When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Oh man, yeah this is what I wanted to see. Totally agree with you on the firewood/messy/wet things to be kept outside of the main cab.
Man, I really like the bones of this setup. Looks like you pulled middle row but maybe just left third row collapsed down and then built into that 2nd row space to level out? Does your solar top off either of your dual battery setup or does it feed into a different power use/source? Mind taking me on a little tour of what you got inside there?
Yeah, second row is gone in place is 15 gal water tank and a smaller water heater tank, pump, storage and electrics. It is only connected via one large power connection via Anderson connector for input and output is one hose for sink/shower and one electrical connector for the kitchen module for fridge, lights. Third row I removed just one seat and built the kitchen drop in module that anchors to the same seat mounts to keep secure. That has more storage, fridge, pull out twin gas cooktop, etc. Mounted to it is 80/20 aluminum slide out curtain that provide shower or restroom privacy. It hook to bumper and has ground anchors for when its windy out. Third seat in back can still pop up and I can hand out back there and stretch out if I want. Solar 150watt panel feeds directly to the aux battery. If I have both batteries connected it will supply both but I dont usually let it sit like that. Pretty much a prototype setup, have plans to make a slightly better design but not a whole lot will change.
Some more random pics, already made some changes and some of these are in progress stages, so it does not look exactly like this now.
yeah this would be driving the panamerican highway long term for 9-18 months so there's not really a take on/take off scenario. But yeah it's really about comparing the "here's why I love the RTT in spite of it always being mounted to the roof" vs. "ground tent and interior sleeping is better."
Hard not to want to do a roof box for storage, then sleep inside but also, I'm more than willing to be swayed into the positives of an RTT so I was curious if LR folks specifically had feelings on each direction.
How many people are you planning on taking? Is this a one car adventure or with other rigs? I'm a fan of a RTT for overlanding trips. But on those trips I have between 3-6 people with me and we usually take 2 cars (one D2 and one LR3). The RTT I have sleeps 4 people, and a 4 person tent can take up quite a bit of room. Another thing to consider is how often you move. With a RTT its super easy to set up and take down. But if you want to move the vehicle you have to take it down. A ground tent has the benefit of being detached to the car, but can take longer to set up. Some RTT have some space inside even when shut which allows you to leave sleeping bags and or a very thin pillow up there. That saves you time setting and packing up camp. If its just you, it may be easier to just sleep inside. On weekend trips if Its just me and one other person we usually just sleep inside the car.
Do you have a list of items and accessories your planning on bringing? It may be helpful to make a list of everything your bringing, categorize it by how accessible you want it to be, and then decide where to mount/store things. Keep in mind of the weight of things. On my Death Valley trip I carried 16 gallons of fuel on a lifted D2's roof (terrible idea in hindsight but I was 16 when I planned it). Which made the vehicle top heavy and a bit unstable on off-camber situations.
If you end up relocating the spare tire (again HIGHLY recommend) Tactical 4x4 has a rear steel bumper that has a tire swing out option and a jerry can swing out. I have the bumper with a tire swing out and have mixed feelings about it. Not about the actual product but its application in my case. Its great to have the spare tire mounted where its easy to access and I have the ability to mount a spare tire trash bag on it. But it makes getting into the rear a pain, and the bumper and tire combo is heavy. The bumper itself weigh 98lbs compared to the less than 5lb plastic bumper. LR3's weigh a lot to begin with, and adding mods only makes it worse. With a front ARB bumper, winch, 32" tires on steel rims, steel sliders, RTT, Tactical 4x4 bumper with a spare tire, full tank of fuel, and myself (170lbs) the rig weighs 6,600lbs. Speaking from experience, it sinks like a rock in mud.
If you move the spare tire, you theoretically could mount a water tank in its spot. Keeps the weigh down low and there's plenty of space. Only downside is its proximity to the exhaust but you can always wrap it. I thought about doing this but I never actually went through with it.
Another consideration when it comes to roof rack vs RTT. Are you going to be mounting lights?
