ARCHIVE Tired of all the "same", big honking RTT's. So I made a new one. - Terrapod!

[JJBiggs]

RTTx002. In-field Test#1 Update:
CruiseMoab 2019.

Our friend is presently on the Kokopelli Trail heading towards Moab, UT with the CruiseMoab 2019 group. The group got hit with INSANE weather last evening and into the early am hours.

Messages from the RTTx002 owner:

On the Road Text Message:
"Road report. High winds in Missouri were fun. You can tell the tent is up there in a 30mph crosswind. But solid as hell no issues. We left Topeka this morning about 6 and are in western Kansas now, more crazy winds."

Text Message Monday:
"Monday morning preflight. Drive through some major storms yesterday. Tent is totally dry. So at least closed it’s awesome!"

Phone Conversation:
"We hit heavy, heavy rain and wind driving through Kansas. Opened the tent up once we go to Grand Station, CO. Tent is perfect and dry."

Text Message while on Kokopelli:
"OMG. We got one helluva field test. Started about 5pm. Monsoon level. Hail. Stopped about 9pm long enough to get in the tent. Then at 2am. BIG storm. Damn near blew the rain fly off. The straps saved it. However...DRY."

Safe to say - Looks like Test #1 is a resounding success.

Side feedback - need stronger gas springs to aid in opening faster.

More to come...Stay tuned.

Preflight Check:

Kokopelli Trailhead:

 

[JJBiggs]

By-the-minute updates. As of this very moment. The group has stopped and is drying out after last night's deluge.

 

[kbahus]

Nice work on bringing something unique and useful to the market. Two thumbs up!

 

[JJBiggs]

Field test #1 is now in the books. Overall - a fantastic success. Could not have asked for a better extreme weather test than what my friends *unfortunately* had to endure. That said - the tent kept them dry and most importantly safe.

Here are some awesome shots from the Kokopelli run down into Moab.

 

[JJBiggs]

Perhaps the best shot... on road carnage.

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

Maybe I missed it but what is the roof and the floor made out of?

 

[JJBiggs]

Maybe I missed it but what is the roof and the floor made out of?

Insulating composite FRP sandwich panels.

 

[JJBiggs]

Finally had a chance to get out this past weekend and give 001 a go.
The greenery in the Appalachians this past weekend was intoxicating...

 

[JJBiggs]

Howdy all - quick update on summer testing. Things are progressing nicely. 002 came back from Moab a wonderful success having survived monsoon level rains, high winds and hail. Not a drop of moisture inside or a failure in the fabric.

Very, very satisfied with the results to date.

003 is presently in production and will likely be the closest thing to the production versions. Once completed, all 3 will be out in the wild for the remainder of the summer testing every aspect we can to break them. Come fall 2019 - I am aiming to begin production.

In the meantime - I have been testing 001 with the new 100W solar array, custom fabricated 50Ah LFP solar charger and a Dometic CFX40 fridge. Amazed how efficient the Dometic is. Looking forward to further testing in the field.

More to come very soon.

 

[JJBiggs]

Aaaaahhh product testing. Tent 002 goes pop! While installing new, upgraded gas springs, the owner of 002 inadvertently found a fail point. Can anyone spot it?

Result: Heavy duty lower mounts for everybody!

 

[Rudster]

Side mount bent

 

[JJBiggs]

RTTx News: Some FAQ's

Current Status:
The tents are currently in beta testing till Sept. Following testing the product will be evaluated for revision and final release. At that time, I will be opening up the initial production run of ten to get things off the ground.

Q&A's
What are the interior and exterior dimensions?
Interior approx. 88" x 52.5" x 52" @ peak
Exterior 54"x 90" x 5.25" Closed

What size is the mattress?
Best fit: 84" x 50" (long full)

Please note: No mattress will be offered directly. I have determined that this is a personal choice and I will offer two options - The NEMO Cosmo XL insulated inflatable (I have this...and IT'S AWESOME) or a traditional custom foam mattress of your choice via thefoamfactory.com. Either will be about $200-300 after shipping. (Note: Foam Factory offers a slew of foam density choices and is an excellent product).

How much bedding can be stowed when closed?
The interior storage is 3.5" when closed. I usually store my sleeping bag and inflatable mattress up there with my pillow in the truck (helps to removes humidity). A foam mattress will allow less, but a blanket, light bag, etc should be fine with a quality 2"-2.5" foam.

Electric? Any USB's?
There has been much discussion about this. The standard tent will not offer custom electrical. Electric is an easy DIY solution and super simple to customize. There are ample electrical runs within the framing. If you choose for us to customize the tent, added costs will be required.

Any other options?
Choice of fabric colors is the standard options that don't incur higher costs.

What comes standard:
Tent frame will be black anodized with white panel insert.
Main fabric has 6 color choices available
A battery operated LED light
Heavy weather support rods
Rainfly / Awning
Custom mounting points specifically for your vehicle / rack.

 

[JJBiggs]

This Question has come up a few times: How much room is there in the tent for storing bedding, etc?

Answer: A solid amount. 3.5" of height available when using an inflatable mattress. Shown in this photo - my 40˚ bag, heavy weight blanket, and the Nemo Cosmos 50 XL insulated inflatable mattress. (Highly recommended). If I fold my bag in half length-wise, I could easily place my pillow up there as well. (Although, I choose to keep it in the truck when traveling (removes humidity).

Even with a quality 2-2.5" foam mattress there would be enough room for a bag, blanket, linens, etc.

 

[Gazziza]

RTTx News: Some FAQ's

Current Status:
The tents are currently in beta testing till Sept. Following testing the product will be evaluated for revision and final release. At that time, I will be opening up the initial production run of ten to get things off the ground.

Q&A's
What are the interior and exterior dimensions?
Interior approx. 88" x 52.5" x 52" @ peak
Exterior 54"x 90" x 5.25" Closed

What size is the mattress?
Best fit: 84" x 50" (long full)

Please note: No mattress will be offered directly. I have determined that this is a personal choice and I will offer two options - The NEMO Cosmo XL insulated inflatable (I have this...and IT'S AWESOME) or a traditional custom foam mattress of your choice via thefoamfactory.com. Either will be about $200-300 after shipping. (Note: Foam Factory offers a slew of foam density choices and is an excellent product).

How much bedding can be stowed when closed?
The interior storage is 3.5" when closed. I usually store my sleeping bag and inflatable mattress up there with my pillow in the truck (helps to removes humidity). A foam mattress will allow less, but a blanket, light bag, etc should be fine with a quality 2"-2.5" foam.

Electric? Any USB's?
There has been much discussion about this. The standard tent will not offer custom electrical. Electric is an easy DIY solution and super simple to customize. There are ample electrical runs within the framing. If you choose for us to customize the tent, added costs will be required.

Any other options?
Choice of fabric colors is the standard options that don't incur higher costs.

What comes standard:
Tent frame will be black anodized with white panel insert.
Main fabric has 6 color choices available
A battery operated LED light
Heavy weather support rods
Rainfly / Awning
Custom mounting points specifically for your vehicle / rack.

How does the RTT mount? I know you're using a Rhino Rack backbone but does it use the traditional C-channel mount? Also any ability to have a rack system on the top of the tent to say load a SUP or Kayak on it?

 

[JJBiggs]

How does the RTT mount? I know you're using a Rhino Rack backbone but does it use the traditional C-channel mount? Also any ability to have a rack system on the top of the tent to say load a SUP or Kayak on it?

It can be a direct mount (via brackets, such as what is shown on the 80 series and my 4Runner), or rack mount or.....? It pretty versatile.

Regarding a rack - it is in the works and will be a second version of the tent. That version will obviously not follow the lowest profile rule or even likely the lightest weight. Those two factors were part of the primary goals when this was designed.

 

[JJBiggs]

Tis the summer months. And here in the wonderful Atlanta Metro, that means hot, hotter, and then humid hot. Frankly it sucks. 90-95˚ with 85-100% humidity.

Working on the tents in these conditions....blows.

The last prototype is presently about 95% complete. Here are the items that have been updated as things have progressed with the design / prototype execution phase:

- Side screen doors have been modified
- Storm flaps are now on the outside
- Material change - Screens to be heavier duty
- Material change - main tray to be a specially designed aluminum profile (reason: will result in lighter weight, easier fabrication and better final strength than current profile.)
- Sewing still sucks. Looking for assistance in this department.

Here is 003 as she sits in the shop:

 

[OilHammer]

When I lived there, I put a small window a/c unit in the garage window. HUGE difference. My garage was insulated, but I would turn it on Friday night so the garage was 72d for Saturday shop time. Ultimately moved to Colorado to fix that problem. . Nice tent. I dig where you are going. I'm hoping 007 has some hidden features.

 

[JJBiggs]

I'm hoping 007 has some hidden features.

LOL. Thinking I should keep serial number 007 for myself for this very reason.

 

[JJBiggs]

Sometimes...the smallest details come out to be the coolest. Allow me a moment to nerd out over the new latch & spring rod assembly I just completed for 003.

 

[JJBiggs]

RTTx 003: The third prototype is complete. A lot has been learned building these three. 003 far and away is the cleanest, sexiest of the 3. It is also the closest to the intended production version and has lot of changes on it.

Details:
- The framing is 100% powder coated
- The Fabric was revised and simplified to enable a quicker production and lighter weight
- The gas springs were upped to accommodate the new gear net.
- While I need to weigh it, I am very certain the final weight of this unit is less than the 120# of the previous proto’s.

Next steps?

Funding is needed to gets things rolling properly. A Kickstarter campaign will be starting soon to aid in material purchases and expanding to a space for proper production. Tied to this - I have designed a custom aluminum extrusion profile that will be proprietary to these units. By going custom - the tent will achieve a weight UNDER 100 pounds.
Look for the announcement soon.