on the way,might be worth checking out)
 
My RTT came with a zip on cover that is a kind of rubber/canves material that keeps it dry when folded up. I would think you could leave the tent on the truck for the camping season with the cover on it. Mine is mounted to a M416 trailer that I can keep in the garage, but I would have no problem leaving it mounted to the roof of my 80 outside for the camping season.
trailer 005.webp
GSMTR08 001.webp
 
I am with Kenny. I have had the RTT on the 60 since last October with no sign of sun or wear damage on the cover (other than some scratches from a tree that I ran up against and a buttload of insects on the leading edge :).

Also the rubberized cover is replaceable and relatively inexpensive.

You could always go nuts and buy an Adventure Trailers teardrop... drool.
teartrailer1.jpg


BTW, Nice on demand hot water system on the trailer Kenny!
 
Last edited:
THanks! I gave serious consideration to doing a tear drop off road trailer instead of the M416. Went so far as to bid on a couple on fle-bay. The Adventure trailer version looks great.
 
I've weighed and re weighed the cost to benefit ratio on this issue. I think the standard Chaser or Horizon are worth it but I'm not seeing it with the Teardrop. Also in this market is Outlander Trailers out of Arkansas and he is within my imaginary budget and build type.

A
 
It's good to hear the canvas types can take being left on the roof for months at a shot. I'd really prefer this type if it makes sense, due to the greater room and options and decreased cost, generally.
 
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