New affordable lite RTT option coming to soon!

[Utilityman]

A lot of people in the States are starting to sell RTT like these from China. Honestly seems like they are getting great reviews! There is a group buy on T4R.org for hard shell RTT’s right now.

Kinda makes me second guess spending 2x as much.


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[SubeeBen]

I am in the buying mode now if it is a availaible I will buy it please let me know

 

[Obi-Juan]

any updates?

No luck. Not sure if this guy is going to start selling them or not. We should probably look for another local source or group buy from China directly. I've been going back and forth with a distributer in China to see how much it would be to ship a sample to the Port of Los Angeles. They take for ever to respond (at least a week to reply), but hopefully I'll have more info soon.

 

[Smileyshaun]

Not to sound rude but , to save a few bucks your going to take away the paycheck of a USA made product? It's no wonder our economy gets worse and worse , everybody wants quantity not quality . So if it takes a week to get a simple response about buying the product how long do you think a warranty issue will take ?

 

[Gregory Youngblood]

Not to sound rude but , to save a few bucks your going to take away the paycheck of a USA made product? It's no wonder our economy gets worse and worse , everybody wants quantity not quality . So if it takes a week to get a simple response about buying the product how long do you think a warranty issue will take ?

Agree about the lack of response and likely issues with warranty responses. Add to that a return (for repair or refund) is not practical because of sheer shipping costs and logistics. I wouldn't choose this route for myself, at least not for something like this. But that's just me.

However, I'd venture to say that many if not most of the RTT on the market are not actually made in the USA. Several seem so similar I suspect they originate from the manufacturer as well.

And, while I personally try to buy/shop local where possible, sometimes that's not possible or practical for one reason or another. To my way of thinking, it's a personal choice, and there are other areas where it is easier to really try to buy US made things than RTTs. :)

And, if saving some money like this opens up a new sense of adventure for a family and brings that family closer together, isn't a strong and close family ultimately the most important in the long run?

 

[MazeVX]

In germany most of the rtt tents come from China, there are a few that's made here or in Europe but, often they are ridiculous expensive, not because they are so much better, or because the people who build them get paid well... It's simply because people try to get rich fast...

 

[Smileyshaun]

If you're buying a chinese-made products aren't Smittybilt roof-top tents already that cheap?

 

[Gregory Youngblood]

If you're buying a chinese-made products aren't Smittybilt roof-top tents already that cheap?

Sure looks like it - the Smittybilt 2883 (?) is $1099 and the annex is $299 -- shape and size wise it looks similar to the CVT Mt Shasta tent/annex I have, and at $1400 it's about $250 less than I ended up paying when I got mine on sale 2+ years ago. And they have another tent for $899 without the overhang on the entrance.

I have no idea of their quality, but the reviews on Amazon seem OK. Sure seems like a reasonable alternative.

 

[Gregory Youngblood]

In germany most of the rtt tents come from China, there are a few that's made here or in Europe but, often they are ridiculous expensive, not because they are so much better, or because the people who build them get paid well... It's simply because people try to get rich fast...

Yeah, know what you mean.

 

[Obi-Juan]

Great conversion... obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinion(s). I originally posted this at a time when there weren't many other "affordable lite RTT options" out there. The closest comparison that I could find in the same price range was the entry level Smittlybilt, priced at just under $900 plus tax. I have heard from others that they do like them, and the build quality was ok and useable for the price. I'm not sure, but I believe it's actually produced in China as well, so they may be similar in that respect as well. Now if roof weight is a concern to you (as it is for many), the Smittybilt is almost 40 pounds heavier. So what I'd like to clarify is that this thread by its very title was meant to be focused on: 1) Affordability 2) Weight 3) An RTT option

If money was of no concern, my rig would have nothing but the best of the best... but at least at my house, I have to budget my outdoor recreation expenses accordingly.

 

[Gregory Youngblood]

Great conversion... obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinion(s). I originally posted this at a time when there weren't many other "affordable lite RTT options" out there. The closest comparison that I could find in the same price range was the entry level Smittlybilt, priced at just under $900 plus tax. I have heard from others that they do like them, and the build quality was ok and useable for the price. I'm not sure, but I believe it's actually produced in China as well, so they may be similar in that respect as well. Now if roof weight is a concern to you (as it is for many), the Smittybilt is almost 40 pounds heavier. So what I'd like to clarify is that this thread by its very title was meant to be focused on: 1) Affordability 2) Weight 3) An RTT option

If money was of no concern, my rig would have nothing but the best of the best... but at least at my house, I have to budget my outdoor recreation expenses accordingly.

Speaking of weight. One thing the smittybilt specs didn't make sense on, weight was something 135 pounds but shipping weight was 50 pounds.




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[MazeVX]

When it's all about weight and maybe about innovation, try this :

https://gentletent.com/

 

[Gregory Youngblood]

If money was of no concern, my rig would have nothing but the best of the best... but at least at my house, I have to budget my outdoor recreation expenses accordingly.

something occurred to me, a play on an old expression.

When shopping for a RTT, you can have it good, light weight, or cheap, pick two. :)

 

[FlyingBasset]

Not to sound rude but , to save a few bucks your going to take away the paycheck of a USA made product? It's no wonder our economy gets worse and worse , everybody wants quantity not quality . So if it takes a week to get a simple response about buying the product how long do you think a warranty issue will take ?

Also not to be rude, but where do you think these US and Australian companies get these tents that all look the same? They are all imported from China and marked up once they get here. Buying from a US company =/= a US made product.

 

[NorCalZR2]

100lbs does not strike me as light...I think Tepui's lightest tent is 90lbs.

 

[jeepwillikers]

100lbs does not strike me as light...I think Tepui's lightest tent is 90lbs.

Yeah they are about 90 lbs and the Ayer series is about $1000 give or take depending on the exact model you choose and their customer service response time is lightning fast. I’d recommend going that route if you are looking for the cheapest lightest option. It seems to be a good compromise of the good/light/cheap turn of phrase. Also, REI stocks Tepui products so you can ship to your nearest store for free.


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[NorCalZR2]

Yeah they are about 90 lbs and the Ayer series is about $1000 give or take depending on the exact model you choose and their customer service response time is lightning fast. I’d recommend going that route if you are looking for the cheapest lightest option. It seems to be a good compromise of the good/light/cheap turn of phrase. Also, REI stocks Tepui products so you can ship to your nearest store for free.


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If your going to REI, wait for annual 20% off coupon...that's what we did.

 

[Stratz]

If your going to REI, wait for annual 20% off coupon...that's what we did.

When is that?... I'm guessing annually but when should the next one be around?

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[murps]

Following

 

[AZAdventurer]

any idea on how many adults/kids would fit?