Opinions...Advice Wanted Pls re: best pop up shells for smaller trucks

[AbleGuy]

I’m shopping for a pop up shell for either a 4WD Nissan Frontier long bed or Chevy Colorado long bed (new truck, haven’t bought it yet...truck choice may depend on the shell chosen),

With a pop up shell mounted on my truck, my total height has to allow me to fit it inside my garage (about an 85” entry). So unfortunately one like an FWC shell won’t work.

That leaves the Go Fast, the Leentu, the AT Overland, the Snap Treehouse, the ATC, a Flippac, the Vagabond Drifter or the Khaya, I believe. Am I missing any other brands?

I’m asking for opinions and advice from others here who have researched these pop ups and purchased any model, to please share with me your evaluations of value, utility, build quality, weight, livability, vehicle performance, etc., so I can make an informed decision as to what to order.

Thx mucho,
From Señor Bailey, down in the warm and dry desert SW

 

[1leglance]

I love my Snap Treehouse, been using it almost a year now and I have camped in the desert heat and mountain cold.
The big thing for me was the big side doors and how the let me have one be a drop down table
The aluminum means only 400lbs and they didn't have the crazy wait list and it was $7k vs some of the other prices.
They were easy to deal with and now offer more options like various rear door/hatch options.

 

[AbleGuy]

Thanks. That’s really an impressive expression of confidence in SNAP, that you’re also located in Arizona but that you choose the SNAP which, if I recall correctly, is made way back in Pennsylvania. Did you have it shipped out here? If so, how much was that cost please?

I love my Snap Treehouse, been using it almost a year now and I have camped in the desert heat and mountain cold.
The big thing for me was the big side doors and how the let me have one be a drop down table
The aluminum means only 400lbs and they didn't have the crazy wait list and it was $7k vs some of the other prices.
They were easy to deal with and now offer more options like various rear door/hatch options.

 

[plh]

How about DIY? Otherwise Snap Treehouse has the shortest lead time at the moment, somewhere around 4 weeks I think I read recently. I think GFC is out to about 18 months.

 

[Sparse Gray Hackle]

ATC has a great reputation for quality, customization and customer support. Give them a call and see if they can make you a shell that fits your needs.

 

[AbleGuy]

Thx for your helpful comments and good ideas, guys.

Unfortunately, I don’t live in a neighborhood where I’m allowed to work on anything like a home build outside and have no room indoors to build anything either, so I’m stuck with buying an already made rig.
(I live in a rather small townhouse ?)

But on the plus side of things, I’m okay waiting until next late spring or so to get something if need be, so I’ve got plenty of time to order a new build.

I’m leaning towards AT Summit or Habitat since they’re both made in state here in Arizona, and they both do builds for Frontiers. Do any of you have an opinion as to the comparative utility of these two very different camper models?

Thx again

 

[JOATMON]

Camp Ovrlnd is up in Flagstaff. I am not sure what their lead time is, but the camper is a full pop all aluminum construction. Build quality is very nice having seen them in person. Jay has been extremely helpful and open with all of the questions I have asked him.

https://campovrlnd.com/

 

[AbleGuy]

“Camp Ovrlnd is up in Flagstaff.”

Thanks Joatmon.....this is great info since these guys also are close enough nearby for me to actually visit in person and go over some very specific, custom requests with.

(Dealing with a pretty new company, it’s a pretty big leap of faith to pony up half of the cost of the build ahead of time to get the build started. Their products look really well made though)

 

[AbleGuy]

So guys, what’s your personal experience with any of these?

 

[driller]

I have a tacoma with 3" lift on 33" tires with the Habitat. My height of the truck is 83.5". I really like the Habitat for the room it offers. You can open up all the windows and get a nice breeze through it. The space in the bed is luxury in inclimate weather when you have to get inside. I'm wishing i could go to barn style doors to eliminate having to crawl in to stand up. Wifes knees arent what they used to be. My only complaint is having to make up the bed and tear down the bed. So now i just use a sleeping bag instead of sheets and blankets. I have built out the back with drawers and platform storage, so everything is in drawers or under the platform. I have pressurized water, second battery for ARB fridge, solar on roof of truck. The nice thing with getting older is i can use porta pot with out having to go outside.

 

[AbleGuy]

Thx Driller. Very helpful info and great pics.

This is basically, exactly what I want to create!

I’m still debating whether to go with the bigger Habitat or with the Drifter/Summit type of rooftops. I really like the extra roominess of the Habitat but wonder if the quicker set up and the ability to sit a kayak on the roof puts the GoFast/Summit/Drifter type of rig in first place?

How is the Habitat in the wind?

I have a tacoma with 3" lift on 33" tires with the Habitat. My height of the truck is 83.5". I really like the Habitat for the room it offers. You can open up all the windows and get a nice breeze through it. The space in the bed is luxury in inclimate weather when you have to get inside. I'm wishing i could go to barn style doors to eliminate having to crawl in to stand up. Wifes knees arent what they used to be. My only complaint is having to make up the bed and tear down the bed. So now i just use a sleeping bag instead of sheets and blankets. I have built out the back with drawers and platform storage, so everything is in drawers or under the platform. I have pressurized water, second battery for ARB fridge, solar on roof of truck. The nice thing with getting older is i can use porta pot with out having to go outside.

 

[driller]

Will this be a single person rig or a couple? If you are traveling alone most of the time I would go with the summit. If I could go back I would go with the Summit or the drifter type . I don't need this much room most of the time. Being able to carry on the roof could be a game changer. I do like the floor space though. Being able to sit inside and read when the weather is howling outside is nice. The wife and I have spent a month on the road in this rig. It was comfortable enough but she was getting a little pushy toward the end of the trip. A couple of nights at the Hyatt hepled.

 

[1leglance]

Thanks. That’s really an impressive expression of confidence in SNAP, that you’re also located in Arizona but that you choose the SNAP which, if I recall correctly, is made way back in Pennsylvania. Did you have it shipped out here? If so, how much was that cost please?

I drove out to pick it up since they were new to the camper biz (but the actual company has been around since the 70's), I wanted an excuse to see the east coast and it sounded fun.

I am in Phx and would be happy to show it to anyone anytime just send me a message and we can setup a meet.

 

[AbleGuy]

.

Will this be a single person rig or a couple? If you are traveling alone most of the time I would go with the summit. If I could go back I would go with the Summit or the drifter type . I don't need this much room most of the time. Being able to carry on the roof could be a game changer. I do like the floor space though. Being able to sit inside and read when the weather is howling outside is nice. The wife and I have spent a month on the road in this rig. It was comfortable enough but she was getting a little pushy toward the end of the trip. A couple of nights at the Hyatt hepled.

Thx, great thinking.

So you’ve hit the two competing benefits for the two of us...roof top storage for an inflated kayak or a gear box, vs. better inside room with the bed still accessible.

My sweetie loves to sprawl out on the couch of our current rig and read on buggy or inclement days, so the Habitat would be better only really in that regard.

But keeping the wife happy while on the road for prolonged trips has always been important for me. She’s an amazing, uncomplaining travel partner, going all the way back to our first big trip together in the summer of 1985, when we took off for the first time together on a 56 day trip up to the Yukon and Alaska, via the Canada Rockies, dealing with hordes of voracious mosquitoes and hungry no-see-ums and too frequent cold rainy days, camping crammed in the back of a tiny Nissan 4wd pickup with a 6’ bed and only a cab high shell. We’d only known each other for a few short months before we left on that trip. Her enthusiasm for the raw wild experiences we had on that first incredible trip made me decide that this gal was the one for me. We’ve adventure traveled together in North America now for 34 years, and during that time, we’ve thrived camping and living in the back of a variety of @ 8’ by 6’ “boxes” carried on the back of or built onto 4wd trucks, both big and small, cumulatively for a combined total period of over about 6-7 years.

But getting back to the main point.......the possibility of rooftop storage for carrying the inflated double Advanced Element kayak in between lake explorations, and the quicker roof tent take down for fast getaways, would also be really great, with a Summit or GFC or such.

So now I guess I’m going to have to research roof load capacity for the various tilt up roof shells.

Do any of you have advice on this topic?

Thx again gang.

 

[1leglance]

You would have to double check with Treehouse but I know the owners are boat people and post pic of a couple of kayaks on top, I know a big solar panel didn't impact the roof opening at all.