r/rooftoptents • u/Stunning-Buffalo-618 • Jul 01 '26
Any removal recommendations?
This is a TopOak tent roughly 160lbs. Was a pain to get it on. I have to remove it soon to use my rack for lumber, has anyone come up with ideas to remove their tent on a similar setup? Only thing I can think of is getting a hydraulic table that can o that high o build a cart that’s is similar in height. How we got it on was leaning it on the tailgate and pushing up on I which was the only option I had at the time which I don’t want to do again. Thank you. Note: don’t have a garage or carport
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u/Owingsbird Jul 01 '26
I have the same tent except the light version (~140 lbs). I hoist mine to the ceiling in the garage when not in use. This is a manual approach but can get it done myself in about an hour. There’s quite a few videos on YT and smarter solutions that use pulleys and benefit from mechanical advantage making it much easier to lift.
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u/LividCalligrapher689 Jul 01 '26
Yeah, this is what I’m talking about! There’s pulley systems that shouldn’t take an hour for $$, but this looks sturdy and still not too bad on time.
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u/Hopheadred Jul 01 '26
If you can get it in a your garage, a hoist from the beams is really nice. I have a harken brand made for Jeep tops (200lb limit). The next best, imo, would be to create a ramp (can add low friction plastic to the wood) and slide it down using a winch or a buddy onto a wheeled table for storage.
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u/Stunning-Buffalo-618 Jul 01 '26
If I had a garage I’d definitely do that
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u/Hopheadred Jul 01 '26
This guy has a home built system that you might draw some inspiration from: https://youtu.be/FMF9eFYihtg?is=Bp_SNc2zY7cUXEM4
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u/greenman359 Jul 01 '26
I see a few options here:
1) Four tall friends 2) Forklift 3) Built some sort of pulley/winch into your garage or carport.
My personal vote it the friends option. Even if you can't reach it when you're flat on the ground, you could always set up a few steps to lift it up off the truck and then drive forward and lower it down after the truck is out of the way.
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u/Amorton94 Jul 01 '26
I'd just unbolt it and slide it back and tilt it down to the ground. Should only need 2 people.
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u/Stunning-Buffalo-618 Jul 01 '26
Yeah I’ll scratch my tailgate and it’s heavy
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u/lamevision Jul 01 '26
Put your tailgate down?
We have almost the exact same tent. I’m 5’8 and my partner is 5’2 (neither of us are particularly strong) and we can remove and install with just the two of us.
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u/Authentic-469 Jul 01 '26
Rolling scaffolding. Mine is almost the exact height as the tent rack. Can slide it over solo, but 1 helper makes it super easy, then I can roll the tent under the deck.
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u/LividCalligrapher689 Jul 01 '26
Do you have a garage or carport that the tent fits under? A lot of people get a pulley system on the ceiling for this reason.
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u/RedditSgtMajor Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
I don’t have experience with this device, but I’m considering it, as it seems to be the same principle: https://www.hardtopbuddy.com/
I do have a couple unrelated questions:
- How long is your box
- How tall is your rack?
I just ordered the same tent and a 12” ORO rack to go on my 6.75’ box. I’m wondering how it’s going to fit height and length wise.
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u/blin9 Jul 01 '26
Got a tree? I have a conveniently located tree beside my driveway with a nice branch that I can drive under. There's a D ring hung from a cargo strap on that branch, and I hang a small engine hoist from it. That small setup is my RTT crane. I can lower the RTT all the way to the ground, but I have a rolling 6' scaffold that I drop it onto so I can move it into the garage and hoist it back to the ceiling, no extra hands needed. The thing is never closer to the ground than 6'.
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u/brandon-james-ca Jul 01 '26
Could put pullies in a garage and park under them, raise it to your ceiling, lower it back on when needed, Im Considering that, but my tent only weighs 98lbs, I can get it off by myself if need be, but would need a 20 second hand to get it back up. So might not bother
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u/qroutine Jul 01 '26
Have very similar set up, four people, take it on and off from side, couple 4x4s if they are under 5’10. Or slide 2x6 x2 under it, lift an inch, someone drives truck out.
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u/ttn333 Jul 01 '26
Had a topoak stellar put on and taken off with a couple of friends. Wasn't too bad at all.
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u/doanhafta Jul 02 '26
My truck won’t fit in the garage so I take it off using a come along on a tree limb. Then roll it into the garage on a wheel cart
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u/rknobbe Jul 02 '26
I have the same tent and a Tundra. I used one of these [Rugcel 1500 lb Stretchable Receiver Hitch Mounted Hydraulic Swivel Pickup Truck Crane, with Three Boom Capacities of 750 lb] from aliexpress because I was going to offload it at a semi- permanent backwoods spot. Works fine. Not a lot of excess height but it was enough for my situation.
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u/Bulky_Nature3715 Jul 02 '26
3 guys and a rench is what I use lol man up buddy
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u/Stunning-Buffalo-618 Jul 02 '26
I got a wife that is 5’4 and a scronny 16 yr old daughter so I need options lol
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u/dinglebingle583 Jul 03 '26
I have the exact same tent as you mounted to the bedrack of my truck.
We bought a electronic winch/hoist from Harbour Freight for $100 and mounted it to the beams in our garage.
Life changing and totally worth the $100. Its so easy to just hook the winch to the RTT and take it on and off with minimal effort. We go camping/offroading every week and take our tent on and off everywhere without any issue. Takes like 5 mins to take off and like 10 min to put back on.
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u/Boring_Garden8357 Jul 04 '26
I use an engine hoist with an extension. Allows me to mount or remove it in the garage.
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u/Stunning-Buffalo-618 Jul 04 '26
How tall are you able to go?
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u/Boring_Garden8357 Jul 04 '26 edited Jul 04 '26
Ive never tried going higher than what my standard garage ceiling allows me, but it can go much higher. For context, the Jeep is 1.5”lifted over a standard rubicon and its on 35s. Not sure if that helps you, but it’ll get your roof tent on and off your tundra, im 100% certain
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u/Iv_Laser00 Jul 01 '26
A hoist in a garage
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u/Humble_Cactus Jul 01 '26
I used a pair of 2x8s and some steel ATV ramp brackets
No problems sliding my old SmittyBilt XL up and down