I want to start camping again. (The unintentional build)

Well that sucks. Apparently Ian is the only one who does “regular” customer service. My email today was from Stephanie who is the manager. I think she was following up with me because I sent an email a few weeks ago scolding them for lack of service and ignored her lame reply to that scolding.

 

But how do you like camping with your new rig so far?

 

I have rock sliders as well similar to yours. How does the bedliner help with slippage on them with wet boots? I use cheap non-skid tape at critical points for all 4 doors. I have to replace frequently but it's a good cheap option.

 

I've not had any kind of traction issues. I kinda wish I had just painted them though. Tearing up the bed liner on Imogene Pass pointed out that bed liner isn't real easy to touch up. I'm going to have to pull them off, strip it all off, and redo the coating with something else. Might go for a powder coat, but only if I can find a decent way to touch it up.

 

A little bit of a peek at the new iKampers.

https://youtu.be/mnwaewKql64



If they are really watertight when closed then I think this will be my route. If they aren't, then I'm back at the GFC or an enclosed trailer setup.

 

Sorry, gonna be some iKamper spam. This pic is from the video below and I am slightly concerned that there isn't much of an actual seal around the edge of the tent. That was one of the things that I liked on the RN. I'd love for iKamper to turn the tables and take the RN design and build it with quality. Fair play IMO considering RN just rips everyone else off and uses cheap, shitty Chinese manufacturing. Not saying all Chinese built stuff is bad. They can make good stuff, but RN goes for the lowest bidder with no quality control.



https://youtu.be/xr4kUqxg4yU

 

That is one huge fault of rtt’s imo, maybe it is water tight, but if it rains while open, you are putting it away wet. So if you are on a multi day trip, with several camp spots, and tye rain doesnt let up, its going to suck.

 

No different from any other tent. Just have to set it up in the garage for a couple days when you get home.

 

Like @Cpl_Punishment said, that's the downside to any tent. My "waterproof" concerns aren't about when the tent is deployed, though. Whatever option I go with is going to basically live on my truck 24/7/365 so it has to be able to handle a car wash/pressure wash type scenario when the truck is being cleaned. The tent will be closed for this, obviously, but if it doesn't have a gasket or something to seal it there might be water intrusion when closed.

I asked Go Fast about their camper and they said the tent seals and is fine going through a car wash. If iKamper can't say the same, then they are off the list. I don't have a garage and I don't have help to be taking the thing on and off the truck. It's got to be able to survive whatever the truck does.

 

Ikamper should be good I would assume since its usually mounted full time on a vehicle but who knows what they are going to say about putting it through a car wash.

 

Off topic but I'm always curious how much thought vehicle manufacturers put into the fact that I'm going to blast every possible surface of my vehicle with high pressure water every couple of weeks all winter every winter.

 

As far as I know most RTT recommend storage during low use/winter. I don't know of any besides the GFC that are meant to be a permanent fixture.

They expect you to treat it properly afterward. Blasting it clean is fine, but if you don't put some protection back on... well, that's not their problem.

 

I was just thinking of what might be destroyed by the pressure during washing.

 

Shouldn't hurt anything as long as the pressure washer is at a reasonable distance. They've designed it to survive a carwash, because no model would survive the backlash if it was "disassembled" by the pressure of a carwash.

 

While I have not analyzed most “plastic” shell RTTs, I believe most have the shell coming down and overlapping the floor. The plastic shell is relatively thin this cannot come down with a rubber seal to meet the floor. The RN Overlander’ one strong point is the aluminum cover. I’ve analyzed it extensively and it’s a solid design. It seals against the floor very well and no water is getting in while closed.

Also, I believe most suggest storage during the winter because they don’t want to deal with damage due to freezing water in certain locations.,so if any water is trapped in an area with potentially weak material, ie plastic, that water freezing could cause damage.

 

I think you are correct. That's why I wish iKamper had an aluminum tent similar to the RN one. I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Hell, if they hadn't been such a bunch of ass-clowns I would have been swapping for a new tent or repairing it. The design/spirit of the RN Overlander is good, but the execution is... well... not. I'm going to take time to weigh the options and analyze my needs, but the GFC is just getting more and more attractive at this point.

With my luck, I'll buy something, and then GFC will release a V3 that is better and I can kick myself for jumping the gun. FOMO is real.

 

That’s a never ending loop

Honestly, I really like the iKamper mini. If I were to do it again, I would take that route. It’s simple, does the job. Quality build, small enough to manage and so on. The list of benefits is long and the list of cons is short. If you ever did want to store it, it’s an easy 135 lb small footprint. However the storage of the GFC would be a challenge. Of course, what do I know? I’m the guy on the list for a 300lb RTT so may not be a good idea to listen to me

 

You raise valid points, and it's appreciated!

If I go GFC it's never coming off the truck. Period. The iKamper mini is nice for the size and price, but I don't know if it will survive Wyoming winters stored on the truck. 135 pounds isn't too much to move, but the size makes it too awkward for a one man move into something like a storage unit. Without a garage and with no one to help, it simply must be able to survive on the truck. There is no other option.

 

Just gonna cuz it is technically 2022....

 

If I had it on hand and had any kind of idea about a direct investment in a business, I would!

 

Copied from the "what makes you angry thread" https://www.tundras.com/threads/what-makes-you-angry.445/page-105#post-2657703

Roofnest. They absolutely infuriate me. Sent me a damaged tent, said they'd get me info on repair/replacement parts "in a couple days" and then didn't respond for 2 weeks. Pissed me off enough I decided I wanted a refund. Had to tell them I wanted a refund over and over and had to wait a day for a reply each time. That was on the phone, no less.

Now I have it all wrapped up on a pallet and ready to ship back as of Tuesday and they forward me automated responses that the guy I was emailing is out of the office until today. I responded asking if anyone else could arrange freight.... and I've gotten 2 more forwarded copies of the guys automated out of office message.

I sent another email expressing that this lack of communication and ability to handle things is why I wanted the refund in the first place. If I don't get some kind of reply today that they have freight arranged, I am going to push for a chargeback from my CC company. I am done.

 

Holy shit. Apparently RN just doesn't care until you get angry with them. Less than an hour after telling them I was going to quit being nice I have a response and a BOL for pickup on Monday. FFS, I have to get nasty to get them off their asses.

 

It’s sad, but a bit humerus. I’m sure you don’t think so, but man, talk about dealing with clowns. I am still convinced that their organization consists of about 5 or 6 individuals at best. They have a big time marketing concept but not the operations to match it.

I did receive the replacement material today which was pretty fast from overseas. Go figure, I’m still waiting for the shorter struts that are coming directly from RN in CO.

 

I can 100% see the humor from an outside perspective. It's got some serious shock value like "No way! They can't be THAT bad... can they?.... Oh. Oh, gosh, they can be!" I totally get it.

The frustration has been real though. If they hadn't been such dead weight I would either have been repairing my tent, or I would have gotten a refund by now and could have moved on to something else. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise and I'll save my money like a responsible adult...

 

How long have you been dealing with them for your tent?

 

First opened it up and found all the problems on January 8th.

 

Beginning of January for me as well. @AzureNightmare and I purchased the same tent about the same time. I had some of the same issues as he but he also had some additional damage that I did not have. Bottom line is it is poor quality with no QA inspection of the finished product.