Anyone ever build/fab a rooftop tent

[rticul8_94yj]

I'm looking for some ideas on building a rooftop tent for the top of my Nissan hardbody extra cab. I'd like to get a list of parts/ideas together to see if it's worth trying to build it myself. If you don't have any ideas post up what you have, what you paid (if you don't mind posting that), and how happy you are with what you have. Thanks in advance for any advice or help.:D

[Chainlink]

I ponder this a lot. Should I try and go soft(canvas) or hard (pieces maybe hinged). I typically always have a pickup as my primary vehicle so I think around that. I have been toying with making the bed an easy removal and have a cube style camper shell with a little pop up camper style thrown in to mount on same points as factory bed.

This would allow me to design to my own needs, potable water, solar cells, battery placement, weight distribution. OK I know I just described in some way a miniature 4x4 Chinook, but I have thought making double walled canvas sides with insulation would be a bit lighter in weight.

I also think sometimes of getting a bed cap (tonnaeu sp?) and creating a four corner lift system that would have curtain sides.....I could achieve with pistons(air) or screw style like in cheap car jacks.


Plenty of ideas, just I am starting to think I will have to find what works best for me is trial and error.:mad3:

[DJ404564X4]

i bought this about 15 years ago. the company went bankrupt but i believe there is someone making them now

it wieghs about 65# and folds in half for storage/travel. when open it has a soft foam mat/bed that is the size of a queen bed....

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o230/DJ404564X4/yj.jpg

[rticul8_94yj]

i bought this about 15 years ago. the company went bankrupt but i believe there is someone making them now

it wieghs about 65# and folds in half for storage/travel. when open it has a soft foam mat/bed that is the size of a queen bed....

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o230/DJ404564X4/yj.jpg


This is kind of what I need. I need to have a tent or sleeping area up high out of the bed of the truck. I need to store my ATV and other stuff in the bed. I would really like to make a platform that folds and mount it up on top of the truck. I have an area of about 55" X 55" that can fold out to come up with a plan. I may just end up getting a very small ATV trailer and put a truck tent in the bed. What ever I do I’ll post up when and IF I get it done. Let’s keep the ideas coming. Thanks again.

[Elwenil]

If it was me, I'd make a 4 or 6 post frame and build a platform above the bed with enough room under it to load the ATV and just add tie-downs for a tent that would fit the platform. If you wanted larger, you could have fold outsides that could be braced against the uprights to give you more room. Hell, you could even make it so you could raise the platform to load the ATV, then drop it back down to transport and camp to keep it a little lower. When traveling, the platform could carry gear and other stuff.

[85blue4runner]

what about purchasing a small tent to meet your needs and then making a platform that can be disassembled into several large pieces (4-8 square feet each) and stored on a traditional roof rack or in the bed of the truck. When you want to setup you can snap, screw, tape, glue, velcro, whatever the panels together and set your tent up onto it. maybe with some anchor bolt or similar since you wont have tent stakes. Nida Core panels would be good for this but they arent cheap. Plywood is cheap, but heavy, several expandable aluminum canopy poles should do the trick for supporting an overhang. If you are willing to tow a small trailer of some kind, the same thing would apply and your truck would be free for other things without breaking your tent platform down. The platform could be setup onto a roof rack or over the bed of the truck, leaving the bed free for relatively weatherproof under platform/bed storage.

[rticul8_94yj]

Lot's of good idea's guys. Keep them coming and I'll do some thinking about it all day Sunday when I'm out on my ATV.

[Patrol]

Ever thought about a Flip Pac canopy (www.flippac.com) ?

[Elwenil]

Ever thought about a Flip Pac canopy (www.flippac.com) ?

Wow. Just when I thought camper shells couldn't get any uglier.

[Patrol]

Wow. Just when I thought camper shells couldn't get any uglier.

:flipoff2::flipoff2::flipoff2::flipoff2::flipoff2: :lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

He asked for tech, not for looks:flipoff2:

[cmellen]

never seen it done before but what about a ladder rack on your truck then fab up a floor using the ladder rack as the legs?

[rticul8_94yj]

Ever thought about a Flip Pac canopy (www.flippac.com) ?


Looks good but the ATV is kind of tall and I'm not sure if it'll fit in the shell. I think I'm going to build a rack over the roof and part of the bed. It'll fold out in both the DS and PS directions. This should give me a nice large place to put a tent. I'll try to draw something up later today and post my idea. Thanks for all the ideas keep them coming or show me what you already have. :grinpimp:

[miniyota]

i was thinking about getting one for my commander. but at $1500-2000 its going to be awhile. this is my dream

ARB
http://arbusa.com/4x4-tents-rooftop/Touring_main.jpg

[rticul8_94yj]

I looked at the ARB one's also. I liked them A LOT but I just can't see spending that much on someting I think I can try and make.

[SOCALXJ]

We run the Expedition Series RTT from http://www.car-top-tent.com and love it.
We'll never go back to a ground tent. As far as building your own, i don't think it would be that hard if you had the proper equipment. The hard part would probably be getting the fabric to stretch properly and fold up when you need it too.

[Urban Wheeler]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=557273&highlight=

[rticul8_94yj]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=557273&highlight=

He always make the coolest shit.:D

[DJ404564X4]

found this

Nice...that's similar to this one that Slee Offroad sells.

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/images/tents/technitop_1_%20250.jpg

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/images/tents/technitop_4_250.gif

[coachgeo]

HERE (http://www.benzworld.org/forums/unimog/1372896-piggy-back-tent-camper-your-mog.html?highlight=top+tent)is a thread to give you some ideas on how to make your own version of campers including car tops.

sorry you will have to be a member of benzworld to see the pics and to be able to access the file on how to make your own. Its very old instructions on how to make your own roof top camper.

Oh wait.... found it, here (http://www.tinytears.cc/scans.html)is where the orginal PDF oh how to make your own is located. NO membership needed. There are others there to get ideas from too.

[Velocewest]

I got this, here -- http://www.racktents.com/

Works great, just got back from 6 nights in the Steens and Alvord Desert in SE Oregon. For the price, I'd not bother building my own. And I'm so cheap I build everything, but for reliability and ease of use it is nice to have a warranty and some well thought out design.

That's an Eezi-Awn behind my truck to the right, and an Oasis to the left.

[MilspecXJ]

:flipoff2:


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d24/ExpeditionXJ/gagRTT.jpg

[Chainlink]

:flipoff2:


http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d24/ExpeditionXJ/gagRTT.jpg

If I had been taking a drink when I saw this I would need a new keyboard:D

[MilspecXJ]

Heres one built on top of an XJ.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4802&highlight=roof+tent

[Patrol]

This is the one I use on my Terrano:

http://up.picr.de/1083742.jpg

http://up.picr.de/1083743.jpg

http://up.picr.de/1083744.jpg

It's about 100lbs and has enough space for 2 to sleep and:flipoff2:

Other alternative could be the Oasis roof tent, 40lbs but smaller.

http://www.taubenreuther.at/onlinekatalog/dachzelt/Oasis4.jpg

Both sell for less than 1k$ in Europe and should be the same price or lower in the US since it's all chinese anyway.

[acousticrawk]

If I had been taking a drink when I saw this I would need a new keyboard:D

haha, me too. i almost crapped myself laughing. you MUST be from ohio. haha.

[any4x]

Go to http://www.cabelas.com and take a look at the two person tent cot. Looks like it would be pretty easy to remove the legs and adapt it to mount on a roof rack. I’m going to order one and try it. Should be about the right size for my XJ roof.

Dave

[OlBlueCJ7]

Maybe I'm missing something, but was does a rooftop tent do for you that a ground level tent doesn't?

[mr.frenchy]

Maybe I'm missing something, but was does a rooftop tent do for you that a ground level tent doesn't?

It get's you off the ground.

[Elwenil]

And it doesn't have nasty rocks and roots that poke you in the back, lol...

[acousticrawk]

anyone ever build a platform that there tent can just sit on? maybe even be able to stake to it?

[85blue4runner]

i thought about making one that would fit in my 4runner under or on top of all the gear, maybe small pieces of plywood a couple feet square each, that could bound together somehow to make a platform. throw some short 2x4s or 4x4s under it for support legs. gets you off the ground, lets water go under your tent, etc. easy to take apart and throw in the back of the truck when you are done.. a hook or eyebolt could be used to anchor the tent.

[MilspecXJ]

Maybe I'm missing something, but was does a rooftop tent do for you that a ground level tent doesn't?

For me personally...

I have a bad back and setup/teardown of ground tents can be painful for me.

No more looking for high ground or water pooling under the tent with potential leaks.

Up above some of the creepy crawlies.

In most cases you'll get more breeze sitting up higher which helps in the warmer months.

My RTT is equal in size to a king size mattress.

I dont have to load and unload the tent with bags, mattress etc.. i just leave it in and fold it up. Try that with a ground tent.

[Scout Dude]

Go to http://www.cabelas.com and take a look at the two person tent cot. Looks like it would be pretty easy to remove the legs and adapt it to mount on a roof rack. I’m going to order one and try it. Should be about the right size for my XJ roof.

Dave

I have a single person tentcot. It works great for what it is, but there is no way I'd use it to make a vehicle mounted tent. The top of the tent will turn into a swimming pool in a storm. I usually cover mine with an additional tarp.

[acousticrawk]

maybe you could build a multi piece platform and folds up like one of those privacy blinds peole get dressed behind, and use to metal channels to run some square stock through to make it rigid, then just throw it up on the roof and attach it to the roof rack? proally not a real great idea, but maybe if we get some brains storming going on, we can come up with a good portable platform to throw our tents on.