The Lightweight Pop-Top Truck Camper Revolution

Posted On May 14, 2020 By admin With Comments Off

The hottest trend in the car-camping and overland macrocosm right now is the lightweight pop-top truck camper. It mixes a truck topper husk and a rooftop tent. These go-anywhere truck campers are ready for adventure!

The pop-top truck camper gives you interior bear room, a comfortable berthed, and a large, locked storage area. It also offers up a solid stage to prepare all your big-hearted adventure plays playthings, like kayaks and bicycles, on the roof. The lightweight pop-top truck camper crowds the void between the traditional truck topper and a full-featured, RV-style, slide-in truck camper.

The idea of an integrated tent in a truck berthed topper or canopy isn’t new. Lately, though, there’s an all-new crop of this camper character budding up. And most of them incorporate wedge-shaped rooftop tents.

Let’s take a look at the current provides in the lightweight pop-up truck camper space. Which would you buy?

AT Overland Habitat

AT Overland Equipment has been concluding quality products for the North American overland community since before most people had ever heard the word “overland.” The busines started with off-road-capable undertaking trailers.

Over the past few years, AT has moved into rooftop and truckbed living systems. The first of this style on offer from the symbol is the Habitat. In time the first 2 years on the market, over 100 Habitat flip-open truck campers were sold, with continued growing since then.

The AT Habitat is unique to the current market with its flip-over design, much like many rooftop tents. This design offers a huge amount of sleeping room in the tent for up to four people.

It also offers a dedicated sleeping expanse for two while still having the entire truck berthed expanse as a standing-height living space. Outdoor gear manufacturer NEMO Equipment helped develop the tent on the Habitat.

A huge boast of this layout is that the tent system originates a enveloped place over the back of your truck. This is a great area to cook outside but out of the climate. It likewise is contributing to restrain soggy and obscure gear out of your living space by giving you a shielded expanse to remove shoes and soggy drapes before penetrating the inside living area.

There are two impediments to the AT Habitat design over the other pop-up camper designings. The first and most important for outdoor adventurers is that gear on the ceiling needs to be removed before deploying the tent. The second is that the Habitat tent can be quite a bit louder in windy predicaments, as there is more tent to catch the wind and less strict organization to the tent.

While this motif might gape more fragile than the pop-up designs out there, the Habitat is built to go what it is you throw at it. As with the other AT truck topper schemes, the roof, when closed, can support up to 350 pounds. The big-hearted ruse with the Habitat is that the cantilevered bed expanse has a big loading faculty of 600 pounds.

All AT Overland truck topper campers are made of one-inch lightweight honeycomb composite boards barked with FRP. This structure will be allowed impressive fortitude, low-pitched load, and character insulation, separating it from the competition.

AT Overland is also one of the only makes of this style of camper that currently has a full continent-wide dealer network. This allows you to buy any AT Overland truck camper and get concoction help much closer to home, or wherever your passages might take you.

AT Overland Habitat

Price: $8,900 Availability: Direct and retail sales channels since 2016 Weight: 360 lbs. Materials: FRP-skinned honeycomb composite shell with NEMO Equipment wax-impregnated, fire-retardant cotton/ poly canvas tent Fit: 5′ and 6′ berthed in midsize trucks( Tacoma, Gladiator, Colorado, Frontier ); 5.5′ and 6.5′ berthed in full-size trucks( Chevy, Ford, RAM, Toyota ); 6.75′ berthed heavy-duty trucks( F250, F350 ); 8′ bunked full-size trucks Options: Windows, access incubates, skylight with illuminate, roof rack, solar power systems, heater, shielded tent, cabinetry, toilet, water systems Website: www.atoverland.com Location: Prescott, Arizona Company are set out in October 2001

AT Overland Summit

The second lightweight pop-top truck camper on offer from AT Overland is the wedge-style Summit. The AT Summit was introduced at Overland Expo West 2018 and was an wink hit.

This new camper builds on the same architecture as the demonstrate Habitat. The big advantage over the Habitat is that you can leave up to 100 pounds of gear on the roof when you pop the top. No one wants to take down their escapade sports gear to offset the berthed!

The Summit’s bed is 48 x 80 inches, the length of a queen-size bed. It has a 2.5 -inch-thick mattress and pivots uphills out of the way when not in use, assisted by gas springtimes. And there’s fairly chamber between the sleeping stage and closed roof to leave bedding in place. Making your bed at camp was never so easy!

My merely real objection with the AT Summit, after spending many nights sleeping in one, is the foot room. I’m tall, 6′ 3 ”, and have big-hearted feet, U.S. men’s sizing 13, and my foot punched the low part of the wedged ceiling when I roll over in the bed.

This is a bit annoying and wakes me up at night. It’s an issue with all wedge-style campers, but a nonissue for those who are shorter and have smaller paws than me.

AT Overland Summit

Price: $8,900 Availability: Direct and retail sales directs since September 2018 Weight: 380 lbs. Materials: FRP-skinned honeycomb composite husk with Sunbrella Firesist tent Fit: 5′ and 6′ berthed in midsize trucks( Tacoma, Gladiator, Colorado, Frontier ); 5.5′ and 6.5′ berthed in full-size trucks( Chevy, Ford, RAM, Toyota ); 6.75′ bunked heavy-duty trucks( F250, F350 ); 8′ bed full-size trucks. Weight: 340 lbs. Materials: 5052 aluminum and honeycomb composite husk with a wax-impregnated, fire-retardant canvas tent Options: Windows, access hatches, skylight with lighting, roof rack, solar power systems, heater, insulated tent, cabinetry, toilet, water systems Website: www.atoverland.com Location: Prescott, Arizona Company established in October 2001

AT Overland Atlas

The third and most recent addition to the AT Overland truck topper lineup is the Atlas. The AT Atlas is built upon the same basic building of the Habitat and Summit but offers a full vertical pop-top design.

The AT Atlas can hold 50 pounds of gear on the roof when sounded while still being able to open and close easily.

The tent on the Atlas and Summit is made of Sunbrella Firesist. This is a highly durable, fire-resistant, all-weather material typically used in business awning applications.

The bunked in the Atlas is the same size as the Summit, 48 x 80 inches, but is made up of two bodies instead of one large-scale one. This two-panel design stirs it easy to pop the tent from the centre and allows for stacking of the mattress in the cab-over area, optimizing truck berthed living space.

The big win for the Atlas is the huge amount of sleeping country you get compared to the Summit while coming way more insularity in the ceiling over the Habitat. The Atlas design also means you can sleep easily with your honcho in either direction, versus the Summit where you will always want to have your head at the wider aim of the wedge.

A immense option to consider for both the Summit and Atlas is the insulated tent liner. AT Overland uses 3M Thinsulate FR insulation quilted into fire-resistant fabric. This setup adds to the once built-in insulation in the walls and roof. All-season camping was never so comfy!

AT Overland Atlas

Price: $9,600 Availability: Direct and retail sales channels since late 2019 Weight: 410 lbs. Materials: FRP skinned honeycomb composite shell with Sunbrella Firesist tent Fit: 5′ and 6′ bed in midsize trucks( Tacoma, Gladiator, Colorado, Frontier ); 5.5′ and 6.5′ berthed in full-size trucks( Chevy, Ford, RAM, Toyota ); 6.75′ bed heavy0duty trucks( F250, F350 ); 8′ bunked full-size trucks Options: Windows, access incubates, skylight with lighting, roof rack, solar power systems, heater, shielded tent, cabinetry, bathroom, water systems Website: www.atoverland.com Location: Prescott, Arizona Company are set out in October 2001

Go Fast Campers( GFC) Platform/ Platform XL

If you require a little bling, and by far the easiest access to gear in the truck bunked, the GFC Platform Camper is for you. This extremely lightweight camping arrangement is designed for go-fast camping escapades in remote off-road media. The Platform is designed for midsize trucks whereas the Platform XL is designed for full-size trucks.

Low weight and massive concentration are the ideas behind the Platform. GFC said, “We build these things to jump.”

The Platform make is made of steel tubing same to a reel enclosure. This allows the camper to be extremely rigid and for all the sides to open, as they aren’t part of the structure. The crazy-strong and very sexy roof secures and hinge mechanisms are all machined from aluminum.

The downsides to the GFC blueprints are that the tent is made of welded vinyl fabric snapped into home. This setup is super durable as well as super easy to clean-living and maintain.

It’s also prone to condensation issues, nonetheless. The relatively thin 2-inch mattress is simply not comfy fairly for countless. Owners of GFC campers have been known to supplement or oust the mattress with cache sud or self-inflating camp pad options.

If the condition is nice, there’s no better camper to be in. The GFC Platform fully opens up like your own personal cabana. And GFC makes all this camper’s components in live. This allows them to control, modify, and ameliorate everything in the Platform Camper system as the company originates and it receives more purchaser feedback.

Go Fast Campers

Price: Platform $5,750; Platform XL $6,250 Availability: Direct marketings since October 2017 Weight: Platform 275 lbs .; Platform XL 290 lbs. Materials: CNC machined and extruded aluminum, honeycomb composite bodies, DOM sword tubing Fit: Tacoma, Tundra, Current RAM( 1500, 2500, 3500 ), Ford( F150, F250, F350 ), Colorado/ Canyon Options: Lights, racks, ventilate supporter Website: www.gofastcampers.com Location: Bozeman, Montana Company are set out in August 2017

Snap! Outfitters Treehouse

Snap! Outfitters was born out of necessity. No wedge-style pop-up truck topper was on the U.S. busines back in 2017. After over a year of testing, the Treehouse eventually hit the market in early 2018. This Aluminum truck camper is feature-rich and built to order. That means it will fit your truck and your needs.

One of the coolest integrated the specific characteristics of the Treehouse is the three-step ladder from the truck bunked to the sleeping platform. Everything on the Treehouse is designed for ease of use by nearly anyone.

The barn door-style rear entry and swing-open side spawns are also unique to Snap !. These aspects make it improbably easy to access gear in the truck berthed while also keeping these components out.

Snap! Outfitters is owned by ex-servicemen. It invents the Treehouse in rural Pennsylvania to each customer’s individual needs. For pattern, if you crave feature spaces instead of side spawns, the symbol can do that.

Snap! Outfitters Treehouse

Price: $6,999 Availability: Direct( perhaps retailers soon ), gives started February 2018 Weight: 340 lbs. Materials: Aluminum Fit: Custom built to fit any getaway Options: Windows in the detonator openings, wired for solar, coloring joining to the truck Website: www.snapoutfitters.com Location: York Haven, Pennsylvania Company established in January 2017

Vagabond Outdoors The Drifter

The proprietors of Vagabond Outdoors started the company with over 12 years of pop-top camper owned under their belts from a range of creators. They have abused that ordeal and insight to build what they think is a better commodity. The Drifter pop-up wedge-style truck camper was born in early 2017 and went into production in spring 2018.

One killer feature not currently being offered by opponents is a standard drop-down cab window. This allows for a crawl-through to the cab of the truck from the truck berthed — if the truck is fitted with a rear space with a large enough opening to slither through.

The bunked in The Drifter is a full 3 inches thick and boasts a high-density mattress with a waterproofed include. The lid/ bunked layout too deters bunking in place when the camper is collapsed.

Besides focusing on The Drifter’s production, Vagabond Outdoors is also striving to become the premier overland outfitter in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s currently a dealer for top symbols like Frontrunner, Goose Gear, Blueridge Overland Gear, Dometic, Total Chaos, and Baja Designs.

Specs

Price: $6,500 Availability: Direct sales representation, bringings began in March 2018 Weight: 315 lbs. Materials: 1/8 ” 5052 aluminum, aluminum tubing, vinyl-coated polyester, stainless steel, composites Fit: Tacoma and Colorado( perhaps Frontier) Options: Marvelous love, roof racks, added illuminate, back access windows, insulation Website: www.vagabondoutdoors.com Location: Benicia, California Company are set out in January 2018

OVRLND Pop Top

The OVRLND Pop Top is a full pop-up design. This lightweight aluminum pop-top camper is custom-made to order. It can work with any truck and be fully customized to the buyer’s specifications.

Throughout the truck bunked, the Pop Top offers a put high levels of 6′ 5 ”. Vertical sidewalls also maximize interior infinite, which is unlike other motifs that angle in to conform to the truck cab condition. A queen-size sleeping area offers more width than any of the other campers here.

OVRLND is a one-man shop, so don’t expect mass production on the Pop Top. But what you can expect is one-on-one attention and a tradition build that are appropriate your needs exactly.

OVRLND Pop Top

Price: $7,400 for midsize trucks; $7,900 for full-size trucks Availability: Direct sales representation, bringings commenced in march 2018 Weight:< 350 lbs. Materials: All aluminum tubing and backing, wooden bed stage( honeycomb composite alternative) Fit: All trucks( custom-made to order) Options: Windows, roof rails, barn doors, jerrycans, benches, counters, sunlights, storage, taller reputation height, full usage erects to customer specs Website: campovrlnd.com Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Company established in December 2017 Four Wheel Campers Project M

With Four Wheel Campers offering truck campers for nearly half a century now, the symbol knows a thing or two about build a better quality product.

While it’s known for full-featured slide-in truck campers, it couldn’t ignore the large market demand for a more basic lightweight pop-up truck topper camper. The Project M was born from this fault in the brand’s camper lineup and sell demand.

The things that actually designated the FWC Project M apart from the race are the wide sleeping neighbourhood and vertical sidewalls. The sleeping neighbourhood is so wide that most people can actually sleep sideways in the camper. The berthed sets 65 x 80 inches for the midsize truck camper and 73 x 80 inches for the full-size truck camper.

The design fits on most trucks, with very few camper simulations needed to cover the wide range of topics of truck beds out there. This designing can examine a bit chunky and wide on some narrower and more curvy trucks. The horizontal sidewalls and relatively wide camper offer up a ton of living space inside the truck bed.

There’s also a big lip inside the camper where it congregates the priorities in the truck berthed. This allows it to fit lots of trucks but also offers up great built-in workbenches inside the camper.

The outside review of the Project M get changed drastically depending on the siding option you choose. The brand offers black diamond sheet or smooth aluminum backing, with various coloring alternatives if smooth is chosen.

One thing you get when buying an FWC is a wide, well-established, independent pusher system around the globe. The full one-piece roof, tent, and pop-top system on the Project M are well-proven ingredients, as “theyre coming” immediately from the other FWC slide-in models.

With a 5-year warranty on the ceiling, enclose, and surfacing, along with the large dealer service network, it’s hard to go wrong with an FWC purchase.

Four Wheel Campers Project M

Price: Short bed mannequins starting at $8,995, long 8′ bed simulations starting at $9,495 Availability: Mill direct and through Four Wheel Camper dealers worldwide since 2019 Weight: Midsize truck w/ 5’ berthed( 400 lbs .), midsize truck w/ 6.0 ’ bed( 425 lbs .), full-size truck w/ 5’8” berthed( 460 lbs .), full-size truck w/ 8’ berthed( 515 lbs .) Materials: Welded aluminum roof and wall making, aluminum placing exterior Fit: Practically all U.S. pickup trucks( four lengths: midsize short-spoken bunked, midsize long berthed, full-size short bed and full-size long berthed) Options: Lighting, solar, roof shows, camper jacks, surface windows, awning, roof racks, thermal bundle, and more Website: https :// fourwheelcampers.com Location: Woodland, California Company established in 1972

Camp King Manufacture Outback Series

The Camp King Outback Series integrated tent truck topper is an all-aluminum unit from Australia, imported by Sloop Imports. The complete unit is CNC laser-cut, lean, and hand-TIG-welded prior to being powder-coated inside and out.

While it’s one of the most expensive cells on world markets, you get a lot for that money. It’s an unbelievably feature-rich and durable cell. By releasing two lockable stainless steel fastens, the tent basically prepares itself up with the help of two heavy-duty gas struts.

The roof is a one-piece design for the best weather sealing possible. The roof too peculiarity a 3-inch-thick, closed-cell foam headliner for separation and sound lessening. Under that roof is an 85 -inch-long by 51 -inch-wide sleeping area with a two-piece, 3-inch-thick foam mattress. The two-piece bed intend will be allowed access to the truck berthed from the sleeping range as well as sit office in the truck bed.

Both the canvas tent and aluminum topper come standard with three openings each. The tent doorways are also windows, with full mesh for optimal breathing and as a imperfection obstacle. The backside tent door aspects an integrated awning.

An included 8′ 5 ” telescopic ladder allows for tent entry from outside through any of the three tent entrances/ openings. The topper itself also has three tightly closed and lockable doors/ access hatches for easy access to everything in the truck bed.

Two super-useful included features of the CK Outback Series Tent Topper are the roof extrusion rails and internal storage pockets. The aluminum extrusion rails on the ceiling allow for securing a wide range of gear, and for mount things like crossbars and solar panels.

You get a total of six internal storage containers in this camper topper. There are four shoe pockets at the back door and two general-use storage pockets on the side in the sleeping area.

[specs designation= ‘Camp King Manufacture Outback Series’]

Price: $12,500 Availability: Late May 2020 Weight: 300 -3 25 lbs. Materials: 3mm aluminum mas, 2mm aluminum one-piece roof, ripstop canvas tent Fit: Short-bed Tacoma( 2nd& 3rd gen) and F150,( coming soon: Jeep Gladiator, Dodge Ram) Options: Rack crossbars, storage pouches, feature awning brackets Website: SloopImports.com Location: Brisbane, Australia( U.S. distributor in Steamboat Springs, Colorado) Company established in 2015

The post The Lightweight Pop-Top Truck Camper Revolution emerged first on GearJunkie.