RTT

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Threads
154
Messages
1,818
Location
Mt. Pleasant S.C.
Looking at RTT’s. These are the ones Ive kind of narrowed it down to. Anyone have these and have input?


Amazon product ASIN B00KCFKPX0
Amazon product ASIN B01MU3MEAR
i've had a larger model Tepui for a few years now. For better or worse, tepui was recently purchased by Thule. Im sure all the made in China tents are similar though.
 
Those are both pretty small RTTs, if your going to buy one I’d recommend going with hard top RTT. Hard tops are typically easier to setup and significantly easier to breakdown. Zippering closed the soft cover on a typical RTT on top of a vehicle can be a PIA and is more difficult in the dark, rain, wind, and rain. Look at width and length of RTTs and try to buy one that has enough room to fit the occupants with clothing bags. Because of this we went with two CVT tents a Mt Rainer mounted on our trailer and a Mt Baker mounted on our 4runner. The kids typically sleep in the smaller Mt Baker and the wife, dogs (2), and myself sleep in the Rainer. If it’s cold (below 30*) we set up the anex on the Rainer and the kids sleep on cots in anex, we use a buddy heater to heat the entire tent. We have comfortably slept in below zero temps using this setup. If its just the wife and I we leave the trailer at home and we sleep in the Baker. Id highly recommended anti-condensation mats and most RTT mattress require a memory foam topper to be super comfy.

The RTT market is super competitive right now and you literally are paying for larger tents and better materials. I recommend CVT tents due to the materials and realistic sizing. Almost all RTTS are made in the same handful of factories in China.

B8754D35-AD32-42D9-9D7A-2EA98C6D6E5C.jpeg


B581ECF2-4524-480C-A4AE-7E57A08B3055.jpeg


D789DA75-2B76-49C8-A3AB-ADDE31EB473E.jpeg


3334EBF2-467D-4553-878D-200F86A8747C.jpeg
 
Last edited:
At the risk of being flamed, my understand is that smitty is actually mid-spelled and the ‘m’ should have been an ‘h’.

Im sure they have proponents, but...

Having friends who own them, your correct. I wouldn’t pay more than $500 for a shhittty built tent. Every part of the tent is bottom barrel, bolts, fabric, zippers, covers, mattress, base materials. Disgrace to any Toyota it’s mounted on. Goes well with Jeeep XJs.

Yakima tents are better quality than Shhitty built tents.
 
Eezi awn quality is remarkable. We have their Xclusiv 2200 tent and their batwing awning. We were lucky and found a hardly used setup on Craigslist. The cheap chinese tents seem solid for the most part and are a good value. Just depends on how much you plan on using it. We use ours at least twice a month, so for us it made sense to spend more for quality and durability. If we camped less I would have gone with a tuff stuff tent. Good reviews on YouTube. Or if you want something in between then Tepui ruggedized or CVT tents are great choices too.

 
I'll add while deciding on a RTT we were surprised at the used deals on the top tier tents. Seems like one of those things, like RV's and trailers, that people go all in on with dreams of using it all the time. Then after 1 or 2 uses they realize its not for them. Craigslist and expeditionportal.com
 
Not sure what factors you’re considering but I’ve been very happy with my Maggiolina Extreme. The hard shell is a dream to use.
 
Thanks for all the input. I’m looking at entry level tents that will sleep two adults or an adult and 8 and 10 year old. I’d like to stay under $1200 so hard shells are pretty much out. I also want one that’s easy to install and remove. It may go back and forth between my 200 and my 62 once I get a new motor in the 62.
I’ve seen that turtle back uses the 23zero tents. Anyone have any feedback on those? They have a decent size tent with a 3” thick mattress that looks pretty reasonable.

 
I was stuck between a CVT and a 23zero. I ultimately went with CVT because they were local, and I think they had the largest option. All of that to say, I’ve had the impression (from a fair amount of research) that they are pretty much equal, up near the top of the list.
 
As I understand it, they all come from the same factory in China. So your differentiator will be features, price, and service. Bobby (CVT) is a solid dude and will treat you well if you have any problems.
 
I'll add while deciding on a RTT we were surprised at the used deals on the top tier tents. Seems like one of those things, like RV's and trailers, that people go all in on with dreams of using it all the time. Then after 1 or 2 uses they realize its not for them. Craigslist and expeditionportal.com
Yep. Watch the REI garage sales. The one I went to this morning had 2 Tepui tents, both considerably less than half price and neither appear to have been used. The green vest told me people buy them all the time, realize how difficult they are to use, then take advantage of the return policy.

My experience is the hardshell RTTs are straight forward to use. The soft shell ones are a real PIA to set up and, worse, to dry and fold up.
 
I heard both of those a few times, before buying. Next time around I won't buy a CVT, for a whole host of reasons in pretty much every department.

This is the internet, share the reasons. Posting you won’t buy without reasons helps no one.
 
This is the internet, share the reasons. Posting you won’t buy without reasons helps no one.

Well...

First, let me say that 1. experiences are not facts, despite the loudest protestations today. Neither are interpretations of experiences.
2. I own a handful of mobile MRI scanners. These are tractors trailers that house the most expensive medical equipment there is. They run on 3phase 480v 500a, and have their own HVAC, genset, patient lift, pluming etc. They bounce down the road and have to show up ready to do brain scans. My point, I know a thing or two about maintenance and care of equipment. Also, I have to deal with C-level hospital executives, MRI techs, and everyone in between. So I know a thing or two about customer service. Does that make me an expert on RTTs? No. But I understand taking care of expensive equipment, in varying environments, with many variables, and how to deal with a whole array of customers, even the ones that are idiots, without getting into a missing contest with them.

First, I do not think the CVT is great quality. Second, their service has been horrible.

I bought the biggest, most expensive tent they sell. I drive to Bend to pick it up because I wanted a demo of it. When I got there, they had (2) guys do the job that took forever, because they knew neither how to install one, nor how to operate one. It was a complete waste of my time. But I was gracious, and I even threw the guys $100 each because they had busted the knuckles and did the best they could (I try to treaty people right always).

I got home and went to set it up and realized these guys had no clue what they were doing and what they taught me they were pretty much making up as they went. Not a big deal, but again this is the whole reason I drove to Bend. It cost me more in gas (not counting a very long day) than shipping would have. Then the interior light did not work. So I call and they act like I am an idiot and don't know how to plug in into a 12v and push the button. Then they said that there are (2) flavors of the lights, and they had no idea which one I had, so I would have to tear it apart to figure it out. Couldn't they just send me both? Its a small cheap LED.. Nope. Well I wasn't unpacking it and then going though the steps to pull the light etc. They could (should) have just tested it...

I looked online and they say not to use any waterproofing. When I was picking it up, then told me not to pack it up with the rainfly on, which is a bear to get on and off. A few weeks later I had it set up in the yard. That night, with no rain fly on, there was a very light rain. Light enough that when I came out of the house in the AM (and it was not hot) there as almost no evidence of the rain. I went to get something out of the tent, and there was standing water on the sleeping bags. The interior ceiling panels were wet to the touch, almost dripping. They were as permeable as a white t-shirt. Absolutely NO waterproofing.. Upon close inspection, you could see that she of the seems were obviously not sealed well. So I called them. Voicemail. Called again. Voicemail.

I finally got ahold of someone. They basically said that there was zero chance that there was anything wrong with the tent, that despite the website I should have applied some waterproofing, and that I should have used the rain fly.

I spent most of my life in the deep south, with torrential rains, high humidity and very high heat. I have been camping for years. I have had all kinds of tents. I have never had such a poor quality material before, as it relates to being water resistant. it is not resistant at all.

I explained that it was quite a job to get the rain fly on and off, and asked if they had any instructions anywhere, since the on site demo was worthless and I couldnt find anything online. They said nope. Oh, and sorry, despite what you were told, you are supposed to leave the rain fly on... Sorry you were told otherwise. But again, despite the obvious issues near the seams and zippers, it not a tent problem. Zero accountability, and it was like pulling teeth just to get to talk to someone.

Ok fine.

So then today, I go out and open up the tent to air it out. Its been sealed up under the waterproof cover for a couple of months. I had it dried, bone dry, before I put it away. I used large desiccant packets al over inside. Having spent many years in the southern humanity, Ive seen materials mold in 2-3 days under the worst conditions, so I made sure it was really dry with desiccants all over. Well, when I opened it up, it was obvious that the waterproof cover is anything but. It was molding on the inside. The anticondensatoin mat was moldy, with the mold going all the way through to, and into the mattress. Mold everywhere. It was obvious that not only did the waterproof cover allow significant water in, it also went through the many panels without any hinderance at all.

I was a little shocked today. Why? Because I opened up my 23Zero 270 awning mounted next to it, and it was perfect. My ARB awning? Perfect. My patio furniture? Perfect? All the other stuff I have stored outside is just fine. I have only one item that is covered in mold...

So I email them pics... no reply. I didn't bother calling because it very difficult to reach the service side by phone. Then I asked a question on a local facebook group about people's experience with mold on the CVT products, noting that my other products don't look anything at all like this. Well, the same person I dealt with last time addressed me and basically said that its my fault. Plain and simple, no suggestion that I might have gotten one of the lemons that occasionally come through (and this person acknowledged that we'd talked in the past). Despite my 23zero and my ARB (and all my other stuff stored outside) looking absolutely noting like this, its 100% because I was supposed to be frequently venting it.

So basically, I've had nothing but problems and poor service, from the very beginning. To simply intimate to your customer that basically they are an idiot and there is no way you've done anything wrong or that there could be an issue with your foreign made product, is very sad. That's not good service at all. And despite what would might think is reasonable, or best practice with these tents, what I am seeing is either extremely poor quality, or a lemon... As I said, Ive got a whole host of other items stored outside, from a various vendors, from multiple awnings, to furniture and cushion waterproof covers, and when the most expensive cover has resulted in mold everywhere, and every other item is perfect, something is very wrong....
 
Last edited:
I had been planning to get a CVT for a while now, I didn't realize they were made in china ( or ghina 😀)....not to mention the issue above....
Ill probably go with the 23zero.. i like their new sun light blocking material...
 
CVT is garbage. A friend of mine hates it for all the above reasons stated. Apparently, the customer service is atrocious as well.
 
Well...

First, let me say that 1. experiences are not facts, despite the loudest protestations today. Neither are interpretations of experiences.
2. I own a handful of mobile MRI scanners. These are tractors trailers that house the most expensive medical equipment there is. They run on 3phase 480v 500a, and have their own HVAC, genset, patient lift, pluming etc. They bounce down the road and have to show up ready to do brain scans. My point, I know a thing or two about maintenance and care of equipment. Also, I have to deal with C-level hospital executives, MRI techs, and everyone in between. So I know a thing or two about customer service. Does that make me an expert on RTTs? No. But I understand taking care of expensive equipment, in varying environments, with many variables, and how to deal with a whole array of customers, even the ones that are idiots, without getting into a missing contest with them.

First, I do not think the CVT is great quality. Second, their service has been horrible.

I bought the biggest, most expensive tent they sell. I drive to Bend to pick it up because I wanted a demo of it. When I got there, they had (2) guys do the job that took forever, because they knew neither how to install one, nor how to operate one. It was a complete waste of my time. But I was gracious, and I even threw the guys $100 each because they had busted the knuckles and did the best they could (I try to treaty people right always).

I got home and went to set it up and realized these guys had no clue what they were doing and what they taught me they were pretty much making up as they went. Not a big deal, but again this is the whole reason I drove to Bend. It cost me more in gas (not counting a very long day) than shipping would have. Then the interior light did not work. So I call and they act like I am an idiot and don't know how to plug in into a 12v and push the button. Then they said that there are (2) flavors of the lights, and they had no idea which one I had, so I would have to tear it apart to figure it out. Couldn't they just send me both? Its a small cheap LED.. Nope. Well I wasn't unpacking it and then going though the steps to pull the light etc. They could (should) have just tested it...

I looked online and they say not to use any waterproofing. When I was picking it up, then told me not to pack it up with the rainfly on, which is a bear to get on and off. A few weeks later I had it set up in the yard. That night, with no rain fly on, there was a very light rain. Light enough that when I came out of the house in the AM (and it was not hot) there as almost no evidence of the rain. I went to get something out of the tent, and there was standing water on the sleeping bags. The interior ceiling panels were wet to the touch, almost dripping. They were as permeable as a white t-shirt. Absolutely NO waterproofing.. Upon close inspection, you could see that she of the seems were obviously not sealed well. So I called them. Voicemail. Called again. Voicemail.

I finally got ahold of someone. They basically said that there was zero chance that there was anything wrong with the tent, that despite the website I should have applied some waterproofing, and that I should have used the rain fly.

I spent most of my life in the deep south, with torrential rains, high humidity and very high heat. I have been camping for years. I have had all kinds of tents. I have never had such a poor quality material before, as it relates to being water resistant. it is not resistant at all.

I explained that it was quite a job to get the rain fly on and off, and asked if they had any instructions anywhere, since the on site demo was worthless and I couldnt find anything online. They said nope. Oh, and sorry, despite what you were told, you are supposed to leave the rain fly on... Sorry you were told otherwise. But again, despite the obvious issues near the seams and zippers, it not a tent problem. Zero accountability, and it was like pulling teeth just to get to talk to someone.

Ok fine.

So then today, I go out and open up the tent to air it out. Its been sealed up under the waterproof cover for a couple of months. I had it dried, bone dry, before I put it away. I used large desiccant packets al over inside. Having spent many years in the southern humanity, Ive seen materials mold in 2-3 days under the worst conditions, so I made sure it was really dry with desiccants all over. Well, when I opened it up, it was obvious that the waterproof cover is anything but. It was molding on the inside. The anticondensatoin mat was moldy, with the mold going all the way through to, and into the mattress. Mold everywhere. It was obvious that not only did the waterproof cover allow significant water in, it also went through the many panels without any hinderance at all.

I was a little shocked today. Why? Because I opened up my 23Zero 270 awning mounted next to it, and it was perfect. My ARB awning? Perfect. My patio furniture? Perfect? All the other stuff I have stored outside is just fine. I have only one item that is covered in mold...

So I email them pics... no reply. I didn't bother calling because it very difficult to reach the service side by phone. Then I asked a question on a local facebook group about people's experience with mold on the CVT products, noting that my other products don't look anything at all like this. Well, the same person I dealt with last time addressed me and basically said that its my fault. Plain and simple, no suggestion that I might have gotten one of the lemons that occasionally come through (and this person acknowledged that we'd talked in the past). Despite my 23zero and my ARB (and all my other stuff stored outside) looking absolutely noting like this, its 100% because I was supposed to be frequently venting it.

So basically, I've had nothing but problems and poor service, from the very beginning. To simply intimate to your customer that basically they are an idiot and there is no way you've done anything wrong or that there could be an issue with your foreign made product, is very sad. That's not good service at all. And despite what would might think is reasonable, or best practice with these tents, what I am seeing is either extremely poor quality, or a lemon... As I said, Ive got a whole host of other items stored outside, from a various vendors, from multiple awnings, to furniture and cushion waterproof covers, and when the most expensive cover has resulted in mold everywhere, and every other item is perfect, something is very wrong....
Thanks for the write up. With all our toys we usually end up dealing with customer service at some point and the way they handle issues is what makes the difference.
 
Well...

First, let me say that 1. experiences are not facts, despite the loudest protestations today. Neither are interpretations of experiences.
2. I own a handful of mobile MRI scanners. These are tractors trailers that house the most expensive medical equipment there is. They run on 3phase 480v 500a, and have their own HVAC, genset, patient lift, pluming etc. They bounce down the road and have to show up ready to do brain scans. My point, I know a thing or two about maintenance and care of equipment. Also, I have to deal with C-level hospital executives, MRI techs, and everyone in between. So I know a thing or two about customer service. Does that make me an expert on RTTs? No. But I understand taking care of expensive equipment, in varying environments, with many variables, and how to deal with a whole array of customers, even the ones that are idiots, without getting into a missing contest with them.

First, I do not think the CVT is great quality. Second, their service has been horrible.

I bought the biggest, most expensive tent they sell. I drive to Bend to pick it up because I wanted a demo of it. When I got there, they had (2) guys do the job that took forever, because they knew neither how to install one, nor how to operate one. It was a complete waste of my time. But I was gracious, and I even threw the guys $100 each because they had busted the knuckles and did the best they could (I try to treaty people right always).

I got home and went to set it up and realized these guys had no clue what they were doing and what they taught me they were pretty much making up as they went. Not a big deal, but again this is the whole reason I drove to Bend. It cost me more in gas (not counting a very long day) than shipping would have. Then the interior light did not work. So I call and they act like I am an idiot and don't know how to plug in into a 12v and push the button. Then they said that there are (2) flavors of the lights, and they had no idea which one I had, so I would have to tear it apart to figure it out. Couldn't they just send me both? Its a small cheap LED.. Nope. Well I wasn't unpacking it and then going though the steps to pull the light etc. They could (should) have just tested it...

I looked online and they say not to use any waterproofing. When I was picking it up, then told me not to pack it up with the rainfly on, which is a bear to get on and off. A few weeks later I had it set up in the yard. That night, with no rain fly on, there was a very light rain. Light enough that when I came out of the house in the AM (and it was not hot) there as almost no evidence of the rain. I went to get something out of the tent, and there was standing water on the sleeping bags. The interior ceiling panels were wet to the touch, almost dripping. They were as permeable as a white t-shirt. Absolutely NO waterproofing.. Upon close inspection, you could see that she of the seems were obviously not sealed well. So I called them. Voicemail. Called again. Voicemail.

I finally got ahold of someone. They basically said that there was zero chance that there was anything wrong with the tent, that despite the website I should have applied some waterproofing, and that I should have used the rain fly.

I spent most of my life in the deep south, with torrential rains, high humidity and very high heat. I have been camping for years. I have had all kinds of tents. I have never had such a poor quality material before, as it relates to being water resistant. it is not resistant at all.

I explained that it was quite a job to get the rain fly on and off, and asked if they had any instructions anywhere, since the on site demo was worthless and I couldnt find anything online. They said nope. Oh, and sorry, despite what you were told, you are supposed to leave the rain fly on... Sorry you were told otherwise. But again, despite the obvious issues near the seams and zippers, it not a tent problem. Zero accountability, and it was like pulling teeth just to get to talk to someone.

Ok fine.

So then today, I go out and open up the tent to air it out. Its been sealed up under the waterproof cover for a couple of months. I had it dried, bone dry, before I put it away. I used large desiccant packets al over inside. Having spent many years in the southern humanity, Ive seen materials mold in 2-3 days under the worst conditions, so I made sure it was really dry with desiccants all over. Well, when I opened it up, it was obvious that the waterproof cover is anything but. It was molding on the inside. The anticondensatoin mat was moldy, with the mold going all the way through to, and into the mattress. Mold everywhere. It was obvious that not only did the waterproof cover allow significant water in, it also went through the many panels without any hinderance at all.

I was a little shocked today. Why? Because I opened up my 23Zero 270 awning mounted next to it, and it was perfect. My ARB awning? Perfect. My patio furniture? Perfect? All the other stuff I have stored outside is just fine. I have only one item that is covered in mold...

So I email them pics... no reply. I didn't bother calling because it very difficult to reach the service side by phone. Then I asked a question on a local facebook group about people's experience with mold on the CVT products, noting that my other products don't look anything at all like this. Well, the same person I dealt with last time addressed me and basically said that its my fault. Plain and simple, no suggestion that I might have gotten one of the lemons that occasionally come through (and this person acknowledged that we'd talked in the past). Despite my 23zero and my ARB (and all my other stuff stored outside) looking absolutely noting like this, its 100% because I was supposed to be frequently venting it.

So basically, I've had nothing but problems and poor service, from the very beginning. To simply intimate to your customer that basically they are an idiot and there is no way you've done anything wrong or that there could be an issue with your foreign made product, is very sad. That's not good service at all. And despite what would might think is reasonable, or best practice with these tents, what I am seeing is either extremely poor quality, or a lemon... As I said, Ive got a whole host of other items stored outside, from a various vendors, from multiple awnings, to furniture and cushion waterproof covers, and when the most expensive cover has resulted in mold everywhere, and every other item is perfect, something is very wrong....

Wow that sucks, I’ve only had positive experience with CVT. Granted I don’t even trust mechanics to change my oil and I do all my own maintenance, repairs, and upgrades myself so I installed both RTTs myself. We broke one buckle on our Rainier and CVT promptly sent out a replacement.

What tent do you have that requires removal of the rain fly? Removing the fly would be a major PIA! We leave ours on all the time and have had zero issues with water.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom