Anyone in the Bay Area want to show off their AT Summit?

[llamalander]

I’m thinking of upgrading from sleeping in my camper shell and was hoping someone in the SF Bay Area might want to show off their Summit camper. The bed, or how much room there is for it, is probably my biggest concern, but the utility of the space and how folks are using/enjoying it is also something I’d like to learn more about.
While the Vagabond also seems like a good product, the deposit & lead time are more than I’m interested in.
The bed arrangements in the GFC and the Ali-Cab don’t appear to be that useful when someone wants to stay in bed while the other is not. Being able to leave a bed made and ready is also a big plus.
How are you Summit owners liking your camper and do any of you have the time to give a quick tour? Thanks
Llamalander.

 

[rbrownmr2]

I am live in the Seattle area (not near SF) but if you are ever up here I could show you a Summit on a Ram 2500. Love the Summit, although we are now leaning towards a van build for our next rig. We have had truck campers, camper shell builds, roof top tents and FWC, and they each have their pros and cons. The Summit is super light, yet built really tough. The built-in insulation works amazing when paired with the Thinsulate liner.

 

[llamalander]

Thanks- my impression is that AT has had years to learn to make good products, glad to hear that confirmed.
I’ve enjoyed camping out of a van when we needed an escape from bugs, rain or wind- the hope for the Summit is that it might have enough room inside to spend some time comfortably without having to be just in bed. Do you have enough room for that in your set-up or is it too cramped to spend much time in?

 

[sancap]

I am not near you (SW Florida) but have a Summit on a 2015 Tundra. I purchased it in March of 2019 and had it installed at the factory in Prescott, Az. I usually carry a lot of gear but still find it usable to get out of the rain for short periods of time with my wife. I would not want to be in there for any extended period of time. We carry other outside tents/shelters in case of extended wet periods.

The structure itself is built very well, quality fittings and nice welds. We have had some tent leak issues that AT has tried to fix. They replaced the complete tent fabric after I returned to the factory with a new and improved tent. It still had some leaks after the replacement around the lower windows that continued to leak until I sealed them with some sort of silicon looking seam sealer called Gear Aid Seam Grip which AT provided. I was disappointed that I had to seal a new tent, I have never had to reseal any of the North Face or other tents I have owned. I also had issues with the Nemo awning, the inside waterproof coating started to peel off after a 3 or 4 months. AT sent me a new at no charge to me which also started to delaminate after a shorter period of time, suggesting I put it away wet or the humidity of where I live was the reason for the issue. It was never put away wet and yes it is humid here in Florida. None of my other outdoor gear has ever failed like the Nemo Awning did. AT has been stellar at trying to help me and has offered to give me a full refund on the awning, I may try other ways to make it waterproof again as it is well designed to fit the topper. I do believe it was designed for the Habitat and not the Summit.

I have 200 watts of solar panels and have carried a couple of bikes on the roof with no issues lifting it up. I do use a support rod to lock it up incase high winds occurred but probably not needed the way the gas shocks are positioned.

I have the optional insulated wall liners keep the heat in nicely and also keeps the cool in nicely when I attach my air conditioner to it for hot summer nights. I opted for no windows or roof openings from the factory, I have installed a small round powered roof vent. I created a screen wall that allows me to keep the rear lid and tailgate open when the weather permits. I have also had a awning made of Sunbrella material for extra shade on either side of the topper.

My wife and I have spent a lot of time in this Summit and are happy with our purchase except for the mentioned issues. We would probably purchase another one knowing what we know now.

 

[jmodz]

I am in San Diego, so still a bit far but if you are ever camping more south, I wouldn't mind driving a couple of hours for a weekend trip as well.

So far I love my Summit. I took a trip up to the PNW recently and encountered a lot of rain and had no leaking issues whatsoever. The main reason I chose the Summit was lead times, and the gas strut lift bed. It is so easy to use and I like that the mattress is all one piece since whenever a mattress is in sections the seams always seem to be in the least convenient place for me. As for spending time inside, it is doable and can be comfortable. I have some storage, sink, and a seating area built out inside mine (I have a Tacoma with a 6' bed) and for one person you can be pretty comfortable. However, having two people inside sitting or doing things really isn't ideal. The bed size is good for two people, I am 6'1" and my feet are a little cramped in the wedge, I think one time I'll try sleeping head into the wedge to see how practical that is.

 

[llamalander]

How do you folks like the mattress? The AT site says it's 2.5" foam with enough room to leave bedding on, which is appealing. Do you find it works well or have you chosen to add to it or change the material?

 

[sancap]

How do you folks like the mattress? The AT site says it's 2.5" foam with enough room to leave bedding on, which is appealing. Do you find it works well or have you chosen to add to it or change the material?

We have added a memory foam type mattress to the existing mattress. It is really comfy and still stays in place when we close the lid. We use a lighter weight dual sleeping bag.

 

[llamalander]

Looks like I may swing by Prescott in the next month to take a look, but this all sounds like I hoped- thanks!

 

[rbrownmr2]

Thanks- my impression is that AT has had years to learn to make good products, glad to hear that confirmed.
I’ve enjoyed camping out of a van when we needed an escape from bugs, rain or wind- the hope for the Summit is that it might have enough room inside to spend some time comfortably without having to be just in bed. Do you have enough room for that in your set-up or is it too cramped to spend much time in?

There is plenty of room to hang out in the back when the sleeping platform is raised. When the sleeping platform is down, there is enough room to move around, get dressed or sit but when it is raised there is a ton of stand up room. As far as being cramped, it depends on how much stuff you have in the bed of the truck. I just finished building a storage bench along the passenger side of the bed, which should make the back of the truck a more comfortable place to hang out in. I installed an Espar diesel heater in the bed also, and a couple of extra house batteries up in the truck. We camped the other weekend for three evenings and did not see outside temps above 7*F and the camper remained HOT and dry.

 

[llamalander]

in my idle plans, I've sketched-out a few cabinets for the bed of the truck with a camper--
Right now we sleep on a set of drawers and a water tank all 10" high and under a camper shell that is a little too short to sit up in. That shortcoming aside, I can see out the back, the load is low and fairly balanced, our bed is always made and we live on the tailgate, which is pretty great.
How much work have you put into balancing whats in the bed when you build to have a walkway through the middle of the bed? I'm wondering if it's prudent to put all your eggs on one side of your basket, so to speak. Is that a worthwhile concern or am I over-thinking the process? Maybe worth noting is that I drive the mid-size Nissan Frontier, which seems a foot thinner than most mid-sized trucks...

 

[rbrownmr2]

in my idle plans, I've sketched-out a few cabinets for the bed of the truck with a camper--
Right now we sleep on a set of drawers and a water tank all 10" high and under a camper shell that is a little too short to sit up in. That shortcoming aside, I can see out the back, the load is low and fairly balanced, our bed is always made and we live on the tailgate, which is pretty great.
How much work have you put into balancing whats in the bed when you build to have a walkway through the middle of the bed? I'm wondering if it's prudent to put all your eggs on one side of your basket, so to speak. Is that a worthwhile concern or am I over-thinking the process? Maybe worth noting is that I drive the mid-size Nissan Frontier, which seems a foot thinner than most mid-sized trucks...

We put the fridge on the driver side near the tailgate, and have the bench on the passenger side. The vehicle I spent the most time in off-roading/camping was a 2002 regular cab Tacoma, so I am familiar with your bed width/size. I never really spent too much time being overly concerned which side of the truck the water/food/beer ended up on, and never am concerned now with the 2500. Most time is spent outside of the truck, only going inside to sleep. With the Summit top down, the height inside is about the same as a regular canopy shell, so that may be something to consider with interior design, if you plan on spending time inside with the top down. In the 2002 Tacoma, I spent many weeks out in Death Valley and A-B with food, 20+ gallons of water and at least that amount of beer and never had an issue with which side of the truck it was on. I was considering going with Decked drawers in the Summit, because we had them in the '17 Tacoma and really liked them. The decision to go with the side shelf/bench was made due to the desire to protect the diesel heater. Is the bed in your Nissan 6'?

 

[rbrownmr2]

I am not near you (SW Florida) but have a Summit on a 2015 Tundra. I purchased it in March of 2019 and had it installed at the factory in Prescott, Az. I usually carry a lot of gear but still find it usable to get out of the rain for short periods of time with my wife. I would not want to be in there for any extended period of time. We carry other outside tents/shelters in case of extended wet periods.

The structure itself is built very well, quality fittings and nice welds. We have had some tent leak issues that AT has tried to fix. They replaced the complete tent fabric after I returned to the factory with a new and improved tent. It still had some leaks after the replacement around the lower windows that continued to leak until I sealed them with some sort of silicon looking seam sealer called Gear Aid Seam Grip which AT provided. I was disappointed that I had to seal a new tent, I have never had to reseal any of the North Face or other tents I have owned. I also had issues with the Nemo awning, the inside waterproof coating started to peel off after a 3 or 4 months. AT sent me a new at no charge to me which also started to delaminate after a shorter period of time, suggesting I put it away wet or the humidity of where I live was the reason for the issue. It was never put away wet and yes it is humid here in Florida. None of my other outdoor gear has ever failed like the Nemo Awning did. AT has been stellar at trying to help me and has offered to give me a full refund on the awning, I may try other ways to make it waterproof again as it is well designed to fit the topper. I do believe it was designed for the Habitat and not the Summit.

I have 200 watts of solar panels and have carried a couple of bikes on the roof with no issues lifting it up. I do use a support rod to lock it up incase high winds occurred but probably not needed the way the gas shocks are positioned.

I have the optional insulated wall liners keep the heat in nicely and also keeps the cool in nicely when I attach my air conditioner to it for hot summer nights. I opted for no windows or roof openings from the factory, I have installed a small round powered roof vent. I created a screen wall that allows me to keep the rear lid and tailgate open when the weather permits. I have also had a awning made of Sunbrella material for extra shade on either side of the topper.

My wife and I have spent a lot of time in this Summit and are happy with our purchase except for the mentioned issues. We would probably purchase another one knowing what we know now.

How do you attach the Sunbrella awning to the sides of the Summit? I like the versatility of this idea!

 

[rbrownmr2]

How do you folks like the mattress? The AT site says it's 2.5" foam with enough room to leave bedding on, which is appealing. Do you find it works well or have you chosen to add to it or change the material?

We also added Lucid brand egg crate to ours. The stock mattress is ok, but adding a little more cushion will prevent you from "bottoming-out" by morning time and having a sore hip. A fitted full sheet remains on the bed, along with a comforter blanket. That is about all we can store up there and still be able to close the top. Extra sleeping bags or blankets for cold weather we keep elsewhere and then just throw up there if needed/wanted.

 

[sancap]

How do you attach the Sunbrella awning to the sides of the Summit? I like the versatility of this idea!

I purchased a piece of aluminum" J" Track which is mounted to the Summit and had the marine canvas company sew the slide in matching flexible "J" track on the awning.

 

[HD1]

I am not near you (SW Florida) but have a Summit on a 2015 Tundra. I purchased it in March of 2019 and had it installed at the factory in Prescott, Az. I usually carry a lot of gear but still find it usable to get out of the rain for short periods of time with my wife. I would not want to be in there for any extended period of time. We carry other outside tents/shelters in case of extended wet periods.

The structure itself is built very well, quality fittings and nice welds. We have had some tent leak issues that AT has tried to fix. They replaced the complete tent fabric after I returned to the factory with a new and improved tent. It still had some leaks after the replacement around the lower windows that continued to leak until I sealed them with some sort of silicon looking seam sealer called Gear Aid Seam Grip which AT provided. I was disappointed that I had to seal a new tent, I have never had to reseal any of the North Face or other tents I have owned. I also had issues with the Nemo awning, the inside waterproof coating started to peel off after a 3 or 4 months. AT sent me a new at no charge to me which also started to delaminate after a shorter period of time, suggesting I put it away wet or the humidity of where I live was the reason for the issue. It was never put away wet and yes it is humid here in Florida. None of my other outdoor gear has ever failed like the Nemo Awning did. AT has been stellar at trying to help me and has offered to give me a full refund on the awning, I may try other ways to make it waterproof again as it is well designed to fit the topper. I do believe it was designed for the Habitat and not the Summit.

I have 200 watts of solar panels and have carried a couple of bikes on the roof with no issues lifting it up. I do use a support rod to lock it up incase high winds occurred but probably not needed the way the gas shocks are positioned.

I have the optional insulated wall liners keep the heat in nicely and also keeps the cool in nicely when I attach my air conditioner to it for hot summer nights. I opted for no windows or roof openings from the factory, I have installed a small round powered roof vent. I created a screen wall that allows me to keep the rear lid and tailgate open when the weather permits. I have also had a awning made of Sunbrella material for extra shade on either side of the topper.

My wife and I have spent a lot of time in this Summit and are happy with our purchase except for the mentioned issues. We would probably purchase another one knowing what we know now.

Can you expand on the A/C Unit? I am assuming you only use that when plugged into shore power?