Newbie to the RTT world?

hidesertwheelin

hidesertwheelin

Adventurist
I'm looking for some info on RTT's. I'm looking at something for my LX470. I have some really dumb basic questions. Right now it will probably be just my oldest daughter and I camping. My youngest may start coming soon though. My wife might come, but says she won't. I'm not sure if I should get a 3 person go up to one of the larger 4 person tent? I have a large Cabelas Alaska Guide tent I can use if the entire family comes. How long do they last before they need to be replaced? Do the covers keep them from taking a beating while riding on the roof all the time? I'm looking at either CVT or Tepui right now. I'm willing to look at used models also, but that just depends on what is available within my price range. Anything else I need to know about them? I have a full roof rack on order to mount it to, so that problem is taken care of.
 
I would opt for the 3 person tent... I have the cvt Mt shasta and it easily fit my father, son and myself in it. The annex room is also great. It allowed us to not only have a standing changing room but somewhere to hide from the elements..... Let me know if you have any other questions
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I had a Tepui keukenam and loved it. I upgraded to a hard shell, only reason I got rid of it. If I were to buy another, I would get one with the covered ladder, like the Tepui Autana. These tents, if taken care of will last for 10 years or more. The covers do a great job protecting them. One point is, don't store them wet, let them air out when you get home if caught in the rain............Good luck

Link to Autana

http://tepuitents.com/products/autana-ruggedized

Scott
 
Another fan of Tepui. I have an exposed ladder and annex. I can definitely see the benefits of an enclosed ladder. I think annex is absolutely a game changer. Takes the tent to something significantly more.
 
You might try contacting Brian at @Goose Gear, he carries the CVT tents and I think he stocks some of them. You may be able to swing by and compare the sizes in person
 
hidesertwheelin said:
Thanks for the info everyone. I'll try and swing by @Goose Gear next time I am in Orange County. And I know of a Tepui rep that will have some display tents at KOH. Hopefully I can get one before the SoCal Desert Rendezvous.
Click to expand...

Hello hidesertwheelin, we have a 1+ person and 4+ person CVT tent on display right now. We also have a 2+ person and 3+ person on our rigs. Give us a call to make sure we are at the shop when you want to stop by, we're in and out a bit. As for CVT vs. Tepui, we chose to carry CVT because they are also a small business and the owners are truly great people. Customer service is absolutely top notch. Quality is great, we run our tents constantly and have had zero issues. We know tents and can answer just about any question you might have.

Matt uses a 3+ person Mt Rainier on his Double Cab Tacoma for his 4 person family, kids are under 13 and typically sleep in the annex anyway. I use a 2+ person Mt Shasta on my T4R and typically take my daughter under 12 and one of her friends and we fit just fine all upstairs. The annex on both of our tent models has the veranda with the ladder inside of the annex, makes for a great changing room, toilet room and an additional room for up to 3-4 people in case of an emergency. As for the covers, my tent is on my rig 100% of the time and the cover is holding up perfect. You can also buy replacement covers in case one gets damaged. We have been on heavily overgrown trails and have even had CB antennas ripped off of rigs in our group and the covers hold up quite well against branches etc.

If you don't make it by before DRV16 come on over at the Rendezvous and we will be happy to show you our setups. If you do make it before DRV16, you'll be a much happier camper :D
 
I found someone selling a hardly used Tepui tent for sale, but it's made for a 4 person. Is it possible to go to big? I don't want to freeze my butt off with just my daughter and I in a large tent in winter. I'm guessing it's to big, but I figured I ask.
 
I have one of the larger tents Tepui makes and do most of my camping in the fall or winter. My son and I have enough room in the tent for another full sized person between us. The majority of nights are at least under 32 degrees. I have had several occasions when I left the tent in the middle of the night and have found the tent to be significantly warmer than outside. I don't have any actual facts or figures, but my tent holds the heat very well.

You can also place reflectix between the mattress and the condensation mat to make things more comfortable in the tent.
 
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