Great. What does the Bruin offer that the Hiatus did not?
I do a lot of rough off-road and get some chassis twisting. Have you done any of this and do you think the Bruin would stand up to it well? I am not talking about high-speed runs across the desert with jumps. Just moderate rock crawling sometimes and occasionally mogul type climbs.
Do you think the canvas corners are durable? Any issues with sweating through in long term rain?
I looks like you truck has an extended like I will have. Do you think a mag mount ham antennae will fit on the cab in front of the camper overhang?
The biggest thing is that with the Hiatus the sidewalls are not attached to the roof, so when you pop it up from the outside it goes up part way, then you have to go inside and push it the rest of the way up. While it's part way popped, there is a huge gap where the walls have not met the ceiling yet. So, if it's snowing, windy, or your camper is wet, all of that is getting inside and dripping on your bedding. Other campers (even canvas ones) do a better job of keeping the elements off your pillow. Additionally, it's kind of a hassle to go inside and do the 'second' part of the pop-up. On my Bruin (and most others) the pop-up all happens in one motion from the outside and is very easy and seamless. Hiatus are heavier (+150lbs~ over my Bruin), twice as expensive, and take around a year from order to install. They do use a thicker wall material which is probably better for insulation, but I don't know if it's better enough to justify the other drawbacks.
Yes, I'm lifted on 33"s and frequently go offroading with my camper on. I don't do anything crazy, moderate Front Range, Moab, and San Juan wheeling but I have not noticed any real difference in performance with the camper on vs off. I have no doubts the camper can hold up to the abuse just fine I know some other guys really put these things to the test more than I do.
The canvas corners are great. I've zipped mine up and down hundreds of times and have not had any issues with them. They certainly do not let any moisture through, the material they use is a lot thicker than it looks. It's not like a lightweight tent canvas it's much beefier.
I bet you will have room for your antenna, but if you want to check, the top cabover section is 9' long even from front to back. So just measure 9' forward from your tailgate and you'll know how far over the cab the camper will go.
