Smallest Hard Shell Roof Tent?

[Oisin]

Hi All,

I'm on the hunt for the smallest hardshell roof tent - The reason for wanting a hard shell is I plan on traveling and living in it for 2/3 years so comfort is key!

The iKamper mini is nearly perfect, although I would like it to be narrower, it's 140cm, 55" wide and I would like one closer to 120cm, 47" wide. There is one thats close to the ideal size (120cm, 47" wide x 160cm, 63" long) closer to iKampers length of 146cm, 47" would be perfect. But for some reason its 1.5x heavier than the iKamper. 81kg, 179lbs vs 57kg, 125lbs. That's a lot of extra weight on the roof....

Know of any other very small roof tents available which may be suitable? Any feedback is appreciated, thanks!

*The reason for wanting a such a small one is due to the vehicle its going onto, a 2006 Subaru Impreza. The roof is very narrow and short so I am looking for a tent which will overhang as little as possible*

 

[JackW]

My Terrapod Solo is 32" wide - since my wife will not climb a ladder I use this for my solitary camping trips. It leaves me extra room on the roof rack for other stuff in a Pelican case.
Its made in Gainesville, GA from extremely high quality materials and its 5.5" tall and weighs around 88 lbs. Its long enough for oversize humans up to 6'8" tall to sleep in comfortably.
Chad - the designer/builder of the Terrapod was tired of not having a tent long enough for him to sleep in so he built his own. As a former industrial design engineer with Boeing he had the knowledge and skills to bring his idea to life.
I've known him for years and I signed up for one of his tents after seeing the protoypes that he field tested for two years before finalizing the design. Its a great tent built in the USA of aerospace materials by someone who really cares.

www.terrapod.com

 

[Oisin]

My Terrapod Solo is 32" wide - since my wife will not climb a ladder I use this for my solitary camping trips. It leaves me extra room on the roof rack for other stuff in a Pelican case.
Its made in Gainesville, GA from extremely high quality materials and its 5.5" tall and weighs around 88 lbs. Its long enough for oversize humans up to 6'8" tall to sleep in comfortably.

That's a very interesting option, haven't come across them yet. It really does look like a great tent. A potential candidate for sure!

Also great looking defender by the way!

 

[alaskantinbender]

Check this one out. I may pick one up so I can carry my canoe up top as well.

Thule Foothill | Thule | United States

Thule Foothill - Thule Foothill is a rooftop tent for 2 adults that folds compactly and preserves valuable space on your roof for bikes, kayaks, and other cargo for your next adventure.

www.thule.com

 

[ScottReb]

That Terrapod looks pretty cool!

 

[billiebob]

James Baroud makes a few different sizes and styles.

This is my favourite.... 140 x 200.

Grand Raid -

With its spacious interior and rugged construction, the Grand Raid rooftop tent is built to withstand the toughest of adventures

www.jamesbaroud.com

But this one offers more headroom. and is smaller at 130 x 200.

James Baroud Space - The Spacious and Versatile Rooftop Tent

Experience ultimate comfort in the James Baroud Space rooftop tent - our tallest model yet! With ample headroom and panoramic views, enjoy the great outdoor

www.jamesbaroud.com

If you must have a hard shell these ^^^^ might be the best and James Baroud might also be the oldest RTT builder out there. Check out the specs, I'd say no corners were cut selecting materials to work with. AND I think the used market is pretty active.

But also check out the Free Spirit. Fast set up and tear down and free standing, you can drive around with it fully set up, handy when the wind changes or you decide sunrise is better than sunset.

At $1399 this is a great buy.
Plus pretty fast setup or pack up.
Not hard shell tho.

Adventure Series - Manual Elevated - Rooftop Tent

Freespirit Adventure Manual 55" RoofTop Tents- Elevated Tents The Freespirit Adventure Series Manual roof top tent provides the most incredible panoramic view of any tent on the market and is aerodynamically engineered to withstand heavy winds and shed rainwater. These are standard M55 tents...

gofsr.com

 

[billiebob]

Oisin,,,,
Please tell us where you live.
This is an international forum so at least tell us which country you live in but for the bigger countries, State, Province might help you get more relevant responses.

 

[Oisin]

@billiebob Definitely contenders there, James Baround are on higher price end but I've heard they're worth it! A hard top is favorable mainly due to the ease of use. Setting a softshell up daily may turn into a bit of a chore, although I could be wrong I havent experienced either.

I'm in Ireland. There doesnt seem to be quite as much sellers in Europe compared to elsewhere. I dont mind importing one if needed either way.

Also apologies for very slow reply I hadnt turned notification on.

 

[billiebob]

Setting a softshell up daily may turn into a bit of a chore,

yep, most soft tops are a chore definitely. Even tho the Free Spirit is less so you still have to deal with the cover everytime.

Hard Shells are a faster setup pack up but the real advantage to the hard shell is the hard shell which can be stored outside or against a wall.
Especially in a warm dry Irish climate.

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

My Terrapod Solo is 32" wide - since my wife will not climb a ladder I use this for my solitary camping trips. It leaves me extra room on the roof rack for other stuff in a Pelican case.
Its made in Gainesville, GA from extremely high quality materials and its 5.5" tall and weighs around 88 lbs. Its long enough for oversize humans up to 6'8" tall to sleep in comfortably.
Chad - the designer/builder of the Terrapod was tired of not having a tent long enough for him to sleep in so he built his own. As a former industrial design engineer with Boeing he had the knowledge and skills to bring his idea to life.
I've known him for years and I signed up for one of his tents after seeing the protoypes that he field tested for two years before finalizing the design. Its a great tent built in the USA of aerospace materials by someone who really cares.

www.terrapod.com

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I was very interested in the larger Terrapod but living in Utah and driving to GA or San Diego/ San Francisco killed that deal. Crazy they don't ship.

 

[calicamper]

Gofast campers makes a light weight one. Probably skip James B $$$$ and many have had basic quality issues

 

[JackW]

I was very interested in the larger Terrapod but living in Utah and driving to GA or San Diego/ San Francisco killed that deal. Crazy they don't ship.

I think Chad may now have a distributor in the Denver area - the reason they don't ship direct is that the shipping company destroyed the first one they tried to ship to the west even though it was clearly labeled "Do Not Stack" and marked Fragile all over it.
For a while they were loading five or six of them in the back of a truck and hand delivering them to western customers. Now I think they have a system to bulk ship a few of them at a time in a protective, reusable crate to selected distributors.
Give them a call and see what their current procedures are. Its a fantastic tent and worth a bit of extra effort. Chad is great to talk to and he really, really cares about his tents and his customers.

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

Gofast campers makes a light weight one. Probably skip James B $$$$ and many have had basic quality issues

Thx for responding! I have it narrowed down to go fast , terrapod or big country 4x4 penthouse xl slim. The big country is my favorite at 7.75 " thick and 58 " wide and a 3" mattress. $3,950 ( I believe shipped). Only negative is 185 lbs. It will be on my trailer rack at 100" off the ground. Think that will make the trailer top heavy?

The go fast is out 9 weeks and I have to drive to MT 350 miles. It is a bit narrower 50"(bummer) 6" thick. Mattress I believe is thinner $4k+ . 135 lbs

Terrapod is narrow as well 54" , 6 3/4 " thick, 4-6 weeks out , 131 lbs. Only way I would consider if they have a dealer in Denver (450 mikes. 4k +

So is 50 more pounds of weight going to effect my trailers ride on the road that much?

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

I think Chad may now have a distributor in the Denver area - the reason they don't ship direct is that the shipping company destroyed the first one they tried to ship to the west even though it was clearly labeled "Do Not Stack" and marked Fragile all over it.
For a while they were loading five or six of them in the back of a truck and hand delivering them to western customers. Now I think they have a system to bulk ship a few of them at a time in a protective, reusable crate to selected distributors.
Give them a call and see what their current procedures are. Its a fantastic tent and worth a bit of extra effort. Chad is great to talk to and he really, really cares about his tents and his customers.

Thanks for this information. I will call him

 

[mep1811]

Check this one out. I may pick one up so I can carry my canoe up top as well.

Thule Foothill | Thule | United States

Thule Foothill - Thule Foothill is a rooftop tent for 2 adults that folds compactly and preserves valuable space on your roof for bikes, kayaks, and other cargo for your next adventure.

www.thule.com

Looks like a clone of the Autohaus Overcamp. I has one for over 15 years and I loved it. The design is very practical.