I tried to pick up a camping labs a year and a half ago.... he said they were moving manufacturing from china to baja. Their website still says they are taking pre orders.
Official Is a rooftop tent (RTT) for me?
- Thread starter cruiseroutfit
- Start date
I tried to pick up a camping labs a year and a half ago.... he said they were moving manufacturing from china to baja. Their website still says they are taking pre orders.
spencevans
Overlander
- Location
- Farmington
I took the RTT out over the weekend and it held up great. The winds were well over 40mph and the rain and sleet were coming in sideways and the tent didn't even flap. I had the rain fly tied down with bungees which really helped. All the other traditional ground tents were taking a beating but that Mombossa stood it ground and weathered the storm. Greg's magic waterproofing worked out great. The tent was completely dry inside and out. I am liking this tent more and more.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Excellent, that's great to hear! Good call on the bungee cords. I need to waterproof my new tent, still haven't gotten around to it! Glad you're still happy with it, the Mombasa is a good old tent.
Sawtooth
Hagisch
- Location
- Holladay,Utah
Glad your Mombasa is working well for you. I picked one up as well and I am really itching to get out and use it. I can throw it on my Tacoma or the Cruiser in minutes and go. Congrats!
spencevans
Overlander
- Location
- Farmington
Looks great, I am sure you'll love it. I have made a few improvement to make the tent much more usable.
I bought several pads from Smith's Marketplace and I have cut them to fit the floor of the tent. I lay these 3" pads on top of the built in pads and then cover them with a king sized sheet.
I have also used bungees to help hold down the rainfly. You can't trust those little snaps.
Greg made 2 majors improvements to tent before I bought it from him, he gave it the full waterproof treatment and he got rid of the OEM Micky Mouse ladder and up graded it to high quality aluminum ladder.
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Sawtooth
Hagisch
- Location
- Holladay,Utah
Any feedback on Tepui RTTs?I like the look and the price.
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sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I've actually been reading about those on ExPo today. It seems that some people like them. I found a post from Kurt saying they look a lot like a ARB Simpson II. Another user said the fabric on them isn't as sturdy/waterproof as they'd like. They use a spray-on waterproofing rather than a fabric that is impregnated with waterproofing stuff (just repeating what I read). They sure look nice though, and at $900 a pop, the price is right.
I also read somewhere that a user was getting condensation underneath mattress.
Some other favorable reviews here:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/81082-Tepui-Tents?highlight=tepui
I also read somewhere that a user was getting condensation underneath mattress.
Some other favorable reviews here:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/81082-Tepui-Tents?highlight=tepui
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Sawtooth
Hagisch
- Location
- Holladay,Utah
Thanks for the info.I may buy one locally so no shipping costs as well.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
I saw those on ksl. Definitely worth looking at in person.
Sawtooth
Hagisch
- Location
- Holladay,Utah
The guy selling the Tepui talked me out of buying one.He said that they are comparable to the Mombassa and made in the same Chinese factory.Since I try really hard not to buy garbage from China,this is a big time no go for me.He said they are the same design as the ARB with the ARB having a better fabric and components.He also sells EZ awn and a new line for him called Hanniball.Both out of SA and great products.So stick with CO and Kurt for the top product line.I will have to stick with my Mombassa for a while
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
FWIW, the ARB RTTs are made in China as well, but with much better materials and QC.
Sawtooth
Hagisch
- Location
- Holladay,Utah
I guess ARB is out as well for me
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
You may have seen my similar feedback elsewhere but I'll offer it here too. Tepui basically knocked off the old ARB design when they moved to the Simpson III, the Simpson II. Its a great tent design and worked well but ARB didn't abandon it for giggles. Having to stake down the ladder vestibule is a PITA in some camping scenarios and in sand and loose terrain, you can't get them to hold. Wind kicks up, pulls the stakes out and your tent is now a para sail throughout the night. I'm not theorizing, I've spent as many nights in that design as any. Add to that the thinner hinges, waterproofing issues, etc and you have to ask yourself if its worth it to marginalize in what is already an expensive purchase. I'm of the buy once, cry once mentality.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
The ARB's are made in China, but under their supervision and as noted much higher QC and warranty. While I can agree with the "no China" sentiment, I personally look at it this way. It is a 'typical' China made product in which they stole an otherwise industrious design, reverse engineered it and are selling it under XYZ brand or is it truly a unique and innovative design manufactured in China solely to stay competitive? ARB could build the tents at their facilities in Australia, but the cost would be 2x as much and quality while admittedly would likely be higher, it wouldn't be twice the quality. Under this same principle I still own any electronics
We are a full dealer for Eezi-Awn as well, unfortunately you just missed Paul May (US Distribuotor for Eezi-Awn), he has lived in SLC for the last 40 years but moved last week to Prescott, AZ. That said he will still be in SLC regularly and we could arrange shipping through him if your interested in the EA. Give me a ring at the shop if you have an interest in an EA product, I'm well versed in their entire line and have spent a great deal of time around their products.
JL Rockies
Binders Fulla Expo
- Location
- Draper
When did South Africa become a respected manufacturer?
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
I'm not up to speed on the historical quality of goods from South Africa but your not the first to mention that so I'm assuming there is some back story. That said the quality of 4x4 parts coming from SA is legit, National Luna, Eazi-Awn, Front-Runner, African Outback, Howling Moon, etc, all legit.
JL Rockies
Binders Fulla Expo
- Location
- Draper
Just making a point... if we don't buy Chinese stuff, who will lend us money?
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
I know right, a bit of sad irony.
- Location
- Never Far From Nowhere
RSA has long been known for building quality products in small quantities. During their era of being a pariah in the international community they had to manufacture much of what it needed, from consumer goods to military hardware, domestically due to sanctions. So after they were welcomed back into the global community in the mid-90's their products have slowly garnered respect for durability and ingenuity.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
one other downside to a RTT: unless you have a heated garage or shop (I have neither), a RTT can mean extra down-time after a wet trip. The past two trips I've been on, the condensation from our breathing has left ice crystals on the inside and outside of the tent. This means I have to set up the tent again when I get home (no different from a regular tent.) The real bummer is when it's below freezing outside, so even when I re-deploy the tent, the ice doesn't melt, and I hate to have potential water sitting in my tent. So here's the downside: you can't just take the tent into your house to air out/dry, and when you do air it out and dry it, your vehicle is out of comission. If I have to run to the store, I can't just pitch the tent and run to the store while it dries out. Not a deal-breaker for me, but definitely something I didn't consider before today.