HOW To: DIY Hard-Side Roof Tent

INTRO:
I wanted to share my DIY Hard-Side Rooftop camper I have been working on for the last few months. I have finally reached a mostly finished prototype I'm ready to share. I started this process by designing a fully functioning accurate model in CAD then over the last 2 months have completed the fabrication and layup in my garage and driveway.



DESCRIPTION:
I designed and built this roof camper from the ground up pretty much to directly challenge Redtail Overland's camper and its 20-30k price tag. This is a patent-pending system I developed so that I may freely share every single aspect of this DIY camper with everyone. I hope this pushes the space to make these hard-sided campers more accessible to everyone and sort of show at least the material costs of a hard-wall camper using advanced composite materials. My camper weighs approximately 170 lbs without the mattress, pillows, sheets, etc. This was a goal I was shooting for to be lighter than Redtail and push the envelope of what could be done DIY. So, while I haven't been able to find accurate info on their weight without all their batteries and lights and whatnot I know I am extremely close if not lighter. The walls, roof, and floor are XPS foam laminated with carbon fiber. The base and roof frame are aluminum with epoxy in between the carbon to prevent galvanic corrosion but similarly laminated in carbon fiber. The roof has an opening skylight and the door has a massive polycarbonate section that opens up as well. The floor panels were made in sections so they could be moved and you could stand up inside the bed of the truck. The camper sets up and takes down in about 30 seconds with a mattress, pillows, and bedding inside. I understand this probably seems out of reach for a DIY project with welding and carbon fiber from a cost and skill set standpoint BUT a lot of materials could be substituted for a slightly heavier more simplified, easier-to-make version (probably still sub 200 lb for similar specs and dimensions) which I am also planning on demonstrating. The rigid wall system could be implemented to convert most soft-sided wedge camper tents if you were willing to forgo the ability to store a mattress and bedding, etc. I would like to at some point build a much cheaper, easier-to-make but heavier and less insulated version or at least provide a cad model for a cheaper alternative using ACM panels, aluminum sheets, plywood, aluminum extrusions, etc. I will soon be releasing the cost breakdown and eventually be releasing CAD models and written instructions, etc for this project but while in school and working I can’t give an accurate time frame for when this will be. And there are still some additions and minor changes I would like to make to this camper such as adding windows to the walls and fixing some items that need optimization. I will be regularly updating here for all those interested but I already have more info on my Instagram and full-length build videos for this camper on Youtube @diy_davy.


Youtube: https://youtube.com/@DIY_Davy

 

Yeah I’ll be watching this one. I just came back to VA from a trip to Nome AK and priced RTT’s along the way In both Canada and here in the north western states of WA, OR, MT, WY, CO, and UT. Crazy money being asked for these things. Thanks for sharing this with us.