Roof Top Tent on a Topper Shell

[WanderRig]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. The total static weight of the topper, rack, and tent comes to about 450lbs. After consulting a few other resources, I've concluded (hopefully, rightfully so!) that given the fact that the total combined weight of the topper, rack, rooftop tent, and it's occasional occupants will be spread out over all three surfaces of the bed rails I should be fine. I mean, I'm 240lbs, and I can stand on one foot on the bedrail without it deflecting, or deforming in any way. I just can't see how a static 500lbs, evenly distributed across some 15 ft or so poses any significant problem. If it was carrying that much weight, that high, and in a crosswind, I could see the issue. I hope I'm right!

 

[ChaseIt]

Good morning - Brand new Nashville, TN-based member with a question about your SnugTop. How are you liking it so far? I am about to pull the trigger on one for my truck, and have been wringing my hands about which manufacturer to go with. Any input about your experience would be welcome!

Thanks!

First of all welcome!
I like the Snugtop. Looks good, hasn't leaked so it does what I need it to do. I am glad I got the reenforced roof for piece of mind. I Don't have a RTT yet and I know IT will handle the weight no problem but I've been hearing people talking about how the bed rails can't handle the weight. I've also heard people say thats BS. The bed rails that failed were extremely over loaded - more than a RTT and 2 people. I also find it interesting that if that were true that companies like CBI, Relentless Fab, Wilco and others make bed racks that attach to the bed rail (I'm speaking about Tacomas). I can't say but it's defiantly something to look into. The good news or bad news for me is I can't afford a RTT right now anyway so I don't have to worry about it. I would recommend the Snugtop based on my experience.

 

[Horse Soldier]

I use metal topper with 2 side doors and the rear door. I have put up to 1000 pounds on top, my rtt, myself,my wife, PC water tubes 10 inches wide and 6 ft long x 2, 270 awning. This is all on top and my kitchen is inside the topper. Fiberglass will not do this.

 

[VanDubs]

As a Tacoma owner I understand this issue all too well. My problem was finding one that would support the weight with a guarantee that I wouldn't destroy it. Leer couldn't give me that guarantee as they would only quote their dynamic load, not a static, so I sold my Leer and have moved on. The ARE Overland edition was my first choice since their loads can support a RTT plus people, but I decided to spend an extra $400 and buy an Alu Cab Explorer Canopy. I'm waiting on it to come in now and I have no doubts it will be better suited for this than any other choice out there. It's all aluminum construction by one of the best manufacturers in the world. It has some cool add-ons too if you're in the market, definitely check into it for your Taco.

I think I’m going the same route myself. I have a KBVoodoo rack but I want a little extra security to keep honest people honest. I love the low profile of my rack but the weatherproof/enclosed bed appeals to me. Plus it give my dog a dry place to sleep at night.

 

[BPCLFD]

I use metal topper with 2 side doors and the rear door. I have put up to 1000 pounds on top, my rtt, myself,my wife, PC water tubes 10 inches wide and 6 ft long x 2, 270 awning. This is all on top and my kitchen is inside the topper. Fiberglass will not do this.

What kinda topper do you have Pic?

 

[HudsonZRoamer]

Yeah its two things with camper shell companies.
1. CYA
2. Get more money out of you.

I have the ARE overland series and was told by a rep from ARE that they actually test the camper shells by driving cars on top of them, they do this with their entire line of shells. My camper shell is not reinforced and I do not run a RTT on it but I do have a FrontRunner Rack and I put additional gear and an OzTent RV5 on top of that never had any issues. If you are that worried about it just install a nice roof rack on the roof of your truck and put it there. I have tons of friends running RTT on their non-contractor series shells on all kinds of different brands never heard of one cracking.

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[Horse Soldier]

I used angle steel and tubing and bilt and exoskeleton roof rack on the outside of his topper. Bed rail over the top to the other bed rail. I and looking try and do it in aluminum buy the end of summer.

 

[HudsonZRoamer]

After some MAJOR "dodging of the weight" questions from ARE customer service FB page they FINALLY gave me a real weight number. (I even took screen shots of the reply haha) I had asked them for the dynamic weight load rating but they stated they only test for stationary weight. Their stationary weight on an ARE overland series camper shell (not additionally structurally supported like the contractor series) would hold 800lbs of evenly distributed stationary weight. Most of the shell companies I talked to say 250lbs dynamic loads are acceptable but ARE refused to give a number for this dynamic weight....At least I got a real number out of them regarding stationary weight. So there ya go 800lbs, thats a lot of weight! Don't waste your money on the contractor models unless you plan on sleeping with Godzilla on your roof.

 

[RoarinRow]

After some MAJOR "dodging of the weight" questions from ARE customer service FB page they FINALLY gave me a real weight number. (I even took screen shots of the reply haha) I had asked them for the dynamic weight load rating but they stated they only test for stationary weight. Their stationary weight on an ARE overland series camper shell (not additionally structurally supported like the contractor series) would hold 800lbs of evenly distributed stationary weight. Most of the shell companies I talked to say 250lbs dynamic loads are acceptable but ARE refused to give a number for this dynamic weight....At least I got a real number out of them regarding stationary weight. So there ya go 800lbs, thats a lot of weight! Don't waste your money on the contractor models unless you plan on sleeping with Godzilla on your roof.

Whew that's good to know since I have the ARE Overland topper as well.

 

[l_vandyke]

I’m running a Leer 100XQ on my short bed Tacoma with a Tepui Kukenam 3, I think it’s even called like an ultra light model tent or whatever. Anyway the tent weighs about 115lbs without anything inside it when it’s folded up. The shell was used when I bought it and had two cracks in the fiberglass on the drivers side when I bought it. I bought the RTT last fall and had it on the truck for about a month driving it daily with no issues. Put the tent back on this spring and have went camping in it several times and some mild off-roading with the tent on and had no issues with cracking or anything. So far I’m the only one that’s been sleeping in the tent and I’m about 180lbs. The tent will probably remain on the shell until like November when I remove it for the winter. I’m actually more concerned with the thin Tacoma bed walls opening up at the top than I am the shell cracking at the moment. I’ll be buying some bed stiffeners for the truck in the near future

 

[MT_AYON]

Found this thread to be really interesting for my application as I am contemplating how wise it would be to put a RTT on a fiberglass camper shell. I have decided that I should be doing the following things at the minimum if I go this route. Some of these I have already done and some I am still working towards:

1. Reinforce the Tacoma bed sides with stiffening brackets - TC Steel Bed Stiffeners
2. Get the camper shells with the reinforced roof and higher static weight rating - Snugtop Rebel with Sportsman Package (500lb static weight limit)
3. Get the tracks installed on the camper shell from factory
4. Get a lightweight roof rack system - went with a pair of Yakima HD load bars instead of a full rack
5. Stick to the soft/hard folding RTTs rather than the pop up or wedge style so that the ladder can help transfer some of the weight (I am told up to 30%) of tent and occupants to the ground
6. Get the lightest tent you can buy that will last and support the weight themselves.

So far I have narrowed down tent choices to the following:

Soft Folding:
a) Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3 - 130lbs
b) 23ZERO WALKABOUT 55 - 130lbs
c) Yakima Skyrise HD Medium - 115lbs

Hard Folding:
a) Tough Stuff Alpha 2 - 140lbs
b) iKamper Skycamp Mini - 120lbs

If anyone has any experience with any of these tents that they can share it would be really helpful. Also feel free to suggest other tents as well. Thanks!

 

[MT_AYON]

As a Tacoma owner I understand this issue all too well. My problem was finding one that would support the weight with a guarantee that I wouldn't destroy it. Leer couldn't give me that guarantee as they would only quote their dynamic load, not a static, so I sold my Leer and have moved on. The ARE Overland edition was my first choice since their loads can support a RTT plus people, but I decided to spend an extra $400 and buy an Alu Cab Explorer Canopy. I'm waiting on it to come in now and I have no doubts it will be better suited for this than any other choice out there. It's all aluminum construction by one of the best manufacturers in the world. It has some cool add-ons too if you're in the market, definitely check into it for your Taco.

I looked at all the metal canopies in the market today - RLD, SmartCap, AluCab etc but I rejected based on the following observations:

1. Price - I feel they are currently overpriced due to the direct import route that they are taking ( from SA, Aus etc) and passing the cost down to the customer to bear. Instead if they open manufacturing here in USA and create jobs and pass the cost benefits down to us I may reconsider
2. Features: For the amount of money they are charging, you don’t get features that are standard/paid options in any fiberglass shell - color match, automatic and remote locks, carpet headliners etc
3. Warranty: For all their talks and advertisement about how strong and overbuilt their canopies are none of them offer lifetime structure warranty or even lifetime paint warranty. I like companies that back their claims with their assurances.
4. Looks: This last one may not be their fault as it is individual preferences but I did not like how the lines of the canopy does not match the lines of the truck (some exceptions like the RLD cap lines match the Jeep Gladiator almost perfectly). Its probably cost prohibitive to make completely different designs matching each and every truck model so I don’t see this being a rectifiable or relevant issue. Its just my preference and vanity

Having said that I think overall the products are actually really good and they work great in the overlanding/off-roading world as they are industry proven in the SA and Australian markets. I just don’t like how these companies are handling it at the moment - asking us to pay a lot of money and create a market footprint for them before they actually make some solid investments in terms of manufacturing, after sales support, tangible lifetime warranty and industry standard features

 

[MT_AYON]

I’m running a Leer 100XQ on my short bed Tacoma with a Tepui Kukenam 3, I think it’s even called like an ultra light model tent or whatever. Anyway the tent weighs about 115lbs without anything inside it when it’s folded up. The shell was used when I bought it and had two cracks in the fiberglass on the drivers side when I bought it. I bought the RTT last fall and had it on the truck for about a month driving it daily with no issues. Put the tent back on this spring and have went camping in it several times and some mild off-roading with the tent on and had no issues with cracking or anything. So far I’m the only one that’s been sleeping in the tent and I’m about 180lbs. The tent will probably remain on the shell until like November when I remove it for the winter. I’m actually more concerned with the thin Tacoma bed walls opening up at the top than I am the shell cracking at the moment. I’ll be buying some bed stiffeners for the truck in the near future

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Did you actually weigh the tent? All I can find on their website or on REI was that packaged weight is 130lbs. I really like this tent, especially the fact that its completely serviceable i.e. almost every part is replaceable right down to the whole tent shell. How has been your experience so far? Did you wish you had bought the ruggedized version of the same tent?

 

[WanderRig]

Found this thread to be really interesting for my application as I am contemplating how wise it would be to put a RTT on a fiberglass camper shell. I have decided that I should be doing the following things at the minimum if I go this route. Some of these I have already done and some I am still working towards:

1. Reinforce the Tacoma bed sides with stiffening brackets - TC Steel Bed Stiffeners
2. Get the camper shells with the reinforced roof and higher static weight rating - Snugtop Rebel with Sportsman Package (500lb static weight limit)
3. Get the tracks installed on the camper shell from factory
4. Get a lightweight roof rack system - went with a pair of Yakima HD load bars instead of a full rack
5. Stick to the soft/hard folding RTTs rather than the pop up or wedge style so that the ladder can help transfer some of the weight (I am told up to 30%) of tent and occupants to the ground
6. Get the lightest tent you can buy that will last and support the weight themselves.

So far I have narrowed down tent choices to the following:

Soft Folding:
a) Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3 - 130lbs
b) 23ZERO WALKABOUT 55 - 130lbs
c) Yakima Skyrise HD Medium - 115lbs

Hard Folding:
a) Tough Stuff Alpha 2 - 140lbs
b) iKamper Skycamp Mini - 120lbs

If anyone has any experience with any of these tents that they can share it would be really helpful. Also feel free to suggest other tents as well. Thanks!

Good morning -

I went with the ARE HD CX series topper , with the integrated load bars/interior extruded framing, and then paired that with the Skycamp Mini. I also mounted my Alu-Cab 270 awning to the load bars by shifting slightly the tent to the drivers side, thereby allowing enough space for the Mini to open on the hinge side.

So far, we love the Mini. We previously had a CVT Mt Shasta, and while the CVT offered a bit more interior room, the overall quality of the tent along with the obvious setup/breakdown advantages make it a no-brainer. Every part of the tent is thoughtfully engineered, and is really quite impressive.

The iKamper’s are among the most expensive on the market, but if you have the cash, I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

Good luck!

 

[MT_AYON]

Found this thread to be really interesting for my application as I am contemplating how wise it would be to put a RTT on a fiberglass camper shell. I have decided that I should be doing the following things at the minimum if I go this route. Some of these I have already done and some I am still working towards:

1. Reinforce the Tacoma bed sides with stiffening brackets - TC Steel Bed Stiffeners
2. Get the camper shells with the reinforced roof and higher static weight rating - Snugtop Rebel with Sportsman Package (500lb static weight limit)
3. Get the tracks installed on the camper shell from factory
4. Get a lightweight roof rack system - went with a pair of Yakima HD load bars instead of a full rack
5. Stick to the soft/hard folding RTTs rather than the pop up or wedge style so that the ladder can help transfer some of the weight (I am told up to 30%) of tent and occupants to the ground
6. Get the lightest tent you can buy that will last and support the weight themselves.

So far I have narrowed down tent choices to the following:

Soft Folding:
a) Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3 - 130lbs
b) 23ZERO WALKABOUT 55 - 130lbs
c) Yakima Skyrise HD Medium - 115lbs

Hard Folding:
a) Tough Stuff Alpha 2 - 140lbs
b) iKamper Skycamp Mini - 120lbs

If anyone has any experience with any of these tents that they can share it would be really helpful. Also feel free to suggest other tents as well. Thanks!

Good morning -

I went with the ARE HD CX series topper , with the integrated load bars/interior extruded framing, and then paired that with the Skycamp Mini. I also mounted my Alu-Cab 270 awning to the load bars by shifting slightly the tent to the drivers side, thereby allowing enough space for the Mini to open on the hinge side.

So far, we love the Mini. We previously had a CVT Mt Shasta, and while the CVT offered a bit more interior room, the overall quality of the tent along with the obvious setup/breakdown advantages make it a no-brainer. Every part of the tent is thoughtfully engineered, and is really quite impressive.

The iKamper’s are among the most expensive on the market, but if you have the cash, I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

Good luck!

Thank you!

I have heard similar things from others too about the iKampers. However I have also heard that the mattress is quite thin and firm, not very comfortable to sleep on. I have also heard that the hard shell is not replaceable in case of damage on the trail. Can you confirm if you have observed the same too?

 

[WanderRig]

Thank you!

I have heard similar things from others too about the iKampers. However I have also heard that the mattress is quite thin and firm, not very comfortable to sleep on. I have also heard that the hard shell is not replaceable in case of damage on the trail. Can you confirm if you have observed the same too?

Yes, the factory mattress blows, but so did the CVT’s. Both required replacement/modifications. The hard shell is fiberglass and while replaceable, I suppose, would be a pain. I am getting mine Linex’d which will provide substantial protection.

Hope this helps.

 

[NiteSky]

Soooooo. After hours and hours of research between the ARE CX HD and the Snugtop Rebel I ended up ordering the Snugtop Rebel with the Outdoorsman Roof. The Outdoorsman Roof is a thicker fiberglass honeycomb that is rated at 500lbs (they say this is a conservative number). You can also get the opening side windows as well. I didn't opt for those because it was a bit too pricey. It is a special order and takes a few weeks to come in. With a good rack I should have no problems using a RTT on this topper.
From what I see on the internet the ARE CX HD has an additional aluminum frame inside the topper and you have to use there rack and crossbars to get the 500lbs rating. It does not use universal rack tracks which means no low profile rails for racks like FrontRunner or Rhino Rack. I couldn't find a phone number to talk to someone at ARE. And, I knew more about the racks then the only dealer I could find that sells them in my town. It was no problem talking to someone in customer service at Snugtop. They were very helpful.

I think ARE makes good toppers and if I wasn't concerned with weight capacity I would have bought their Z Series. It's a very good looking topper. I just had a very specific need and they didn't have a product that would work.

Thanks for all your input!

So now almost 4 years later I’m curious how it held up? I just ordered the Rebel with the sportsman package myself for my RTT. Did you have any issues with the weight you ended up putting on it?

 

[Dusther210]

I’m curious too. I have a used ARE topper and we plan to put an RTT on there and this thread has me thinking extra hard right now

 

[TacoWheeler]

@AdventureWithDanan Thanks for the info!’

 

[lhoffm4]

I'm probably late to the party but seems like an over-topper roof rack is the answer. I am currently modifying an older steel contractor rack to allow my old ARE topper to fit under it. Granted Im running a 3/4 ton diesel with LOTS of weight capability. There are a few manufactured racks that do I this. That way I can pack the truck bed with gear, dog cages, etc and a have the rtt and some recovery gear up topside and accessible.