California Rooftop Tent options 2026

[Sduclos_Launch22]

I've been pondering the idea of a rooftop tent for about a year and it seems there's some new options from iKamper that is somewhat appealing. More specifically the Skycamp 4.0 Trio that is coming out this April. The width appears to fit well but the length would definitely stick out as its 68". I wanted to see if anyone else runs a longer RTT than what the truck bed length? Are there any issues that should be expected, other than being bulkier and possibly take a hit on the driving range? If you do use a RTT, is it placed over the rivian crossbars? What mechanism do you use to put the box on/off?

Thanks all,

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[AirCruiser]

Hi,

I’m guessing you may already have come across the Air Cruiser in your searches:
https://air-cruiser.cinchpopuptents.com

The Air Cruiser would fit your truck bed with room to spare. It’s also much lighter and easier to install, so one person can get it on and off without too much trouble.

It has some big advantages over the iKamper range, especially in terms of interior feel. The iKamper tents are more of a sleeping space due to the lower internal height and sloped roof, whereas the Air Cruiser feels much more like a cabin, with loads of headroom. The large windows and skylights make it feel far more open and airy inside.

Manual setup is also quicker, as there’s no rainfly or extra canopies to mess around with.

In terms of build quality, you’re getting something very comparable. iKamper tents are very well made, and so is the Wild Land range, but the Air Cruiser comes in at around half the price. On top of that, you get a lot of extra features such as internal and external lighting, glow-in-the-dark ladders, a media rack, and an anti-theft system.

One advantage of the iKamper is the hard-shell case, although that comes with its own downsides too.

I’m not trying to put you off iKamper. They’re cool tents, well made, and different setups suit different people, so it’s great to have the choice. I’m just putting the Air Cruiser in the shop window for you, as we’ve built up a strong following within the Rivian community.

If you are set on a hard-shell tent and don’t mind a bit of overhang, we also have a new RTT coming out called the Sky Rover. It’s incredibly cool. You get more space from a smaller packed size because the floor automatically folds out during setup. Both setup and takedown are remote-controlled, so it’s literally a button press for each.

It also has a fully transparent roof, which gives it an amazing feel inside, especially at night. Of course, you can close the blinds if you want a blackout bedroom setup. The case itself is a real piece of art and looks incredible.

You can check it out here:
https://air-cruiser.cinchpopuptents.com/pages/sky-rover

It’s packed with tech and still comes in below the iKamper range on price, and there’s a nice launch discount available as well.

 

[strykerwsu]

I have a skycamp 2.0. On Xtrusion Overland rack. Great setup but lose a little range 10% to 20% on time of year, but not terrible. The smaller tent options dont lose much range at all on Rivian crossbars.

 

[elatrickWheels]

Jake, congratulations on the tagline “the five billion star hotel.” That’s very clever! The tent looks great, too!

 

[Sduclos_Launch22]

I have a skycamp 2.0. On Xtrusion Overland rack. Great setup but lose a little range 10% to 20% on time of year, but not terrible. The smaller tent options dont lose much range at all on Rivian crossbars.

That is a nice setup! I was looking at the overload ruff rax when this little project got started but the price was just a bit too much for my liking for how often I would use it. In addition IDK where I'd store the rack when I'm not camping. Good to know about your range loss with the tent on the higher rack, correlates to what I've read.

Anywho, how much overhang would you say you have on the back as I would stick about a foot and a half out based on the trio measurements. If you dont mind me asking, do you keep your rack on at all times and how do you place the tent on the rack? I'm thinking of using a pulley system.

 

[AirCruiser]

Jake, congratulations on the tagline “the five billion star hotel.” That’s very clever! The tent looks great, too!

Thanks I came up with that one myself. It's up there with my '99 problems but the beach ain't one' for a beach tent we used to sell and I was very proud of the 'Winter of Discount Tents' for a sale we once ran

 

[elatrickWheels]

Those are all good!I can see why you were proud of the winter of discount tents!

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