Shell and Roof Top Tent FAQ 

Great video,love the roof top tent set-up

Just remember to pop your tent up, before measuring for awning brackets. I have the same tent, and it will push out the space needed to fit your awning. Great video and nice rig!

You give really good reviews. I'm looking at the CX HD for my 2018 ram. so this was great . I want to do the same painted black side doors as well.

Exact information I was looking for! Thanks, so much, for putting this video together. No B.S., just good information. I splurged and bought a 2019 TRD Pro. Hatin' the payments, but love the truck. Just wish Toyota would have stuck with the 4.0 liter engine. That, combined with the 3rd gen body style and features would be the ultimate. I wish I had the $ to switch the diffs to 4.88 gears, which gets rave reviews! Nice truck you have. Stay Safe on your travels and adventures!

Great video great review. I was researching camper and it was great to find your HD review and makes me feel better about throwing all that weight on the shell. Sub'd.

Great job on everything. Speaking, filming, informing, I'm just very pleased with your advice and ways of thinking. I have basically everything you have there. Just on a bigger platform. Cummins 2500. Even having my roof top tent on my topper I still get 19,20 mpg on highway at 65 mph.

Awesome setup!

Just found your channel and watched a couple of videos so far…subscribed too. Very nicely done and very professionally presented. You’re well spoken. I am planning an imminent acquisition of a Tacoma (likely a 2021 TRD Pro) and definitely want to add a rooftop tent and the iKamper would be the likely candidate. I have researched a ton of these and they have the greatest appeal so far. The hard shell would be a must for me. I cannot yet wrestle to the ground the topper/no topper question but you make a persuasive case for it and if I was going to, this model might just be the one. Like you, this will be an adventure vehicle and not a work one. Thanks so much. Extremely useful.

Looks really nice

Best tacoma build on youtube. This guy and this truck is fye!

How do you only have 31 subs? The quality of your vids is top notch. Just subscribed!

I just ordered a 2022 Tacoma TRD Pro. I presently have a 2018 Z71 Colorado with an A.R.E. cap. But, when I get the Tacoma, I plan to get the same cap as you have. I'm also getting the Decked system. I'm 62, my wife doesn't camp with me and my kids have flown the nest, so Ill be going with the Skycamp Mini as it will be just me. When I ordered my Tacoma, I wanted the color you have, but, not an offer for the 2022, so, went with the gray. Great video, thanks for sharing.

Topper + ikamper. You're winning

Such a great review, Thanks! Looking at picking one up for my Tacoma. I'd like to put a 270 awning along with RT Tent. How wide are the cross bars? I want to be able to fit both. Thanks.

So I’ve got my leer shell and I’ve got dv8 front roof rack on the cab but I want to know what’s good rack for the shell that’ll support the weight of rooftop tent

Hi, I'm waiting on my CX HD and I am also getting a IKamper sky camp 2.0. Does your cross bar are the a.r.e. one and were you able to use the 2.0 brackets with it or should I request the 1.0 Thanks

What rack do you have on top of your canopy? I’m looking for one, I have an 8ft bed and a canopy on a 2012 f350

Ordered my A.R.E shell back in the beginning of Feb. right after receiving my new Silverado, and I just received it earlier this week (over 20 week wait) was told several times that it was being built and and that it would be shipped. Original time frame I was told was 10-12 weeks. After that just plan on getting the runaround. I even offered to drive up to Ohio and pick it up when they told me it was a shipping issue, only to find out that it hadn't been built and that it was just another line of BS they were coming up with. On a good note only 2 of the 4 windows leak....I like the function of the vented windoors but they leak pretty bad. Not looking forward to taking it the dealer, I'm sure they will make up some crap. Paid $3350.00. I recommend going with Leer (I have one on my Ram) it's been on for 12 years and have had NO issues. If I hadn't spent so mush I would take it off and use it for target practice then burn it to the ground. (With the so called fiberglass shortage) you can tell that the shell is much more flimsy than the older style. Have a nice day

do you think those typical aluminum camper shells you can find on marketplace are capable of holding a wexge style roof tent?

I’m still deciding over the long bed or short bed ugh I really want to be able to sleep in the back camper shell but the short bed just looks so much better

Like your videos! I am considering a similar set-up to yours (ARE CX HD top & I Kamper RTT on my 2020 Tacoma OR DCSB) but I have two questions for you --- is your Tacoma a short bed (it looks like it but I gotta ask) & does the Prinzu rack on the cab provide (needed) support for the RTT or do the racks on the ARE shell provide enough support? Thanks in advance; am looking forward to future videos.

Great video. I checked out your other review on the ARE CX HD and am highly considering it over the Leer 100XR due to the additional load capacity. Do you feel like you lose storage space within the CX HD due to the skeleton? And would you recommend securing cargo webbing to the skeleton for additional storage, or might that impact it's stability?

Super informative video. This is the setup I want. Thank you!

Any idea what the total height is? Wondering if I could fit this setup in my garage?

Tacoma has payload capacity of just over 1100 lbs. Topper and RTT takes up say 300. That does not leave much room for passengers and camping gear. My worry is, I have been using Smittybilt XL (130 lb) RTT on VW Atlas (about 1150 lb payload). After loading up for extended road/camping trip with family of 4, took it to the scales and was close to maxing out. And I don't have any off-roading gear/solar/battery etc. Wanted to venture beyond the dirt roads and looking at Jeep Gladiator (sport) or a full-size truck (Tundra Trd pro/Silverado Trailboss/Titan Pro4X) as those have around 1500 lb payload. And it is hard to safely secure gear or weather-proof without a topper. Still trying to work that out for overlanding and light off-roading.

Hi again --- one last question: Does the roof top tent clear the shark-fin antenna? It looks like it but I cannot tell from the video (which I have watched again!)

I got a leer topper. That extra space is a luxury dog house for my 2 dogs now lol Think those are safe for a rooftop tent for 2? I'm thinking about getting the prinsu rack for both cab and topper.

have you had any issues with the ARE topper moving back and forth on the rails in the bed

what rack did you use for the ikamper 2.0? since the ikamper weights is 160lbs

Dude open up the tent!!!!

Here’s a question for you ... does the longer tent 2.0 block off your xm radio or navigation ? I see that it completely covers the shark fin ?

Did you relocate your shark fin antenna? I can't live without my xm on long road road trips!

Do you have the front of the tent mounted to the prinsu rack as well? If so, does frame twist have any negative effect on the tent frame?

What’s your MPG as of now with all these setup?

How much weight can an ARE cap take? I can't seem to find it anywhere online

Scrap the awning idea bro and check out KUMA pop up gazebo 👌

How’d you get the tent on your topper?

Does it fit in a normal garage?

Is the tent load being shared with the prinsu or is it not connected at all?

Freaking boat engine is mounted to a fiberglass piece, sometime have wood as a core. Fiberglass is strong!!

Just kinda indecisive on weight on the camper shell. Otherwise I would be doing this in a heartbeat. I have a SnugTop Super Sport. I can't figure out how much weight dynamic and static weight that it supports.

I think the taco is a good truck for a campertop. It’s obviously not made for the working man with that little tiny 5ft useless bed. Can barely dump rubbish with that thing.