NY to Vermont camping trip with Prinsu Rack + iKamper

[jplblue]

We ordered and installed a Prinsu Rack to use with our iKamper since taking the RTT on/off the OEM crossbars on our sloped driveway was nerve racking, to say the least. With a full roof rack, we don't have to worry about the tent slipping off the crossbars during mounting and slamming into the glass roof. We have a similar style rack on our other vehicle, and I personally like the look.

We were able to use it for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. Some helpful bits first:

• Averaged 2.07 mi/kWh over 600 miles with ~70/30 mix of conserve/all purpose in mountainous terrain. Previously, averaged around 2 mi/kWh with the RTT on, usually with less time on conserve. Overall, I'm guessing that efficiency is about the same -- maybe a tiny bit worse due to weight of the rack.
• Wind noise was about the same, maybe a little better than simply using the OEM crossbars.
• If you plan to use a RTT, particularly the iKamper, with the Prinsu rack, *plan your crossbars* accordingly. I installed all the crossbars on the Prinsu and realized that I could not access the mounting hardware of the RTT since the rack is so low-profile. I had to remove the first front crossbars, which was not easy since I had put Loctite on the bolts. For an iKamper, I suggest leaving the first crossbars off of your install. I'm glad I went with Prinsu over the Prospeed rack, which is even more low profile.
• The Prinsu rack was rock solid -- no squeaks or rattles with a fully loaded RTT (tent, bedding, solar panels, etc.).

Some R1S pictures:

Some random items:

• We were able to fit a 14 1/2' inflatable canoe and 2 electric Bromptons since our main objectives were to paddle Lake Champlain and ride the Causeway.
  
  
• Had our first Cybertruck sighting. It pulled out of a 50kW CCS charger (only one that was available) right as we were pulling in, so that was nice of it to save us a spot. That's the best thing I'll say about it. Funny enough, after we finished lunch and went back to our R1S, there was another Tesla waiting for us to leave so they could charge.
  
• NY has a good number of Tesla Magic Dock SCs, which is definitely a positive. However, I try to avoid them whenever possible for a number of reasons. Rivian navigation annoyingly kept routing us to them, even when I select EA/EVgo as preferred and those chargers are in range.

Overall, very happy with the Prinsu rack and setup. We have a trip to Tennessee later this summer, and this trip will help with editing our gear choices. It'll also require us to use a Tesla adapter since the charging infrastructure in eastern TN looks pretty bad. Any tips for that region would be appreciated.

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[Robin]

We ordered and installed a Prinsu Rack to use with our iKamper since taking the RTT on/off the OEM crossbars on our sloped driveway was nerve racking, to say the least. With a full roof rack, we don't have to worry about the tent slipping off the crossbars during mounting and slamming into the glass roof. We have a similar style rack on our other vehicle, and I personally like the look.

We were able to use it for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. Some helpful bits first:

• Averaged 2.07 mi/kWh over 600 miles with ~70/30 mix of conserve/all purpose in mountainous terrain. Previously, averaged around 2 mi/kWh with the RTT on, usually with less time on conserve. Overall, I'm guessing that efficiency is about the same -- maybe a tiny bit worse due to weight of the rack.
• Wind noise was about the same, maybe a little better than simply using the OEM crossbars.
• If you plan to use a RTT, particularly the iKamper, with the Prinsu rack, *plan your crossbars* accordingly. I installed all the crossbars on the Prinsu and realized that I could not access the mounting hardware of the RTT since the rack is so low-profile. I had to remove the first front crossbars, which was not easy since I had put Loctite on the bolts. For an iKamper, I suggest leaving the first crossbars off of your install. I'm glad I went with Prinsu over the Prospeed rack, which is even more low profile.
• The Prinsu rack was rock solid -- no squeaks or rattles with a fully loaded RTT (tent, bedding, solar panels, etc.).

Some R1S pictures:

Some random items:

• We were able to fit a 14 1/2' inflatable canoe and 2 electric Bromptons since our main objectives were to paddle Lake Champlain and ride the Causeway.
  
  
• Had our first Cybertruck sighting. It pulled out of a 50kW CCS charger (only one that was available) right as we were pulling in, so that was nice of it to save us a spot. That's the best thing I'll say about it. Funny enough, after we finished lunch and went back to our R1S, there was another Tesla waiting for us to leave so they could charge.
  
• NY has a good number of Tesla Magic Dock SCs, which is definitely a positive. However, I try to avoid them whenever possible for a number of reasons. Rivian navigation annoyingly kept routing us to them, even when I select EA/EVgo as preferred and those chargers are in range.

Overall, very happy with the Prinsu rack and setup. We have a trip to Tennessee later this summer, and this trip will help with editing our gear choices. It'll also require us to use a Tesla adapter since the charging infrastructure in eastern TN looks pretty bad. Any tips for that region would be appreciated.

Love the stickers under the frunk

 

[HokieBird7980]

We ordered and installed a Prinsu Rack to use with our iKamper since taking the RTT on/off the OEM crossbars on our sloped driveway was nerve racking, to say the least. With a full roof rack, we don't have to worry about the tent slipping off the crossbars during mounting and slamming into the glass roof. We have a similar style rack on our other vehicle, and I personally like the look.

We were able to use it for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. Some helpful bits first:

• Averaged 2.07 mi/kWh over 600 miles with ~70/30 mix of conserve/all purpose in mountainous terrain. Previously, averaged around 2 mi/kWh with the RTT on, usually with less time on conserve. Overall, I'm guessing that efficiency is about the same -- maybe a tiny bit worse due to weight of the rack.
• Wind noise was about the same, maybe a little better than simply using the OEM crossbars.
• If you plan to use a RTT, particularly the iKamper, with the Prinsu rack, *plan your crossbars* accordingly. I installed all the crossbars on the Prinsu and realized that I could not access the mounting hardware of the RTT since the rack is so low-profile. I had to remove the first front crossbars, which was not easy since I had put Loctite on the bolts. For an iKamper, I suggest leaving the first crossbars off of your install. I'm glad I went with Prinsu over the Prospeed rack, which is even more low profile.
• The Prinsu rack was rock solid -- no squeaks or rattles with a fully loaded RTT (tent, bedding, solar panels, etc.).

Some R1S pictures:

Some random items:

• We were able to fit a 14 1/2' inflatable canoe and 2 electric Bromptons since our main objectives were to paddle Lake Champlain and ride the Causeway.
  
  
• Had our first Cybertruck sighting. It pulled out of a 50kW CCS charger (only one that was available) right as we were pulling in, so that was nice of it to save us a spot. That's the best thing I'll say about it. Funny enough, after we finished lunch and went back to our R1S, there was another Tesla waiting for us to leave so they could charge.
  
• NY has a good number of Tesla Magic Dock SCs, which is definitely a positive. However, I try to avoid them whenever possible for a number of reasons. Rivian navigation annoyingly kept routing us to them, even when I select EA/EVgo as preferred and those chargers are in range.

Overall, very happy with the Prinsu rack and setup. We have a trip to Tennessee later this summer, and this trip will help with editing our gear choices. It'll also require us to use a Tesla adapter since the charging infrastructure in eastern TN looks pretty bad. Any tips for that region would be appreciated.

In East TN if you're doing the Smokie Mountains, there's an EA charger in Sevierville right off i-40 (exit 407 I believe) that has worked great for me in the several trips i've gone through there. It's at the Harley Davidson store and there's also a Bass Pro shop there too, along with restaurants. If you then travel through the Smokies to the North Carolina side, there is a Rivian RAN charger in Whittier NC that is at the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway and end of Smokie National Park (about 1 mile past end) located in a shopping center. That will get you plenty of charge to get back, or to go up the Blue Ridge to Boone NC where there's another RAN. I did the whole Blue Ridge Parkway last year using nothing but RAN chargers without any issues. Enjoy!

 

[jplblue]

In East TN if you're doing the Smokie Mountains, there's an EA charger in Sevierville right off i-40 (exit 407 I believe) that has worked great for me in the several trips i've gone through there. It's at the Harley Davidson store and there's also a Bass Pro shop there too, along with restaurants. If you then travel through the Smokies to the North Carolina side, there is a Rivian RAN charger in Whittier NC that is at the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway and end of Smokie National Park (about 1 mile past end) located in a shopping center. That will get you plenty of charge to get back, or to go up the Blue Ridge to Boone NC where there's another RAN. I did the whole Blue Ridge Parkway last year using nothing but RAN chargers without any issues. Enjoy!

Thanks for the tip on Sevierville. We'll likely be coming/returning from the NC side and would like to use the Whittier RAN. It should last us the Smokies loop, but if we're running low, we'll try the Pigeon Forge SC or your recommended Sevierville (I do love Bass Pro Shop). Hoping to do the whole Blue Ridge Parkway, too!

 

[mung]

Love this! I am going to hit you up with questions later haha. I've been on the lookout for a RTT and rack solution for a long time and your setup looks slick!

 

[R1SFamilyGuy]

Love the stickers under the frunk

Totally stealing that idea!

great post! Sounds like a wonderful trip these are the kind of posts that make this forum

 

[seanocono]

Looks awesome, OP. Thank you for sharing your experience. Really nice photos, too.

The new Prinsu Pro rack and the SkyCamp are a high-quality combination. Do you use a hoist to install and remove the tent?

 

[jplblue]

Looks awesome, OP. Thank you for sharing your experience. Really nice photos, too.

The new Prinsu Pro rack and the SkyCamp are a high-quality combination. Do you use a hoist to install and remove the tent?

Yep, I use a drywall lift to install/remove the tent, and also keep it on the lift while stored in the garage.

 

[seanocono]

Yep, I use a drywall lift to install/remove the tent, and also keep it on the lift while stored in the garage.

I’ve seen this video! It seems like a pretty reasonable solution to a challenging problem. Especially, if the ceiling in your garage can’t accommodate a fixed hoist.

 

[1T2022]

which inflatable canoe do you have? any recommendation for a 3~4 person canoe? thank you

 

[jplblue]

which inflatable canoe do you have? any recommendation for a 3~4 person canoe? thank you

We have the Aqua Marina Tomahawk which has been great. A similar but more expensive option is the Sea Eagle TC16. Both have drop stitch construction, which I think is essential for an inflatable.

 

[pklomboy]

Are those stickers staying underneath the front trunk lid? I put some up on mine but they fell during the heat. Still want to do it but trying to figure out the best way.

We ordered and installed a Prinsu Rack to use with our iKamper since taking the RTT on/off the OEM crossbars on our sloped driveway was nerve racking, to say the least. With a full roof rack, we don't have to worry about the tent slipping off the crossbars during mounting and slamming into the glass roof. We have a similar style rack on our other vehicle, and I personally like the look.

We were able to use it for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. Some helpful bits first:

• Averaged 2.07 mi/kWh over 600 miles with ~70/30 mix of conserve/all purpose in mountainous terrain. Previously, averaged around 2 mi/kWh with the RTT on, usually with less time on conserve. Overall, I'm guessing that efficiency is about the same -- maybe a tiny bit worse due to weight of the rack.
• Wind noise was about the same, maybe a little better than simply using the OEM crossbars.
• If you plan to use a RTT, particularly the iKamper, with the Prinsu rack, *plan your crossbars* accordingly. I installed all the crossbars on the Prinsu and realized that I could not access the mounting hardware of the RTT since the rack is so low-profile. I had to remove the first front crossbars, which was not easy since I had put Loctite on the bolts. For an iKamper, I suggest leaving the first crossbars off of your install. I'm glad I went with Prinsu over the Prospeed rack, which is even more low profile.
• The Prinsu rack was rock solid -- no squeaks or rattles with a fully loaded RTT (tent, bedding, solar panels, etc.).

Some R1S pictures:

Some random items:

• We were able to fit a 14 1/2' inflatable canoe and 2 electric Bromptons since our main objectives were to paddle Lake Champlain and ride the Causeway.
  
  
• Had our first Cybertruck sighting. It pulled out of a 50kW CCS charger (only one that was available) right as we were pulling in, so that was nice of it to save us a spot. That's the best thing I'll say about it. Funny enough, after we finished lunch and went back to our R1S, there was another Tesla waiting for us to leave so they could charge.
  
• NY has a good number of Tesla Magic Dock SCs, which is definitely a positive. However, I try to avoid them whenever possible for a number of reasons. Rivian navigation annoyingly kept routing us to them, even when I select EA/EVgo as preferred and those chargers are in range.

Overall, very happy with the Prinsu rack and setup. We have a trip to Tennessee later this summer, and this trip will help with editing our gear choices. It'll also require us to use a Tesla adapter since the charging infrastructure in eastern TN looks pretty bad. Any tips for that region would be appreciated.

 

[jplblue]

Are those stickers staying underneath the front trunk lid? I put some up on mine but they fell during the heat. Still want to do it but trying to figure out the best way.

I had the same problem, but I've been using Elmer's glue sticks and that seems to hold pretty well. The residue should be easy enough to clean off, but haven't had to deal with yet.

 

[beyondgravity]

Love the stickers under the frunk

Yes. That is what I was about to write. I also love the stickers on the camper.

 

[sagebrush2]

Looks like an awesome trip! I’m also stealing the sticker idea.

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