For Overlanding Adventures we opted for a CVT Denali Stargazer Summit with the Extended Awning as our Roof Top Tent (RTT) and decided the additional functionality of having it on a newly built CVT enhanced M416 axle less trailer with electric brakes and a tall rack for the RTT was best for us overall.
Trying to cram weeks of Overland expedition gear into the back of the Rubicon JK 4 Door with drawers a fridge, water was and an RTT had us concerned about the overall off-road performance on many of the trails and rugged area we roam in the Rockies and Canyon Country (Specifically off camber situations)
This CVT Denali Extended is extremely well made for durability and the fabric used on the Summit line is so much thicker than the the competitive offerings with similar upgrades. Once you see the differences in fabric and build you’ll be impressed with the effort . The attention to detail really shows once you set-up, pack up and endure variable weather conditions, heat, wind, driving rain, etc..
Durability and the overall functional features especially the huge Annex with enclosed ladders that can be folded up and suspended out of the way and having a floor with 3 screen doors provided amazing ventilation.
The clear fly and roof top venting provides some great stargazing and weather views an option that wasnt originally on our list but really “opens up” the RTT and really keeps the sleeping area nice and breezy when it’s warm.
With the huge window on one side it also functions as an additional entry exit to the RTT to step out on the trailer rack to the wheel fender and that is really handy surprise.
Set-up and packing up is so much easier as you can stand around on the trailer to tuck and zip more easily. We put a quick release of the RTT ladder to use as an alternative step ladder as well which is a simple mod that really works well when needed.
The trailer option allows us to leave camp and explore more of an area in our Jeep without having to take down and set-up over and over again each day. The trailer also gave us the option of going to the larger RTT which gave us a huge Annex space to get away from bugs and wind and not have to be up in the RTT. We really value the Annex size and huge screen doors to alter that side sun or wind. The thicker fabric matters with the Annex as well.
Looking forward to organizing the trailer for storage and adding a Alu-Cab Shadow 270 Awning due to its ability to handle wind and provide a “pole less” setup that will allow us to extend our Annex and add a screen room area to protect us while cooking and relaxing when the weather requires it.
With our approach we outfit a new well designed trailer with storage lighting/power and kitchen incrementally at a lower price point than funding a fully built expedition trailer. We’re upgrading the tires from 31’s to 35’s so we only carry one spare and will upgrade the hitch as well.
This approach to the RTT was so much better for us than having our Jeep crammed with gear in some sort of organized chaos;) no matter the storage options we considered. Towing the trailer even in extreme 4×4 areas has been really easy and painless thus far…. We are sure to test the limits.
For more information on our Overlanding trips and gear, check out our Overlanding adventures blog.