Terrapod RTT

Obsessed2findARuggedHybid

Well-known member
I am intrigued buy these RTT. I like the slim profile and light weight. The Go Fast is just to narrow for my 79" wide travel trailer. Looks like there is an extra step with putting up the support poles. Not 100% sure about the transient light coming in. The top did seem less rigid but maybe that's why it's so light. The roof line of my trailer is 100". Wondering if ladder will be to short. My trailer has a ladder on the driver's side but it's totally vertical. Think that will make it harder to crawl out?
 

JackW

Explorer
The Terrapod comes with an extendable ladder that will easily reach around 9' tall - you can see in this picture that I have two rungs left unextended and my roof rack is over 7' off the ground.
You can enter from either side or the back - I have a 270 degree awning mounted on the drivers side of my Land Rover so I usually get in on the passenger side but I can also climb up the rear mounted ladder and enter through the "porch" on the roof rack.
The two support poles just pivot up an snap into place in seconds - they are there in case both of the gas struts were to fail or if something heavy were to fall on the tent (watch his tree limb drop test). My SOLO model weighs around 85 pounds.
I've followed the development of this tent since Chad first proposed it and sold a perfectly good Maggiolina to upgrade to the Terrapod. Chad is around 6' 7" tall so he designed a tent that he could stretch out in.
We both worked for aircraft companies (me with Lockheed and Chad with Boeing) so there are a lot lessons learned from aircraft manufacturing techniques in his design from materials and assembly to the custom made extrusions he designed for the frame.
The composite panels are 1" thick and the sealant he uses looks an awful lot like the stuff we used on the F-22 Raptor. I don't think there is a better engineered roof tent on the market - and that's why I bought one.

Terrapod with ladder.jpg
 
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Obsessed2findARuggedHybid

Well-known member
Thanks for this response. Really appreciate the information. Website says ladder is 8.5 feet (102 ") which puts it right at my roofline but the ladder would be totally vertical. So the ladder would have to be 9 maybe 10 feet tall to have a 60 degree angle. If you could fully extend and measure it some day and let me know I will buy you a double IPA ? I will have a built in side wall ladder 2x2 (square alum tubing) so I probably don't need the ladder. This tent is now in 1st place on my list!
 

JackW

Explorer
These telescoping ladders also come in longer lengths - I know they make a 10.5' and 12' version as well - Chad can probably supply those sizes as well but if not they are available on Amazon.


 

JackW

Explorer
Kos is Chads partner at Terrapod - for a while he was loading up his truck with four tents and he was making delivery runs to customers in the Midwest. I assume the jump in gas prices and the distributors they found put a stop to this. But I would suggest you call them and see if they have come up with any way to get tents to the flyover states.
 

Obsessed2findARuggedHybid

Well-known member
Hey Utah is not a fly over State. It's a fly to State. Just kidding. Ya no delivery options were offered. These tents are very cool and the pricing matches the fact they are so cool, light and slim. It is a bummer that shipping these days is so costly as it really hurts these guys.
 

shoredreamer

Observer
@Obsessed2findARuggedHybid hey there, if California isn’t too much of a drive, the shop i work at (Rhino Adventure Gear) has one Terrapod in stock. It’s a little closer than Georgia for sure. Just trying to help you out. You’re correct, the Terrapod is a rad tent and made in the USA. Shipping these tents is a challenge though unfotunately.
 

Sendit6.5

New member
The Terrapod comes with an extendable ladder that will easily reach around 9' tall - you can see in this picture that I have two rungs left unextended and my roof rack is over 7' off the ground.
You can enter from either side or the back - I have a 270 degree awning mounted on the drivers side of my Land Rover so I usually get in on the passenger side but I can also climb up the rear mounted ladder and enter through the "porch" on the roof rack.
The two support poles just pivot up an snap into place in seconds - they are there in case both of the gas struts were to fail or if something heavy were to fall on the tent (watch his tree limb drop test). My SOLO model weighs around 85 pounds.
I've followed the development of this tent since Chad first proposed it and sold a perfectly good Maggiolina to upgrade to the Terrapod. Chad is around 6' 7" tall so he designed a tent that he could stretch out in.
We both worked for aircraft companies (me with Lockheed and Chad with Boeing) so there are a lot lessons learned from aircraft manufacturing techniques in his design from materials and assembly to the custom made extrusions he designed for the frame.
The composite panels are 1" thick and the sealant he uses looks an awful lot like the stuff we used on the F-22 Raptor. I don't think there is a better engineered roof tent on the market - and that's why I bought one.

View attachment 729075

I’m totally new to overlanding and RTT but have 40 years backpacking and horse packing experience. I’ve been wondering how these tents (the one pictured here in particular) work in a heavy rain? It seems like the rain would hammer that tent. Is there some sort of additional rain fly you can attach for rain protection or is that tent primarily for fair weather camping?
Sorry for the newb question but I gotta ask to learn.
 

JackW

Explorer
There is a rain fly and with the inner doors zipped up it can be raining sideways and you stay dry. The prototype tents got subjected to some very intense storms on several trips out west during the development of the Terrapod.
The friend of mine who has Terrapod #3 has spent well over 100 nights in it in all kinds of weather conditions. My previous Maggiolina never leaked a drop of water either in the eleven years I used it - even in the totally wet OEX East in 2018.

Terrapod-8.jpg

Terrapod-9.jpg

OEX-E2018.jpg
 

Obsessed2findARuggedHybid

Well-known member
I decided to order the Terrapod! Going to mount it directly to my Trail Marker Trailer roof ( reinforced with aluminum framing) no need for rack as the Terrapod is a rack. My MaxxAir fan is higher then tent. How cool is that. Might even add a trap door floor entrance from trailer to tent.
 

JackW

Explorer
Congratulations - I know you will be pleasantly surprised with the build quality of the Terrapod. I know how much effort Chad has put into selecting every component that goes into these tents. Just selecting the fabric for the tents was an epic quest - and these are made right here in Gainesville Georgia.
 

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