Camping with my xB and new RTT
#1
Camping with my xB and new RTT
I just got this roof top tent a few weeks ago and thought I'd share some photos of it. I took my son for his 18th. birthday to the Florida Keys to go scuba diving and we slept in this Maggiolina for 9 days. I have it mounted to a Yakima rack and don't even know its there when we're driving. It weighs 150 pounds so doesn't exceed the load rating for the 1st. generation xB's. It has a fiberglass top and bottom and uses a crank that goes into a hole in the side to lower and raise it. It uses a wormscrew crossbar mechanism in the front and back which keeps it very tight and stable even in high winds. It comes with a foam mattress in the base and a ladder which stores in the tent. I have an awning that goes over the opening too but didn't use it on this trip because we were blessed with no rain. After leaving the Keys we camped in the mountains of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park where it was in the 50's at night. With the tent windows and doors closed up it stayed fairly warm inside. The base and ceiling are insulated. I got the largest size of this model which is a little larger than a queen sized bed. They're made in Italy and this year is their 50th. year making these. Its aerodynamic shape cuts down on wind drag and as long as we weren't exceeding the speed limit it didn't affect our gas mileage. The Keys were extremely hot and humid so I'm looking into getting a portable air conditioner for the next time. They make one to cool dog houses that should work fine. I got the idea from people who camp in the teardrop trailers. Hope you like the photos.
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#3
Yes, we slept in it on the roof. It stays on the rack the entire trip. You crank it up when you get to your overnight site and crank it down when you're ready to leave. It goes up in about a minute but it takes a little longer to crank down as you have to make sure all the fabric sides are tucked in properly. You only remove it from the rack when you're done using it and want to store it.
Last edited by greenenvy; 09-20-2009 at 04:45 AM.
#10
Re: Camping with my xB and new RTT
Originally Posted by greenenvy
It weighs 150 pounds so doesn't exceed the load rating for the 1st. generation xB's.
(i.e. Tent + Bars + People + Gear)
Thank you.
#11
Thanks, I got a lot of stares and questions from people when I cranked it up. Before that I think everyone just thought it was a rack mounted cargo box. I had one woman at the Balsam Mountain Campground that went up my ladder to take a look inside while she was asking if it was O.K. to look! I had a little clip on fan when we were in the Keys and we had a nice sea breeze most nights but one night everything was perfectly calm, beautiful full moon over the ocean but we just laid there and sweat. I also got devoured by no-see-ums even thought I covered myself in insect repellent. I've still got the bite marks all over my ankles and lower legs. Like I said, next time I'll bring a portable A/C. I brought a microwave on this trip it and it made food preparation really easy.
#16
Thank you!
What size (S/M/L) did you get the Grand Tour in?
I found this link:
http://www.autohomeus.com/rooftop/ma...aGrandTour.php
What size (S/M/L) did you get the Grand Tour in?
I found this link:
http://www.autohomeus.com/rooftop/ma...aGrandTour.php
#18
If you look on the Yakima site it has you go by the manufacturer's roof load limit which is 165 pounds for this vehicle. Apparently the racks are well above these limits but you are limited by the vehicle specs. 165 pounds is actually really good compared to other vehicles.
This is the large size grand tour.
I'm going to keep it the original white color as it reflects heat better. It also keeps the car cooler as it is shaded by the RTT.
No dents.
This is the large size grand tour.
I'm going to keep it the original white color as it reflects heat better. It also keeps the car cooler as it is shaded by the RTT.
No dents.