Enthusiast III
Hello all, I am currently adding a RTT to my overland vehicle and I am looking for ideas to add to the tent to make it more enjoyable. Any electric suggestions, any structural or mechanical suggestions are welcome, thanks
RTT extra accessories
- Thread starter ssouthard
- Start date
Educator I
- 10,890
- First Name
- Jim
- Last Name
- Bro
- Member #
12989
- Service Branch
- USAF DAV
Winter panels if you go out in winter. Carpet for accessing the ladder with clean feet, heater or cold weather bag, fan.....
Jim
Jim
Trail Blazer III
- 4,847
- First Name
- Dave
- Last Name
- Ballard
- Member #
20527
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- N7XQP
- Service Branch
- Fire/EMS/SAR
Dedicated 12v power up to the tent is awesome. We use our RTT all year in temps from 100+ to -5 degrees. Primary source of heat in the winter is a 12v electric blanket in our sleeping bag. being able to plug in to an outlet and not have to bring up a power station or extension cord is nice, along with charging phones etc. We also have a mounted 12v fan and a LED light. Ventilation in the tent is critical when temps get extreme in either direction. With our previous soft shell tent a fan and keeping a window or two partially open was critical to keeping condensation at bay, now that we have a tent with dual layers of fabric w/ an air gap we do not have a condensation issue anymore except when its cold and very wet or humid. Switching to a wedge tent from a soft shell was a game changer, we do have quite a bit less room and no annex, but the time saved each day with setting up and packing away really adds up. Packing up has gone from a min of 15 minutes to around 2 minutes and a lot less wet / frozen canvas to deal with. Some type of awning or any type of cover over the entrance is very nice when camping in lots of rain. Probably the best accessory for us is ditching the factory mattress for a good quality self inflating mattress. All tent manufacturers' claim to have the best multi layer mattresses, but have not found any that come close to the X-ped we are currently using (we have tried two of the Amazon special knock offs and they did not last more than one season before leaking at the seams) being able to adjust the pressure to get a perfect comfort level is amazing, waking up well rested makes the whole day so much better. I do recommend a good quality pump that can inflate and deflate the mattress.
Protector II
This was extremely helpful. Thank you!
Contributor II
First priority is a rain resistant bag to place your shoes in. Hang the bag on the outside of the RTT. Always keep items in the same location such as keys, water bottle, fresh clothes, etc. Organization is key to finding things in the dark or in the morning. Last check you have the keys to the vehicle before breaking down the RTT. Hope you enjoy your RTT as much as I enjoy mine.
Trail Blazer III
- 4,847
- First Name
- Dave
- Last Name
- Ballard
- Member #
20527
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- N7XQP
- Service Branch
- Fire/EMS/SAR
Great points, I wish I could say I have never gone to start the Jeep only to discover the keys were still in the now folded up tent lol. would not be so bad with a wedge tent, but more fun than one wants to have on a rainy morning with a soft shell. 5 years later and have not done that twice!
Enthusiast III
Steward II
- 10,598
- First Name
- Dave
- Last Name
- Addington
- Member #
10123
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- KN6BKH
I added carpet stick on tiles to the aluminum floor, helps with the cold and condensation. I also added 12v power to LED tape strips that stick up inside with a 3 way “switch loop” so I can turn off the lights by the door or by my head. The power also runs my CPAP AirMini off the truck battery. Lastly I installed a Propex heater inside ammo cans and my heater set up is 30 seconds as we live up in North Idaho. Overkill? Yes!
Enthusiast III
