HOW THE HELL DO I PUT THIS THING TOGETHER?!
Ok, so it's time to take your roof top tent out of the box and put it together. Here are some easy steps and photos to help you along the way.
Stand box upright so the "this side up" sticker has the proper side up.
Grab the cool pocket knife you always keep in your pocket and slice the top open.
Gently cut the sides from top to bottom and fold the cardboard down flat on the ground like an open book.
Now adjust the tent so the end showing the mattress in touching the ground.
Lay the tent flat on the ground and unvelcro the two large black straps. you'll notice a layer of clear plastic on the base. you can peel this off or leave it on for added protection, your call.
Then find the two smaller velcro straps on the sides and undo them as well.
Now open the tent up and bask in it's glory and glow. You may shed a tear.
Walk around the tent and put the 6 fly poles into their pockets. They stay in the pockets and are only out for shipping.
Time to get all the parts together. The waterproof cover and the ladder are inside the tent. You should also have a small hardware bag, awning rods and base rails. Usually found inside the tent or along the edge.
Grab the parts bag and empty everything on to a safe spot.
Now we'll mount the ladder. 1st attach the ladder brackets to the holes along edge of base. You can puncture the small black stickers and slide the bolt through. Simply snug up the hardware. Doesn't need to be mega tight.
(FYI, these instructions are the same for the new telescopic ladder system)
Once ladder brackets are attached take the ladder out of the plastic bag and remove the black caps. (This does not apply with the new telescopic ladder system)
Now mount the ladders to the ladder brackets placing the black bushing in between. Tighten the hardware snug but not mega tight.
Once ladder is installed flip tent around so the other flat side is now facing up.
Take the rails out of the bag and collect the smaller hardware with larger washers.
The rails line up with holes on the base. They can only go one way. (Note: If you are wanting to have your tent open off the back of vehicle or if you have front to back rails on your roof it is possible to drill new holes an mount the rails turned 90 degrees).
You can access the holes under the mattress from inside the tent. The washer should go on the inside of tent as well.
The lock nut slides down the channel of the rail and meets up with the holes. Do not over tighten. They only need to be snug.
Ok so, now you can grab the little bundle of black bungee chords with the hooks. Open up the tent and on the inside walls you'll find 4 black rings around the windows. attach the chords to the rings stretching them to either side of the tent. These are to help suck in the walls in when closing the tent. When you open it is recommended to unattached one side and let the chords hang.
The tent should now be flipped so the ladder is facing up. Now take the black waterproof cover and flip it so the logo side is facing the ground. Match the purple piping up with the tube along the base of the tent.
Gently feed the piping along the bottom of tent until it's all attached. Go slow and make sure the purple piping is straight along end before feeding. this may take a while but only has to be done once.
Now you can go around the tent and push in any excess fabric. Also re attach the 2 small velcro strap on the sides. They do not need to be tight.
Pull the waterproof cover over the tent. Before fitting the cover make sure the ends closest to the purple piping are pulled over the corners.
Pull and stretch the far corners over and down. The cover should be a snug fit over the corners.
Now you can line up the zipper. Please make sure the zipper slider is completely inserted to the zipper base before pulling.
When zipping up the cover it is VERY VERY important to go slow and make sure there is no material catching the zipper. I suggest running your hand in front of zipper to help clear a path. This may be a pain in the ass the first few times but becomes easier the more you do it.
Once the cover has been zipped on you can pull the longer straps over and attach them. The tent is now ready for your roof. The sliders go into the mount rails on either side of your roof bars. In your parts bag you'll also find 4 small plastic caps for the end of the rails once the tent has been mounted.
The Mounting hardware for roof racks is stainless steel. Awesome that it doesn't rust but the metal is softer. I recommend doing a dry fit of the nut on to the bolt and tighten it about 1/4 up the bolt to make sure everything is smooth. If it feels good with no sticking you can loosen then install.
Please note that after prolonged use sometimes the mount brackets can loosen. This is especially true if you are on bumpy logging roads. Please check your hardware after each trip and if possible a thin rubber type piece between the roof rails and your hardware can make a big difference with shock absorption.
Few things to note:
-When opening and using the tent, the black waterproof cover hangs down underneath the tent base.
-The awning rods push into the small holes found along the base of the tent. The Rod should be inserted first with hook end facing the ground. Then bent up to hook into the Fly eyelets found on the fly corners.
- The Ladder acts as a leg and is a structural part of the tent. Never have weight in the tent without the ladder properly set up.
-Condensation is an issue in any type of tent. Try to allow as much airflow as possibly while still being comfortable in your tent.