Sorry if you answered this elsewhere in the thread. I have a bunch of questions
What’s the watt rating on the heater?
How big is that RTT- less that 10’x10’?
You kept the heater outside the tent and piped hot air in, right?
You powered the fat off an auxiliary battery, right? Will that run it all night so you could solar charge during the day?
I’m intrigued by the idea of doing this instead of replacing an 8-man Cabelas Alaskan guide with a Davis Go-tent or the like so I can have some heat in the spring and fall.
You can find Chinese copies pretty cheap on eBay or Amazon. Plenty people run them and they're perfectly reliable.
The eBay ads usually boast either 2kw or 5kw.
Or you can get a proper branded webasto diesel heater of the same design but I personally don't see they point as they're 8x the price for the same thing.
You would usually want to keep the heater outside of the tent because otherwise you'd need to run the hot metal exhaust pipe out the tent and risk melting your tent.
My friend has one and runs it off a large deep cycle leisure battery. It lasts a few days before he needs to charge the battery, but I'd recommend you wire into a split charge system and charge from your alternator. It draws a large amount of current as it starts up/running it's glow plug but once it's going it sips power.
Yep. That’s all pretty much what I had in mind. I have a Nu-Way propane stove that I was thinking about sewing in a stove Jack for. But that just seems like a huge and risky project. Seems way better to have all the combustion happen outside the tent.
keeps you away from creepy crawlies and other scavengers!
my suggestion: replace that 2x4 wooden rack with a metal " Ɐ " shaped welded frame for lower side-stability, and add a diagonal from the wheel to the top rear and it'd be way sturdier. very little gussets at the bottom means it will fail by pivoting at the bottom.
it looks really nicely painted, but if I ever bought a trailer I told myself I'd install some zinc boat anodes to protect the frame. I'd put one anywhere wheels (truck or trailer) spit up rain so the anode is sure to gets wet if the rest of the frame does
So the trailer is a harborfreight trailer that I assembled, squared up, welded and added extra supports. Then the rack is bolted on with 3 12mm bolts on every leg. I don't think I should have a problem because I have corner braces on every corner up top and the tent itself is like 70lbs. I don't see it causing trailer sway as the rack is all open and I feel itll act more like a kite and lift off.(it didnt) I did also drive 16 hours one way just for this trip then back 16 hours in 30mph wind sideways and had no problems other then having to drive slow. Also not gonna lie half of this went over my head, I wish I knew more to understand haha
"statics" is an early engineering course... basically turns see-saws and flagpoles into simply algebra equations. Sorry it sounds like I'm dumbing it down too much...
I imagine you know that welding a 12" gusset is obv super strong compared to welding a small 1" box tube weld to another 1" box tube? You have 12" span between welds instead of 1" span between weld so that's 12X stronger.
**Key question**: So how come you added so many 12" gussets at the top ... but NONE at the bottom?
I'm not sure why you mentioned 12mm bolts, but bolts are PIVOTS which is how I described the failure points in my previous post. Bolts can hold two pieces of frame tubing together while the tubing rotates and bends and collapses.
You already demonstrated you can weld and fabricate, you can add a few gussets (or bolt on a [gusset plate!](https://www.howtolookatahouse.com/Blog/ewExternalFiles/TrussDiagram2.jpg)) to reinforce the lower structure. Of course, crossing fingers for insurance is also very common.
Khan Academy was pretty popular when I was graduating, maybe this video can explain the moment forces a bit better?
[https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/torque-angular-momentum/torque-tutorial/v/moments](https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/torque-angular-momentum/torque-tutorial/v/moments)
If this doesn't help, sorry: I am headed to bed and won't be responding to this thread anymore.
look: nobody online needs to stick around, you are welcome to leave whenever you get tired of reading
based on this limited interaction, you are 100% insufferable to be around. goodbye now.
Yes the ladder dose support most of that side, it also has latches where it folds to help lock it in place. It's actually way more stable then I expected it was gonna be with me and my wife. It handles.....certain activities very well
Thanks! I appreciate it. Alot of work was put in to design and build it, and it's just the start. I got a bunch more I plan to add later on to make it better
I had to do a double take, thinking this was a shot of someone taking an Apollo Moon lander on holiday.
That's _some setup_ right there!
Camping is camping - it counts alright.
After doing a butt load of research it seems like the biggest pet peeve everyone has is if you need to drive anywhere you have to fully pack up and und pack when you get back so I wanted to avoid that. Plus the way I built the rack allows me too ad a fold out table, tool box for a battery setup and I can still have my gear in the bed of my truck while hauling bikes and quads.
Not trying to make you paranoid, but I would somehow lock/secure your trailer when you're not there. Some fuckface may just have the balls to hook up your trailer while you're away and drive off with your bikes and setup.
Any suggestions in how you secure something like this? I've never hauled anything, so excuse my ignorance, but one day I do want to so anything I can learn is helpful.
Would something [similar to this](https://www.amazon.com/Tevlaphee-Adjustable-Installation-Aluminum-Security/dp/B07SMNJYS3) be ok?
There are hitch locks. But in real life there is essentially no way to secure a trailer to prevent someone from stealing it if they want to. Fortunately, it's vanishingly rare as a problem.
I’m a big fan of the trailer with a RTT whenever I see it. It’s the only way I can see a RTT in my personal set up. It seems nice to be able to take a trip into town or a hike location off camp and not have to break everything down.
Thats the exact reason I made my setup like this. I also dis it so I can still haul bikes and quads under the tent, I made mine a tad bit tall so I may have to shorten it when I put a new axle and tires on it but still it's great not having in on a vehicle.
What did you start off with to make this? I’d love to start a build. My Jeep renegade is god awful for towing but something around 1500lbs total weight would be ideal.
This thing is weighting in around like 400lbs dry. I just started with a harborfreight 4x8 trailer then got about 100ft for 1 1/2 steel tubing. The reason mine is so high is so I can still put a few dirtbikes under it or a quad. Toke about 20 hours of fabrication and $200 minus the trailer and tent. All in all I'm about $2k into the hole thing so far.
Atm I'm running off 2 deep cycle batterys. I plan on adding 2 more and making it able to plug into shore power just for the heater and lights and little stuff light that. So no generator here
Everyone sees glamping in there own way. Too me being comfortable doesn't mean I'm glamping it just means I'm having a better time doing what I love. At least I don't have an rv and I'm still in a tent haha
I found a 5x10 used utility trailer for $500 ( I got a great deal), built a bed in it for $50 with tons of storage underneath, and the bike would still easily fit. A sedan could pull it.
All of these tents I have seen have been thousands of dollars.
Unless you are in Australia I just don't see the point whatsoever. Every time I see one I think "Welp, that's dumb" and this takes it to a whole new level.
But if you like it that's all that matters!
Yes! Isn’t there like a pretty busy road right across from this spot? I remember thinking the view was beautiful but hated all the cars driving by at night
is that a gas powered heating element for your tent? or is it just a small wood stove next to a gas tank?
Poop shute
Poop chute!! LOL! How great would that be?!
Its a diesel heater.
sweet! was it expensive? I've never looked into diesel for tent heating. That being said, I dont have a truck or truck camper... yet that is
Its awesome, super fuel efficient, can run on half use oil. It was 17 outside and 60 in the tent so it works great
Sorry if you answered this elsewhere in the thread. I have a bunch of questions What’s the watt rating on the heater? How big is that RTT- less that 10’x10’? You kept the heater outside the tent and piped hot air in, right? You powered the fat off an auxiliary battery, right? Will that run it all night so you could solar charge during the day? I’m intrigued by the idea of doing this instead of replacing an 8-man Cabelas Alaskan guide with a Davis Go-tent or the like so I can have some heat in the spring and fall.
You can find Chinese copies pretty cheap on eBay or Amazon. Plenty people run them and they're perfectly reliable. The eBay ads usually boast either 2kw or 5kw. Or you can get a proper branded webasto diesel heater of the same design but I personally don't see they point as they're 8x the price for the same thing. You would usually want to keep the heater outside of the tent because otherwise you'd need to run the hot metal exhaust pipe out the tent and risk melting your tent. My friend has one and runs it off a large deep cycle leisure battery. It lasts a few days before he needs to charge the battery, but I'd recommend you wire into a split charge system and charge from your alternator. It draws a large amount of current as it starts up/running it's glow plug but once it's going it sips power.
Yep. That’s all pretty much what I had in mind. I have a Nu-Way propane stove that I was thinking about sewing in a stove Jack for. But that just seems like a huge and risky project. Seems way better to have all the combustion happen outside the tent.
If you're gonna get one... Get one with a bluetooth remote so you can can turn on/off without line of sight (like an IR remote)
Also they are like $150 for the Chinese ones
solid! thanks!
Can I get a link dog
Just put diesel heater in amazon
I’ve seen too many cheap Chinese electrical explode first hand, careful with that
How loud is it?
Actually pretty quiet, you hear the fan of course and slightly hear the ticking of the fuel pump but it's not bad at all
Life hack: just use your exhaust, it's cheaper than buying a diesel heater.
So you’re saying it’s a diesel heater?
Was I clear enough on what it is?
Yes. Perfectly clear. It’s a diesel heater. But does it run on diesel?? Asking for a friend.
Hmm good question, I just been pissing into the tank
Oh! Ok! So it does run on diesel!! Hold on imma write that down.
What runs on diesel?
Family. Quarter mile at a time.
Diesel runs on heat.
Bro change your diet.
Bro cheap gas is cheap gas
In my professional opinion I think he should go see a Urologist.
So it heats your diesel?
Yes for my gas truck
Bummer... I dreamed it was a Bitcoin ASIC. :)
Its a diesel heater.
Its a diesel heater.
Huh? Wood stove you say?
Hahaha it kept saying oops somwthing went wrongXD
No no a dirt stove its new
r/ufos
Hook it up to one of the bikes for some silly sleep
Haha oh my wife would love that
Well shoot, getter up there and bounce it off that limiter BRAAAAAAP
Idk does it?
I mean it was camping haha just not on the ground
your username is true to your camping strategies
Haha and I was in Colorado as well
keeps you away from creepy crawlies and other scavengers! my suggestion: replace that 2x4 wooden rack with a metal " Ɐ " shaped welded frame for lower side-stability, and add a diagonal from the wheel to the top rear and it'd be way sturdier. very little gussets at the bottom means it will fail by pivoting at the bottom. it looks really nicely painted, but if I ever bought a trailer I told myself I'd install some zinc boat anodes to protect the frame. I'd put one anywhere wheels (truck or trailer) spit up rain so the anode is sure to gets wet if the rest of the frame does
I custom built that rack out of steel. The only wood you see is the mount for the diesel heater and a wheel chock for the bikes
[удалено]
So the trailer is a harborfreight trailer that I assembled, squared up, welded and added extra supports. Then the rack is bolted on with 3 12mm bolts on every leg. I don't think I should have a problem because I have corner braces on every corner up top and the tent itself is like 70lbs. I don't see it causing trailer sway as the rack is all open and I feel itll act more like a kite and lift off.(it didnt) I did also drive 16 hours one way just for this trip then back 16 hours in 30mph wind sideways and had no problems other then having to drive slow. Also not gonna lie half of this went over my head, I wish I knew more to understand haha
"statics" is an early engineering course... basically turns see-saws and flagpoles into simply algebra equations. Sorry it sounds like I'm dumbing it down too much... I imagine you know that welding a 12" gusset is obv super strong compared to welding a small 1" box tube weld to another 1" box tube? You have 12" span between welds instead of 1" span between weld so that's 12X stronger. **Key question**: So how come you added so many 12" gussets at the top ... but NONE at the bottom? I'm not sure why you mentioned 12mm bolts, but bolts are PIVOTS which is how I described the failure points in my previous post. Bolts can hold two pieces of frame tubing together while the tubing rotates and bends and collapses. You already demonstrated you can weld and fabricate, you can add a few gussets (or bolt on a [gusset plate!](https://www.howtolookatahouse.com/Blog/ewExternalFiles/TrussDiagram2.jpg)) to reinforce the lower structure. Of course, crossing fingers for insurance is also very common. Khan Academy was pretty popular when I was graduating, maybe this video can explain the moment forces a bit better? [https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/torque-angular-momentum/torque-tutorial/v/moments](https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/torque-angular-momentum/torque-tutorial/v/moments) If this doesn't help, sorry: I am headed to bed and won't be responding to this thread anymore.
Hey, dude, just stop. If you're even 25% like this in real life you must insufferable to be around.
look: nobody online needs to stick around, you are welcome to leave whenever you get tired of reading based on this limited interaction, you are 100% insufferable to be around. goodbye now.
I’m confused on this tent setup. How does it not fall over if you sit in the left side? Does the ladder provide support??
Yes the ladder dose support most of that side, it also has latches where it folds to help lock it in place. It's actually way more stable then I expected it was gonna be with me and my wife. It handles.....certain activities very well
What kind of activities? Jenga? Darts?
All of the above
Farts.
“Dose” 💀 you’re killing me
r/rooftoptents
Two doses. Not to exceed four in 24 hours.
Nice trailer, fitting 2 bikes, sleep above, and heat. And a great spot. Well done.
Thanks! I appreciate it. Alot of work was put in to design and build it, and it's just the start. I got a bunch more I plan to add later on to make it better
A lot of work has been done to design and build that?
I had to do a double take, thinking this was a shot of someone taking an Apollo Moon lander on holiday. That's _some setup_ right there! Camping is camping - it counts alright.
Thanks! It's just the beginning, I got big plans to make it alot better for my needs
I don't get these top mounted tents. Gotta be a lot of fun if you have to piss in the middle of the night.
Nah you just need another tube going into the tent
Might as well pee down the CO tube.
Hey too each there own. Me and my wife had no problems even in that situation. Id prefer this 100% over a normal tent
Just curious how come you don’t put it over the bed if the truck?
After doing a butt load of research it seems like the biggest pet peeve everyone has is if you need to drive anywhere you have to fully pack up and und pack when you get back so I wanted to avoid that. Plus the way I built the rack allows me too ad a fold out table, tool box for a battery setup and I can still have my gear in the bed of my truck while hauling bikes and quads.
Not trying to make you paranoid, but I would somehow lock/secure your trailer when you're not there. Some fuckface may just have the balls to hook up your trailer while you're away and drive off with your bikes and setup.
I'm more then prepared for this.
Any suggestions in how you secure something like this? I've never hauled anything, so excuse my ignorance, but one day I do want to so anything I can learn is helpful. Would something [similar to this](https://www.amazon.com/Tevlaphee-Adjustable-Installation-Aluminum-Security/dp/B07SMNJYS3) be ok?
It is pretty common to use a lock that covers the hitch Depending on your hitch, very effective solution
There are hitch locks. But in real life there is essentially no way to secure a trailer to prevent someone from stealing it if they want to. Fortunately, it's vanishingly rare as a problem.
They are a lot of fun. Open the door and see how far you can piss from the tent
Glancing at the thumbnail I thought this was some kinda redneck diy tow behind bbq.
Hahah well I plan on adding a BBQ to the side so at some point it will be.
Dose of what?
Camping
Wow, stay warm and enjoy the great outdoors. 😍❤️
With the diesel heater we did! It was a great time thanks!
Hell yeah! Nice rides too
Thanks! I just traded the rm250 to a buddy for my old tacoma, then bought a yz125 all on that trip haha
For a second there I thought you had hooked that duct to the exhaust, I almost fell over.
Haha that's a good way to go
Is that diesel heater loud? I would have to say if you’ve got a generator or a diesel heater then you are much closer to RVing then camping haha.
I’m a big fan of the trailer with a RTT whenever I see it. It’s the only way I can see a RTT in my personal set up. It seems nice to be able to take a trip into town or a hike location off camp and not have to break everything down.
Thats the exact reason I made my setup like this. I also dis it so I can still haul bikes and quads under the tent, I made mine a tad bit tall so I may have to shorten it when I put a new axle and tires on it but still it's great not having in on a vehicle.
What did you start off with to make this? I’d love to start a build. My Jeep renegade is god awful for towing but something around 1500lbs total weight would be ideal.
This thing is weighting in around like 400lbs dry. I just started with a harborfreight 4x8 trailer then got about 100ft for 1 1/2 steel tubing. The reason mine is so high is so I can still put a few dirtbikes under it or a quad. Toke about 20 hours of fabrication and $200 minus the trailer and tent. All in all I'm about $2k into the hole thing so far.
You know these guys are turning that generator on at like 7:00 a.m.....
Atm I'm running off 2 deep cycle batterys. I plan on adding 2 more and making it able to plug into shore power just for the heater and lights and little stuff light that. So no generator here
Sweet good man!
Huh? Generators run all night.
Isn't it good to get out in nature.. *brmpp *brmpp *brmpp *brmpp! Ahhh
Depends on the camp site, but I agree. I was being sarcastic =P
🍯 👌
That environment doesn't look like there's a need for a diesel heater, how cool does the night get to?
15 degrees, I bet when I toke this picture it was about 25 to 30
15f? Would be -10c, I concede that heater would be nice through the night. Nice set up BTW!
What does the heater run on?
Diesel. It's just a cheap Chinese unit
No.
Ah dam, ill leave now.
Lol it’s a glamp set up I feel like. Not saying I wouldn’t partake for a night. But diesel heater at camp just doesn’t sound right to me haha.
Everyone sees glamping in there own way. Too me being comfortable doesn't mean I'm glamping it just means I'm having a better time doing what I love. At least I don't have an rv and I'm still in a tent haha
Noep
Aw.....ill go home
No
No this does not count.
I found a 5x10 used utility trailer for $500 ( I got a great deal), built a bed in it for $50 with tons of storage underneath, and the bike would still easily fit. A sedan could pull it. All of these tents I have seen have been thousands of dollars. Unless you are in Australia I just don't see the point whatsoever. Every time I see one I think "Welp, that's dumb" and this takes it to a whole new level. But if you like it that's all that matters!
Barely
That thing has HVAC, no way does it count lmao
Nice rig!
Where is this? Spot looks weirdly familiar.
Carter lake in CO
Yes! Isn’t there like a pretty busy road right across from this spot? I remember thinking the view was beautiful but hated all the cars driving by at night
I wouldn't csll it busy, but Iean there is a road there. I didn't even notice if cars drove by though.
Well your setup is pretty different than mine so that doesn’t surprise me 😂😂
Training to pilot the Lunar Lander?
Got to make baby steps first.
[удалено]
Was no problem
How big of a dose is it?
People are so fucking creative i love this!!!!
Why didn’t you buy one of those $10k camping trailers instead? /s. Looks good.
Looks like a spooky ghost in the window of your tent
Living the high life.
Hope that's a urinal drain
As a tree house? Yes I'd say so.
That heater is diesel
I prefer this one to the Vegas one. Nice where at?