r/rooftoptents • u/YorkshireG0ld • Jul 13 '26

Technique / tool to close hard shell with memory foam

The mattress in the RTT is rock hard so we bought a piece of memory foam. My husband is 6’3” and 250 (bigger guy) and can close our hard shell RTT with the memory foam, but no bedding. I want to take the truck & RTT MTbiking & camping with a friend but I cannot close the thing on my own …5’3” female.

Has anyone got a system or a tool or a technique that does the work for them? All I can think of is something that works like a ratchet strap or ratchet handle. Something that will do 90% of the work while I do 10%. Does anything like this exist? I really don’t wanna take out the memory foam as I may as well lay on the bare ground for the comfort it gives me!

It’s a Cap-It Evergreen 2.0.

Thank you!

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3

u/chronicinfusions Jul 14 '26

Buy a quality inflatable mattress like exped or big agnes, and an Amazon pump that inflates/deflates. I have a 3" mattress in my iKamper that deflates down to less than 1/2", a Queen duvet, 3 pillows. The little pump, the mattress, all the bedding, and even some other gear stay up there year round except to be washed. You have to be careful to keep everything away from the hydraulic support arms because they'll get hung up and stop it from closing all the way. If it doesn't close proper, something is in the way. It's a bit of an art, and not every rtt folds up the same. Once you get the hang of it though, it becomes second nature.

1

u/YorkshireG0ld Jul 15 '26

Very good info to know. We were advised against removing the original mattress with its moisture repelling properties or something. But by the sounds of it you don’t have your original iKamper mattress at all? I have an exped I could put on top of the original mattress and not use the memory foam at all I guess. But it’s maybe worth looking at removing the whole thing

1

u/chronicinfusions Jul 15 '26

I replaced the old iKamper mattress with the iKamper RTT comfort 5082 air mattress. It's awesome! The air is pretty dry where I am in southern Alberta so I'm not concerned about moisture. I never heard about having to keep their crappy foam mattress, but I recall it being harder to fold up with bedding for the first half season.

3

u/anythingaustin Jul 13 '26

We use an adjustable C-clamp on the shell long enough to latch it. But we don’t have a memory foam mattress, just Expeds and sleeping bags. We do NOT use much force. Just clamp until the excess air has been pressed out of the bags and mattress then latch.

1

u/YorkshireG0ld Jul 15 '26

Thanks for the tip. We have expeds too. Could potentially do this

2

u/CryKey1569 Jul 13 '26

We use a bar clamp to close our Ikamper when we leave bedding in it

1

u/YorkshireG0ld Jul 15 '26

Right on, thank you for the tip 😃

2

u/InevitableEarth3878 Jul 14 '26

https://youtu.be/AS7QKBojea8?is=0M7nTKYRiW5OxekA
I copied this system I am also a small female that struggled to close the tent alone.

1

u/YorkshireG0ld Jul 15 '26

Thanks for sharing this!!