Smittybilt Overlander RTT - Is Mine A Dud?

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What are your thoughts?

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SLPNBG

SLPNBG

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Glad to see the OP got a replacement for the delaminating problem. I just went back to 4WheelParts with mine for the same reason. If i'm getting a replacement i might opt for the XL.
 
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w_m_photo

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talt2008 said:
What is the 3rd tent? I'm curious because I'm trying to figure out which brand to buy since they all have pros and cons. They all look the same, but I'm finding they are all completely different construction

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Sorry I didn't see this question. The third is from FreeSpirit Rec... https://www.gofsr.com/
 
ob_explore

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Kevin108 said:
I disagree that the black straps are for any support of the floor. The poles are too insubstantial to serve as structural members. They are strong enough, however, to hold tension on the fabric. The black straps link the poles together so that unfolding the floor opens the tent and pulls the fabric taut.

Your explanation of the ladder angle is spot-on though. The limitations of the extension ladder that comes with the Smittybilt and your CVT are why I swapped in a telescoping ladder from Tepui. It has bigger feet that are able to hold more traction, it's taller, it has a higher weight capacity, and each rung is a point of adjustment, so you are far more likely to find a good angle. They run about $150 and only require the drilling of a single additional hole in the tent floor.



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You're correct in the straps not supporting the floor but they are designed to prevent the tent material from sagging. If the floor is not 180 degrees, then the ladder is either too short, set too long, or at the wrong angle. This will cause misalignment of the tongue and groove of the base/floor as well as cause the tent roof to sag and collect rainwater and then become overburdened by water weight and collapse. My Smittybilt XL was set up from Thursday to Monday at ExpoEast without a hitch. Bedore I ever used it, I saw the overhang being capable of collecting water so I did make an extra support pole out of PVC conduit to support it in the middle.

Crude drawing attached haha!
Blue lines are factory poles
Green line is removable pole that supports the overhang
Yellow lines are the PVC supports I added.
Screenshot_20181206-150325_Samsung%20Notes.jpeg
 
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