First camping trip with Tepui Kukenam XL Ruggedized SKY 4 Tent on R1T

[Beezlee]

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UPDATED: Tent was sold to me as "Tepui Kukenam 3 Ruggedized". However, after further research the tent is actually a "Tepui Kukenam XL Ruggedized SKY 4" (4-person tent). As a result, I have updated the packing weight below to 225lbs.
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I was taking the kids over to Kalaloch, WA for a 4 day camping trip and since the weather was turning wet very quickly I purchased a rooftop tent on craigslist last minute. I initially mounted the tent, which weighs in at 225lbs, to the stock crossbars, which are rated for 250lbs dynamic and 600lbs static, but there was NO WAY that was going to work. The crossbars were flexing with one person in the tent. As a temporary solution I glued and screwed a couple of 2x4's together and covered them in black vinyl to weatherproof and hide my janky setup. ? This took the load off of the crossbars but still allowed me to use them as attachment points . Ultimately it worked out great with no flexing issues. I'm curious what other people have done for rugged crossbars without spending almost $4000 for a bed rack system from Overland?

It was also fun testing out some of the Rivian camping features like auto-leveling and power management while using these 120V power outlets to cook meals like French Toast (see pics). #RoughRivianCamping ?

Here are some pics of my setup and a couple stops at Rivian Charging Network stations along the way on the Olympic Peninsula.

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[Cavalryscout18]

I use the Thule Wingbar Evo 135 (53”) as my crossbars. I also have a Thule Tepui but mounted on my R1S. I did not feel any flexing while in it and once set up, the tent worked great. If that doesn’t work, consider flipping the tent so that it covers more of the edges and not just the center of the bars. The ladder would be facing the back, though. Options.

 

[Beezlee]

I use the Thule Wingbar Evo 135 (53”) as my crossbars. I also have a Thule Tepui but mounted on my R1S. I did not feel any flexing while in it and once set up, the tent worked great. If that doesn’t work, consider flipping the tent so that it covers more of the edges and not just the center of the bars. The ladder would be facing the back, though. Options.

Yeah it's not a bad idea to turn the tent 90 degrees but then I would kind of lose the use of the tailgate with the folded out part of the tent in the way.

Thanks for the info on the Thule crossbars. I'll check them out. What attachment brackets do you have for the Thule crossbars?

 

[Cavalryscout18]

See screenshot for what I got. Good timing; seems like this kit is on sale at Thule.com and Amazon now. 20% off.

I like the Thule crossbars. They will take longer to put on than the Yakima ones from Rivian but they are much more sturdy and have no play at the fix point. Very stable, which is probably what you want when carrying so much weight on an expensive vehicle. I added pics of my set up. I have it shifted to one side so I could add a Yakima SlimShady. The set up worked great.

 

[SeaGeo]

It looks like the wingbar evo is rated for less load than the rivian crossbars.
https://www.thule.com/en-us/roof-rack/roof-racks-and-accessories/thule-wingbar-evo-108-_-711100

 

[Robin]

I was taking the kids over to Kalaloch, WA for a 4 day camping trip and since the weather was turning wet very quickly I purchased a rooftop tent on craigslist last minute. I initially mounted the tent, which weighs in at 162lbs, to the stock crossbars, which are rated for 250lbs dynamic and 600lbs static, but there was NO WAY that was going to work. The crossbars were flexing with one person in the tent. As a temporary solution I glued and screwed a couple of 2x4's together and covered them in black vinyl to weatherproof and hide my janky setup. ? This took the load off of the crossbars but still allowed me to use them as attachment points . Ultimately it worked out great with no flexing issues. I'm curious what other people have done for rugged crossbars without spending almost $4000 for a bed rack system from Overland?

It was also fun testing out some of the Rivian camping features like auto-leveling and power management while using these 120V power outlets to cook meals like French Toast (see pics). #RoughRivianCamping ?

Here are some pics of my setup and a couple stops at Rivian Charging Network stations along the way on the Olympic Peninsula.

Thanks for sharing, the photos are great sounds like everything worked out including your “macgyver” set up. ????️?️???

 

[sizotty]

Love the quick workaround. There are cheaper bedrock options out there. I was running the Range-Industries rack which secures by 2 bolts for each of the 4 mounts on the bed rails. Then had a simple hoist in the garage that could lift the tent and rack straight off when I needed to use the truck.

I'm actually downsizing tents now to go on trips with just my son, but look into the racks. Mine is for sale FWIW.
https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/r1t-bed-rack-range-industries-1500.31400/

 

[Rivdog]

With a tent that big, I’d change 90 degrees so the ladder is on the back. It may seem a bit inconvenient, but if it rains you’ll have a covered area underneath with your tailgate as a cooktop/shelf. Although it’s certainly less convenient for loading and unloading gear into your bed if the tent is deployed, it also has the benefit of only increasing the length of your footprint rather than the width. For example, I oftentimes camp at the start/finish of trail races and I can do it while only taking up one parking spot.

 

[Beezlee]

Thanks for sharing, the photos are great sounds like everything worked out including your “macgyver” set up. ????????

Thanks Robin. Yes, my MacGyver setup worked a treat. lol

 

[Beezlee]

Love the quick workaround. There are cheaper bedrock options out there. I was running the Range-Industries rack which secures by 2 bolts for each of the 4 mounts on the bed rails. Then had a simple hoist in the garage that could lift the tent and rack straight off when I needed to use the truck.

I'm actually downsizing tents now to go on trips with just my son, but look into the racks. Mine is for sale FWIW.
https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/threads/r1t-bed-rack-range-industries-1500.31400/

Yeah, I was looking at a ton of options, including the Range Industries that you mentioned. Nothing stands out as the perfect option. At the end of the day I wish Alu-Cab would just make a Contour Canopy that would fit the Rivian. For now I'll just keep dreaming.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Beezlee]

With a tent that big, I’d change 90 degrees so the ladder is on the back. It may seem a bit inconvenient, but if it rains you’ll have a covered area underneath with your tailgate as a cooktop/shelf. Although it’s certainly less convenient for loading and unloading gear into your bed if the tent is deployed, it also has the benefit of only increasing the length of your footprint rather than the width. For example, I oftentimes camp at the start/finish of trail races and I can do it while only taking up one parking spot.

Yep, pros and cons either way.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Glembi2]

@Beezlee You are a rockstar for camping in the rain! We call rain “training” weather bc you can’t effectively train in good weather.

 

[Beezlee]

@Beezlee You are a rockstar for camping in the rain! We call rain “training” weather bc you can’t effectively train in good weather.

I hear ya on the "training" aspect of it. Gotta be prepared for any situation. 4 years in the Army helped me "train" for camping in the rain. ?

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