Recommendations for 4 person RTT

[T_Famobile]

Hello all,

We want to start our outdoor adventures this summer and wanted to see what you would recommend for a Roof top tent on a R1S for 2 adults and 2 kids age 6 and 3. Soft vs Hard top? Any advice for beginners? Will be first timers when it comes to camping and doing outdoors adventures.

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[VSG]

Honestly, I would plan on a ground tent for 2 and a RTT for two. Four in a RTT is going to be pretty crowded and that's a large tent so you might have problems mounting on the R1S due to the crossbar spacing and the fact that the three bars are not on the same level.

I chose a hard top tent - I don't like wet "canvas" that grows moss/lichen (around here at least) and that flaps in the wind as you drive. Hard tops are also easier to set up/take down IMO.

As far as advice - get a powered cooler. It is SO much nicer than an ice chest. You have real outlets in your vehicle, so take advantage of them for everything. Small kitchen appliances. Etc. If you get a cheap induction cooktop you won't have to drag around fuel and stoves.

The other thing is make your first trips short and near "civilization". That way if you forget something, no big deal. And then the second trip you will have a better idea of what to bring and how to make it easier. You want to make it fun enough that the kids will want to do it again ...

 

[909phillyman]

Overland Vehicle Systems (OVS) Bushveld hardshell RTT: https://overlandvehiclesystems.com/18089901-bushveld-hard-shell-roof-top-tent/

It's bigger than my king size bed and my family of 4 fits just fine. YMMV

And as far as camping tips...there's just too many, but as @VSG said, you should definitely get a portable fridge...among other things. I'd also add to that getting a good, large tarp, comfy chairs for everyone (I have Front Runner Expander, and GCI Express chairs), functional table(s), portable power station (with solar panels) large enough to run the fridge so that you have aux power for extended adventures, privacy tent for toilet/shower/changing..whether awning style or pop-up, and a good collapsible toilet. A 180 or 270 awning is essential for shade, and even a cheap ground tent is nice...as a retreat/annex/auxiliary space on longer outings. Oh, and you should get yourself an offroad set of wheels/tires too. 22s were my stock, but I run aftermarket 20s most of the time.

There are so many other things, but you just need to get out and experiment. Stay close to home for the first couple adventures so that you can dial-in what you need and your setup.

Good luck!!!

 

[wjhdrew]

Overland Vehicle Systems (OVS) Bushveld hardshell RTT: https://overlandvehiclesystems.com/18089901-bushveld-hard-shell-roof-top-tent/

I couldn't find the post where you mentioned this, but what are you using to increase height on the rear crossbar?

 

[KBabione]

I've done a lot of tent car camping with kids (we took our twins before they could walk) and here are some suggestions...

• Absolutely take advantage of having power with you from the R1S. You can run an extension cord out of the rear drop gate and still keep the back closed - Let me know if you don't understand what I mean and I'll find the link.
• Unless money is no consideration, I'd recommend buying a standalone tent (Costco has some that are not expensive) and sleeping on the ground before you invest in a RTT. Yes - you'll need to buy air mattresses or other sleeping pads (for insulation as much as for comfort) that you won't need if you get a RTT, but you'll be able to use those elsewhere. Find out if camping is for you before investing in the RTT. Personally, at 60, I can't imagine climbing down a ladder 2-3 times a night to answer nature's call so I believe I'm past "RTT Prime".
• Teach your kids to pee in the woods! All four of my girls would rather pee behind a tree than use a smelly outhouse!
• If permitted, a small campfire is a lot of fun. We don't typically have fire bans here in PA, but your locale indicates that you might.
• We really like having a screened room over the picnic table as a refuge in case of rain or bugs. I have some solar-powered string lights that I use but you will have power nearby so you can go powered if you want.
• Get headlamps for everyone...it will free up your hands for camping tasks and the kids will have a blast with them too - reading or playing games if they're still up after dark. A red-light option is nice for reading.
• Don't laugh, but pack a tablecloth for the picnic table - it transforms a grim wooden surface into something easily cleaned after eating or used for games.
• Put all food in your car every night or if you're leaving the campsite for any period of time. The last thing you need are critters who decide that they'd rather your food than what they find in the wild - especially when it happens at 2 am!
• Put your tent up in your yard or in a nearby park once before you go camping - I bought a nice Kelty tent for one of my daughters and she didn't heed that advice. They got to their campsite after a long day of driving and were missing a pole! Kelty made good on it immediately, but to get through the night they had to run to Walmart and buy a throwaway 2P tent to use on their trip.
• Keep food simple to start...The fewer pots you use the fewer you'll have to clean. It's also good to take things where you don't have to worry if they're cooked enough (we avoid chicken while camping unless I'm taking a grill). Cooking things like chili at home so you only have to reheat it is a great choice. We also had "Camping Food" that was specifically available only while camping - Pringles, "eat from the box" small cereal boxes, etc.
• Make a game of policing your campsite when you're all packed up and ready to go. Our rule was that everyone had to pick up 5 pieces of trash (and to point out the cigarette butts so Daddy could pick them up). It's amazing how many juice box straws, twist ties, and tent stakes you'll find as you look around (and none of them will have been dropped by you).
• We love having a couple of hammocks to string between trees - for kids and adults they're great for reading or, more commonly, napping.

Camping is one of our joys...We haven't had a chance to take the R1S out yet, but my wife and I are talking about doing a trip sometime this summer (my twins are now going into their senior year of high school) just for a quick recharge. I just saw the Dine O Max Camp Kitchen in another post today and am really considering it as my R1S camp kitchen. Our favorite campsites are known as "Walk-Ins" so you have to park 50-200 feet away from where the campsite is so I wouldn't usually be cooking with something attached to the R1S like some of the camp kitchens available. Weather is also a factor - I like to be under cover when cooking if needed. The other factor is storage when I'm not using it - this looks to be reasonably small.

Enjoy and take lots of photos - you'll always treasure them!

 

[909phillyman]

I couldn't find the post where you mentioned this, but what are you using to increase height on the rear crossbar?

Anecdotally, I use Wheel Every Weekend security mounts to secure my RTT to my Rivian crossbars, and as others have noted, all 3 crossbars are NOT level when installed on the R1S. What I have done to balance things out is to use 2 washers as spacers paired with each locking nut (totaling 8 across the two rear security mounts), as well as some spare rubber that I had lying around to fill the 1/4 inch gap between the rear of the RTT over the rear/3rd crossbar (see illustrations). That secures my RTT and keeps things relatively on the same plane.

 

[T_Famobile]

Great tips and advice, much appreciated! I love your setup @909phillyman!

Can others share their setup as well?

 

[sizotty]

I recommend grabbing a Gazelle tent, Either a T4, T4 Plus or T8. You can try FB marketplace to pick up a used one near you as well. Here's one on Amazon https://amzn.to/4c7vSvk

They are enormous, setup in about 60-90 seconds and you get a lot of benefits.
- Cheaper
- No dealing with ladders for you or kids (especially at night for bathroom trips)
- No risk of kids falling off roof
- Ability to stand inside tent and change (they are well over 6' tall.)
- Ability to setup camp and use vehicle without having to pack up the tent.

If you go for a Gazelle tent, American Adventure Labs sells a product called the Sleeper Keeper, thats the perfect bracket to mount on your roof racks saving you all that interior space. Great price, and I would recommend getting the add-on straps from them.

Definitely recommend a 12v fridge, Amazon has a ton of these. There's a ton of options, here is a link so you can see what we are talking about.
- No need to worry about ice
- More space as you don't lose space in cooler due to ice or ice packs
- No soggy food
- Can get a freeze/fridge combo one which is a nice luxury.

If you do get more into camping and plan to use the Rivian for power for fridge, it may be worth grabbing an external battery. I made a video describing benefits here, but again you do not need to do this now.

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