This puts you at $7,700 for a camper customized to match your vehicle and your needs, handily winning this camper the award. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Typically, a camper would have a bug screen on the exterior, then a clear vinyl window, and then the actual tent material as the last piece on the inside, allowing you to open up the camper in steps. Versatile design converts rooftop tent for up to two people into a spacious cargo carrier Patented ZipperGimp allows for easy conversion between a … But with all of the other upgrades included in the package, the value seems exceptional upon initial examination. Living space is bountiful, with up to 116 cubic feet in which to stand, move about, or relax in. Bed panels slide instead of lifting up on struts. Over the last decade, we’ve had the pleasure of watching the overland market grow from an isolated khaki-clad niche into the thriving industry it is today. This shelter features a heavy-duty reinforced diamond-plate base with a comfy high-density foam mattress. Alu-Cab is one of the more established brands in this evaluation and has made a reputation for itself building products like the Expedition tent and the Shadow Awn, which recently won our Editor’s Choice award in a 270-degree awning test. If it didn’t rain during our trip, we would spray the camper with water to test the seals and shake the tent extensively to search for rattles and fabric flapping. Osprey Mini | Hard Shell Easy-Fold Rooftop Tent. You didn't go outside to LIVE IN A SHOEBOX You went outside to get outside. This means you have to do the same late-night song and dance as in the Alu-Cab, but the Go Fast doesn’t even put the panel on gas struts, which means you have to lift it out of the way each time. Inside there’s more to love, such as the way the composite roof lets a dull white light through in the mornings or the convenient welded pockets for your phone and keys on the tent. Featured In. Categories. Sale. 302 for flammability, CPAI-84, California State Fire Marshall Title 19, NFPA 701, test method II, FAA 25.853 and UFAC Upholstered Furniture Class 1. Despite the reasonable cost, the company doesn’t skimp on materials or construction methods, and each camper is made in Bozeman, Montana. To spec a competing camper with those same options, you’re looking at roughly $10,000 to $12,000, or nearly double the price. Order now. The mattress was much too firm, and I would need to substitute it or add cushioning if I were to own one. The Summit fell short in two ways. Invite customers to join your mailing list. Don’t get me wrong, the new mattress we tested is still a rock, I don’t love the rain gutter system, and the interior panel design is infuriating at times, but I could look past all of that for what you get in return. Adding to that complexity, I found my choice would change based on whether I owned a full-size truck or a mid-size truck. That price buys you a GFC equipped with a lightweight painted shell, a pop-top tent and mattress, lockable, hard-side access panels, and T-slot rails on which to mount accessories or a rack. If you want just a bug screen for ventilation, you must once again drop all three layers and open up the tent to bugs, then rezip only the bug screen, leaving the tent to hang outside and the clear vinyl to hang inside. In other words, it’s still a good bang for your buck. Vagabond’s window package was my favorite of any camper in the test, as it provides massive views, fantastic airflow, and abundant natural light whenever you need it. We then took each camper on an off-pavement trip, running it down dirt roads to test for dust incursion, rattles, and components which might come loose. I also appreciated that they included straps to tie down the rolled layers of fabric while the windows were open, a nicety that only one other manufacturer added. Rooftop vehicle tents don’t get much better than this Overland Vehicle Systems Nomadic 4 Extended Roof Top Tent. Osprey Slimline | Wedge Style Hard Shell Roof Top Tent | PRE-SALE. For foldable tents, the center of the tent will provide a good amount of headspace. In this evaluation, I found myself stuck in a precarious position while selecting the Editor’s Choice Award. Each holds distinct advantages over the other, yet somehow they manage to balance out so closely that it was practically impossible to choose. Spring for the Standard model evaluated here and that price jumps to about $8,000, but you’ll be receiving quite a few upgrades for your money. It's no longer a secret. I was able to sleep by laying completely diagonal, but even then, I barely fit. Versatile design for storage, bed access, and mounting accessories, Utilitarian design is functional and easy to clean, The worst offender though was the bed. Inside you’ll find a 48 x 80-inch bed with one of the most comfortable mattresses of the test; it easily lifts up thanks to two gas struts, clearing the way for a spacious living quarters below, and we do mean living quarters. Opt for the additional insulating liner, and you’ll find yourself tucked away in a warm and peaceful escape from the outside world. The Switchback™ X1 sets you up to hit the road when the bell rings on Friday. It is reinforced in stress points like the top rear corners, and designed to hold a 100-pound dynamic load on the roof or up to 600 pounds of people walking on it. It turns out GFC has a secret weapon, one you might not expect such a small business to possess: robots. A lighter and less complex camper might save you money while providing greater flexibility to use your vehicle for other tasks. There’s even a drop-down ladder which makes it easy to climb in and out of bed at night. Every time we do one of these extensive tests, I find myself wandering down the rabbit hole of some theory, regulation, or production method, and this gear review was no exception. Fortunately, this problem can be solved fairly easily by adding an optional ladder to the GFC, which would allow you to enter or exit the camper like a roof tent at night, instead of trying to mess with moving panels or opening hatches. Look underneath the cab-over, for example, and you’ll find an aluminum camp table tucked away on one side, with a slide-out shower stall on the other. The reality is that most of us are working on a budget, and any of these campers are going to be a big spend. What they found were chemicals such as tris(1,3-dichloropropyl-2) phosphate (TDCPP), decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209), triphenyl phosphate, and tetrabromobisphenol-A were being used, organophosphates which can be found in a range of products from flame retardants to pesticides, plasticizers, and nerve gases. The fit and finish on their shells is exceptional. $2,499.00. In May 2019 we attended Overland Expo West and had the opportunity to see most of the wedge campers on the market face-to-face. They keep the contents of your bed dry, (mostly) dust free, and secure, while also providing a comfortable living space in which to relax away from the elements. Ajouter au panier. These chemicals and the burn rates are governed by CPAI-84, which was a standard set in place 43 years ago and intended to regulate the fire resistance of circus tents. That may not sound like a big difference, but when you’re driving a third-gen Tacoma, 450 pounds is more than 40 percent of your payload, while 275 pounds is only 25 percent. “Oftentimes, we found lighter or more affordable materials, but they didn’t meet the NFPA 1192 standards, so we went with what we’ve been using since Zero [their prototype], We haven’t changed any of the materials since then due to the fact that we evaluated all this before going into production. The Hybox Wedge makes life better for anyone looking to camp or carry cargo solo. This isn’t a huge deal for short periods of time, but try working in the camper or hanging out for a few hours and it will become fatiguing. The 3-inch, high-density foam mattress is comfortable and measures a full 48 x 80 inches on mid-size trucks or 54 x 80 inches on full-size trucks. By using automated production systems to work through the night, GFC has been able to take advantage of economies of scale by producing more campers to lower the overall price, a savings which they pass on to the consumer. There are also plenty of ways to upgrade the Vagabond campers, from electrical and fan systems to side-access hatches, paint matching your vehicle, and what was the best interior lighting system in the evaluation thanks to recessed LED strips which give the interior a warm glow instead of a blinding white light. Unlike its competitors, the Canopy replaces the tailgate entirely with a full-size rear door and aluminum surround which allows customers to fully seal the cap against the truck bed, eliminating the gaps which occur between the tailgate and truck bed with every other camper. Setup and breakdown were a breeze, achieving the fastest times of any camper in the test, just 15 seconds for setup, and 35 seconds for breakdown, though the owner topped our breakdown time with a blistering 21 seconds. Though after installing and using the James Baroud Explorer hard shell roof top tent, we gotta say that the James Baroud hard shell tents rank right up there with the best of them. I didn’t feel they were quite up to par though with the Summit, their closest competitor, due in part to the Summit’s minute improvements, and my. At first glance you’ll notice the Summit’s apparent advantages: the stitching is impeccable, the windows are lined up perfectly, and the fabric feels smooth with no rough or frayed edges. With that in mind, you’ll want to balance your budget with all of the factors above to ensure you’re not just getting a camper you can afford, but one that you’ll also love. To its credit, the mattress was pretty good, and it didn’t force you to remove panels like the Alu-Cab or Go Fast campers, but none of that matters because it’s just way too short. They are made from laser cut and CNC bent 1/8-inch 5052 aluminum sheeting, and then welded and bolted together using stainless steel hardware and MIL-SPEC aluminum rivets. The Editor’s Choice was a close battle between the AT Overland Summit and the Vagabond Outdoors Drifter/Nomad. Please use the drop-down menu below to select your required spare part. Each varies on their reasoning, with some focused purely on keeping occupants safe from fires, while others are attempting to keep chemicals away from their employees and customers. A durable, fire-retardant canvas tent with an optional fire-retardant, light-blocking, Thinsulate liner. GFC is best known for its wedge-style, lightweight pop-top truck campers, the Platform and Platform XL. You also get an LED third brake light, insulated ceiling, a glass window against the cab with a drop down for cleaning, and a rear glass window with keyed locks and adjustable latches. Step inside, and you’ll find even more fun additions, like convenient storage pouches mounted on the ceiling and doors, reading lights and power ports tucked into the aluminum space frame by the bed, and white/red LED lights to illuminate the interior during the evening. Wedge-style camper shells offer consumers an ideal middle ground between the price and comfort of a hard-shell rooftop tent and those of a full-blown slide-in camper. These tents feature 18-ounce, vinyl-coated polyester which meets ASTM E 84 flame-spread requirements as outlined in NFPA 1192 (National Fire Protection Association, Standards for Recreational Vehicles) as well as NFPA 701 and CPAI-84. Vagabond Outdoors began prototyping their first camper back in 2016, and over the next year and a half, torture tested it on trails and washboard roads spanning most of the Western US. Destin | Soft Shell Rooftop Tent. Thankfully, there are no wrong choices here. preference for softer fabrics over the heavier duty vinyl used on the Vagabond tents. $1,399.00. 901350. The bed is the largest in the test, measuring in at 100 x 54 inches when fully deployed, but it certainly wasn’t my favorite. After a lot of deliberation, I concluded that if I owned a mid-size truck, I would choose the AT Overland Summit, while if I owned a full-size truck, I would be purchasing a Vagabond Outdoors Nomad. The result was the Treehouse, and it wasn’t long before orders from friends started rolling in. The outer layer is Marine Grade 600D rip-stop polyester that is waterproof and windproof. Setting up and breaking down the Summit is a quick task, with times near the lower end of our results. Each accessory has been carefully tested and considered to ensure that it’s safe for automotive use. In this video, 410 Expeditions shows us “Project Pytheas,” a homemade hard-shell rooftop tent. Further tests revealed that these chemicals didn’t stay in the tents either. The shell is made from .060” 5052 CNC formed aluminum with insulated aluminum composite panels and stainless steel hardware throughout. No other camper comes close to the base price of $6,450 with similar options. The actual rooftop tent is the same wedge-style sleeping platform that is mounted on their campers just with a solid floor. It’s a raw and honest take on a wedge that ditches the frills and conventions of the industry in a stunning display of function and design. There are lighting and electronics packages, interior storage systems, kitchen systems, and even an optional toilet. When it comes to FR ratings, the fabrics themselves are generally not flame retardant, but rather the chemicals that they are soaked or coated in are. Go Fast Camper RTT. With well over 1,000 nights camping between the two of them, they get deep into the lessons learned camping on all seven continents. Truthfully I didn’t like this split bed sliding setup as much as the gas strut system in the AT Summit. Bike Parking; Yakima; PIVOT pour Attache-Remorque; Roof Rack Systems; Bikes; Cargo; ... THULE TEPUI HYBOX WEDGE HARDSHELL BLACK. Sold out. After people handled the fabric, analyses of their hands showed a strong residual level of TDCPP indicating it transferred from the tent. Note: Spare parts for the Thule Tepui rooftop tents are compatible with Tepui-branded tents. The region of the world and seasons you plan to use the camper in should factor into your decision as well. With one person, setup took just 18 seconds, while breakdown from start to finish took 37 seconds. Just pull over, pop up the roof tent specially designed with shock struts, climb up through the collapsible ladder and wake up to some amazing places. The interior can be equipped with so many options that it will practically feel like home. Even when the bed is fully deployed, there is room to stand and move around, which allows occupants to get dressed or make coffee while their partner is still asleep. While both the Drifter’s and Nomad’s are good, the Summit’s tent is superb, especially with the insulation package. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. With so many variables involved, we decided to let customers make their own judgments on where they stand with this matter, but have included the FR information for each camper as it was provided to us below. Even the tents are heat pressed and sewn together by GFC employees using a 600D polyester fabric coated with polyurethane. Open all the doors, … This begs the question of how the product can still be so reasonable in price if these tents aren’t built “cheaply.”. This attitude might lead to one or two good campers, but more often than not, you end up with a slew of letdown customers with broken or unsafe purchases. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Realistically, this isn’t the end of the world; I mean, can you really not afford 40 extra seconds of your life? But the bulk of this time is consumed with the door latch mechanisms, which require you to walk out and around the door on each side of the vehicle to unlatch or latch them. Frequently, when a category like wedge campers explodes in popularity, fringe manufacturers and homebuilders hop on the train to start producing products without putting forth the research or effort required to create a high-quality product. Therefore, by any logical measure of sealing, breathability, or design the Drifter and Nomad tents check out. This slant made the seating angle against the wall uncomfortable for extended periods of time, making it difficult to work or relax on the road. Fortunately, that checkered pattern is offset by the overall look, fit, and finish, which are all fantastic. I was able to sleep by laying completely diagonal, but even then, I, The zippers were good-sized, the stitching was solid, and the trim was carefully finished, leaving me with a positive impression of the tent overall. This could also correlate to a possible risk of inhalation and dermal sorption from the air, however, these subjects weren’t covered in this initial test. These tents are perfect for the solo traveler, couple, or small family that likes to be mobile. Instead of having to hunch over or waste cargo space above truck bed height, every inch of the Drifter and Nomad is usable space. The Thule Tepui Explorer Ayer is a two person roof top tent. Hard Shell Roof Top Tents and Wedge Campers. The Treehouse has a lot going for it. Mar 10, 2021 - The SuperLite is the lightest rooftop tent on the market. At 74 inches, or six feet two inches for those who don’t want to do the math, it’s the shortest in the test, but that includes the space shoved down toward the end of the wedge, which means the last few inches are basically unusable anyway. I liked the “dual-layer tent,” which is constructed from a 400-gram, UV-resistant, rib-locked waterproof canvas, but I would have appreciated clear windows in addition to the bug screen in order to enjoy natural light and views during rainy or cold weather. If you… Spacious wedge design Approximately 80lbs Interior/Exterior dimensions: 50x90 Height open: 50 inc Patented zipper system allows for easy conversion between uses—simply zip on the canopy when you're ready to camp Interior is lined with reinforced insulation to help control the temperature inside the tent and reduce noise Lower shell combines ABS and aluminum with felt-lined, honeycomb panels for reinforcement Canopy Due to their limited availability and high demand, we were forced to use campers already installed on customer or manufacturer vehicles, which ranged from Tacomas to RAMs to Ford Raptors. This shortage has only fueled the craze further, leading buyers to create a secondary market offering up to $2,000 just for someone else’s spot in line. You see everything, from the billet aluminum tent frame to the CNC-machined corners and welded DOM tube space frame. Inside, you’ll find an insulated and carpeted roof above a 3-inch-thick memory foam mattress which lifts up easily via gas assist struts. Unlike its competitors, the Canopy replaces the tailgate entirely with a full-size rear door and aluminum surround which allows customers to fully seal the cap against the truck bed, eliminating the gaps which occur between the tailgate and truck bed with every other camper. The camper also comes with T-slot channels on the roof which can accept a rack system capable of supporting 350 pounds when closed or 100 pounds when the roof is open. Both the Drifter and Nomad come with an impressive array of standard features for the price, like a concealed wiring tray which makes it easy to run your own accessories after the fact, and a switched interior LED light to illuminate the cabin in the evening. Each test began by collecting feedback from the owner of each camper, through which we would inquire about their experiences with the product and determine what they would change or keep the same. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The tent frame also includes T-slots down the side for mounting a roof rack which can support up to 500 pounds of whatever cargo your heart desires, from lumber to piping. This raised some concerns, especially when it became clear that many of these chemicals were applied in unstandardized and varying amounts, with concentrations reaching levels as high as 37.5 mg/g or 3.8 percent by weight of the fabric sampled. These are controlled through a wiring harness which also runs a 12-volt power port and two USB charging ports for your phone. But the biggest reason to buy a Summit isn’t the niceties, but the tent and insulation package which was without a doubt the best in our test. Overlander 2783 by Smittybilt. A wedge tent will give you a lot of room near the entrance, but little to no clearance near the wedge itself. You’ll notice how quiet it is because the material is just taut enough to not flap in the wind, while remaining loose enough to be easy to zip. Popup RTTs tend to be the have the most clearance. $2,199.00. OK4WD states that a mild insulation package will be available by the end of 2019 though, and the roof already includes 25 millimeters of closed cell foam between the headliner and frame. Perfect for smaller cars or SUV's, the Ayer is light weight, packs up small and easy, and has... View product. In roof tents, there were plenty of leaks, broken ladders, and cracked bases. They circumvent the challenges posed by towing a trailer, while still providing owners the convenience of leaving their camp gear loaded and ready to go at a moments notice. As I mentioned with the Go Fast Camper, this sort of setup would cost $10,000 to $12,000 from some competing manufacturers, making the Snap Treehouse a good value. $1,699.95. We've stripped down and streamlined a new approach to hardshell technology to make a light, durable, rooftop tent that can easily be taken on and off your vehicle. Another distinguishing factor on the Alu-Cab is its exterior, which isn’t smooth aluminum, but rather a diamond or checker plate pattern the South Africans like to call checkah. This tent packs three massive windows with clear vinyl on the two side views and mosquito mesh and black curtains on all three. Sure, you could do the same in the Vagabond campers, but you’ll be burning considerably more fuel to do so. “Oftentimes, we found lighter or more affordable materials, but they didn’t meet the NFPA 1192 standards, so we went with what we’ve been using since Zero [their prototype]. His solution was to utilize the tools and equipment at his existing company (Die-Tech) to build the camper he wanted. The Canopy isn’t short on innovative features either. For another $200 you can add a window to the front or rear of your shell, and for $500 per component group (frame, panels, etcetera) you can customize the colors. Beyond the branding and marketing, each of these campers carries strengths and weaknesses which would make them ideal for some situations and inappropriate for others. A vehicle exceeding its weight restrictions will break components more often, handle poorly, and have a higher risk of getting into an accident when compared to an identical vehicle with less weight. However, the fabric flapped in the wind at night and I didn’t like that you had to deploy spring steel bars each time you popped the tent; this just added additional time and complexity to a product which didn’t need it. Availability Out of stock SKU 901110 Category RoofTop Tents. Still, that’s a downside I’d be willing to accept for the space it affords. This reduces dust incursion, but also makes entering or exiting the camper much easier, because you don’t have to pull a tailgate up from the inside. Two red/white LED interior lights are wired in for easy visibility at night above the bed, and two more are wired below to illuminate the rest of the camper. The interior of the campers helped to make up for these perceived shortcomings, with carefully rounded edges and the much-needed trim guards the Summit lacked. The worst offender though was the bed. It is the thinnest RTT … What you see is what you get, and that’s a whole lot more than you might think. Be sure to pay close attention not only to the base price but the prices when equipped with various options. Results. This prior experience with their equipment combined with the Canopy camper’s base price of $9,495, the most expensive in the review, set our expectations rather high. The fabric is 600D polyester with PU coating. The roof is made from a single piece of aluminum to prevent any chance of leaks and bent slightly into four sections for additional rigidity and strength. They keep the contents of your bed dry, (mostly) dust free, and secure, while also providing a comfortable living space in which to relax away from the elements. ©2005-2021 Overland International, Inc. All rights reserved. GFC notes that they intentionally chose a non-FR tent for the health of their employees and their customers. Buyers can add side access doors, sliding windows, or a roof rack system. This might seem okay on the surface, but if you wake up to use the restroom in the middle of the night, you’ll need to move whoever is sleeping next to you, ask them to scrunch down to the bottom of the bed so you can open the panel, and then when you come back, have them do it all over again. This has advantages like improved ventilation and easier removal or installation, and we found no signs of water ingress until we flooded the gutters with a hose.