kkeith1986
New member
Came across a picture of a RTT a while back and I knew I needed one. I was a little shocked when I saw the prices and figured "I could build one". I am pretty handy but the sewing part was a little out of my realm. I still decided to go for it. I bought eight yards of rip stop nylon, 3 yards of water proofed cordura, a sheet of plywood, some 1x3 boards, and some hardware to get my self started.
First I built the frame. The girl and I are both pretty short so I decided to go with a 4 x 6 platform. (If I did it again I would go maybe 6 inches wider and longer) I had home depot cut the plywood using their vertical table saw so it would be a straight cut. I cut the 1x3 boards to form two framed boxes that were the same size as the plywood sheet. Then mounted one box the plywood sheet with glue and pocket holes. I attached the other box frame to the assembled box frame / plywood hinges. I then bought two 40 pound gas lift shocks and attached those to the two frames so that it would lift automatically and made sure it would lift up to 50 inches high. Lastly I bought some latches to keep everything shut when not in use.
Next step was to start sewing. I never have sewn anything like this and I didn't even have a sewing machine at the start of it. I called up my mom and asked to borrow hers. After figuring the machine out and practicing a little on some scrap fabric I decided to just go for it. I made some templates for the sides out of cardboard and then transferred them to the nylon. I got all the pieces cut and start getting a little nervous because I knew it was time to start sewing. It took me about two weeks to get all the fabric sewn together. All the seams were double stitched using a modified full felled stitch. Basically it looks pretty on the outside but the inside has unfinished edges. I then made cutouts for the windows and made them out of noseeum mesh. (The windows are the only thing I am unhappy with) After all that was done I made a cutout for the door. I sewed on some marine type zippers and attached the door to the opening. This is where I made my only big mistake. I sewed the door upside down so instead of unzipping and folding up over the top it unzips and folds down. I was way to far into the door to seam rip it and start over so I just decided to keep it. I guess with the door folding down it will help protect the vehicle.
I am still working on the rtt as I write this. I am getting ready to make the top cover. (The black fabric in the pictures) This material is coated cordura and is a little thick so I am nervous about the sewing machine handling it. I have a friend who can sew it for me at his upholstery shop but I really want to do this all myself. After the top is made I can start final assembly. I am going to sand down all the wood and coat it with something to waterproof it as much as possible. The tent fabric is going to be attached by sandwiching it between the wood frame and some flat trim with a staple gun. The top fabric will be glued on and also held in place by all the hardware. I also have plans to make a rain fly just in case it starts to rain real hard.
This was my first time ever doing something like this and I learned a lot. I would make it a little bigger and I would probably go with a canvas material instead of nylon just for the strength and durability. Hopefully everyone likes it and I would appreciate any pointers.
First I built the frame. The girl and I are both pretty short so I decided to go with a 4 x 6 platform. (If I did it again I would go maybe 6 inches wider and longer) I had home depot cut the plywood using their vertical table saw so it would be a straight cut. I cut the 1x3 boards to form two framed boxes that were the same size as the plywood sheet. Then mounted one box the plywood sheet with glue and pocket holes. I attached the other box frame to the assembled box frame / plywood hinges. I then bought two 40 pound gas lift shocks and attached those to the two frames so that it would lift automatically and made sure it would lift up to 50 inches high. Lastly I bought some latches to keep everything shut when not in use.
Next step was to start sewing. I never have sewn anything like this and I didn't even have a sewing machine at the start of it. I called up my mom and asked to borrow hers. After figuring the machine out and practicing a little on some scrap fabric I decided to just go for it. I made some templates for the sides out of cardboard and then transferred them to the nylon. I got all the pieces cut and start getting a little nervous because I knew it was time to start sewing. It took me about two weeks to get all the fabric sewn together. All the seams were double stitched using a modified full felled stitch. Basically it looks pretty on the outside but the inside has unfinished edges. I then made cutouts for the windows and made them out of noseeum mesh. (The windows are the only thing I am unhappy with) After all that was done I made a cutout for the door. I sewed on some marine type zippers and attached the door to the opening. This is where I made my only big mistake. I sewed the door upside down so instead of unzipping and folding up over the top it unzips and folds down. I was way to far into the door to seam rip it and start over so I just decided to keep it. I guess with the door folding down it will help protect the vehicle.
I am still working on the rtt as I write this. I am getting ready to make the top cover. (The black fabric in the pictures) This material is coated cordura and is a little thick so I am nervous about the sewing machine handling it. I have a friend who can sew it for me at his upholstery shop but I really want to do this all myself. After the top is made I can start final assembly. I am going to sand down all the wood and coat it with something to waterproof it as much as possible. The tent fabric is going to be attached by sandwiching it between the wood frame and some flat trim with a staple gun. The top fabric will be glued on and also held in place by all the hardware. I also have plans to make a rain fly just in case it starts to rain real hard.
This was my first time ever doing something like this and I learned a lot. I would make it a little bigger and I would probably go with a canvas material instead of nylon just for the strength and durability. Hopefully everyone likes it and I would appreciate any pointers.
