Roof Top Tent - DIY Build

I modified a tent to fit over my bed. It snaps into my covers snaps. I'm excited to see the end result of your project

 

DINO tent FTFW

 

Quick Update #3 -

1. Spent the day sanding and epoxying. Approx 3 hours sanding (that epoxy fillet is hard) w/ 60 grit. Didn’t go too fine on the finish given the entire surface gets coated with epoxy. (2) coats were applied (approx 18 oz ea.), second coat applied after 1st coat was tacky but firm. Got the heater on in the garage and hopefully will be cured enough to mount hinge and gas struts tomorrow afternoon

 

Update #3 (cont)

tl;dr: https://youtu.be/hTDLuA_OnoI

1. Epoxy wasn't fully cured - but was not wet/tacky to the touch so decided to push forward. Positioned top and marked hinge location. Flipped top over and secured w/ a few screws. Got some extra hands to help hold the top up as the second side of the hinge was secured to the base. Hinge positioned slightly outside to prevent any binding. Will more than likely need to gasket the inside to prevent any drafts, not too concerned about water getting in as there's a secondary lip.


2. Propped the top open w/ some scrap to the correct opening height. The fabric I've got is 60" so the clear diagonal opening is approximately 57" to account for some hemming. Using 60 lb struts (extended length 36" compressed 20.5") did some trigonometry to ensure struts would be fully closed when top was down. Bottom of tent already had (2) 1x's to secure hardware to, added a secondary piece to the top to buff up the connection, as well as align the top/bottoms of the struts. Since the hinge was straight, this part went pretty smoothly.

 

Update #3 - 4th & 5th Weekends of Build

1. Sewing has been the biggest hurdle of the project, as expected. First day working was figuring out the sewing machine and nervously cutting the first door. Started with the large rear door since it was a perfect square, and I had decided to not use netting on it. Hemmed top and bottom and then set snap rivets, fitting canvas tight to the frame. This took much longer than anticipated, and was all that happened that day.


2. Second weekend, coming in more confident. Picked up some basting tape for canvas that made sewing the hems exponentially easier. A lot of going back and forth between the tent and the sewing machine to make sure all of the angles and hems were the right length. Left an overhang on the upper side of the zipper diaganal to hopefully help with shedding water away from the zippers. Took a challenge of sewing a functional netting door, where the canvas can be opened from the interior to allow ventilation but keep bugs out. The mesh had to wrap the overhang on the shorter zipper diagonal to maintain symmetry and function similar to the longer diagonal zipper. One side is done, will hit the next side next weekend. Should be able to use this side as a template and go quicker. Still need to do some miscellaneous trim out and zipper reinforcement as well. Zippers are very finicky at the moment.

 

Update #4 - 6th Weekend of Build

1. Pair of All-bro bed bars came through a couple weekends ago. Great product, company very responsive. Primed & Coated with spray can bed liner - will touch up scratches as needed.

2. Thru-bolted 1/2” x 1” t-slot aluminum from 80/20. Spaced approx 15” - 30” - 15” on base. Dropped in enough t-nuts for the remainder of mounting to bed par + support posts

3. Added two latches to keep top closed when moving. Mounted to bed bars using pole to pole alligator brackets. Will eventually trim bolts to size for cleaner fit. Goal was to keep the tent below the cab line, but results in a pretty big overhang at the rear. Aesthetically I know people may not like it, but it doesn’t bother me much. The cantilever is pretty sturdy without any additional support, but I’m planning on adding two support posts at the end. Tailgate will come down and I’ll slide two angle brackets to secure two posts, just for peace of mind.


4. Did some test driving - slamming on brakes from 45 MPH - no movement. Took on interstate, got to 75 and went over some major bridge joints, very solid. Didn’t notice any deflection from downward wind pressure on the very rear of the tent. Will be monitoring - but I don’t expect to get above 70 MPH when driving this around.

5. Next steps: sanding, epoxy touch-up, paint. Need to find a good ladder set up. First trip planned in mid-April, so got to wrap this thing up

 

Update #5 - 7th & 8th Weekends of Build

1. Using Rust-oleum 1-part epoxy primer, prepped and applied one coat during good weather

2. Using Rust-oleum 1-part epoxy Topside paint, prepped and applied one coat during sub-par weather. (link:

$27 Rust-Oleum, Black, 207006 Marine Topside Paint, 1-Quart, 32 Fl Oz (Pack of 1)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001001LUC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Had to force it in order to have a chance on taking it out this weekend. Slight drizzle didn't seem to cause any major issues, and was able to get it inside before the big rain drops starting hitting. Will be able to put a 2nd coat on at a later date, no need to rush waiting for a perfect day. The epoxy paint absorbed slightly different into the raw plywood interior vs the epoxy coated exterior, hence the discoloration. Will evaluate further once cured.

3. Maiden voyage this weekend!

 

Update #6 - Maiden Voyage

1. Picked a doozy of a weekend to give the tent a first spin. Was pouring rain Friday when mounting, and when we got into camp for the night. But, the beauty of the hard shell was camp was ready in 10 sec. Epoxy coating worked perfectly, and canvas kept all the water out. 2+ hours driving in rain on the interstate, and a full night of rain, stayed completely dry

2. Saturday/Sunday weather cleared up - was able to dry out and enjoy the lake a bit more. Overall very happy with the end product. It’s not the prettiest thing in the world - but function over form is the motto.

3. Bonus pup pics. He’s already figured out the snaps on the bottom - so he can scout the area while up on the post. Also got pretty cold that Friday night.

 

Did you make it in at under 200lbs?

 

I think I’m hovering between 160-170, including mattress. Two slightly in shape people can carry, and shift weight overhead to get it on the bars with not too much difficulty. Can ever so slightly feel it on hills.

 

Update #7 - Storage Frame

1. I'm not fortunate enough to have a garage to rig a hoist + pulley system, nor is my GF capable of lifting this thing off the truck with me. Saw a couple videos of people building saw-horse frames just above the bed. Similarly, I've got limited space and it's a tight fit. 4x4 frame with some 1x cross bracing, eventually got the wobbles out and it's solid.

 

Looks awesome man! What factors lead you choose to pick the wedge shape?