Camper shell or bedrack with rooftop tent. Better MPG?

Hello, new to the forum (not sure this is posted in the proper place).

I am looking into getting a rooftop tent for my truck and was curious which would get better gas mileage: putting it on top of a camper shell or on top of a bedrack? This could be too in the weeds but I know putting it on top of a camper shell will reduce mpg by like 20%. Would putting it on a bedrack that keeps it lower than the height of the cab make any difference (less drag or better aerodynamics) or is it too small to matter?

And yes, I know I could just camp in a camper shell but my trips and work require gear/gross stuff to be put in the bed. Plus, the misses wants to do it that way so here we are. All advice and criticism, lol, is welcome.

 

It's not about putting it on top of the camper shell or the bed (you're thinking about drag), the biggest thing that will impact your MPG's is weight.

 

As for mpg, both options suck. As for keeping the lady happy, a camper shell for dry storage.

 

That makes sense, I knew the weight would be significant I guess I figured the drag was just as important but maybe not. If that is the case then I can just do the camper shell since, like mentioned, is probably the better option.

Dry storage will keep everybody happier that's for sure.

 

RTT for Instagram, topper for usefulness.

 

Wind drag definitely is a big factor. Which is why if you're chasing mpgs, something like bed bars that keep the tent below the roof line would yield the best results, but still only marginally better. Again, all options suck for mpg in a tacoma, so you'll be better off understanding you're taking a major hit on gas mileage either way, and focus on the other factors to make that decision easier.

 

Don't let any of us tell you whats best for you though; you can do like plenty of us around here and try them both out, eventually ditching it all for something else.

 

I think that wind drag is a bigger factor than weight, maybe. Here is my real world example. With the setup below, in town I get 14 mpg and on the highway under 65, I get 12. At 75 it drops to 10.5 to 11.
Since we are done camping for the winter, I took the tent, awning and the larger box on the passenger side off. Around 200 lbs of weight. My mileage in town has jumped up to 16 or 17. I haven't been on the Interstate for an extended time to really gauge mpg at 65 or 75 yet.

 

For me its been the weight issue that hurts the mpg s

 

From my experience, weight was a small factor, but wind drag was the larger factor. My rtt on bed bars was a fairly small hit (maybe 1-2 mpg on hwy), rtt on bed rack/mid height was a decent hit (2-3 mpg on hwy), but ultimately, tires and other added weight around the truck just adds to the mix, and you eventually end up at 15-16 mpg no matter what you do once you've decided to add a few hundred lbs of any kind of mods and tires.

 

I wanted a bed rack but after a few camp trips and fighting the elements I went with a cap. Even just the dust can make for a dirty set up and the cap has made a huge difference in time saved from not having to worry or prepare for climate change.

 

Not everyone who’s got RTT has Instagram haha.

 

I appreciate all of the input, and realistically know that this is just to make me feel better since everything is going to smash the MPG's. If there isn't a difference then maybe just skip the RTT and make a setup inside of the camper shell. Only downside is I lose out on the storage on the sides for rescue boards and extra fuel canisters but that can be figured out some other way.

 

This is correct. Take a prinsu rack for example. It hardly weighs anything but put one on your truck and you'll lose 2-3 mpg on wind drag alone. Definitely keep your RTT below the cab line if you can.

Weight is more of an issue with initial acceleration and stopping distance.

 

If I can give you any advice before making a decision, tag along on a trip with some of your local TW guys. Check out their setups, ask questions, take note of what they use and don't use, and camp accordingly. You'd be surprised how many gas stations are within about 30 miles radius of nearly anywhere in this country, alleviating any true need for extra fuel (although I'm not saying its not needed in some places/scenarios); thats another topic though. Just go enjoy the outdoors with what you have at the end of the day, and buy as you need; you'll be a heck of a lot happier.

 

That is great advice and what I will end up doing. Just came back from a Baja trip and (stupidly) didn't take my truck since I drove with somebody else. Gave me lots of ideas for what I want/need to do. Baja gas stations aren't great, hence the question, but realistically that is the minority of what I will be doing so I will look around and see what others are doing and how it works for them.

 

I have a topper currently but it won't really support the weight of a RTT it seems. I was looking at bedracks that were low so that any RTT would be at or just a hair above the roofline of the truck for driveablity. Figure it would be a little more aerodynamic on the highway but also wouldn't get me pushed around with crosswinds and such. For now, I'm gonna figure out ways to utilize the topper for camping and such and it is nice to have the dry storage area as my bed is filled to the brim with all kinds of crap lol

 

You could get the Molle panels for the inner bedsides and front of the bed for storage. The topper I have has an internal aluminum frame that is seperate of the top itself so I can figure ways to secure stuff to that too. I think that internal rack is more for if you add the side contractor storage bins to work with the side openings but I'll probably fab something up to utilize all that space.

 

Drive at 55 mph if u want to save gas regardless of the shape of your truck, thats what America did in 1974 to save a bit of oil.

otherwise weight is going to be the biggest contributor to mpg loss as the most gas is consumed from accelerating.

 

Theres some shells that offer both in one package