Roof top tent - rack choice, install and overall layout for touring

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Definitely remove as many seats as possible to save weight.
Re drawers, consider ordering a short drawer to leave space behind it under the floor, where a battery or water container can be hidden out of sight, getting the weight down low.
I saw a D3 with a compact ARB rooftop tent that looked both light and functional a while back, but I don't have details. Maybe on the ARB website.
A solar battery charger can be sat inside the vehicle on the dashboard.

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Ha ha I'm always seeing tents on vehicles since I've been in decision making mode. The ARB one is 69kg or thereabouts. With one of the 2nd row out what did you use as a tie down point? Our middle row has always been the space for bedding, soft stuff using the seatbelts to restrain. Hard items in the rear behind the barrier.

Does the RTT weight include bedding?

Ours is 65kg,plus bedding.We leaving the bedding in,it’s only additional doona and two pillows,but it adds up.
Certainly more convenient in the RTT, ready to go than being in the vehicle,but adds to roof load.
Then we have Foxwing,an additional 19 KG.

Over,but no issues.

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Originally Posted by scarry

Does the RTT weight include bedding?

Ours is 65kg,plus bedding.We leaving the bedding in,it’s only additional doona and two pillows,but it adds up.
Certainly more convenient in the RTT, ready to go than being in the vehicle,but adds to roof load.
Then we have Foxwing,an additional 19 KG.

Over,but no issues.

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54kg without bedding Roof top Tent - The Crow's Nest 2-Man - Feldon Shelter | Feldon Shelter

Summer camping = minimal bedding, a sheet, doona cover. Winter, yep bit more. Yet to weigh what we'll take but probably doona, fitted sheet, sheet, blanket and pillows. Pillows will stay in the car with the blanket.

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Originally Posted by dukemasterpro

Nearly! Fridge and slide showed up this week along with the Tuffant winder so the outfitting can begin.

The payload weight of 745kg is pretty average once you add back all the touring essentials and passengers. My thoughts on what I choose are now being influenced by keeping within the roof and payload limits whilst still being comfortable.

2nd row seats will have to stay, smaller tent than 100% ideal etc. Everything's a compromise, perhaps ignorance of weight was a bliss and fine if with all the additional weight everything goes well.

Dropping the vehicle off later this week after I get the 72 month service done ( few months ahead of time ) and will discuss the guys doing the install and other bits ( extra anderson off the rear traxide , tuffant winder, UHF / Antenna install - cheers LRD414 for the great how-to pics exactly what I want )

RTT Feldon Crows Nest regular as its lower weight 54vs 58kg, cost, setup time. Not sure the covered entrance on the Extended tent is 100% worth it and already have an awning room for the ARB awning.

The Vortex bars that were gathering dust in the garage are now back on the roof ( using same Rhino RLTP low profile legs but I might get the quick release version ).That should equate to a very simple and fast tent install to the crossbars. Discovered that the brackets I'd had on the awning attached to the Pioneer platform where the Foxwing brackets (pretty heavy 619g each vs Rhino Universal brackets 205g ). I didnt pick these when I'd got the awning a while back so it was interesting to see the difference in size / weight ). Every little helps!

ARB 2x2.5m Awning on the passenger side, rear opening tent and shovel on the right is the planned setup.

Will update when complete. Still thinking about the 3rd row removal, that will require someting for the Drifta drawers to rest on. Not searched for that modification yet....

re: Shingleback rack AlexRS4 - been eyeing those off for a while as my Yakima holdup 2 wobbles a bit at the hinge and the arm tension keeps coming loose. Do you have a Mitch Hitch?? Wondering how the height of a vertical rack works with this? Obviously old LR plough would sit the rack a lot lower.

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d7abf4dcae.jpg
I have a kaymar rear bar. I suspect it's a similar height to a Mitch hitch but height sits fine.

Ignore the Yakima this was when I first picked the rack up, the Yakima is gone now [emoji23]

Looking at the photo, the rack could be modded to drop a few inches in height. I've spoken to the bloke at shingleback in the past and he's up for custom jobs. Initially I was going to get a modded version of the rack to sit built into a second tyre swing arm on the kaymar bar.

End of week update on my quest to get my D4 fitted out and ready to travel in a few weeks time.

The night before dropping my car down to the workshop I discovered that the Tyretrek rear wheel carrier didn’t fit! It’s a heavy item and a 2 person install so didn’t get around to a trial fit immediately.

Oversight on my part unfortunately, that also wasn’t picked up by the retail outlet, the carrier sat very close, too close with the standard LR hitch.

With the Mitch Hitch it was alright spacing to when closed but when open the lower tailgate was obstructed, about 3/4 lowered.
So not enough to use drawers, fridge slide etc.

Does mean I’ll have a Tyretrek to sell, given the current demand for touring and camping gear that shouldn’t be too hard. It’s a no-go for a D3/D4 but any non tailgate vehicle is pretty much good to go.

I spoke with Brett from Tyretrek and he explained the reason why LRD414’s carrier worked is that version was made to suit a Land Cruiser 200. They look very similar but the version I have sits higher so the horizontal bar where it shuts closed is a little higher.

Little disappointed but we moved to our plan B which based on budget and time is to camp in a similar sized swag to the RTT.

Fortunately didn’t have any money down on the RTT, been close to with various options in short supply but with good stock available for the Feldon it wasn’t urgent.

Positive also in that I don’t have to park on the streets till we leave or think about how to keep the batteries fully charged, also filling our water storage can be done from the garden tap. We can stay parked at home and load from the back garden and garage.

I will put the platform back on, then use the bits I have already which includes Rhino tyre straps, Jerry holder and shovel mounts.

Overall vehicle weight will come within the payload limit due to not having a 50kg wheel carrier, 54kg roof tent vs a 14.5kg swag. Bit of a difference!

The roof limit is likely now to exceed the recommended so that’s the compromise for this setup and I think in the end good enough is good enough. We can elect to carry fuel in the roof Jerry for the segments that warrant a larger reserve.

UHF, 5db antenna, MSA50 fridge slide, fridge, Tuffant spare winder, new Super Start battery dropped in and BMS2 all in place with final cabling for the fridge Anderson DC cable to be done Monday.

Decided against the seat removal, the guys started it and went as far as removing the cargo barrier ( Autosafe full length ) to access the lower seats.

Reason being not much really holding the lower part of the barrier in their opinion. Given overall vehicle weight not an obstacle now with a roof tent and whee carrier skipped this.

Middle row seats still an option if we need to.

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Originally Posted by dukemasterpro

I spoke with Brett from Tyretrek and he explained the reason why LRD414’s carrier worked is that version was made to suit a Land Cruiser 200. They look very similar but the version I have sits higher so the horizontal bar where it shuts closed is a little higher..

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You should get it swapped for an LC200 version or get a refund imo. Not your fault and the seller should have known.

Scott

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Originally Posted by LRD414

You should get it swapped for an LC200 version or get a refund imo. Not your fault and the seller should have known.

Scott

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Maybe worth asking, looking back at my chats with TJM I had indicated it was for a 2014 D4. Obviously they had not fitted to or supplied one of these to a D4 customer at that branch.