A few (ok, a lot of) questions:
1. The large, rear window has a bug net. If I go to bed with the window open and bug-net in place and it starts raining in the middle of the night, can I close the exterior panel of the window without getting out of bed? By somehow opening up the bug net, and rolling down the exterior window? Or would I have to exit the truck to access that window panel?
2. How are the bug nets/window panels attached? Velcro? Zippers?
3. Are there similar bug nets on the two smaller windows?
4. Are all these windows and their closure methods expected to be waterproof?
5. Excluding the roof rack/cross-bars, how far above the Tacoma's shark fin does the highest part of the tent sit? Trying to figure out whether I'll be able to fit into my underground garage.
6. Your site mentioned 'Heater' as a planned optional extra. Can you share what you had in mind here?
7. Any chance of having a larger rear door panel that would eliminate the tailgate and go all the way to the bottom of the bed?
8. Are you expecting a weatherproof seal between the bottom of the camper and the bed sides? (Assuming the "corner gap" found on 3rd gen Tacos is properly filled in.)
9. Is it possible to order the aluminum side panels with sliding windows? I'd like to have my dog's kennel in the bed, and would need ventilation during transport.
10. If #9 is not possible, how much room will there be between the aluminum panel and the DOM tubing behind it? Curious whether I'll be able to retrofit a sliding canopy window in there.
11. Can the interior of the roof be had with some sort of bungee net, or at least hooks that a net can be attached to? I have this in my JB Explorer and it's great for tucking away clothing and sleeping items.
12. Will the sleeping area have any wall/roof mounted pockets for small items?
13. You've shared a short video of the tent being opened. Can we see a similar video of a walk-around, and closing process?
14. In a rain, water will pool between the vertical, fabric walls and the metal/structure below. Are there some kind of run-off channels for the water to escape?
15. If I wanted to remove the aluminum side panel (to install window or do other modifications), how easy is the re/re process?
16. Will the side panels/windoors remain open/lifted by themselves, or would they need to be supoprted by hand? Noticed that in all photos of them open there's someone supporting them.
Hopefully some useful answers for you:
1. The large "rear window" is also a door. The mesh zips completely open (it's fixed at the top) so you'd just unzip the mesh, zip the rain flap closed, then re-zip the mesh.
2. I assume you mean the mesh in the tent fabric (we'll have an optional bug mesh that magnets over the tailgate opening). But the ten mesh is sewn in, so the mesh doesn't come out. On the big rear door both the mesh and the cover zip open. On the side windows there are internal rain flaps (that drain into the rain gutter) that zip open and closed from the inside but the mesh does not zip open.
3. Answered above but again, the mesh is part of the tent, and the rain covers zip from the inside.
4. Not waterproof per se (it's not a submarine) but they're designed to shed rain so the inside doesn't get wet when all the rain flaps are closed.
5. About 8"
6. It'll most likely be a propex propane heater that vents combustion gasses outside. We're designing a fit kit that will include the heater, vents, mounting brackets and a plenum that can divert air upstairs or downstairs. We'll also be making a propane locker but the final location for that hasn't been sorted out yet and will probably vary depending on the truck model.
7. Not in the foreseeable future. We're talking about doing one that will hold two upright spare tires and a gas can where the tires stand up about 1/3 into the bed and 2/3 out with a back panel that seals when closed, but that's a ways away. Generally we really like having a tailgate.
8. The campers ship with gaskets so the seal between the plastic and the camper is sealed. You might need to seal the surface under the plastic to get a perfect seal. I have not done that on any of the prototypes and it hans't been an issue. The 3rg gen cornres seal well with butyl seal tape but we plan on making an optional plate that replaces the square metal cross tube to improve sealing and make the front edge flush with the bed sides.
9. We're not doing side windows for now.
10. There's a 1/8" gap between the inside of the panel and the tube frame. This is caused by the gaskets. You could install a smaller window or opening in the open space between the bracing. it's larger than it looks. You can pass a full sized cooler through the tubes on the side, so a little 10" window would fit.
11. we're working on some upstairs storage provisions. But keep in mind that when the tent is closed there's only an inch of space between the roof and the mattress, so you can't close it with anything more than compressible sleeping bag and pillow upstairs.
12. See #11
13. We're working on one. i just got back from Baja testing. I just spent 23 consecutive nights in it. But we're planning on filming a walk around late this week or early next.
14. I designed the framing extrusions to channel water into the lower rain gutters. And yes, these have drains that direct water toward the ends and onto the ground. A lot of thought was put into water drainage and channeling, which is how we can build the upper tent without the need for sealants or gaskets. We did this so that it would be easy to make any repairs. Parts can be unbolted and replaced without having to scrape glues or reseal components.
15. About 5 minutes. You just loosen four bolts (per side) that attach the tent frame to the lower frame, and pull the panel off. There's a gasket here but no adhesives or glues so as long as you don't tear the gasket the reinstallation would just involve sticking the panel back on and re-torquing the four bolts.
16. Yes. We didn't have time to get any of the supports installed before I had to leave but the rear hatch will have gas struts and the side panels will have mechanical struts that hold various open positions so you can crack them open in a rain.