at overland atlas

Wikedhd

New member
I’m also looking at the Atlas and Alu-cab. Favoring the Atlas. How about the dust and water leaks from the tailgate? Is it Bad? Can it be sealed? I plan on doing cabinets inside.
I wish they could build it with a full door like the Alu-Cab.
 

Groverland

Active member
I put a BedRug liner in mine shortly after install so I don't notice any dust(it could be there, I just can't see it). I will say, however, I felt moisture near the cab on the floor once after driving in a heavy rainstorm. I'm not sure if it came in thru one of the drain holes or entered thru the tailgate area and ran down the bed slope? I aired it out and it's dry now.

As for the full door, Expedition Essentials has posted a picture on social media of their shop truck with AT topper and a custom door they made. I emailed them about it and they replied that it's something they plan on offering custom-order down the road. It looks very sharp, but after thinking about it I think I would miss having the tailgate. It's my favorite place to sit and I enjoy cooking on it!
 

dstefan

Well-known member
Expedition Portal or Overland Journal, I can’t recall which, published a really comprehensive review of popups at the time, which was maybe 2-3 years ago. They definitely covered the AT Summit or Atlas. It got their Editors Choice award for midsize, but not fullsize trucks. They didnt like how the bed remained 48” which made the wall slope more pronounced and took interior space away.

I can agree having checked one out at AT in Prescott on a Ram felt way cramped with the wall slope. Nice build though. I went with an Ovrlnd on a Tundra, and have loved it for nearly two years now.
 

ThebigMT

New member
I took delivery of my Atlas in early september of this year. Although we've only had it a couple months I'll second the comments here about the impeccable overall build quality. While I kind of wish the bed was wider, the way this camper tucks in on my 17 Tundra makes it worth it. The weight is also a huge selling point for me. At 360 lbs its not that much heavier than a fiberglass topper so with the less than robust factory springs on this truck I honestly can't tell it's there save for a bit of wind noise. About my only complaint is that the rear hatch door lacks a rain gutter so when you open it to crawl out in the morning any rain, condensation, etc... that has accumulated drains down on your neck... I think this is easily fixable with something like rope rail extrusion and some VHB but it is odd that this wasn't considered by AT...
 

Bergger

Explorer
We've gotten no water intrusion or noticeable dust at all in our Summit. I sealed the perforations in the bed with some butyl tape and used a tailgate seal kit on the tailgate. Just got back from a trip with temps down to 21 degrees and with the truma heater not one drop of condensation. Nice and warm. It was windy and with the Summit parked into the wind you can hardly tell it's windy out. So far we have been very happy with it. It's nice having a space "downstairs" to cook and hang out it while having the bed up top. It's a world of difference from our ARE topper.
 

wapitispokes

New member
Custom fit to truck, vertical walls, custom build options, can be less expensive. Quality is excellent.
You have at least part of that backwards, which makes me wonder where you get your information from.
Another big advantage to the ovrlnd is that the bed size on a fullsize truck is much wider (approx 68") than the atlas.
I think you mean that the Project M has a wider bed size. I also think you mean that the Project M has vertical walls, because the AT Overland clearly does not.

Here is my summary:
The Project M has the vertical walls.
The Project M can be less expensive. In fact, my analysis shows that it is materially less expensive when similarly outfitted.
The Project M has a materially larger bed because the vertical walls provide a larger bed platform.
The Project M connects to the truck with included "shelves" that can be useful for storing gear or sitting on.
The Project M's shelves might also limit space for some purposes.
Thanks to the vertical walls, the Project M can be much more easily removed and re-installed.
The Project M screams "look at me, I'm going car camping and might get stuck so I have a lot of stuff hanging off the sides" (Joking).
The Project M probably has better resale value.

The AT Overland Atlas has sloped walls that limit space
AT Overland Atlas is more expensive, despite the smaller capacity.
The AT Overland has a much more sleek and stylish appearance, thanks to the sloped walls.
Due to the sloped walls, the AT Overland looks a bit goofy with the canopy brackets and those brackets are probably noisy at highway speed, but in contrast, many of the Project M designs just plain look goofy all the time regardless. Pick your poison.


Bottom line:
Project M is probably better for those wanting more space and those who don't object to the shelves protruding slightly into he camper bed area.
Project M probably better if regularly camping with two or more people who intend to sleep inside the topper.
Project M is definitely better for those that may want to remove the topper occasionally.

The AT Overland Atlas is probably better for those that want a more streamlined topper or one with a less "camper-like" appearance and those who are generally solo.

Me, I am torn between the two...
 

PirateMcGee

Expedition Leader
You have at least part of that backwards, which makes me wonder where you get your information from.

I think you mean that the Project M has a wider bed size. I also think you mean that the Project M has vertical walls, because the AT Overland clearly does not.

Here is my summary:
The Project M has the vertical walls.
The Project M can be less expensive. In fact, my analysis shows that it is materially less expensive when similarly outfitted.
The Project M has a materially larger bed because the vertical walls provide a larger bed platform.
The Project M connects to the truck with included "shelves" that can be useful for storing gear or sitting on.
The Project M's shelves might also limit space for some purposes.
Thanks to the vertical walls, the Project M can be much more easily removed and re-installed.
The Project M screams "look at me, I'm going car camping and might get stuck so I have a lot of stuff hanging off the sides" (Joking).
The Project M probably has better resale value.

The AT Overland Atlas has sloped walls that limit space
AT Overland Atlas is more expensive, despite the smaller capacity.
The AT Overland has a much more sleek and stylish appearance, thanks to the sloped walls.
Due to the sloped walls, the AT Overland looks a bit goofy with the canopy brackets and those brackets are probably noisy at highway speed, but in contrast, many of the Project M designs just plain look goofy all the time regardless. Pick your poison.


Bottom line:
Project M is probably better for those wanting more space and those who don't object to the shelves protruding slightly into he camper bed area.
Project M probably better if regularly camping with two or more people who intend to sleep inside the topper.
Project M is definitely better for those that may want to remove the topper occasionally.

The AT Overland Atlas is probably better for those that want a more streamlined topper or one with a less "camper-like" appearance and those who are generally solo.

Me, I am torn between the two...
It's been a long time since this was an active thread...had to go look what was even being discussed.

I was referring to ovrlnd camper vs the AT and not discussing the project M.
 

Groverland

Active member
How does it do in high winds???
Are you talking while deployed or while driving? Again, I have the Summit which -while driving -is identical to the Atlas. I feel the streamlined shape with sloped walls helps it cut thru the wind better. In fact, in two years of having it mounted full-time on my Tacoma I have been averaging over 21mpg combined city/hwy. Even while on the freeway I don't really feel it much at all when semis pass me which -if you want to average over 20mpg- does happen!

While deployed mine has the wedge-shape so I just park INTO the prevailing wind and sleep like a baby. At Guadalupe Mountains NP last year the winds were so high the rangers weren't letting anyone even hike up to the peaks! My truck was ROCKING in the campground, but the combination of wedge shape, high-quality tent and insulation package kept me safe and comfy inside. The Atlas doesn't have the sloped wall, but still has the same quality construction. I suspect it would have been fine as well.
 

Bergger

Explorer
As far as high winds go, the AT does extremely well. We've had our Summit for 1 1/2 years and driving it is very quiet. Much more than I expected. Not even really noticeable at all. It has also barely affected the mpg of our Nissan Titan. And when deployed in high winds it is also very quiet with very minimal movement of the canvas. The ATO products are certainly more expensive but I feel you get what you pay for. The quality is impeccable and nobody else that I know of has the type of construction they do. With the 1" thick honeycomb composite walls lined with carpet and thermal pack it stays very quiet, dark and warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. We have no regrets with our purchase.
 

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