A couple basic questions about rtt's and their supporting racks

[rotary]

Hey guys Im planning my first overland family trip at the end of next summer. Ive got a young family and find it to be the perfect way to disconnect everyone from tv screens. So I've bought a new truck and I plan to pick up everything second hand. My first question is when I buy a rear bed rack for the tent should it be steel or aluminum? I plan to remove the rack when not camping, but with two adults and two children is a rtt a wise choice? I haven't found much information as far as weight capacity for the frames themselves. I have a feeling I'll be the one sleeping in the annex on the ground anyway :)

 

[4xFar Adventures]

You'd need a fairly large RTT to fit the family if you want them to be comfortable and have a good time. At least you've accepted your place in the annex already;) Do lots of research and take them down to the Tepui factory in Santa Cruz. Evan and his crew are great!

How high do you want the RTT? I've seen some mounted above the bed with short Thule feet and crossbars. I guess it depends how much room you need in the truck bed for camping gear.

 

[VDawg1115]

They do have RTTs big enough for you, but you'll need a decent sized truck bed. When I have a family, I will have an RTT on the rig and one on the trailer as well

 

[Anders0nic]

Bed racks are now being produced by many off-road suppliers. I would say, choosing a bed rack can be based on location of supplier, and just how close you live to them(thus saving on shipping). Most of them are over engineered for their intended use anyways. I suggest finding a manufacturer that utilizes full bed rail length mounting solutions instead of just the simple foot pad style mounting. The full rail length style distribute the load in a more "even" fashion. Have you ever considered a camper shell and then mounting the RTT to that? If you are local in the Bay Area(SF bay area that is), go check out Jerry Lee's shop in Benicia(Bay Area Metal Fabrication or BAMF). Good luck and may the force be with you.

 

[rotary]

I didn't realize so many of the suppliers were near me. I think a trip to the bay might be a great way to find out which products will work for me.


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

 

[Steve G]

You're lucky to have manufacturers nearby... definately go pay them a visit, I'm sure they will give you some great advice. Some do make large rtt's that can handle a family of four.

This guy bought two RTT's and mounted them to his Tacoma:


I got a killer black friday deal on a smittybilt rtt, but its definitely a 2 person tent max. Our two kids sleep in the rtt (or "the fort" as they call it) and the wife and I sleep in a foxwing awning/tagalong tent. We really enjoy this setup.

 

[Big E]

I bought rails for a Tacoma from 4x innovations. I have a small tent and used 2 rails, you may need 3. Theirs are strong and beefy, but heavy. Worked great.

 

[TDGarage]

Hi,

I can't answer your specific question about the rack but here's my 2 cents and this is coming from a guy who owns a RTT. When ever I go camping with my kids (5 y.o. twins) I take a ground tent. I enjoy using my RTT but having my kids climb the ladder and the ingress/egress makes me nervous. Also, the late nite potty issues are a pain (having to climb down) needing to store the shoes inside the tent for the kids because it hurts their feet climbing barefoot. On top of that the RTT is 2x-5x more expensive.

Family camping for me = ground tents.