I generally only run a topper in the off-season since we have a fifth wheel so I have a Softopper, which I guarantee is less watertight than any decent hard shell. The images here should give you an idea of what i am talking about. Locking, Quick Mount legs mount to tracks. Cars, trucks, SUVs. Maybe itâs the weight, perhaps the specific camper shell, but one thing for sure, if you want to reduce the likelihood of that happening, you have to make sure to at least strengthen the build, or buy a suitable cap to begin with. Iâm also sure there are things you could do to eliminate even that. Why we like it: This robust hard shell tent is built to … They each have advantages and disadvantages, and which is best for you depends an awful lot on how you like to travel. Most users do this to add extra storage and sleeping space for camping, or to keep enough supplies for longer journies. Finding this sort of information can be tricky depending on the brand, but it is best to check the product’s information on its website, if possible. I might add it takes a few minutes longer to facilitate setting it all up due to the use of the ladder. Rooftop tents are quick and easy to set-up, keep your gear elevated and secure and are designed to withstand the elements. Pro tip- if youâre not using the tent a lot, save the oxygen absorbers from vitamin bottles and leave them in the tent as theyâll suck up any moisture. Just find a quiet neighborhood after dark and hop in. As opposed to a rooftop tent, you can take the tent down after every trip. We also have a four wheel camper... it’s nice but waaaay too heavy and has too many RV grade components. If or not will your type of truck cap handle this sort of weight entirely depends on its static load capacity. It has 78â³ round bars. I'd say take one out for a good 3-4 days to see how you like it before you drop $7+ grand. Either way you're gonna love being out there so no setup option is wrong just different pros and cons. My wife keeps reminding me there is no perfect solution, but I keep trying to find one. I actually think that is one of the reasons my shell broke was because I added about 200 pounds on top of it, which I think the combination of the harsher driving and the weight is what ultimately caused it to fail. The Tepui Ayer roof top tent looks almost … They review the options of a Roof Top Tent (RTT) vs. a Ground Tent vs. a Wedge Camper (Habitat) vs. Sleeping in the vehicle, and even the Australian Swag. Happy camping! If you go the camper shell route I'd recommend getting a high-rise model that's lined with carpet. if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-theirtrucks_com-medrectangle-4-0')};But everything is not lost, as long as you are keen on doing some modifications. I am curious as to some proâs and conâs of both the shell and rooftop tent. The outer fiberglass shell and ripstop canvas sides make for a dry, waterproof sleeping area. Yes, it is indeed possible to put a rooftop tent on a shell. We also have a four wheel camper... itâs nice but waaaay too heavy and has too many RV grade components. Then I build a camper platform in the back that supports a full mattress and drawers that run the length of the bed (I have the extended bed). With a built-in mattress, they are more comfortable than traditional tents. Bench Seats vs. Bucket Seats For A Pickup Truck. I have a Leer 100xr with some decked drawers and I love it. I donât plan to use it every weekend, rather once or twice a month will be more likely. I now rely on the camper shell queen bed platform and a gazelle t3x to both work from and what was missing from my RTT the ability to setup camp and leave it setup and head to town with our BLM or NF camp site still intact. The main way to do so is by welding an inner frame that prevents it from spreading. The other benefit of the leer cap is that you can sleep in there pretty low profile if youâre doing long journeys. If you are an outdoors kind of person, utilizing the truck bed space for all your stuff is crucial. And tip #2 is to leave bounce dryer sheets in it to keep it smelling fresh. Throw some bumps, some body flex, and some vibrations inside a weak fiberglass shell, and I’m sure you can see why this is problematic. I bought the lightest 4 season roof top tent I could find which was the Yakima skyrise HD 3( 115 Lb). Roof top tents on a vehicle suck believe me. Should You Remove The Sway Bars From A Truck? I have one on order so I canât personally speak to it, but they look impressive and the price point (while high) is comparable to a decked out fiberglass shell. Since I already had all of the other gear except the tent this was the way I went. Due to the height of the shell I carry another 10â² collapsible aluminum ladder to facilitate deploying the tent, the Yakima slim shady awning mounted on the opposite side of the tent on the shell and the gear on the mega warrior on top of the cab. 120lbs. I didnât even consider noise pollution when looking into these options. Sleeping Capacity: 2. I am glad I did due to the comfort of additional deployed height and space. And making sure it's sealed well on the bed rails. The weight of roof top tents … As fas as your main question goes, Iâd go with a hard camper shell as long as the bed space is enough on a Tacoma. Roost Explorer. The shell had the outdoors mans package which means it is 1â³ thick fiberglass vs 1/2â³ on the standard. Iâve heard they leak a bit though, which may be something I should take into consideration when making a decision between a rooftop tent and a camper shell. I have a 2011 Sung top hi liner which is 4â³ over cab height on a 2011 Ford F150. If it can handle a roof rack, it can … - As a general rule, SUV and trucks can be good candidates for a rooftop tent, while cars, sedans and hatchbacks are usually not. Good luck setting up a roof top tent just anywhere lol. I have the short bed and am 5â11â I donât mind sleeping in a bed thatâs a bit shorter than myself. Also it's a good investment to add weather stripping to your end gate. There is plenty of mesh underneath the fly so condensation is not a problem. You could always do the topper and install the TopperEZlift system that lifts the topper straight up using hydraulics, this would give you some more room. OTG Tent dimensions 57″W x 85″L x 12″H Closed, 57″W x 85″L x 39″H Open. Holy shit I didnât know they made something like that. Tepui Tents rei.com. If you're somewhere like CA, AZ, UT or CO, you can definitely find a rental outfitter that has rigs fully equipped with these sort of setups. Iâm really intrigued about the weekender package. I would get a shell and add the RTT to it if you feel you would get the use out of it to justify the expense. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. It acts exactly, if not better than any other rack you would want to put up there, though in this instance it doesnât rest on the actual cap itself â all of the load sits on the bed sides. The hard shell roof top tent is effortless to set up once you’ve reached your campground, and it offers a nice sense of security that you don’t really have in a tent. I use a 4 inch foam topper and itâs been awesome for me and my dog. This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Tepui’s hard-sided Hybox is multipurpose and can stay on your roof all year long! Had it close to a year. If you want more room then get an over-shell rack and put the tent on it. The hardshell of the Skycamp is made of FRP (fibre-reinforced plastic) and has TWO layers for extra insulation and strength, setting it apart from traditional roof top tents' shells. I'd recommend doing pro/con lists for each, relative to your own use case, and going from there. Most RRTâs use 280 to 320 denier ripstop poly cotton and a 130 lbs and up. Try it out for a while. Many SUVs, trucks, and larger automobiles will be ideal for this, but smaller cars and sedans may not have a structural capacity to support a rooftop tent, rack system, and the campers themselves. I'd get a camper shell for the truck anyway. Also camping in windy conditions was ridiculous from my experience with a soft rtt. Many of these racks can handle loads of 1000 pounds or more, and thatâs more than enough for a roof top tent with even three people.if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-theirtrucks_com-banner-1-0')}; To be honest, there a lot of owners who mount the RTTâs on the most standard, common shells you can find on the market, and never get into any issues in regards to them breaking in one way or the other. Mounting a roof top tent can be annoying at times and may take you a while to figure out exactly where you want it to sit on your vehicle, trailer, or truck bed. I had to get the 3 vs the 2 because of the cross bar height on the hi liner was 82â³ off the ground. As the leaves fall and the temperature drops, many of us put away our hiking boots and camp stoves for the season, and swap out our hard shell roof top tent for a ski rack (unless, of course, you’ve got a Sandpiper or a Falcon, which means you can have the best of both worlds).. Someday I might move the tent to a trailer. Is it a long bed or short bed? The beauty of the Roost is that it also converts to a 13-inch-tall cargo carrier; simply … This accounts for the lighter weight difference. Having said that, there are also those who do indeed go for it and crack them up in just one night. However, if your camper shell or truck topper doesn’t have a rooftop … Highly recommend going with the one that gives you the most use out of the space. Adapt your camper shell, hard tonneau, or hardtop resin roof to carry gear with this roof-rack system. As well as the luxury of convenience, a rooftop tent also maximises space by freeing up cargo areas for other essential camping and off-roading accessories. Most of the tents that we offer at Off Road Tents have a weight fluctuating between 100 lbs and 220 lbs, so what model tent you decide on will depend on how much weight your roof rack can carry. The annex size didn't appeal to me so I didn't have that option. You can leave all your sleeping bags and pillows set up when you collapse the tent. - Do not use with Landing Pad 6 or 7 - Never use a rooftop tent with any vehicle whose rooftop load limit is under 165 lbs. Can it support the weight of the tent with you there or more people? Over time, a … Ground tent is great if you can find a flat/comfortable spot. The 3 has a longer ladder with it. 1. I have used a ground tent, camper shell + decked, bed rack and RTT and now have a GFC on order. The hardshell that protects your Skycamp on the road is made of fiber-reinforced plastic and has a double layer with built-in air insulation, making it soundproof and condensation resistant. The question is, will you be comfortable sleeping on your truck bed? If or not will your type of truck cap handle this sort of weight entirely depends on its static load capacity. For my situation I felt it was the best way to go. Don't go that route. The RTT was an awesome platform on my single cab truck but it lacked something a larger ground tent offered which was a workspace. If you are 6.5 foot or taller with long arms, you might not need it. Some will argue that this isn’t a fair comparison as rooftop tent campers also have to maintain a vehicle. Thanks for that input, Thatâs a very good point. As a unit is installed on the roof racks of the vehicle or camper trailer, it means the rear cargo area can be used for other essential bits of kit. This is a great option if you’re camping with your daily driver and don’t want to commit to installing a heavy tent that’s difficult to remove. The third and most recent addition to the AT Overland truck topper lineup is the … AT Overland Atlas. Also, I know some people find campers and the removal and installation process as a con since once itâs on, itâs pretty much there for good (I live in an apartment so I have no storage space for it anyway if I even wanted to remove it) so having it permanently attached is not an issue for me. Napier Sportz Truck Tent. Tepui Ayer Tent. The telescoping ladder can be used on both sides with easy access through the wide side doors. Roofnest Hard Shell Roof Top Tents Set Up in Under 60 Seconds. If you cannot find anything regarding this topic there, chances are the manufacturer does not recommend you to place a roof top tent, or really anything heavier for that matter, on that cap. The cage can rest on the rails, be bolted to the bed itself, itâs just that the goal here is to give the camper shell more top wide support. The skyrise HD used 600 Denier ripstop polyester. Sorry if this is posted very frequently, I am new to this sub. A cheaper solution to this is installing a ladder rack that can work in conjunction with the topper. Check out RSi Smartcap. In cold weather you can leave the top windows open and use a Tepui thermal liner of the same size tent to add warmth. SHOP NOW. Tearing out of work on a Friday … I think your article is spot on but It took a lot of research on my part to find the best fit. Rather than spending hours scrolling through endless pages of forums, I wanted to condense that information into one easy to read article. Even so, the only water intrusion Iâve seen wouldnât hurt a bit from a camping standpoint. It does sleep colder than being up in the air and I like camping in the snow/cold. I'm a solo camper shell camper and love it for the simplicity and that it blocks so much more outside noise than a tent does. Taking everything out just so you can sleep there for the night is tedious and time consuming, which is why many consider mounting a roof top tent up top.if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-theirtrucks_com-medrectangle-3-0')}; One thing for sure is that normally a tent of this nature has to rest on some sort of ladder rack, but what about doing the same only on a camper shell? Know your vehicle’s roof type and how much weight it can handle Look at your vehicle manual and the weight of the tent you aim to put on it. This way you can either place the tent on the car or trailer depending on your adventure. You might have to sleep in an angle depending your height. The biggest disadvantage of truck bed tents is that you can’t use your truck bed while camping. - Never use a rooftop tent with any clip (Q-Tower or BaseLine) or flush rail type systems. Some manufacturers make them exactly for this reason, or in short, they are able to withstand weight capacities of up to 500 pounds or more, which is more than enough if you ask me. Just curious as to whether the quoted price point for the shells are really worth it. I've done a bunch of longish (couple week to couple month) trips around the US and Canada, with a bunch of different 4x4-based configurations (camper shell on truck, over the rails cabover truck camper, slide-in truck camper, hardshell rooftop tent, tow-behind popup tent, tow-behind truck bed with contractor cap, and suburban) and I haven't found anything yet that's perfect. And youâll never need a hotel room again. Hey canât really comment on the vs you posted, but I too have a Tacoma and opted for the leer cap. If you are someone who thinks you may get into rock crawling or going fast, I would consider something other than the Snugtop, if you decide to put a tent on top. Yes, they are a bit more $$$, but the added benefits are: - You can climb into your tent from your truck bed- Most camper shells also allow for the sleeping platform to be lifted up, thereby creating a higher ceiling where you can stand- ability to hang out inside your camper because of inclement weather. I am looking into either a truck bed camper for my Tacoma or possibly considering a rooftop tent. We have a roof tent on our 4Runner itâs good but if trade it for a pickup bed / camper in a heartbeat. I ended up getting a leer 180 with the extra headroom. RTT means you can still use the cargo area. And, our rooftop tents are available in different sizes and configurations, accommodating up to four people. In case you want to try out your luck and see if the cap indeed can support the load you want to put there, i would highly suggest reinforcing the structure first. A roof top tent turns any car into a camper! One of the cheapest and easiest ways to start overland hunting is to buy … Paired it with a decked system. The Yakima mounting system for the skyrise boosts the floor height another 4â³. The main problem with roof top tents is that you have to break down the tent to go wheeling or simply go into town for beers. I have been camping in a "camper shell" on my ram1500 for a couple years now. It has a static load capacity of 500 lbs. Finding this sort of information can be tricky depending on the brand, but it is best to check the productâs information on its website, if possible.