Recent content by Lemsteraak

Prices are coming full circle with Expedition roof top tents. Years ago you would order your tent and the manufacturer would build it to your specifications and they were very very expensive. I found Zifer, AutoHome brand, back in the mid-90's this way. Tried an experiment and started...

I'm curious, before you put up the fairing did you get a lot of bug debris on the front of the tent? AutoHome does a lot of aerodynamic testing so the profile should be pretty clean. I played around with tent placement years ago and found that it can make a difference. Sometimes if you move...

Weight is only one factor in roof top tent design. For example, you can save weight by using carbon fiber but there are trade offs. I prefer fiberglass as it doesn't transfer heat and cold as much as carbon and aluminum. So, in other words, you might save weight on material but it may require...

The absolute lightest tent was made about 25 years ago in France at about 35 pounds for a full sized two person roof tent. It was called an "Oasis" and the design is brilliant,, like a zero gravity chair for two built into a tent. They were able to dispense with the mattress by using a mesh...

OK, I can see why you are asking. I'm not familiar with IKamper so I went to their website. I believe you are referring to their Skycamp 3.0? They advertise that this tent alonei is 165 Lbs. If you ask both Thule or Yakima what their sport bars are rated for, 165 pounds. If you read their...

We need to know more to advise. Light tents are always a good idea. Take the mattress out and should be easy to take off and put on with two people. Softshell tents are as aerodynamic as a church and the fabric covers tend to get hurt by the sun Hardshell tents are a better choice. Still...

Hi John, I don't think Mike is involved with overloading anymore he retired and moved to Arizona hunting for birds with his big pack of dogs. I talked to Andrew a few months back, I needed one of their replacement ladder for my tent. I believe Andrew is their sales manager and been involved...

Folding tents are designed to expand and have more room but are a pain on tall vehicles. They were originally designed when off road trucks went really slow, about as aerodynamic as a church, not a good choice for roadtrips. Hardshell tents were pretty much the same but have been redesigned to...

Years ago, Zifer in Italy developed the "universal" mount system that most all roof tents use today. It is a system and we would bring the sport bar manufacturers into the mix. It was developed with Thule in Europe. Here in the states we would work with Yakima, who didn't like the idea of...

Another idea ..... we never liked having the tents on the bed as it made it a hassle to get at anything. Years ago, Thule made a special tower that was designed to fit into the stake holes in the top of the bed. They were very light alloy and were intended as a ladder rack but made a great...

It might work but you really need to do some homework to make sure the top is well connected to the jeep and the gutters are structural so that the rack has something to connect to. Hard to tell by pictures. If the top is designed to handle a roll over, might be good to go. Ask the mfg for...

Machine shop, that looks welded or ask AutoHome to ship you whole assemblies. The rod is called an "acme" screw, like on jack to lift a car. This is a design for high loads. I've heard of chains skipping a tooth because of being over stressed lifting a heavy load or having something caught in...

You are right, that isn't working for you. A taller ladder will help a lot. I'd suggest starting with the folks at AutoHome and see if you can exchange your ladder for a taller one. They try to include a ladder that works for your intended rig. It is common to keep the tent when you change...

Myron, what exactly don't you like about your ladder? From what I can see in your picture, it may flex a lot because it is at its limit - stop against stop. You might want to exchange it for a longer ladder. Ladders seem to be an afterthought and not a lot of thought goes into them. I have...

There were some nice small Hardtop tents made by Zifer that you may find on the used market. They made a small Maggiolina "Adventure" that was designed for expedition use and very cold weather. If you are over 6'1" it is too short for you and the top barely goes high enough to sit up. The...